What a fun and enjoyable reading experience! Young adult anthologies are always guaranteed to introduce me to new authors and I love that I get an opportunity to read some stories centered around an entertaining topic.

Game On was a great reading experience. Some stories were better than others, which I typically find is the case when I read anthologies. But overall, it's a unique and captivating take on sports and games in general. I really love that it focused on the "game" aspect on not just sports. It makes it a great option for readers who have different interests!

Game On edited by Laura Silverman is a young adult anthology. This book features 15 stories by different authors about games — winning, losing, competition. And I mean games in all sorts of senses — sports, board games, video games, arcades. You name it. I greatly enjoyed my time with this anthology and the breadth of the stories within.

LET IT SPIN BY SONA CHARAIPOTRA
The first short story in Game On is Let It Spin by Sona Charaipotra. This story is about a girl who has been estranged from her best friend, Raina. It is the story of the game that pretty much caused that estrangement. I feel like I’ve read better from Charaipotra, but I am not writing this off due to that. My lack of sleep might also be a factor in my personal lack of engagement. It just took me a bit to get into this. Onto the next one.

HELL WEEK BY AMANDA JOY
After reading Hell Week by Amanda Joy, I decided I need to read more books by Amanda Joy, period. Hell Week is about a cheerleader named Ariana who had a falling out, sort of, with another cheerleader named Angel. However, they happen to be in the same stunt group and this makes things awkward because you have to totally trust each other in the stunt groups. Oh, and this short story is sapphic. I really loved this story and it did what I wanted with a short story — left me wanting to read MORE.

THE LIBERTY HOMES BY KATIE COTUGNO
Katie Cotugno’s The Liberty Homes is about teenagers who play manhunt in their neighborhood development. However, as they play this summer, strange things happen. A creek that was once there dries up overnight. The woods disappear. And finally, a kid disappears. This story was okay, not my favorite.

MYSTERY HUNT BY GLORIA CHAO
Gloria Chao was one of the reasons I wanted to read this anthology — I love her work! Mystery Hunt follows a pair of young adults — college freshman — as they participate in the linguistics department mystery hunt for the prize of being able to do a research assistant position with any professor they choose. There’s a romance, there’s family relationships. So far, this story is my favorite and I want more. I just love Chao’s work.

SHE COULD BE A FARMER BY NINA MORENO
Who doesn’t love cozy? Nina Moreno’s She Could Be A Farmer is about what happens when Cam’s favorite game Critter Hollow gets its first update in years. This story is sweet and made me think of Animal Crossing which I never played but was a part of Twitter when it first came out and was the big thing. I loved this story — a good reminder of how I really need to read Moreno’s debut.

ONE OF THE GOOD ONES BY ISAAC FITZSIMONS
Isaac Fitzsimons’s One Of The Good One feels like a full book. It’s excellent. This story is about Logan who is a Black football player who is gay. He is also the adopted son of a police officer. In the beginning of this story, he is at a party on the wrong side of the train tracks. His white brother comes to get him before the party is busted by police. Unfortunately, a Black boy ends up hurt by a police car. And so, Logan grapples with his identities and whether to take a stand or not at the football game. This story was thought provoking and had me wanting to read more by Fitzsimons.

JUST TELL THEM YOU PLAY SOCCER BY ANNA MERIANO
Anna Meriano’s Just Tell Them You Play Soccer was a breath of fresh air. This upbeat short story is about a girl with anxiety who plays quidditch. However, she is embarrassed about it, so she tells her roommates she plays soccer. One day, they figure out her secret. And her roomie, Olivia, makes a bet with her about how easy quidditch is. Oh and Olivia is a crush too. This story was cute and fun and I loved it.

THE GIRL WITH THE TEETH BY KAYLA WHALEY
The Girl With The Teeth by Kayla Whaley is a serious sort of story about Warning who is a character in a horror video game with zombies I think and the player whose name I don’t remember, but she self harms by biting herself. This was not the story for me and that’s fine. I hope someone else can see themselves in this though.

SPITE AND MALICE BY SHAUN DAVID HUTCHINSON
Card games are one of my favorite things. Shaun David Hutchinson’s Spite And Malice is about a boy named Benji who has moved ten minutes from his old house into an apartment complex with his mother. While moving in, he meets Dan and Andy. He finds himself attracted to both and ends up joining their card games on the roof. Benji must then take a risk and hope he gets chosen. This story was well paced and adorable. I enjoyed it.

