Ratings86
Average rating3.5
2nd read
This reread took forever! It was just as good the second time around, and this time I was really able to soak up so much more of the story, instead of rushing through it like I did the first time. I can't believe I had any doubts on who Neil was going to end up with. By the halfway point of this book Neil and Andrew do nothing but keep an eye on each other, though none of them will admit that they do it. They're so attentive to each other as well as pretending they can't stand the other person, and at the same time can't stop thinking about how interesting the other is. Andrew is always touching Neil and Neil is just like “Okay we're doing that” and he doesn't realize the importance! Gah, all the feels. My precious broken children. Y'all are so messed up, I fucking love you.
1st read 4 stars
This was... this was like... like sports anime on stereoids, that's what it was.
The mostly male cast checks out (although it's not even close to how sports anime usually does it), the sport checks out(obviously), the training part, the first game, the main character who's good enough to be on the team but not actually good enough (yet), the hardcore upperclassmen who hate the MC, the upperclassmen who take care of the MC, the player who initally hated but eventually respects the MC, I feel like I could go on, honestly.
HOWEVER,
Y'all, the criminality in this shit literally scares me. Like, I got way in over my head with this one, was not expecting the kind of murderous past everyone had, and the characters are so horribly mentally unstable that every little thing gets me nervous, the drugs (medical and otherwise) are almost part of some characters' identity. I mean, this is literally insane and an absolute fucking shitshow. It was also VERY entertaining, though. This book was such a starter, I can't wait to get onto the next one. At the end, we're finally getting enough of Andrew to see him as a real person. Neil is constantly in anxiety-mode (bc he's running from death, can't really blame him), but it really carries a paranoia over the entire novel, which sets the tone well. Most of the characters we've only just scratched the surface of who they are, so I can't really say how I feel about them yet, but overall I was simply addicted to this and really enjoyed it.