Anna's Reviews > Game On: 15 Stories of Wins, Losses, and Everything in Between

Game On is a collection of YA short stories, each focused on a specific game--sport, video game, scavenger hunt, etc. (Why no D&D story, though?) There was a really wide range of genres/tones, which sometimes throws me off in anthologies, but I think it worked here because the authors weren't trying to all contribute toward a central thesis, or have the stories take place in the same universe, it was just a fun assortment. There's the typical anthology feeling of liking some stories more than others, so I'll do one of my ranked lists, but overall this was fun to read! My only overarching complaint for the collection pertains to the content warnings, which felt insufficient/incomplete--they were given for four of the stories, and in each of those additional topics came up that weren't warned about, and some other stories could have used them as well.

From least favorite to favorite:
Plum Girls - I DNF-ed this one, looked like it was going to be another with inadequate content warnings and I wasn't feeling up for that
Let It Spin - Wasn't following the plot/characters. Includes teen drinking
Game of the Gods - I usually like remixing Greek mythology but this was just too weird. And I am morally and scientifically opposed to football
Hell Week - I am also opposed to cheerleading, at least how it's done in American high schools
The Girl with the Teeth - Interesting concept, but unexpectedly gory--I was not warned, and kinda wish I'd DNF-ed this one too. Not a horror fan!
Weeping Angels - More very incomplete content warnings
World of Wonder - The concept was fun, but also kinda contrived. The unmarked POV switches were unnecessarily confusing, and the ending was unsatisfying
Spite and Malice - Nice writing, but I'm baffled by the shruggy, shade-of-gray position on cheating and risk-taking
The Liberty Homes - It's unclear who the narrator is, but I was intrigued by the plot here. And then the ending was not satisfying! So I'm not sure what point the author was trying to make
Mystery Hunt - Honestly, I think it's hard for stories where you're watching the characters solve puzzles not to feel kind of railroad-y and self-congratulatory, and for the puzzles not to feel either way too hard or way too easy. Had to suspend some disbelief here, but the characters' interactions were cute. A bit frustrated by the repeated references to one foreign word to describe situations, and then that word never being defined--I get that some words can't be translated exactly, but can you really not give us a ballpark idea?
Just Tell Them You Play Soccer - Minus points for being all about Harry Potter references, plus points for a Roller Girl reference. Nice example of how to set a story in college while keeping it approachable for younger readers
Do You See It Now? - Important topic, not explored with the most nuance but reasonable for younger readers. Distracted by a description of "developmental cards"--they're actually "development cards"--and what I believe was incorrect scoring in Catan. Pedantic, maybe, but why reference real games if you're going to mess up details, especially in a story about game nerds?
One of the Good Ones - One of the most serious in the collection as it tackles police violence and a segregated community. Really powerful, despite a few things I didn't like--there could have been a bit more clarification on Logan's family/adoption, and once again I am opposed to football, and the attitude toward it in American high schools. Contains teen drinking
She Could Be a Farmer - A little bit hard to believe, but cute, and I liked how the in-game messages were incorporated into the narration
Night Falls - My favorite, and the concluding story. One of the best for really feeling invested in the game, and a fun group of characters. I was a little confused as to whether this was an unreliable narrator (turns out: no), but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Should have had a content warning for describing fictional (in-game) violence