My new favourite sub-genre is video game fiction. I absolutely loved Slay! Yes, I read this two and a half years ago, but you know what? It has never left me. Slay presents such a fantastic story about race vs equality vs society vs self that I cannot get it out of my head. Such an underrated favourite!

Let’s talk about the game itself. A VR experience, Kiera’s game SLAY utilized Black cultural touch points to give people specific powers and skills. Though not a new concept to video games, I loved how it introduced readers to various elements of Black culture and its history. It was a great way to open up the doors to learning while still having a sort of inside-joke kind of feeling. The community built through the game was strong and proud and loved the idea of this game being a safe space for Black people to celebrate themselves, their history, and their future.

While Slay is definitely driven by the Black experience, it addresses identity so well and how we fit our race, culture, and traditions into how we live out our lives. Even as a Chinese Canadian, I empathized with Kiera’s experience and her fish-out-of-water feeling. That sense of not quite fitting in is super prevalent and I loved seeing it depicted so well. I appreciate how her game was her safe space and I totally related to her feeling that her school friends just don’t always get it when it comes to cultural aspects.

Slay also maintains a dialogue about allies and how even the great allies can become great enemies when history and society clash. I was super surprised by the plot twist and I really appreciated the way the story turned. Without too much spoiling, there are definitely elements of internalized racism that addressed through the story, which is something we often forget about when it comes to cultural conversations.

The story as a whole is empowering, nerve-wracking, and exciting beyond measure. Slay is an amazing book about how it feels to be a POC in a white world – uncomfortable, real, and powerful.

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
GoodReads Rating: 4.21/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers and Simon and Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this, characters were super engaging and I loved the gaming aspect. The author brings to life some very important topics that were woven expertly throughout the book. Exciting and hard to put down

3.50 stars
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TW; Racism, Racial Slurs, Toxic Relationship, Death, Cancer, Child Death, Violence, Gun Violence
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Going into Slay I wasn't really sure what to expect, I had been putting this one off for so long. Kiera is your average seventeen-year-old but by night, she turns into a game developer and SLAY player Emerald. I really enjoyed the endless representation, pop-culture references, and some of the message behind this book. I didn't really enjoy how unrealistic the book felt at times especially the whole creation of the game itself.

When a young boy winds up dead due to a dispute in-game, Kiera's world comes crashing down - everyone wants her to be held responsible for a game that seems to be targeted towards black gamers. When it seems as a player infiltrates the game and threatens to sue Kiera, she must spring into action to save everything she's ever worked on.

One of the things I liked most about this book was the dialogue and the interaction between characters, although, I must say I really disliked Malcolm and found his views to be a little out there. I would highly suggest this book as it does hit on very difficult topics and subject matter that should be acknowledged.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a great and nuanced read in regards to race and diversity. It spoke to heavy topics, but still kept the reader engaged with the plot. This is a book that needs to grace everyone's YA shelves. Powerful and well written.

I loved this book. I thought it tackled racism well (from the perspective of a white woman who will never experience it). I wish there was more game within the book itself though. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and seeing just how the game impacted their world. Having to deal with racism where you go to escape the world sounds so stressful and terrifying. I couldn't imagine having to deal with that every day and that feeling was portrayed well within Slay. I felt Morris' writing was amazing and I can't wait to read more from her.

I feel like there is so much more to say - so much positive thoughts - but I'm just not sure how to put that into words right now.

I was a little apprehensive about this book at first, because I know nothing about gaming and thought that I wouldn’t connect with the story, but was I ever wrong! I really enjoyed <i>SLAY</i> – it was entertaining, I loved how strong our main character, Kiera, was, and I loved how it tackled issues facing the Black community and Black gamers.

Slay was featured on my Best of 2019 list. For being kick ass. For showing a smart, creative girl can be in charge but still get a reality check and not fail. For being fast-paced, full of adventure, and with a good, solid story.

There's no other way to put it: SLAY was excellent. All of the characters’ voices were wonderful, and especially Kiera’s. I loved literally everything about Slay as a game! Think Yu-Gi-Oh style game play and Ready Player One style cultural references, but Black (and clearly without all of the white male author-ness).

This was such a unique premise with stellar execution and I can't wait to see what else Morris writes.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for a copy of Slay by Brittney Morris for an honest review.
I loved this book. I am obviously not the demographic for this story at all, but I found it informative, interesting and engaging. The behind the scenes work of developing at popular online game was fascinating and the fact that is was a 16 year old building and running it was amazing to read. I wish I had a book like this when I was younger, I might have tried coding if I had the chance.
Slay is not just a YA book. The discussion and look into African American culture was so well done and weaved so perfectly into the storyline as well.

