An entertaining read with important underlying issues at the heart of the story. A good blend between readability, socially-conscious and entertainment.

It could have been the time I was reading or my knowledge of Shusterman but I struggled. I thought the overall message was good but it felt long at times. I am a huge Shusterman fan but this one was slow to me.

This book definitely had me walking away and pondering for a long time after. Neal Shusterman's writing has a way of doing that in which I appreciate. In the end it seemed like a lot packed into one book and dealing with so many hot button topics just seemed tough. Instead of fully diving into one topic fully it felt like a lot of topics just didn't get fully formed.

This book was amazing. I loved every aspect of it. The idea of jumping into multiple dimensions in order to find empathy for real world problems was genius. It gave a whole new meaning to the saying, "Put yourself in their shoes." I loved how even the subtle changes we experience in the first jump were meaningful even in their triviality. I also appreciated the progression of the severity of the changes in each jump Ash made. These acted as baby steps allowing the reader the opportunity to prepare for the next leap and be able to digest the magnitude of what was different and how it affected society and the individuals in it differently. I loved the overall idea that one person can't fix the world, but they can take actions toward making it a better place. Game Changer was a phenomenally written and well thought out novel that the world needs today in order to truly become empathetic agents of change. I will definitely be buying this for my library.

I hate to give only two stars to a Shusterman book as he is one of my favorite authors, but the more I think about this one the more disgruntled I'm feeling about it. When describing his books to others I have said for a long time that I feel like the books fall into two categories: really well written and thoughtful OR not as deep/kinda cheesy(?) stories that are just fun to read. The latter description mostly applies to his earlier work such as Red Rider's Hood or Eyes of Kid Midas. As I started this book it seemed to be a throwback to that earlier style - sci fi action/adventure. But the more I got into it the more it started to feel like a book that was trying to hit all the hot topics in a not subtle enough way. I was already somewhat unhappy with Ash's story when I got to the shift where he became gay and that did me in. As a member of the LGBTQ community, I can say that Ash's sudden shift to a gay man and his reaction to that did not ring true to me. I appreciate the character's acceptance of who he was and Shusterman's intent with that section, but I'm not buying it. Luckily, there are quite a few books that have gay representation now (unlike when I was growing up) that I can now be fussy about representation. But back to the book as a whole, not just that one personal issue - I had a hard time getting through it and feeling much involvement in any of the alternate worlds. It just didn't deliver for me.

Hmmm. I'm definitely on the lower end of this 3 rating, but not quite at a 2 ... and here's a bit on why. While this book is taking on some BIG issues (which should def be taken on), I'm not sure it's quite a successful take on these issues. This book is essentially based on the premise of the dangers of head trauma in American football, especially for young athletes. THEN, each head trauma sucks young Ash (white, 17-year-old, cis, straight Ash) into an alternate version of reality, each slightly tweaked or changed, mainly socially. So the book takes on race, class, sexuality, gender, partner abuse, drugs and drug dealing, and football head trauma - yeah, that's a heckin' lot to take on for any book. Is it great to take these issues on and present them for young, likely male audiences? YES, absolutely. HOWEVER, this book does A LOT of talking AT the reader, rather than letting the plot and action tell the story. It feels, at nearly every single moment, that the author-via-Ash is popping beyond the pages to explain just how racial bias, implicit bias, gender stereotyping, and all the other issues might just work for a *regular* white kid and why a *regular* white kid is going to be a lot wrong about most of the issues - basically we get a book length explanation on the problem with white, male privilege -- which, again, VERY necessary! -- but the way in which it happens feels clunky and shouty and "beyond the third wall," which I do not love.

All that being said, there is something engaging about the plot, and I did read this book in an extremely short amount of time. I'm a huge fan of Blake Crouch and the kind of science-y alternate dimension fiction that gets smattered here and there. This feels a bit like Blake Crouch writing Doctor Who without giving us other planets.

Also, other reviews mention the White Savior issue, and I do wonder if they even finished the book, because that issue is explicitly stated in the book itself - Shusterman is well aware and makes Ash tell us he is well aware of how it comes off that he appears to be a problematic White Savior. So yeah, I assume that was a purposeful insertion. I think my biggest issue with the book, as a whole, is probably the inadvertent message that this reality is bad, but it could be worse. Like, yeah, lots of stuff could be worse, but it's definitely not a reason to sit back and not do stuff to fix the problems, so I'm hoping that's not Shusterman's intent (somehow I very much doubt this).

