The writing was tight and engaging, as are all of Neal Shusterman's books. But this one felt like it perhaps tackled too many issues in one text. Still an enjoyable read.

3.5 stars

I’m torn. The premise of this story is fascinating and I love the characters. However, I wanted more! There is just way too much happening in this story for it to be fleshed out in such a short book. There were some great topics being discussed but it was only the tip of the iceberg. It felt like it was just glossed over.

I will say, the last chapter of this story had some great quotes that made me feel some sort of way.

After reading all the books in the Arc of a Scythe series and loving them all, I couldn’t say no to a new Neal Shusterman book. After all, his writing is magnificent. I am so thankful to Hanna from SparkPoint Studio, for providing me with an e-arc Netgalley copy of Game Changer.

Synopsis:

Ash is a football player. And by football player, I mean hand-egg player. He plays rugby. You get my point. Anytime he takes a hit on the field, his life changes. He moves into another dimension, or an alternative reality, where things are slightly different from his previous reality.

At first, his changes are small and insignificant. However, they quickly turn into universes where society is stuck in the past and he finds himself looking at life with an entirely different perception.

And if he isn’t careful, the world he’s learning to see more clearly could blink out of existence…

My Thoughts:

The reason I loved all the Arc of a Scythe books were mainly because of Neal Shusterman’s writing, ability for storytelling and incredible world-building. The writing in Game Changer was great, and the idea about the alternative universes was phenomenal! I was hooked, and it was quite easy to get into. I read it very quickly and enjoyed reading it overall. However, the world building and the entire plot somewhat lacked purpose. This was the main thing I struggled with through the entire book.

Neal Shusterman takes on many important topics, and through Ash, he covers these as he moves into each alternate universe. He faces a world where segregation is normal. A world where his sexual orientation changes, and even a world where he wakes up one day as a woman. Alongside these changes, there are other changes as well, like drug dealing, trying to help a person that might be in an abusive relationship, even eliminating people along the way with no consequences.

All of these topics are extremely important, and each of these need to be talked about. There need to be books that cover these issues, and I am glad this book exists because of that reason. Because at least people, especially young readers, will be aware of these issues if they pick up this book. However, I think that because of the way this book was set up, and how quickly Ash moves from one universe to another, the issues don’t really get resolved. Even by the end, where he ends up being the hero, he hasn’t really fixed anything, or raised any awareness. It ends up with the “Meh, it could’ve been much worse (because I’ve been in the alternate universes, and trust me, I know)”. And this didn’t sit well with me at all.

I rooted for him to make a change for everyone that is impacted. Not just for himself, and when it affected him. I wanted him to fight for his best friend, when Leo got separated from him in the universe where segregation was legal. And I wanted him to keep fighting, but he didn’t really even try. And no, organising a high-school dance party that includes black people is not considered helping when one of your friends is in prison for no apparent reason. I just expected more from Ash…

However, considering how complicated of a character Ash is, and how much he seems to be unaware and uninterested in general issues, unless it directly affects him, it made me think that perhaps, this was Neal’s point all along? Create a character like him to provoke a discussion, provoke a reaction, and show us that we need to play our part in society as well if we want true changes. I want to think that this is the case, and for that, I would still recommend it to young readers.

Game Changer is nothing like the Arc of a Scythe series. But it will make you think about important topics such as racism and sexuality. Even though I wasn’t quite satisfied with Game Changer, I still think it’s a very important read. Especially for the current and future generations. And I hope that some day, this book will age in a way where the issues that are covered will be redundant.

Neal Shusterman has an author's note at the beginning of Game Changer which I think basically summarizes where he went wrong with this book. He seemed to have an objective to show what he has learned as a white man in a world where minorities are having their voices heard more. Basically, he tries too hard. The main character seems unrealistic and robotic compared to his other book characters. I really wish I loved this as much as his other books but it didn't work out for me.

"Game Changer" is a really interesting concept novel which utilizes a science-fiction elements to drive a plot which explores several social justice themes most notably racism and homophobia. The main character Ash (he/him), is a high school football player who ostensibly has suffered some minor trauma due to concussion which leads him to experience life in parallel universes. These parallel worlds are at once subtlety and extensively different than his "original" or "home" universe. Carrying his memories from one string to the next, Ash begins to better understand the experience and perspective of others which he previously underestimated or simply failed to acknowledge in his "original" life.

Once again, Shusterman takes us on a wild ride. The premise for this book is already amazing, but watching the main character as he adjusts to different realities had me really rooting for his success. Mix in a little football and timely social issues and you have a great read!