I love video games so I was super excited to read this book! I kept my gaming side a secret when I was younger, because my friends didn’t like playing games. I could relate to Kiera, since she had to keep that part of her life a secret too. However, she had the even bigger secret that she actually created the popular game that she plays!

Race was a huge issue in this book. Kiera created the game as a place for black gamers to celebrate themselves in a game. The cards in the game were named after references to black culture or famous black figures in history. The game became controversial when a boy was killed for playing the game. Then, Kiera had to face the possibility of real life consequences for creating this game.

One thing that the critics of this game in the book often said was that the game excluded people of other races because you had to be black to be invited. It wasn’t created as an exclusionary game, but instead as a safe place for gamers to play a game where they wouldn’t be attacked due to their appearance. Kiera walked a fine line when her game was analyzed by the news, but it’s important for everyone to have a safe space to do what they love.

I loved this book so much!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't know what to expect from this but it was definitely not this compelling and beautiful story. Even though, I cannot personally speak for how much this representation matters, I can attest to the fact that it was an amazing story of fighting for what you want. SLAY is so much more than just about a game and everyone can definitely learn something from it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is so powerful. So amazing. It's everything I could every want in a book. I highly recommend this.

This was a really interesting book. I liked the way the story was told in the real world as well as the world of the game. It was a book that broached very interesting social discussions in an engaging way. While I had an inkling of the twist at the end, I was not sure, because the author had laid hints that could have meant the instigator of conflict was one of two people. I also liked the parts written from the perspective of other players of Slay.

Oh. My. Wow!! I now understand why this book is so loved!

I love the idea of a powerful video game that brings people together around their history. I love that Brittney Morris got that idea, and I love how she rendered it in this book. The multiple point of view really helps to understand the immensity of the community, and how a game like this is needed, even in the real world. I love how she treated the online bullying aspect, and how you don't have to plan everything for your future. Let some unexpected surprises coming your way! This book is one of my favorites of 2019, definitely in my top 5!

Thank you so so much to Simon and Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this book throught NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this book! I went through so many emotions-love, sadness, anger, shock, betrayal, and redemption!
Loved all the characters that were so supportive of Kiera throughout. Great read, definitely recommend!

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a good next read for fans of The Hate U Give. It is all about having pride in your self and culture and there are some fantastic references that could provide learning opportunities for some readers. I love how strong the female lead is and there are some surprising and shocking twists along the way.

SLAY by Brittney Morris is a book that I had been highly anticipating this fall for its interesting concept. While reading, it did become apparent that I am not the target audience for this novel, although it does seem to do a fantastic job of supporting black culture. That being said, the book does have some issues that make it hard to completely enjoy.

At first, the comparisons of this book to works such as Ready Player One and The Hate U Give drew me right into wanting to know more about SLAY. Both of these novels are ones that I absolutely loved and intrigued me to give it a try. In a nutshell, the book is about a virtual reality game that emphasizes the importance of a safe black community.

❀ TEACHABLE MOMENTS

As I am clearly not the target audience for the book, I wasn’t sure that I would be able to review this book objectively. I did appreciate the moments in the story and within the game that are teachable aspects. However, I did question whether it was plausible that only black individuals would have access to the game. Realistically, how does one prevent another race from signing in and playing a game?

❀ PLOT TOO CONVENIENT

There are some other issues in the story that I had a hard time with as well. Can a high school student who is focused on grades and getting accepted into university create a game that is internationally successful in her spare time with tutoring money unbeknownst to her friends and family? It just seems highly unlikely to me and I had a hard time getting past this. There are some other issues with the story that seem far too convenient, but it is hard to discuss them without spoiling the plot.

SLAY is a book that is hard to review as a white female, as it is not intended for me. The concept is very exciting and compelling, however it just doesn’t work for me. I do think that the issues raised in the book are important, although there are many problems with the way the novel is written.

I absolutely adored this (maybe adored is the wrong word?). It was everything it promised to be, and more. It had such an amazing, important social commentary on problems our world is facing today, and I think a lot of young teens NEED to read this. I would compare it to The Hate U GIve by Angie Thomas.

This was such a lovely and important read! Fed up with the racism that exists in the online gaming world, Kiera decides to develop the game, Slay. No one knows that she developed it, and her life becomes pretty chaotic when in-game conflicts begin to have real life consequences. If you’re looking for a strong female main character in an unapologetic contemporary that celebrates Blackness, while also centering around feminism and fandom/nerdiness, then this is the book for you!

(Will update with social media post, once it's live)

This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I don’t even know how to describe it other than it being awesome and fun, and really diverse and important. I’m so happy that it was chosen for the Indigo Teen Staff Pick of The Month!

Also, the cover is GORGEOUS.