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A review by bzliz
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Marcus is an actor who has grown dissatisfied with his show’s lazy scripts that undo seasons worth of character development, so he turns to fanfiction to explore how it should have gone. April is a geologist by day but also a secret super fan of Marcus’ show who likes to cosplay her favorite character and write smutty fics about her favorite pairing (which happens to include Marcus’s character). In fact, they are close friends within the fandom without Marcus revealing his identity and possibly putting his career at risk.
When April takes a chance and posts a cosplay photo of herself without cropping out her face, internet trolls quickly start criticizing her for her size. Marcus happens to see and publicly admonishes her critics and invites her on a date, during which she reveals to him that she is actually his closest internet friend.
They both struggle to share their true selves despite their attraction to one another, setting off a pretty typical rom com pattern of constant back and forth revealing small pieces of themselves before one of them (usually April) reads into something too much and withdraws again only to forgive and move forward soon after.
This book is a love letter to everyone who spent years escaping into fanfiction as a way to express themselves and see themselves represented in their favorite works, as well as anyone who has been led to believe they are “less than” because of how they look.
When April takes a chance and posts a cosplay photo of herself without cropping out her face, internet trolls quickly start criticizing her for her size. Marcus happens to see and publicly admonishes her critics and invites her on a date, during which she reveals to him that she is actually his closest internet friend.
They both struggle to share their true selves despite their attraction to one another, setting off a pretty typical rom com pattern of constant back and forth revealing small pieces of themselves before one of them (usually April) reads into something too much and withdraws again only to forgive and move forward soon after.
This book is a love letter to everyone who spent years escaping into fanfiction as a way to express themselves and see themselves represented in their favorite works, as well as anyone who has been led to believe they are “less than” because of how they look.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Ableism