GAME OF THE GODS BY FRANCESCA ZAPPIA
First off, this short story mentions SU so I was really excited about that because Syracuse University is close to me. Game Of The Gods by Francesca Zappia is about a football game infused with gods. You see, there are Favor Squads where they rile the fans up in tribute to the patron gods. Those gods then grant their favor to the team playing football. And this short story is about one last game. I really loved the concept and the writing style.

DO YOU SEE IT NOW? BY LAURA SILVERMAN
Laura Silverman‘s short story Do You See It Now takes on the theme of sexism and gatekeeping. Alexis is really excited to go to a gaming store with her boyfriend Theo. She’s really into board games and has a whole collection. However, the employee looks to her boyfriend Theo as the expert. She tries to talk to Theo, but he just doesn’t get it. This story was really thoughtful and just validating. I am glad it was a part of this collection.

PLUM GIRLS BY KATHLEEN GLASGOW
Okay so I wrote my thoughts on this short story but it didn’t save and now I am filled with profanities. However, to keep it short and sweet — I really liked Plum Girls by Kathleen Glasgow. This story is brutal in parts but very well written. There’s murder. Also, flashbacks. And pieces dealing with mental health.

WORLD OF WONDER BY KIMBERLY JONES AND GILLY SEGAL
I loved World Of Wonder by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal. This story was just plain fun. It’s about a showdown between the Retro part of an amusement park that’s got skeeball and gokarts and the arcade part which has a new virtual reality game. This was lighthearted and fun and nostalgic. It has friendship and family and growth. This was a PERFECT short story.

WEEPING ANGELS BY YAMILE SAIED MENDEZ
Yamile Saied Mendez’s Weeping Angels was sad, but sweet. This story is about a girl who is grieving and about to experience the last night of summer and the last time playing this outdoor game called weeping angels with her friends – the Fav Five, however, they are missing one. You see, they are missing Chris who died by drowning. And so, this story is not just about the game but about the narrator saying goodbye. It was good.

NIGHT FALLS BY KIKA HATZOPOULOU
Kika Hatzopoulou has a winner with Night Falls. This story follows a girl who goes to her ex’s house for a big game of Mafia that has spanned through weeks it seems like. In tow is the new girl, who she has a crush on. However, Mara, that’s the main character, doesn’t know if the new girl realizes it is a date or not. She also has to reconcile with her need to always win. This story was so cute and a great way to close out Game On.

I really enjoyed this anthology! It was my most anticipated release and it did not disappoint. We have a variety of different games from sports to scavenger hunts and a Mafia party. We have LGBTQ+ rep in the majority of the stories and I just loved seeing how each author used this prompt of games to create a story of their own. There were a few stories I'd like to see as full-length novels and I was introduced to new authors.

I appreciated that there were trigger warnings for some stories. However, I was confused why not every story had them? Some stories had heavy content and I would've liked to be informed before going into a story about death and murder.

Last, I enjoyed how the "About the Authors" section included each author's favorite games! If you're a fellow gamer, I highly recommend this diverse anthology to you.

First up, thanks for allowing me to read this book! I got it for a tour (I had a spotlight post but you always get an ARC as well) and I was excited to read it. However, I am very much a moodreader and my mood hasn't been in the mood for this book since I finally had time to read it (early December). I am not sure if I will be in the mood any time soon and so I would rather have my NG shelf have the books I really want instead of worrying and stressing about that one book I am not in the mood for.
If I will get to reading it, as it does sound awesome (and so I will give it 3 stars because I feel that 1 star is a bad thing to do, give me the option to opt out of rating), I will definitely update my review here.

Would be nice if we can DNF/Not in the mood books and still have it count, but until then I will give feedback. Sorry.

As with all anthologies, I found this to be a bit of a mixed bag. Some of the stories seemed to have something really important to say, and there was a lot to take away from such short pieces of writing, some of which will stay with me for a while to come.

THe fact that this collection carried a mixed selection of games themes makes it accessible to young adult audience in a very strong way, and I can see it being a roaring success.

This was such an incredible read! I’m always amazed by the wide range of genres and writing styles that can emerge from a singular theme. Some stories gave me goosebumps from the thrill/fear, while others made me smile and laugh. There was a diverse cast of authors and characters with incredible storytelling!

