Game Changer

by Neal Shusterman Narrated by Andrew Eiden, Jennifer Jill Araya

Overview

""A timely, speculative thought experiment in perspective, privilege, and identity."" -Kirkus

""The conceit behind Shusterman's latest is truly unique. While it exhibits the author's usual storytelling aplomb, it also manages to delve into more serious and timely subject matter, such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. Despite these heavy topics, the story still moves at a lively pace and, thanks to a zany sci-fi twist, manages to pack in a few laughs as well."" -Booklist

All it takes is one hit on the football field, and suddenly Ash's life doesn't look quite the way he remembers it.

Impossible though it seems, he's been hit into another dimension-and keeps on bouncing through worlds that are almost-but-not-really his own.

The changes start small, but they quickly spiral out of control as Ash slides into universes where he has everything he's ever wanted, universes where society is stuck in the past...universes where he finds himself looking at life through entirely different eyes.

And if he isn't careful, the world he's learning to see more clearly could blink out of existence...

This high-concept novel from the National Book Award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of the Arc of a Scythe series tackles the most urgent themes of our time, making this a must-buy for readers who are starting to ask big questions about their own role in the universe.

Editorial Reviews

SEPTEMBER 2021 - AudioFile

Andrew Eiden and Jennifer Jill Araya share the narration of a story about how small choices can have world-altering consequences. Ash Bowman doesn’t spend too much time thinking about the larger issues in life until he discovers that his football tackles are shifting reality. Eiden portrays Ash for most of the production as a perfectly pitched football bro: casually careless and self-involved. At a pivotal moment, Jennifer Jill Araya takes over the narration for the same character and manages the tricky transition with ease. Her portrayal of Ash is a natural continuation of Eiden’s—but with just enough distinct touches to make her version stand out to the listener. Eiden and Araya create similar tones and styles for the secondary characters as well. N.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher

"National Book Award winner Neal Shusterman's Game Changer is a brilliantly mind-bending YA work of speculative fiction...Shusterman fictionalizes these big issues while simultaneously making connections to our own reality, prompting readers to question how their own biases and privilege might distort their perception of the world. Game Changer is a book with a sense of humor and an existential bent that is overflowing with biting social commentary and aphoristic wisdom. Easy to read, with perspective-altering drama, this novel is on track to become the go-to contemporary fable for this generation of readers." — Shelf Awareness (starred review)

"A timely, speculative thought experiment in perspective, privilege, and identity." — Kirkus Reviews

"The conceit behind Shusterman’s latest is truly unique. While it exhibits the author’s usual storytelling aplomb, it also manages to delve into more serious and timely subject matter, such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. Despite these heavy topics, the story still moves at a lively pace and, thanks to a zany sci-fi twist, manages to pack in a few laughs as well." — Booklist

"A straight, white, cisgender teen is confronted with his own privilege via iterative realities in Printz Honoree Shusterman’s (Scythe) ambitious speculative novel." — Publishers Weekly

"Shusterman has an eye for clever concepts and a masterful control of pace."  — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"It's a testament to Shusterman's storytelling powers that he is able to develop a cohesive narrative across these multiple shifts, exploring the subtle nuances of how they affect not only Ash but the entire supporting cast." — Horn Book Magazine

Booklist

"The conceit behind Shusterman’s latest is truly unique. While it exhibits the author’s usual storytelling aplomb, it also manages to delve into more serious and timely subject matter, such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. Despite these heavy topics, the story still moves at a lively pace and, thanks to a zany sci-fi twist, manages to pack in a few laughs as well."

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Shusterman has an eye for clever concepts and a masterful control of pace." 

Shelf Awareness (starred review)

"National Book Award winner Neal Shusterman's Game Changer is a brilliantly mind-bending YA work of speculative fiction...Shusterman fictionalizes these big issues while simultaneously making connections to our own reality, prompting readers to question how their own biases and privilege might distort their perception of the world. Game Changer is a book with a sense of humor and an existential bent that is overflowing with biting social commentary and aphoristic wisdom. Easy to read, with perspective-altering drama, this novel is on track to become the go-to contemporary fable for this generation of readers."

Horn Book Magazine

"It's a testament to Shusterman's storytelling powers that he is able to develop a cohesive narrative across these multiple shifts, exploring the subtle nuances of how they affect not only Ash but the entire supporting cast."

Booklist

"The conceit behind Shusterman’s latest is truly unique. While it exhibits the author’s usual storytelling aplomb, it also manages to delve into more serious and timely subject matter, such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. Despite these heavy topics, the story still moves at a lively pace and, thanks to a zany sci-fi twist, manages to pack in a few laughs as well."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Shusterman has an eye for clever concepts and a masterful control of pace." 

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Shusterman has an eye for clever concepts and a masterful control of pace." 

SEPTEMBER 2021 - AudioFile

Andrew Eiden and Jennifer Jill Araya share the narration of a story about how small choices can have world-altering consequences. Ash Bowman doesn’t spend too much time thinking about the larger issues in life until he discovers that his football tackles are shifting reality. Eiden portrays Ash for most of the production as a perfectly pitched football bro: casually careless and self-involved. At a pivotal moment, Jennifer Jill Araya takes over the narration for the same character and manages the tricky transition with ease. Her portrayal of Ash is a natural continuation of Eiden’s—but with just enough distinct touches to make her version stand out to the listener. Eiden and Araya create similar tones and styles for the secondary characters as well. N.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2020-11-24
A timely, speculative thought experiment in perspective, privilege, and identity.

Ash Bowman is a White, heterosexual boy who doesn’t think too deeply about the plights of others. That is, until a jarring football injury shifts him into a parallel universe. At first, the changes to Ash’s world are small: Stop signs are blue, not red, for example. Then, with every tackle, Ash transports himself into a new reality, and the changes become much more pronounced. Characters change gender, social class status, sexuality, or even live in a world where racial segregation still exists. These changes in perspective prompt Ash to cultivate a greater sense of empathy and urgency regarding the suffering of others. But as reality becomes increasingly unstable, he must set the world back to rights. Ash is a clever, sincere narrator, and his journey of self-discovery is well-paced with solid twists at nearly every chapter’s end. But the project ultimately attempts to tackle too much, covering abuse, racism, homophobia, misogyny, class privilege, and more; this leads to little time and nuance dedicated to each. Unlike in real life, characters typically possess a single marginalized identity, and the interplay between struggles for progress in different areas is not explored, oversimplifying matters. The joys of queer love are shown, but experiences of being female or Black are largely presented in terms of oppression. Additionally, characters from marginalized populations are generally used for Ash’s own character development.

A well-intentioned project whose earnest messages of empathy and equality fall short in execution. (Science fiction. 14-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173386946
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/09/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged

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