On the whole, this book had a clear mission and was well-intentioned, but seems like it was quickly cranked out without the usual finesse of plot and story that I've come to expect from any sci-fi, post-apocalyptical, dystopic fiction writer like Shusterman. I definitely hope some young white bros pick up this book and learn some stuff, but somehow I doubt that'll happen.

2 stars

I am a huge fan of several of Shusterman's works, and I am constantly recommending them to students in my college-level children's literature courses. My vocal love for/interest in these works is what also accounts for my shock at the quality and content of this one.

This book did not work for me, so much so that I actually found it offensive. The main character - Ashley, who usually goes by Ash - is a white, cis, male identifying high schooler who is best known for his prowess on the football field. THIS is whose story I need more of now? Yeesh. Readers learn - not long into the novel - that this character has "now become the center of the universe," which feels disappointing and on brand for this archetype, not revolutionary at all.

The idea that the universe centers on this kid - with this particular set of identities - is fine (if a little too real), but his "wise" pontifications and his young mansplaining of everything from what felt like the perspective of a great grandpa on a porch swing was weird and creepy to me. Sometimes, I get essays from very new college students that include the word "Nowadays," and this odd juxtaposition of a young but falsely wise speaker gave me strong "Nowadays" vibes: very bad.

I did not appreciate the content of any of Ash's revelations. He apparently is no longer under the veil of ignorance. It is Ash who can save us all. Thankfully, we have him to explain the experience of women, people of color, and queer people. WHAT?!

When I next tout the greatness of Shusterman's novels to my students, I will now - sadly - add a strong caveat: all but this one. I'll come back to Shusterman's work, but this made me sad and grossed me out a lot.

Thanks to netgalley.com for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having read several of Shusterman's previous series', I knew he has never shied away from tough topics or moral dilemmas. This book, covering every social ill from racism to homophobia, seemed a bit rushed. With references to George Floyd and Covid, it seemed he was in a hurry to make this book relevant. Unfortunately you lose that relevancy when you try to text like teenagers and say things like U2 and becuz. Unlike his other books, the teenagers did not feel like teenagers.

There was also a heavy white savior vibe - no one can save themselves or do anything except the white person who is *literally* the center of the universe. The people of color are just there for him to feel bad about.

I think the plot is intriguing and could have been done better - more focus on the science fiction and less focus on philosophical monologues from the main character. Overall I felt the book tried to do way too much all at once and ended up seeming sloppy - with moments of clarity. Shusterman puts together interesting stories easily, but this one just fell flat for me. I did enjoy that it was post-COVID and mentioned the pandemic- it made me feel like maybe things would get back to normal eventually!

What an interesting book, she says surprising no one who's ever read a Shusterman book before. This was a fascinating way to discuss racism, sexism, and homophobia while also creating a unique time travel experience. To me, this book was Quantum Leap meets Steins;gate. (If you're familiar with those two things, you just went "OMG yaaaaaas.") I liked our main character quite a bit, and our side characters perhaps a bit more. I do feel like some of the beginning was not up to his usual eloquence standards, but I wonder if it's an attempt to sound like Ash and not like Neal. This did a nice job of discussing modern day issues in a way that I feel will hold up over time, although I'm hopeful that some future teen will read this and think "did they really used to believe this stuff?" That's an alt timeline I can get behind.

This book snuck up on me. It is one that will make you think long after you have finished it. I enjoyed the way it made me think. I would love to know what Ash does going forward or who the other 9 people were.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

So this book was originally 5 stars for me. The plot was ingenious and intriguing, the idea that there are countless parallel universes out there, some in which the only thing that’s different is that stop signs are blue, others in which monumental historic events never happened. I appreciated the references to racial injustice, homophobia, emotional abuse, etc. But. It was a lot for one book. Perhaps ONE of these important topics could have been focused on with a bit more care and thought and it would have been better. I also read a review saying that it was a white savior narrative, and it completely shifted how I was thinking about this book. A white straight dude being the literal center of the universe? And then making things better for black people? 🥴 woof. Because of this, I am taking my 5 stars down to 4 because that’s...not great. I still loved the plot and the writing and think many teens will as well.

I think this is a book that I have never read anything like it. The main character's life changes when he gets tackled in a football game. It starts with little changes and then progresses to larger changes. He learns to appreciate his life and be able to relate to other people in his life. I think we could all learn to relate to other people's lives, so this book really makes you think. Neal Shusterman always makes me think when I read his books and this book is no different. He always brings up topics or events that you aren't quite sure how you would react to and makes you look inward to your life choices.

