Alyson's journey in "The Revenge Game" takes readers on a captivating ride through the tumultuous world of high school, friendship, and the desire to turn romantic novels into real-life experiences. Her dreams of becoming a romance writer are only rivaled by her longing to live out the passionate encounters she often reads about.

The story kicks off with an exciting twist at a school party when Brenton Riggs, Jr., comes to Alyson's rescue, igniting hope that this school year might just be the one where she steps into the pages of a romance novel. As the plot unfolds, Alyson's life seems to fall into perfect alignment with her romantic aspirations, setting the stage for a thrilling adventure.

However, beneath the surface, darker secrets lurk as some of her friends discover an unsettling contest among the boys at their exclusive private school, the annual King's Cup, which objectifies and exploits encounters with girls. Drawing from her past experiences, Alyson's determination to seek justice and turn the tables on the boys leads to the formation of the Queen's Cup—an empowering response to the boys' degrading games.

The novel masterfully weaves together shifting timelines, adding depth and intrigue to the narrative. Alyson's journey of reclamation and empowerment is both compelling and inspiring. Her resilience in the face of adversity, driven by her past struggles, is a testament to her strength of character.

As Alyson becomes the driving force behind various revenge plots, readers are taken on a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with suspense, drama, and moments of genuine connection. The question of whether she has found the only decent boy at the school keeps the tension alive throughout.

In this book, readers are treated to a multi-layered narrative that explores not only the complexities of teenage life but also themes of friendship, empowerment, and the pursuit of justice. Alyson's character is a compelling and relatable protagonist, and her journey of self-discovery and growth is a powerful one.

Overall, it is a captivating and thought-provoking tale that delves into the intricacies of high school dynamics and the resilience of the human spirit. It's a story that reminds us that even in the face of adversity, empowerment and reclamation are possible. Don't miss out on this compelling read!

I'm a sucker for high school boarding school thrillers, and this one didn't disappoint! That being said, I expected a little more snark and humor based on the reviews and description. The writing was very clever, and I enjoyed the mystery and suspense throughout - for as many books as I've read I didn't see this ending coming! It was a little far-fetched, but still entertaining. I found Alyson a really strong and well-written character, and thought her thoughts and dialogue sounded true to a typical teen around her age. The feminism theme was a unique spin that I hadn't seen in a thriller/suspense YA story before. I think many of my students would enjoy this one, especially those who like Holly Jackson/Karen McManus thrillers. Thanks for the ARC!

Alyson loves romantic novels and her plan after high school is to become a romance writer The trouble is, she also wants to live the experiences in romances novels. When the new school year starts, Alyson attends a party where a fellow student, Brenton Riggs, Jr., steps in to defend her when another boy starts to become threatening, and Alyson starts to believe that this school year may turn into the year that she gets to live a romance-novel life. While things seem to be going perfectly for Alyson, some her friends find out that the boys at their exclusive private school have a contest to determine the winner of the annual King's Cup, based on various types of encounters with girls. So Alyson does what she does best, plans revenge, just like she did when her mother's boyfriend became abusive toward her. Alyson and her friends form the Queen's Cup, a way to reclaim their dignity after what the boys have been doing. Soon Alyson is at the heart of many revenge plots and it looks like she may have found the only decent boy at the school. Or has she? With a shifting timeline, this reclamation of power story is too good to be missed!

A wickedly comic feminist mystery about the dark side of a hopeless romantic's seemingly perfect love story—for readers of Jessica Goodman and Kara Thomas.

I have a soft spot for books like this. I loved it, even though it is imperfect.

The Revenge Game is an inspiration and warning to all women about the pitfalls of young love, courtships, and games people play at the expense of others. It is fittingly clever as a mystery that creates suspense throughout using current technology to maintain the path. The characters are all gullible until they see the error of their ways. I enjoyed the novel.

I read the description (“ a wickedly funny feminist mystery…”) and expected more wickedness and more humor, honestly. But, aside from that description, it was a good read. I appreciated the nod to history and also the “legacy” of boarding schools and high school athletes and white men behaving with privilege just exactly like they want. 🤬 I also liked the surprise at the end, as it surprised me quite well! I’ll be buying this one for the library. 💜📚

Thank you for allowing me to read this advanced reader's edition. I was very excited to read this book, and once I started reading I couldn't put it down. This novel tells the story of what many women go through in their lives when it comes to their significant others or people they may come to like and date. I was thoroughly invested in Alyson's story from the start, I was rooting for her to get her happily ever after all throughout, even though usually that never happens for the average character. I am glad that at the end she got through the tough times and finally saw who really was there for her and who loved her unconditionally, and they were right in front of her face the whole time! All in all, I really enjoyed reading this novel because the moral of the story is, if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.

