Such a cute book about friendship! ( )

"Gamer gals, devotees of Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl (2013), and members of John and Hank Green’s nerd- fighters will find this debut novel by Priemaza satisfying in its depiction of an unlikely IRL bond between two flawed, funny, bright young women."

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I hate people.
"Even me?" Meg asks, which could mean she's a mind reader, but probably just means I accidentally said that out loud.
"You're not people. You're Meg."
And something about the way she grins at that makes me feel the tiniest bit better.

Give me every book about friendship ever written. No lie but stories with strong friendships are some of my favorites. Kat and Meg Conquer the World is an incredible story of friendship and connection. Kat suffers from anxiety and panic attacks and she prefers peace and order, while Meg’s ADHD leads her to a life enjoying serendipitous surprises and thriving moment to moment. When these opposites are partnered for a semester long science project, they begin to bond over their shared love of a video game and a famous gamer. What develops is a beautifully realistic friendship that transcends the page and hooks into your heart.

Things I Liked
Kat and Meg’s friendship is the absolute greatest! I love every single things about it. It’s a truly wonderful pairing of opposites attract! Kat has anxiety and panic attacks that keeps her isolated and lonely. But Kat is such a resilient character and actively makes an effort to push herself. Not because she’s shamed into, but because she doesn’t want her anxiety to control her. Helping her along the entire time is the wonderful and amazing Meg. Meg has ADHD and trouble focusing. She feels like her flighty disposition is the reason everyone leaves her and that’s she’s unworthy of sticking around for. (I also LOVE that we get a black character with ADHD!) With the help of Kat, and Legends of the Sword, Meg is able to focus and start setting small goals for herself and work toward them. Meg is also incredibly brave and fearless. I admire her. They have such a beautiful and full friendship filled with incredible amounts of love, support, and understanding.

I really loved the role that Legends of the Sword played for each girl. Not only does the game serve as the thing that initially draws them together, but it plays a role in each of their lives. We see Kat’s confidence because she knows who she is in the game. The game helps center Meg and helps her focus. I also really liked that the way each girl plays the game is very indicative of their character. Meg randomized her character and rushes in with little thought; Kat is a planner and plotter, and likes being prepared for all situations.

Describing leaves changing in the fall as “a slow, colorful striptease” is the greatest thing ever and it made me laugh.

I really liked all of the romances in the story. They were adorable and perfect for the contemporary, but they didn’t detract from either character or their growing friendship which I greatly appreciated.

Meg’s little brother Nolan is the most adorable child ever.

Things I Didn’t Like
In the beginning of the story, I had some trouble remembering who was who between Kat and Meg. The girls personalities were distinct and they felt like individuals, but it took me a few chapters to be able to instantly differentiate who was speaking when.

This is completely a personal issue, but I had trouble visualizing Legends of the Sword, the video game that Meg and Kat bond over. I don’t play videogames, so I don’t really have a reference point for the world and rules of games. I liked the camaraderie, but I didn’t really get what they were doing or working towards.

I would have liked to see more from Luke, Kat’s brother. He was a very important person to Kat, but I felt like I didn’t really get to know him or see their relationship.

I’m just so incredibly happy after reading this, and it put me in a fantastic reading mood. Kat and Meg are amazing complex characters who compliment and uplift one another creating a friendship for the ages. I’m serious, I need all the books about friendship. Kat and Meg Conquer the World is a story of bravery and resilience and finding the perfect person to help you along the way.

I received a copy of the book from HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. ( )

This book is getting rave reviews on Good Reads, but I don't understand why. The book is long and I found the two girls extremely immature. They both annoyed me, especially Meg, with her ADHD. She was just too over-the-top and I wanted someone to squash her. I could not handle her continual exuberance.

Sadly, there was very little plot and the ending was random and unbelievable. As of the many, many references to YouTuber, Lumberlegs, the creator of the computer game Legends of Stone, I quickly found myself tiring of them and skipping these sections.

I did like the focus of female friendship, but "Kat and Meg Conquer the World" was definitely NOT for me. Maybe having read it during the 'silly season' made me extra grumpy and annoyed. ( )