Game Changer is a book that I will never forget. It really makes you think and wonder what it must be like living in Neal Shusterman's mind. The book is about Ash who falls through parallel Universes after getting knocked about. At first the changes are small, such as stop signs now being blue instead of red and get more dramatic from there. The fact that it dealt with multiple hot button issues such as race and domestic violence opened your eyes to struggles that you may not be experiencing. This was also the first book I've read that has mentioned Covid which was a little out of body experience. The concept of using segregation to get Ash to understand racial disparities was extreme in a good way. He may never have understood it otherwise. This is one of the best books that I have ever read and will definitely be recommending it.

The premise of this book was interesting and I really liked the more sci-fi parts of it, but it was just written in too much of a corny after-school special tone for me to really enjoy it. I don't know if teens would like it or just find it kind of cheesy. I normally really enjoy Shusterman's writing and applaud what he was trying to do with this one, but it didn't work for me.

This is extremely YA, which isn't a bad thing but I didn't realize it going in. A teenage narrator leads us through white privilege, gay rights, and abusive relationships as a learning experience. It's not a bad book and certainly seems sincere, it's just a little heavy-handed.

Game Changer, set in the multiverse, introduces linebacker Ash Bowman, who gets thrown into a new world every time he suffers a hard tackle. As he travels though various "Elsewheres," he experiences segregation, being gay, being female and various levels of family wealth. He is the "chosen one," navigating different realities, trying to change things for the better with each shift. His relationships with his family (mom, brother and professional football player father), the team quarterback and the girlfriend he abuses, his black best friend and his sister and Ash's gay math tutor, serve as foils for his exploration of racism, homophobia, misogyny and classism. Ash's changes in perspective prompt him to develop a greater sense of empathy and urgency regarding the suffering of others. As I said in my August blog, the multiverse is a popular topic in new YA novels, and Shusterman's new novel is a strong addition to the lexicon.

I have so many mixed feelings about this book. Even though I loved the writing style and overall plot of the book, as a queer woman I was a bit uncomfortable with how the cis white mc was portrayed as homosexual in one dimension and a girl in another. I know these choices came with good intentions and the writing emphasizes on that but I'm still stuck on those two choices of narration. I really like the book overall as well as the ending but I'm not sure if I can recommend this book in good conscience when it contains certain instances that were uncomfortable for me.

Written in true Scheusterman style, this book holds up to the many of his previous, brilliant works. This book is fantastic! I could not put it down and never wanted it to end. At its heart , this novel tackles what it’s like to experience gender, racial, homophobic discrimination. It reminds us that that hindsight is not 20/20 and our realities are shaped by our perceived recollections of events. It proves the choices we make create a ripple effect throughout society and each of us has a platform to create and change the world. This is by far one of the best books I have read and highly recommend it!

I was given an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Ash Bowman is just your average white heterosexual male – or at least, he was until he became the center of the universe. Now I know what you must be thinking: don’t all white heterosexual males think that they’re the center of the universe? Maybe. But due to some unexplainable cosmic mumbo-jumbo, Ash actually is. Now, every time he power tackles somebody on the football field, he launches the world as we know it into a different dimension.

Alternate realities + mixed-up multiverses + mysterious interdimensional beings (with skateboards) + questionable quantum physics = an exciting equation for a unique YA Sci-Fi. But wait, there’s more! Shusterman takes it all a step further by mixing in pretty much every controversial topic you can think of – racism, classism, homophobia, and discrimination (based on race, gender, and sexual orientation), to name a few.

In the Author’s Note, Shusterman said that this book terrified him, and I can see why. It takes all the controversial issues that society likes to sweep under the rug of comfortable complacency, hitches them to a Grade A firework display, and then rockets them into the sky in one loud, explosive show that nobody can turn a blind eye to.

At its core, Game Changer is a story about empathy. It’s about the need for kindness, understanding, and the humility to listen and learn from those who have different life experiences than us. It’s about recognizing that in order to change the world – to make it better – we must be willing to let go of our selfish pride and make uncomfortable personal sacrifices. And I absolutely love that.

If you’ve read any of the author’s other books, then this won’t come as a surprise to you, BUT DANG – the man knows how to write a compelling novel. He can twist words, spin phrases, craft sentences, and weave them all together into a masterful marvel that is a true credit to the English language. From page one, the engaging writing in Game Changer had me hooked like a fish on a line, and I was equally helpless when it came to escape. Shusterman was going to tell me his story and I was going sit there, completely immersed, until it all came to a crashing end.

And crash it did. While the first two-thirds of this book were well-paced and thought-provoking, the ending was rushed, choppy, and oddly hollow. The way the plot wrapped things up left me feeling dissatisfied; I had been expecting a big fancy Thanksgiving feast, and instead was served a frozen turkey on a styrofoam plate. There was so much potential here, but instead of flourishing, the grand finale floundered and flopped in the arms of its own grand agenda.