Alyson loves love, and after a hiccup over the summer she finds herself dating the most eligible guy at school. However things take a turn when the female students realise that the boys have been playing a disgusting game to see who can make the most conquests, and so they team up to hatch a plan of their own ...

This is a fantastic story of women taking back their power, and I loved it. Alyson was pretty frustrating to begin with, but she did improve. This is one I'd recommend!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy

Cute, Alyson was a totally believable teenage girl, down to the part where she believes her teenage boyfriend is on some higher plane. LOL I did feel like Jess was a bit much. Every little thing was "that's why we can't trust men" and "you should break up with him." Maybe it was a hint at the ending? Overall not bad.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of The Revenge Game!

Two private high schools merge, one a boys' school and one a girls' school, bringing about plenty of relationship issues between them. The girls discover that the boys have been tracking their sexual interactions in a time-honored competition called the King's Cup. The girls strike back by creating the Queen's Cup, humiliating the boys instead of going along with their demands for intimacy. Alyson, however, seems to have found the one boy on campus who is not a part of the King's Cup; Riggs is popular, sweet, and respectful to her.

I'm not really sure what to think of this book. Important topics were brought to light and discussed by the girls, including sexual assault and rape. The girls supported one another unwaveringly. However, with so many sexual encounters, the characters really should have been college-aged young adults instead of high schoolers. Despite the importance of the topics being touched upon, I felt like the story was unbalanced, with few examples of respectful boys represented--almost every male character was just out to get sex. The book was a bit preachy at times, and the girls' conversations about sex didn't seem realistic. Also, Riggs' and Alyson's story was so predictable. However, the mystery of what happened to Riggs kept my interest until the end.

As a middle school reading teacher, I won't be purchasing this book for my classroom library due to its explicit content. It's better suited for more mature readers.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy of The Revenge Game. Jordyn Taylor's books usually reel me in with no problem, and this book was no exception. However, the most intense parts of the book felt crammed into just a few chapters after a TON of lead-up. I wish there would have been more about the aftermath of what happened after the reveal and how the different characters were dealing with it. I still liked The Revenge Game, and I think it'll sell itself in most libraries. But it's not one that I'm probably going to hand sell to my students unless they're specifically looking for something this book slots into. 3.5 rounded to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Revenge Game, one of the most surprising reads of the year for me. I expected to like it, but I ended up loving it. The main character is my hero.

High school golden boy Brenton Riggs Jr. has disappeared after prom night. It's the first year at a newly established boarding school after a former all-girls school and an all-boys school near Lake Placid, New York merge.

Flash back to the start of the school year and the book follows high school senior Alyson, who's determined to be a romance author. The problem? She hasn't had much dating experience because she went to the former all-girls school. Now that her school has merged with a boys' school, she couldn't be happier. However, the summer before the merger, Alyson got burned pretty badly. She thought her co-worker at a bookstore was interested in her only to overhear him making fun of how desperate she is. While she's excited to be around boy students, she's also still feeling mortified and worries that the boys at her new school will see her the same way.

At the first party of the school year, a boy student acts creepy around her. In swoops golden boy Brenton Riggs Jr. to rescue her. The two hit it off and start dating. Alyson's thrilled, thinking it's finally happening for her. Only, she overhears other boy students talking about a game called the King's Cup, where boys add up points based on things they do physically with girls. Whoever has the most points at the end of the year is crowned king. Alyson and the girls conspire to get revenge on any boy participating in the King's Cup. Alyson swears Brenton isn't playing in the King's Cup, but as more and more boys are taken down, Brenton begins to panic that he's next and he's not happy about it.

