By Deva Fagan
New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024. Fiction. 310 pages.
On the island of Dantessa, social standings and wealth are determined by your place in the Great Game. If you keep on winning, you can reap treasures, power, and security for yourself and your family; but if you lose too many games, you'll be exiled to Pawn Island and a life of servitude. That's what happens to 12-year-old Pia's grandfather. Due to poor vision, he struggles to see the games, but also can't afford new eyeglasses without winning. When his score falls to zero, he is sent away. Desperate to bring him back, Pia joins a ragtag group of misfits to form a team for the annual game of Noctis. The game requires contestants to perform dangerous challenges in front of a live audience, and no one outside the wealthy Diamond District has ever won. Each member of Pia's team, the Seafoxes, has their own reason to compete, but if they're going to win they'll have to learn to trust each other as this game will pit them against Lady Death herself. Unfortunately for the Seafoxes, the game is obviously rigged against them.
This inventive fantasy novel will quickly draw readers in and they will root for Pia and her friends in the face of obvious inequality. For readers not yet ready for the Hunger Games books, this less violent adventure novel is filled with the same fast-paced plot and endearing characters facing enormous odds and a corrupt government. The fantasy setting, on an island inspired by Venice, really helps to draw readers in and is compellingly described. Light on magic and heavy on character building, this is an exciting story for readers who like dashes of fantasy.
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