Fun and Games follows John Masterton who is seventeen and has no idea what he wants from life. This book takes place during summer 2009 whilst John waits for his exam results. He is working shifts at a local hotel and trying to ignore the fact that his mother’s sext was leaked to the whole island. John joins the local football team and starts a relationship with his older co-worker called Amber. John struggles with what he wants from life and Amber is a prime example of this as he feels both proud but ashamed of her at the same time.

This was really good and I think this will be one of the best Irish novels of 2025. This reminded me of Normal People by Sally Rooney in the way John deals with his feelings and his relationship with Amber. This also reminded me of Close to Home by Michael Magee in the vibes and the way the characters are just living day by day. This perfectly portrayed what it’s like to be a teenager. John really has no idea what to do with his life and that reflects most teenagers experiences. The way John behaves with his friends and then Amber shows how unsure of himself he is and I just loved that. This felt so real particularly how John realises he cannot control the people around him and that life is out of his hands. This was such an enjoyable read and I read it in one day. This felt very real to me and honest. I am giving this 5 stars and I will be recommending this. I need to pick up a copy of this when it releases. This is such an easy novel to connect with and I loved following John.