I would describe this novel as a unique take on a love story - but not romance - set in the world of video game design. It's about two childhood friends who become legendary game designers after attending college in Cambridge, MA in the late 90's.
Sadie and Sam, the main characters, meet for the first time at 11 years old in the game room of a children's hospital in Los Angeles. Sadie is there because her older sister has cancer and Sam is there because he was in a horrific and tragic car accident that crushed his leg. Almost silently, they bond over Super Mario Brothers, the game that Sam is playing when Sadie first encounters him. Because Sam has emotionally shut down - he hasn't really talked since he got there - the nurses are thrilled that Sadie has gotten him to come out of his shell and ask Sadie to keep visiting with him. Sadie's mother proposes that she use the hours towards her bat mitzvah community service requirement and so Sadie agrees, all the while sneakily getting the nurses to sign off on her hours, which they willingly do. WHile it is transactional, it's also genuine - Sadie is fond of Sam. The storyline spans over 30 years of Sadie and Sam's life and a continent as well, going from California, to college in Massachusetts and back and includes periods of estrangement and closeness.
This is an intricate novel about male-female friendship and stories - Sam and Sadie create elaborate video games with intricate stories as we read about their story. I loved the development of the characters and the relationship between Sam and Sadie, which is also very much a character in the novel. I also appreciated themes and discussions surrounding cultural appropriation (one of the games they create and develop is called Ichigo, based upon The Great Wave of Kanagawa and yet neither Sadie nor Sam are Japanese).
I loved this book. Add it to your library - it's well worth it.
This book satisfied the Popsugar prompt of a platonic friendship between a guy and girl.
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