Unpredictable and unexpected, Game Changer is the latest Young Adult novel from bestselling author Neal Shusterman.

The story follows Ash, a high school American football player whose all-American life certainly takes a turn for the weirder. With just one explosive tackle, Ash is propelled headfirst into an alternate reality. Suddenly faced with the unknown and with the fate of the whole world resting on his shoulders, Ash has a big challenge ahead if he wants to make it back to his original world.

Featuring elements of sci-fi and fantasy as well as typical YA themes such as a journey of self-discovery, this is a book that really does have it all. The author also openly tackles some of the biggest issues we are facing today, including racism, classism, misogyny, and domestic abuse. These topics are not sugarcoated nor avoided; instead, they are integral to the plot and leave you with plenty to think about.

This is a story with a big concept and plenty of social criticism. Shusterman takes the classic 'what if' scenario and in each AU, applies it to various different things we all take for granted. This results in a compulsive read and a highly compelling plot. Lots of big topics and difficult issues are referenced in a short space of time and it feels as though this could have been expanded to a series, allowing Ash to explore each alternate world in greater detail. All in all, it's layered and nuanced, but also very readable.

The book is also exceptionally well written, with highly engaging prose and the author's trademark style shining through from start to finish. This is one of those unputdownable stories that could easily be read in a single sitting. It's immersive, exciting, and full of surprises!

Packed full of twists and turns and nail-biting right to the very last, Game Changer is another five-star read from Neal Shusterman.

The concept for Game Changer is super original and the book itself deals with a number of important issues. There was more of an emphasis on American Football than i would have liked but i think people with a better understanding of the game will enjoy it more.

Maybe more like 2.5 stars but this just wasn't for me, unfortunately. I really didn't like the writing style at all - it felt very impersonal- and Ash, the narrator, was irritating. Yeah it just wasn't what I wanted or what I expected.

I really loved this book even though it felt a little preachy and overly concerned with trying to correct all of society's ills. Our main character is a good guy who is trapped in a spiral of ever-worsening universes, all of them having to do with racism, homophobia, greed, selfishness, and jealousy. It feels a little like the author sat at home during the lockdowns and riots and poured out his anger, frustration, anxiety, and dreams for a better world into this book, and I think it resonated with me because we are all feeling those things. It was lovely to see some of what I've been struggling to put into words on the page in a YA novel I can recommend to my students. Review of a free advance copy from NetGalley; thanks to the publisher.

I appreciate what Shusterman was trying to do here, and he does do a lot of it well, but there are so many things trying to be addressed at once that it becomes a watered down commentary on the flaws of society (racism, homophobia, sexism etc), instead of really hitting where it hurts.

Game Changer centres upon 17 year old Ash, a football player who gets concussion and suddenly starts to see his life a little differently, then a lot differently, and then discovers he may have more of a say in what it looks like than the average kid.

What I did really enjoy about this book was that Ash was a really interesting perspective, because he was confused and experiencing the development of those confusions as they developed alongside us. This meant that every new piece of information or eye-opening moment was shared with the main character and the reader; which is just awesome. Equally, I liked that Ash wasn't the typical heroic white guy, and instead is quite self critical and often able to see the flaws ingrained into him by society. Unfortunately he is also particularly ignorant most of the time, but I think that's sort of the point!

What I don't like is that there are too many issues being addressed without enough impact and too few realistic explanations for what is happening. I like being confused, I like that I can't trust Shusterman because that's one of the main attractions I have to his writing, but this one didn't surprise me the way his other work often does.

ARC provided from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the concept of this book so much. The actual execution of it fell flat for me. I think I wanted more time within each identity to show how society is different for each person even if their personality is the same. I did like the writing style. I just wish their was more development.