Game On edited by Laura Silverman is a young adult anthology. This book features 15 stories by different authors about games — winning, losing, competition. And I mean games in all sorts of senses — sports, board games, video games, arcades. You name it. I greatly enjoyed my time with this anthology and the breadth of the stories within.
Let It Spin by Sona Charaipotra
The first short story in Game On is Let It Spin by Sona Charaipotra. This story is about a girl who has been estranged from her best friend, Raina. It is the story of the game that pretty much caused that estrangement. I feel like I’ve read better from Charaipotra, but I am not writing this off due to that. My lack of sleep might also be a factor in my personal lack of engagement. It just took me a bit to get into this. Onto the next one.
Hell Week by Amanda Joy
After reading Hell Week by Amanda Joy, I decided I need to read more books by Amanda Joy, period. Hell Week is about a cheerleader named Ariana who had a falling out, sort of, with another cheerleader named Angel. However, they happen to be in the same stunt group and this makes things awkward because you have to totally trust each other in the stunt groups. Oh, and this short story is sapphic. I really loved this story and it did what I wanted with a short story — left me wanting to read MORE.
The Liberty Homes by Katie Cotugno
Katie Cotugno’s The Liberty Homes is about teenagers who play manhunt in their neighborhood development. However, as they play this summer, strange things happen. A creek that was once there dries up overnight. The woods disappear. And finally, a kid disappears. This story was okay, not my favorite.
Mystery Hunt by Gloria Chao
Gloria Chao was one of the reasons I wanted to read this anthology — I love her work! Mystery Hunt follows a pair of young adults — college freshman — as they participate in the linguistics department mystery hunt for the prize of being able to do a research assistant position with any professor they choose. There’s a romance, there’s family relationships. So far, this story is my favorite and I want more. I just love Chao’s work.
She Could Be A Farmer by Nina Moreno
Who doesn’t love cozy? Nina Moreno’s She Could Be A Farmer is about what happens when Cam’s favorite game Critter Hollow gets its first update in years. This story is sweet and made me think of Animal Crossing which I never played but was a part of Twitter when it first came out and was the big thing. I loved this story — a good reminder of how I really need to read Moreno’s debut.
One Of The Good Ones by Isaac Fitzsimons
Isaac Fitzsimons’s One Of The Good One feels like a full book. It’s excellent. This story is about Logan who is a Black football player who is gay. He is also the adopted son of a police officer. In the beginning of this story, he is at a party on the wrong side of the train tracks. His white brother comes to get him before the party is busted by police. Unfortunately, a Black boy ends up hurt by a police car. And so, Logan grapples with his identities and whether to take a stand or not at the football game. This story was thought provoking and had me wanting to read more by Fitzsimons.
Just Tell Them You Play Soccer by Anna Meriano
Anna Meriano’s Just Tell Them You Play Soccer was a breath of fresh air. This upbeat short story is about a girl with anxiety who plays quidditch. However, she is embarrassed about it, so she tells her roommates she plays soccer. One day, they figure out her secret. And her roomie, Olivia, makes a bet with her about how easy quidditch is. Oh and Olivia is a crush too. This story was cute and fun and I loved it.
The Girl With The Teeth by Kayla Whaley
The Girl With The Teeth by Kayla Whaley is a serious sort of story about Warning who is a character in a horror video game with zombies I think and the player whose name I don’t remember, but she self harms by biting herself. This was not the story for me and that’s fine. I hope someone else can see themselves in this though.
Spite And Malice by Shaun David Hutchinson
Card games are one of my favorite things. Shaun David Hutchinson’s Spite And Malice is about a boy named Benji who has moved ten minutes from his old house into an apartment complex with his mother. While moving in, he meets Dan and Andy. He finds himself attracted to both and ends up joining their card games on the roof. Benji must then take a risk and hope he gets chosen. This story was well paced and adorable. I enjoyed it.
Game Of The Gods by Francesca Zappia
First off, this short story mentions SU so I was really excited about that because Syracuse University is close to me. Game Of The Gods by Francesca Zappia is about a football game infused with gods. You see, there are Favor Squads where they rile the fans up in tribute to the patron gods. Those gods then grant their favor to the team playing football. And this short story is about one last game. I really loved the concept and the writing style.
Do You See It Now? by Laura Silverman
Laura Silverman‘s short story Do You See It Now takes on the theme of sexism and gatekeeping. Alexis is really excited to go to a gaming store with her boyfriend Theo. She’s really into board games and has a whole collection. However, the employee looks to her boyfriend Theo as the expert. She tries to talk to Theo, but he just doesn’t get it. This story was really thoughtful and just validating. I am glad it was a part of this collection.
Plum Girls by Kathleen Glasgow
Okay so I wrote my thoughts on this short story but it didn’t save and now I am filled with profanities. However, to keep it short and sweet — I really liked Plum Girls by Kathleen Glasgow. This story is brutal in parts but very well written. There’s murder. Also, flashbacks. And pieces dealing with mental health.
World Of Wonder by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal
I loved World Of Wonder by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal. This story was just plain fun. It’s about a showdown between the Retro part of an amusement park that’s got skeeball and gokarts and the arcade part which has a new virtual reality game. This was lighthearted and fun and nostalgic. It has friendship and family and growth. This was a PERFECT short story.
Weeping Angels by Yamile Saied Mendez
Yamile Saied Mendez’s Weeping Angels was sad, but sweet. This story is about a girl who is grieving and about to experience the last night of summer and the last time playing this outdoor game called weeping angels with her friends – the Fav Five, however, they are missing one. You see, they are missing Chris who died by drowning. And so, this story is not just about the game but about the narrator saying goodbye. It was good.
Night Falls by Kika Hatzopoulou
Kika Hatzopoulou has a winner with Night Falls. This story follows a girl who goes to her ex’s house for a big game of Mafia that has spanned through weeks it seems like. In tow is the new girl, who she has a crush on. However, Mara, that’s the main character, doesn’t know if the new girl realizes it is a date or not. She also has to reconcile with her need to always win. This story was so cute and a great way to close out Game On.
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