Although it's labeled as a mystery revolving around what happened to Brenton, the mystery doesn't really heat up until the end. Most of the story reads like a contemporary revenge story with flash-forward news clips about Brenton's disappearance. I didn't really mind that there wasn't a strong mystery element though because I enjoyed following the characters. I love it when a mystery or thriller has a main character that goes on an emotional journey as opposed to mysteries that are purely plot-based. I found myself more interested in Alyson's journey and growth than in what happened to Brenton, which was pretty obvious. At times, it was hard to read about Alyson and Brenton's toxic relationship, but that's only because the author nailed it. I found myself relating to Alyson's best friend a lot because there have been so many times when I've watched friends in relationships like Alyson and Brenton's and I couldn't do anything, so it was really interesting to read it from Alyson's perspective. I had so many feelings throughout it and just wanted to protect Alyson and talk sense into her. As frustrating as it felt at times, caring about a character this much is definitely the mark of a great book.

Also, the twist at the end kinda came out of left field and was underdeveloped, but I liked it and was happy with how it ended.

Overall, if you like books by authors like Jessica Goodman and Kara Thomas, you should check out The Revenge Game!

CW for sexual assault and emotional abuse.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for giving me an early copy in exchange for my thoughts

This book took me a long time to get into. Its not my typical book but it was still fairly interesting. Thank you for giving me the opertunity to read this book!

A quick YA thriller, this one of course takes place in a fancy boarding school, which seems to be a thing for the last few years in YA. How many teens do I know who go to boarding schools? Exactly zero.
The boys in this newly co-ed school seem to be playing a game, essentially using the girls for points. Some of those points are for groping the girls (which I guess they don't understand is sexual abuse). They get more points for whatever they're able to do with the girls.

When thr girls figure our what is going on, rhey vow revenge. This story focuses on one girl, Alyson and her lax captain boyfriend, Riggs

I don't think anyone will be surprised by the ending. Or by anything that happens. But it's a fun book.

I gave up on this book. It was going nowhere and not fast. It was like reading through sludge; I was reading words and then had no idea what I was reading. The plot was so..; what was the story? See, I can't even remember. Sorry that I asked for this one. The synopsis read excellent, kind of like a person who gives a great interview turns out to be the worst employee ever.

i really really enjoyed this (which i thought i would yay for my judgment!) like i don't have any lasting thoughts besides this was an incredibly engaging mystery with sort of a dual timeline and wonderful characters to root for. i was worried this would fall flat but it surpassed my expectations ! very happy abt that <3

Jordyn Taylor' s "Revenge Game" in question offers an absolutely fast-paced, entertaining, and engaging reading experience that keeps you hooked from start to finish, ensuring you never feel bored and maintaining your unwavering interest throughout. While it leans towards a lighter and somewhat predictable side as a YA thriller, its incorporation of romantic vibes paints a realistic portrayal of the predicaments faced by young adults. Moreover, it fearlessly delves into important and sensitive subjects, including LGBTQ themes, sex positivity, feminism, mutual consent, and harassment.

Centered around Allyson, a protagonist seeking true love despite her past heartbreaks, the story takes an intriguing turn when she encounters her ideal match made in heaven, Brenton Riggs Jr. However, Allyson soon discovers that there's a high-stakes competition at her boarding school, known as the King's Cup, where guys compete to seduce girls and score points. Suspicion arises as she realizes she might be just another pawn in her so-called lover's game.

Not to be outdone, the girls at her boarding school devise their own version of the game, titled the "Queen's Cup," proving that power dynamics and rising sexual tension are not confined to one gender. As the power game escalates, the characters are propelled into an unexpected and dangerous world they never knew existed.

Without revealing too much, it can be said with confidence that this book is riveting, highly enjoyable, and perfect for a night of quality escapism. While the final twist may be somewhat foreseeable, it still earns a solid 4 stars for its well-paced narrative and its daring exploration of sensitive issues that sets it apart from other books in the same genre.

A heartfelt thank you goes to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for providing me with a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I think I’m in between 3 and 4 stars on this one. It’s a great for representation and brings to light so many important things about consent and harassment. My biggest problem, however, is that the content felt a bit too “old” to be set in a high school. Maybe it’s just that I was a home-schooled kid who had 0 experience with these issues (thank God). I get that this stuff definitely does happen in most high schools and should be talked about more though. To me personally, I would have liked it more if it was in like a college setting instead of a high school one. Definitely just my personal preference though. It’s so important to get more awareness out there.

“The Revenge Game” makes for an entertaining one-day read. This YA thriller set at a boarding school goes heavy on feminism, sex positivity, and taking down the patriarchy. You want to scream at the naivete of the main character, and the twists and turns are not too surprising, but the ending is a satisfactory conclusion.