Game On by Laura Silverman (editor) is unlike any anthology I’ve read before. Diverse in terms of the “games,” genres, and characters within its pages, this one promises something to appeal to any reader. There are many surprising stories in this collection, and I particularly enjoyed the contributions from Laura Silverman, Nina Moreno, and Katie Cotugno. This is a unique, genre-defying anthology that is perfect for any fan of competition and games.

❀ A WIDE VARIETY OF GENRES

Containing short stories by 15 authors, this anthology is centred around different types of games. Rather than just sports, the interpretation of “games” is broad, and there are stories about video games, board games, and party games as well. One of the tricky things about anthologies is that there can be a tendency for each story to feel repetitive, but I loved the way this one combats this by including a wide range of genres, from contemporary to horror. Within its pages are stories of first dates, a town that disappears, and a secret involvement with Quidditch, truly promising something of interest for every reader.

❀ LOTS OF SURPRISING STORIES

I was especially impressed with the way each author interpreted the prompt of “games” differently, and many of the stories surprised me. My favourite of the collection would have to be Laura Silverman’s contribution about a girl who is planning a board game party. I appreciated the way this one comments on the sexism surrounding games, and even in the main character’s own relationship, and her fight to make this issue heard is so powerful. Also among my favourites are Nina Moreno’s adorable story about two girls who find love via a farming, Animal Crossing-esque video game and Katie Cotugno’s unique take on manhunt, which is much different from what I’ve read from her before. I always love when anthologies introduce me to new authors, and even reveal new sides of some of my favourite authors, and this one did just that!

❀ A UNIQUE ANTHOLOGY

Game On by Laura Silverman (editor) is a unique anthology about different types of games. With a wide range of games, genres, and characters, this one is sure to appeal to many readers. I especially enjoyed the stories by Laura Silverman, Nina Moreno, and Katie Cotugno, but each work within the anthology has its strengths, making it a great read for those who are looking for a fresh collection of short stories.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this anthology but I was pleasantly surprised. I found most of the stories super intriguing and enjoyable.

If you’re coming into this thinking these are going to all be sports stories you are going to be surprised. The games in the story range from sports, spin the bottle, video games, board games, and more. So the idea of games is pretty loose so I think almost everyone can find a story in this anthology that they’ll enjoy.

I found the book to be extremely diverse which I was a huge fan of. There were many stories about LGBTQ+ characters as well as many ethnic backgrounds. Since this is a diverse book there are going to be some more serious topics such as homophobia and racism but I still enjoyed the stories.

The stories cover several genres including contemporary, horror, and sci-fi. I found this really enjoyable because I was able to find a ton of authors I wouldn’t have discovered before. Some of the stories are a bit open-ended depending on the genre and the author’s writing choice so some readers might not enjoy this aspect but others might find an author they want to read more from.

I think one of my favorite stories has to be She Could Be A Farmer by Nina Moreno. It’s sapphic, has Animal Crossing vibes, and the mother cracks me up. Honestly, it’s such a cute feel-good short story and was exactly what I wanted to read at the time.

Since there are so many genres and types of stories in this anthology I think this is a book you would want to pick up based on your mood. I’m a big mood reader and since this shifts back and forth between genres, some of them just weren’t what I wanted to read at the time. However, I think if you pick up the book and read a story or two when you’re in the mood, you’ll be pretty happy.

I’m giving this a solid 4 out of 5 stars because there were some stories that weren’t my favorite, which is pretty normal for an anthology, but I love how inclusive and diverse it was and really think there’s something in it for everyone.

4 stars!

I loved all these stories! From video games to sports, there is definitely one for every reader! I recommend this to teens ages 15 and up.

I will admit that I went into this collection expecting it to be a bit more sports orientated, although I knew from the summary that it covered more forms of ‘games’ than that, but I think the cover biased me. I will also say, that there were a few stories where the concept of ‘game’ and competition felt a little too loose. However, that said, I still really enjoyed this collection and that is because of the range of stories, and the varied themes and representation that was integral to this anthology. As well as the sheer creativity in how games and competition were interpreted, and although I had expected more sports, it was a delight to see other takes on that theme – for example, I love the puzzles in ‘The Mystery Hunt’ by Gloria Chao.