One of the main complaints I’ve seen about Game Changer is that it comes across as a bit heavy-handed and to some extent, I would agree. There isn’t a lot of nuance to the story, and it can feel overly preachy and in-your-face at times. But you also could argue that the time for subtly regarding these issues is long since gone.

In any case, perhaps Shusterman tries to tackle too many important topics here. Perhaps the book could have benefited from a few more rounds of edits. But whatever the reason, what the author wanted this story to be and what it actually is are two very different things.

For most people, Game Changer by Neal Shusterman will be like a game of archery – it’ll either hit home or miss the target completely. But whether or not the sum of its parts works for you, at the end of the day this book is one man’s honest attempt to use his platform and his voice to call for change. It is a well-intentioned, earnest plea for a universe that’s a little kinder, a little more empathetic, and a little more accepting. And while I’m not 100% sure if this was a hit or a miss for me personally, I appreciate the courage it took to put it out into the world.

I have mixed feelings about Game Changer. I really enjoyed Shusterman's writing style. That alone will have me seeking out his other titles. I also liked the concept of the book. Ash, a high school football player, experiences a head injury on the field. Afterwards, he experiences alternate realities. It's an interesting twist. I also appreciate Shusterman's desire to address such issues as racism, sexism, homophobia. Unfortunately, I felt as if most of the plot was revealed by the protagonist talking at the reader instead of allowing the reader to experience the plot. In addition, many of the issues addressed in the books are somewhat brief and dealt with by a brushing glance. I think that Shusterman's commentary on these issues leave a watered down impression instead of hitting the reader directly. That being said, I think for me it was a matter of trying to throw in everything wrong in society today which left little room for fleshing out the story in regards to a single or few issues.

I did like the writing and the concept, but I felt the exploration of the issues it missed its mark. I believe that the book has good intentions. I also think the book will be very polarizing. Overall, for this reader, I did enjoy the book, just felt the way the issues were handled and the plot overall could have been handled better.

*Thank you Quill Tree Books at HarperCollins Children’s Books for the eARC from Netgalley.

3.25 stars

Every decision we make has a reaction. What would life be like if you made a different choice, took a different path, or tried to be a different person? Ash is going to learn this the hard way. When Ash is hit during a football game, he realizes that his reality has changed. Ash bounces between dimensions as he learns more about how different the world can be with just one change.

This was an interesting read. I like how Shusterman uses an intriguing topic and takes it further to make good points about social issues, race, identity, and coming together in support. I really appreciated these inclusions with the plot and overall message.

While this was an interesting read, some things got a little old after a while. I wish instead of growing about the entered dimension, the new one entered would be completely different and issues from the previous dimension would not be as focused. It is kind of hard for me to explain this. What I am trying to say is that some elements kept repeating and I was ready for something new with the next world.

I do see how this was probably used to help highlight how some of these issues never truly go away. I can definitely understand their use with the purpose, but I still wish this was still changed or slightly altered. At times it felt like we were a bit too stagnate with things. Overall, I just think it would have been more enjoyable to me if things were pretty different for each dimension instead of building off one another.

This was a pretty good read, but it just did not have that full Shusterman feeling for me. It may just be because it was pretty different from what I have read from this author so far.

I usually love books about multidimensional travel but this book didn't work for me. Ash moves through worlds at a pace that makes it difficult to connect with the characters. Plus, Shusterman continues Ash's "travels" a little too long with him sliding into a few too many worlds. However, I would have been okay with those issues if Shusterman had been so heavy-handed with his metaphor about the issues in today's society. Racism, sexism, and toxic masculinity are plagues and we need more books about this issue but Game Changer feels like an After School Special designed to teach tweens instead of a book for teens to enjoy.

I really enjoy Neal Shusterman's writing style and his books. While I didn't love this book as much as the Scythe series or Challenger Deep, Game Changer has an interesting premise and a great protagonist in Ash. Ash is a lineman who, after a powerful sack during a game, realizes his is the "center of the universe" and starts to journey through different versions of his world. I like how each new world Ash created, Shusterman attempted to tackle another issue facing our world today (racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.). The book was a bit long and while I enjoyed reading it, I did feel like it took a while to get through.

Oh, Neal Shusterman, I’ve been reading your stuff for so long, I am definitely going to trust you on this one, I know that you can handle the tough subjects (racism, sexism, and homophobia) with a seriousness of purpose that still allows you to throw in some bizarre humor moments along the way.

