My usual reading zones are international and literary fiction but YA dystopian fiction is my guilty secret. I've read the first three of Neal Shusterman's Unwind series and all of his Arc of the Scythe series, so I was first in line with my hand up shouting "Me, me, me" when Game Changer was on offer.

Game Changer is a diversion from Shusterman's dystopian worlds - although it does, perhaps, offer the absurd and unpleasant aspects of the world around us today, holding them up for greater examination. Ash is a high school student playing on the football team - American football, not the real stuff - who has a pretty ordinary life right up to the point it becomes completely unordinary. Life's about family, modest home, good friends, doing OK at school but probably not setting the world on fire.

Then everything changes. Ash takes a bad hit on the football field and suddenly the world changes. First, it's weird little things - stop signs are blue instead of red - but as the book progresses, he moves into a series of parallel universes in which each brings something different. The book looks at money, drug-selling, racial segregation, homosexuality, sexism and more. It does this in a way that never gets TOO preachy but does occasionally get a bit repetitive. Same characters, just little tweaks each time. It reminded me of Groundhog Day - different worlds, very similar stuff, no way of getting out of the cycle or repetition and revision. Can Ash get back to something like normal or will his spiralling world of weirdness destroy him and everybody around him?

I enjoyed the book, but I didn't LOVE it the way I've loved the Unwind and Scythe books. I hope it will make YA readers - especially those of the 'right' age rather than old ladies like me - stop and think about the abherrent behaviours around them every day and encourage readers to stick up for what's right against what's normal. Honestly, I prefer the dystopian novels more because they give Shusterman the opportunity to challenge and educate readers in a broader way (think of all the Scythes and the great and the good or evil and bad who inspired their Scythe names - lots of opportunities to go off and look up more about the people).

I have 'Challenger Deep' on loan from the library ebook service so I'll be heading for that book shortly'. I suspect 'Game Changer' won't stay with me long term, the way his other books do but I hope many will enjoy it.

For those who care, there's a bit of swearing (honestly, if you write about teenagers, how can you leave it out?) but it's not prolific. Sex is hinted at rather than explicit and homosexuality is nothing more than holding hands and kissing. Drug selling is touched upon from the point of view of the risk of getting involved rather than the risk of using. It's all pretty 'vanilla' as it probably needs to be for this age range.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC. It's not a bit hit with me, but it won't put me off reading everything else Shusterman writes.

Unpredictable and unexpected, Game Changer is the latest Young Adult novel from bestselling author Neal Shusterman.

The story follows Ash, a high school American football player whose all-American life certainly takes a turn for the weirder. With just one explosive tackle, Ash is propelled headfirst into an alternate reality. Suddenly faced with the unknown and with the fate of the whole world resting on his shoulders, Ash has a big challenge ahead if he wants to make it back to his original world.

Featuring elements of sci-fi and fantasy as well as typical YA themes such as a journey of self-discovery, this is a book that really does have it all. The author also openly tackles some of the biggest issues we are facing today, including racism, classism, misogyny, and domestic abuse. These topics are not sugarcoated nor avoided; instead, they are integral to the plot and leave you with plenty to think about.

This is a story with a big concept and plenty of social criticism. Shusterman takes the classic 'what if' scenario and in each AU, applies it to various different things we all take for granted. This results in a compulsive read and a highly compelling plot. Lots of big topics and difficult issues are referenced in a short space of time and it feels as though this could have been expanded to a series, allowing Ash to explore each alternate world in greater detail. All in all, it's layered and nuanced, but also very readable.

The book is also exceptionally well written, with highly engaging prose and the author's trademark style shining through from start to finish. This is one of those unputdownable stories that could easily be read in a single sitting. It's immersive, exciting, and full of surprises!

Packed full of twists and turns and nail-biting right to the very last, Game Changer is another five-star read from Neal Shusterman.

The concept for Game Changer is super original and the book itself deals with a number of important issues. There was more of an emphasis on American Football than i would have liked but i think people with a better understanding of the game will enjoy it more.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ash - short for Ashley, yes, his family were huge Gone with the wind fans - is a high school student and football player in the school team. After he was hit in the field, he starts to notice his reality is a bit different from what he's used to. Then he realizes he's jumping to different dimensions.

First of all, I have to say I really appreciated the author's note in the beginning of the book saying how important this book was for him and how he hoped it would help us to get through this moment our world is currently in and I have to say it's the kind of book that can give you at least a little bit of hope. Is it sad and too realistic sometimes? Sure, but it also makes us see the beauty in some things.

The books deals with many themes, but mainly racism, privilege, homossexuality, abusive relationships and segregation. The authors works all of these important issues really well and it really made me feel what the characters were feeling. I think the author dealt especially well with the sexual theme, but I'll not get into it, because I consider it a bit spoiler-y.

The concept of paralell universes were quite different from other books I've read and it felt really fresh - considering there are so many books with this subject - and the twists were well done. I also liked the author's narrative and it got me hooked really quick. Although It's mainly a drama book, there are some funny dialogues as well.

I had some problems with the american football references. I don't really care for it and have no interest in learning more about it, so those moments were a bit boring. The author also used some football metaphors that made me roll my eyes. I also feel like there should be more female characters and the one with more space in the novel, although had a very relevant plot, was not so interesting for me.

Overall, it's a very good book that makes us think of several important subjects we should be thinking and discussing. So, if you like sci-fi books with socially relevant themes, you should definitely read it.

Maybe more like 2.5 stars but this just wasn't for me, unfortunately. I really didn't like the writing style at all - it felt very impersonal- and Ash, the narrator, was irritating. Yeah it just wasn't what I wanted or what I expected.

I really loved this book even though it felt a little preachy and overly concerned with trying to correct all of society's ills. Our main character is a good guy who is trapped in a spiral of ever-worsening universes, all of them having to do with racism, homophobia, greed, selfishness, and jealousy. It feels a little like the author sat at home during the lockdowns and riots and poured out his anger, frustration, anxiety, and dreams for a better world into this book, and I think it resonated with me because we are all feeling those things. It was lovely to see some of what I've been struggling to put into words on the page in a YA novel I can recommend to my students. Review of a free advance copy from NetGalley; thanks to the publisher.

I appreciate what Shusterman was trying to do here, and he does do a lot of it well, but there are so many things trying to be addressed at once that it becomes a watered down commentary on the flaws of society (racism, homophobia, sexism etc), instead of really hitting where it hurts.

Game Changer centres upon 17 year old Ash, a football player who gets concussion and suddenly starts to see his life a little differently, then a lot differently, and then discovers he may have more of a say in what it looks like than the average kid.

What I did really enjoy about this book was that Ash was a really interesting perspective, because he was confused and experiencing the development of those confusions as they developed alongside us. This meant that every new piece of information or eye-opening moment was shared with the main character and the reader; which is just awesome. Equally, I liked that Ash wasn't the typical heroic white guy, and instead is quite self critical and often able to see the flaws ingrained into him by society. Unfortunately he is also particularly ignorant most of the time, but I think that's sort of the point!

What I don't like is that there are too many issues being addressed without enough impact and too few realistic explanations for what is happening. I like being confused, I like that I can't trust Shusterman because that's one of the main attractions I have to his writing, but this one didn't surprise me the way his other work often does.

ARC provided from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the concept of this book so much. The actual execution of it fell flat for me. I think I wanted more time within each identity to show how society is different for each person even if their personality is the same. I did like the writing style. I just wish their was more development.