Play the Game

Play the Game is a very well written YA mystery by Charlene Allen. Due out 31st Jan 2023 from HarperCollins on their Katherine Tegen imprint, it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

This is a powerhouse of a YA coming of age novel. The writing is unvarnished and often emotionally raw. One of a trio of teenaged friends in NYC has been murdered in a racist attack. When the murderer is found dead in the same spot, evidence points at Jack, one of the two left behind. VZ, the third friend, has more than enough to deal with at the moment, still reeling and trying to process the loss of Ed, his best friend. He's also trying to navigate a crush at his job, keep his grades up, find his way with his family problems, as well as a last tribute to his friend, to finish writing the game Ed left behind and enter it into a game programming contest.

Much of the plot is given over to the process of restorative justice. It's a fascinating process and the author expends quite a lot of effort to make it relatable and understandable to the reading audience. The language is R-rated, and there is some frank discussion of gender identity and nonconformity, as well as light sexual content (nothing explicit). 

This is an important book, very well written and relevant. It would be a good choice for public and school library acquisition (with codicils for rough language), as well as for book club or classroom discussion. 

Four and a half stars. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.