My favourite story in the collection is without a doubt ‘She Could Be a Farmer’ by Nina Moreno, maybe because I am a gamer, but also because it was such a wonderfully written, cute story that resonated very strongly and the author did a fantastic job of capturing the awkward distance that comes from crushes, as well as growing up and finding courage. Also, I just adored the friendship between Camila and Ernesto. Just a wonderfully warming and homey story that had me smiling.

Another favourite is ‘The Mystery Hunt’ by Gloria Chao. The creativity with the interpretation of ‘game’ as well as the puzzles took this story to the next level, and this one will certainly be a hit to anyone who likes puzzles or just playing with language. I also loved the contradiction – which felt very real – between being good with languages, but poor with communication, and how that played into the romance. Again the relationship and romance in this one were very cute, and the ending was perfect.

Other stories that stood out for me were ‘The Girl With the Teeth’ by Kayla Whaley – a complete contradiction to my favourites – but the author managed to create such a visceral horror story that it lingered for a long time afterwards. It was wonderfully disturbing, and I’ve been on a slight horror kick recently so it was just what was needed. ‘Hell Week’ was one that resonated on a personal level, and is one of the stories that I’d most like to see a longer version of, just to see how it was resolved. The same with ‘One of the Good Ones’ by Isaac Fitzsimons, as it feels like a story that needed more space to breathe, although it was incredibly relevant and powerful in its form here.

A major strength of this anthology is that it explores so many themes, and it should be noted that not all of them are easy reading, but they’re very real ones that will resonate. It is also one of the things that left me wanting more by the end because there were so many stories that while they were self-contained within the length here, had me wondering what would happen next and wanting to read that. On the flip side, there were also a few stories, that felt as though they didn’t really have a resolution or any kind of explanation to anchor me into the story.

As with any anthology, there are a few stories that didn’t quite resonate as strongly with me, but those will be the stories that hit home for other readers. Overall, though this was an interesting collection, and the range of genres means that it is one that will offer something for a lot of different readers, and every story is more than worth a read because even the stories that didn’t feel like they had a solid ending had interesting ideas and themes. Definitely worth a read, and I have discovered some authors I want to read more from, and I would recommend to anyone who loves games and competition, and wants a slightly different collection.

I enjoyed this book of short stories from a variety of authors on a variety of types of games, from football to cheer, mafia, quidditch, manhunt, card games, video games, and a puzzle hunt. The characters in the stories are teens or college aged. There are content warnings included in the beginning and before the stories that include said content, including racism, police brutality, parental death, blood, violence, and drowning. The stories are by familiar authors such as Katie Contungo, Isaac Fitzsimmons, Kathleen Glasgow, etc. It is hard to summarize a book of short stories, but I think this collection has something for everyone!

Absolutely loved! I honestly thought it was going to be sports focused but the wide range if topics and genres was very interesting and intriguing. The authors all have different styles but the stories managed to weave together so well I got completely lost in the book. 3.5 overall

This was a really interesting anthology of short stories, ranging across different genres, all with one similarity: some sort of focus on a game within the story. I don't typically read anthologies (more because I am too busy with other books than a lack of interest) so this was really fun for me to dive into. I was really interested because I love games of all sorts, and I always struggle to find books that really focus on them that I also enjoy.

Because this spanned so many authors and genres, it was bound to happen that I would enjoy some more than others, and this proved to be the case here. But even for the stories that I might not have enjoyed as much as others, it was never too much of a struggle, because I knew it wasn't very long before I got to the next one. And overall, I enjoyed most of them. I really appreciated how these short stores gave authors a chance to bring in more diversity all within one volume. Most of the stories with romance were LGBTQ+, which was really great to see.

Overall, I recommend this, especially to anyone interested in any of the authors, as this is a great opportunity to get a glimpse into their work, as well as people who enjoy different games and would love to see that more in books.

This book came to PLAY!! We've got a variety of genres all focusing on games in some sense - videogames, sports, boardgames, and even a real life murder mystery - so there's a little bit for everyone. I was personally blown away by the sci-fi and horror stories. So much detail was packed into these short stories and I'd be willing to read an entire book devoted to each. But it's not just fun and games... We've got discussions about racism, sexism, and self-harm. My personal favorite was the sapphic Animal Crossing love story, but it's seriously so hard to pick just one. If you're in a reading slump and have a competitive streak, this is a great book to pick up.

*Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*