Book Review: Game On: 15 Stories of Wins, Losses, and Everything in Between edited by Laura Silverman

Publisher’s description

A charming and inclusive YA anthology all about games—from athletic sports to board games to virtual reality—from editor Laura Silverman and an all-star cast of contributors.

From the slightly fantastical to the utterly real, light and sweet romance to tales tinged with horror and thrills, Game On is an anthology that spans genre and style. But beneath each story is a loving ode to competition and games perfect for anyone who has ever played a sport or a board game, picked up a video game controller, or rolled a twenty-sided die.

A manhunt game is interrupted by a town disappearing beneath the players’ eyes. A puzzle-filled scavenger hunt emboldens one college freshman to be brave with the boy she’s crushing on. A series of summer nights full of card games leads a boy to fall for a boy who he knows is taken. And a spin the bottle game could end a life-long friendship.

Fifteen stories, and fifteen unforgettable experiences that may inspire readers to start up that Settlers of Catan game again.

Amanda’s thoughts

I love anthologies. And you know what? I know a lot of people are having a hard time finding the time/concentration/bandwidth to really get into a book or even finish a book. Anthologies are the perfect antidote to the that! Lots of short stories that will maybe lead you to discovering a new author to love—that’s a win!

You might be like me and think, sports, whatever, who cares? My interest in sports is non-existent. But my interest in reading about them is there! And guess what? This is actually more about games than sports—so expand whatever you’re thinking of to include card games, outdoor neighborhood hiding games, board games, puzzles, amusement park games, Spin the Bottle, and more. As you would hope and expect out of an anthology, there is a wide variety of representation here as far as sexuality, race, and other identities. As I’ve said before, reviewing anthologies is kind of difficult, especially when you’re not going to detail every story included/review them separately. More than anything, when I review anthologies it’s to point out, hey, this cool book exists, it might not be what you’re imagining when you see the title, and you should go check it out.

So, you know—go check it out! This book knocks it out of the park. Score!

Review copy (finished) courtesy of the publisher

ISBN-13: 9780593352786
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date: 01/18/2022
Age Range: 12 – 17 Years

Filed under: Uncategorized