The premise of this tale is really pretty out there, though.

Our guy is a white guy named Ashley, or Ash to his friends. He’s a high school football player who sustains a pretty big hit in the last game. After that, he starts to notice that there are small changes to his reality that he is bothered by but everyone else seems to think are just normal. The first example is that all of the stop signs have changed from red to blue. That’s no big deal but the next hit is, because it changes the trajectory of the civil rights movement. Suddenly, Ash’s African-American best friend is no longer attending high school with him.

At some point, Ash is clued in to the reason behind all of these universal changes and his role in it. He begins to work to fix the problem, which means a great many more hits to the head during football games. That part left me wondering how long their season would be. He’s also likely to make things much worse before at least managing to return to the starting world, broken and imperfect as it is.

The whole setup allows Shusterman to comment on our own society’s failings and places where we are not making enough progress towards equality. There’s a lot to talk about in this one.

The Shusterman book that this most reminds me of is “Everlost” with its detailed world building that is just a little bit skewed from our own reality.

“Everlost” is definitely a book that people should start reading again, in my opinion. Also, “Everlost” has a great new cover.

To recap, read this book. And if you haven’t read Everlost, read that too.

TW: homophobia, racism, sexism. domestic abuse, emotional abuse, controlling behaviour, concussions, violence, victim blaming, drug dealing

Firstly i'd like to say thank you to Quill Tree Books to reaching out to me and granting me access to Game Changer on NetGalley. All opinions discussed here are my own.

This is such a hard rating and review to write because I absolutely adored the Scythe series by Neal Shusterman and so I was really eager to get into Game Changer... but it just did not work for me. I think the concept was really interesting but the execution was just not well done and I found it an uncomfortable read at times. I think Shusterman had good intentions when writing this book but it just didn't come across well. Shusterman tries to tackle racism, homophobia, and feminism - all through the lense of a straight, white, male.

Firstly, I think when trying to tackle so many important issues in one fictional book is always going to be difficult because inevitably you cannot give enough focus to each topic as it deserves so it felt like a pit-stop tour of the -ism's without really dealing with any of them in a positive or enhanced way. Secondly, the fact that our character is a white, straight, male really just doesn't help. I think a lot of people have had enough of the 'white saviour' trope that is portrayed over and over again in books, films, and TV shows. Whilst I don't think that was really Shusterman's intention it just came across that way for me. Ash, our main character, moves from universe to universe - in one becoming a gay male and in another a straight female - and it is only once this happens that he begins to learn and understand about homophobia and sexism. Not through what he sees around him every day or what he's told by those around him... only when it personally affects him does he start to learn. Ash says it multiple times throughout this book that his best friend Leo, who is Black, has tried to speak with him multiple times about racism and microaggressions but it's only when he's in a world when segregation is still a thing that he pays attention. I don't know, I just found this frustrating. It shouldn't take this for Ash to understand what is going on in the world around him. And in these other worlds Ash does step up to speak out against things, but each and every time he becomes a Hero and is lauded. I really get the message that Shusterman was trying to send but it just didn't work for me.

There is also far too much victim blaming of Katie; our main characters best friend/love interest (depending on what world he's in), who is in a relationship with Layton (another friend of Ash) who is clearly emotionally abusive and controlling. Ash in the first world only really cares about this because he wants Katie to break up with him so Ash can ask her out... there are multiple incidents of Ash questioning Katie as to why she won't leave him, repeatedly asking her about it and not listening to her, and other characters saying Katie knew what she was getting into. And at the end of the book... Katie has to remain with Layton because he's paralysed and she can't be the girl to dump the guy who's been paralysed. I just, this didn't sit well with me at all and Layton never really gets and comeuppance for his behaviour - unless Shusterman intended the paralysis to be his comeuppance.

It brings me back to my first point of the author trying to tackle too many issues without giving any of them enough depth or focus.

Sadly this wasn't a book I loved and there is no-one more disappointed than me!

Out 7th February for you to make up your own mind.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book.

Neal Shusterman is a masterful storyteller. Game Changer is a compelling YA science fiction story. The main character Ash is experiencing something like vertigo, but so intense that he feels like he is spinning into a whole new dimension. Every time he creates a full force hit on the football field, his entire world shifts and Ash finds his life spinning and changing. The changes leave Ash reflecting on his privilege and questioning whether his actions have impacted those around him in a negative way. If he had the power, would he choose a different life for himself and in turn, others in his life?

Like his other novels, this one definitely makes you think, to question, to feel, and to reflect. And while it is another Shusterman book I know people will love, it is also very different from any of his books that I have read. I look forward to sharing this one with my teenage son who devoured the Scythe series.