DO read our comments!

 

Team 15 went into these books with similar feelings, but came out split in our decision.  

The Companion is the Edgar Award winner, so most of us were excited to read a mystery - or were at least more excited to read that than a book about a video game streamer.  In The Companion we get the story of orphan Margot who is chosen by a wealthy family to come live on their large but, of course, isolated estate.  She is intended to be a perfect companion for their silent, distant, sick daughter.  The biggest disappointment of this book is its predictability.  Suanne summed it up:  "I could see the plot twists coming from a mile away but also couldn't stop reading. This book had some moments.  I pictured Mrs. Sutton as a cross between the landlady in Roald Dahl's 'The Landlady' and Kathy Bates in Misery, which added to the novel's creepiness. The romance between Margot and the son (I have forgotten his name) seemed contrived and I feel like it was a 'throw everything in including the kitchen sink' in an attempt to appeal to young readers."  Overall, the book is predictable, but is an easy sell to a kid looking for a mystery.  

I didn't think I'd like Don't Read the Comments given that I am not a gamer nor interested in gaming streams, but I actually liked the perspective of a female of colour dealing with the trolls.  When the harassment moved into the real world, I was invested enough in the characters to care.  Maureen also isn't a gamer, but observed "the book could be used to talk about different experiences that are had by different genders and what does privacy mean with the world of social media and gaming."  

We split our vote, but the tie breaker moved The Companion forward into the next round.