Holy crap. This book should be read by everyone. I was filled with love, empathy, hate, anger, joy, and awe while reading this book. This book speaks to humanity and what is wrong with society. Everyone needs to read this book and I think that would be a start to making the world better and shining that light to reveal the issues so that they can’t keep hiding.

With multiverses being so popular lately, this is such a great addition to that type of story. This one has great action and also an interesting plot that kept me reading. Ash is a likeable protagonist and will be especially great to hand to anyone looking for one with a boy as the lead character.

Thank you to Netgalley for a digital ARC to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I have loved Schusterman's books. And while this one does not live up the the Arc of Scyth triology, I still enjoyed it. It does have a lot of modern day context and some not so subtle political references which readers will connect with.

I love Shusterman. I have read almost all of his work and legitimately loss my mind whenever he announces a new title. I love the Scythe trilogy, the Unwind series, and Dry. This new one, Game Changer, is the first Shusterman that I did not want to finish. I found myself reading quickly just so I could say that I got to the end. I wanted to like this book, but I just didn't.

I thought it might be more like Dry as it seemed (at first) to be less fantasy. However, Ash, the main character is not nearly as compelling as Alyssa, a character I will never forget.

Though I applaud the writer for trying to include more diverse characters and subject matter (Shusterman addresses civil rights, the Black Lives Matter movement, and queer characters), the execution was poor. I blame this on Ash, the football player who finds himself the "center of the universe." Ash exhibits decent growth. He learns about himself and the world. He becomes a better person. But, I found him completely uncompelling. The choices he made didn't make much sense. Why was he so special?

I really, really wanted to like this book. And, I love that Shusterman is trying to take on more weighty subject matter; but, I will be assigning his other books in my classes, not Game Changer.

This is a book all about changes. How your life changes with everything you do. Whether you wear the blue shirt today or you choose green instead, different things will happen. But then again, your choices not only change your life, but the world around you too.

This story focuses on Ash, a high school football player who, after one tough hit on the football field, finds himself in a parallel universe. Sure, he's still Ash, but everything around him is different: his school mascot, the colors for the NFL teams, and many other things don't seem quite right. For the rest of the story, Ash must navigate through different parallel universes in order to try to make it back home. Remember the show Quantum Leap? It's a little like that, except that he's always Ash and always in the same year. But like that show, Ash must navigate big issues like racism and segregation, dating violence and drugs.

Some white cishet teen boys think they are the center of the universe, but it takes this actually happening before Ash Bowman gains some perspective. While playing football, an impressive tackle takes him into a place where his choices change the world, sometimes in subtle ways and sometimes more drastically. A still-segregated world helps him finally understand his black best friend better, and there are worlds where he's gay, and even a girl.
It's a huge amount to take on in one book, but the focus on racism carries all the way through, and it touches on mental health, emotional abuse, unfair pocket sizes, outing of others, and most of all -- empathy. Recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

OK, this book was pretty good, but my low(ish) rating is due to the fact that I just don't think this will have the mass appeal of some of his other books. This is a deeply metaphorical look at mutliverses and multidimensions (is there another you out there somewhere living a somewhat parallel life?) while also taking on huge contemporary issues of civil rights and LGBTQ+ awareness and acceptance. While I appreciated this book and the various ideas it left me with, I don't know if the readers Shusterman currently has will all be as invested.

Ash Bowman is a lineman. He isn't someone who seeks out attention, and he doesn't need to have a lot of accolades. So when a huge hit in a football game sends him spinning, he doesn't do much besides what he always does: walks it off. And on the way home, when he realizes that stop signs are blue and not red, he wonders if it's just a fluke. Then, in the next week's game, when he has another huge hit and begins to realize that when he slides into an Elsewhere, the world shifts. And every shift takes him further and further away from his original world. Can he make his way back? Does he want to?

Overall, this is a second purchase book suited for large collections.

Ever since I finished the Arc of the Scythe series, I had been hesitant to pick up anything else by Neal Shusterman. But, I was not at all sorry I read Game Changer. I could not put this down! I wanted my kids to leave me alone so I could finish it. Shusterman is so good at presenting current issues inside a fiction story: he leaves readers questioning everything they know. Thank goodness he has never slipped into another dimension. I can't wait for this book to come out so I can recommend it to other readers!