14 must read YA book releases to kick off summer right this June
By Lacy Baugher
June 2021 release: Don’t Hate the Player – Alexis Nedd
The debut novel from Mashable entertainment reporter Alexis Nedd, Don’t Hate the Player is a snappy, heartfelt feminist YA romance that also provides an important and realistic look at the dark side of the traditionally male-dominated gaming space.
Emilia Romero is living a double life. By day, she’s a field hockey star with a popular boyfriend and a mother obsessed with her academic future. But at night, she’s busy kicking ass as the only female member of a highly competitive e-sports team.
Jake has had a crush on Emilia since they were ten years old, where they met playing a video game at the local mall arcade. And when his underdog e-sports team makes the tournament, it feels as though Fate has intervened to bring them back together. If they can survive the pressures that combine to pull them apart.
The official synopsis describes the story as follows.
"By day, Emilia is a field hockey star with a popular boyfriend and a mother obsessed with her academic future. But by night, she’s kicking virtual ass as the only female member of a highly competitive eSports team. Emilia has mastered the art of keeping her two worlds thriving, which hinges on them staying completely separate. When a major eSports tournament comes to her city, Emilia is determined to prove herself to the male-dominated gaming community. But her perfectly balanced life is thrown for a loop when a member of a rival team—Jake—recognizes her . . . From an exciting new talent, this sweet and charming YA romance will win the hearts of gamers and non-gamers alike."
Don’t Hate the Player is available on June 1.