The book was okay. I didn’t hate it or love it, but had a hard time staying interested in the book. It is a fairly typical YA novel. It was a little dramatic of an ending, not realistic, but also added to the excitement. If you’re looking to be transported to a teen movie drama read, this book is for you!

The Revenge Game is a very good novel. The subject matter isn’t pleasant, though, yet it is timely. The story is about how the privileged feel entitled to do whatever they want to do. In the book, male high school students at Sullivan-Stewart, a coed private school, play a game to earn points for sexual acts with targeted female classmates to win the King’s Cup. It would be wonderful if such games were fictional; however, we live in a world where this kind of behavior is seen on campuses and among wealthy, powerful men.
The characters are believable. The boys know how to pretend to have romantic feelings for their victims, who are gradually more controlled and swayed into doing increasingly sexual acts. The author writes fairly graphically about their encounters. I can understand why. The effect drives home how horrible the boy’s’ actions are. The saving grace is that Alyson, the main character, and her friends are able to get even with their own game, the Queens’ Cup.
The book starts with the report of the disappearance and possible death of Benton Riggs, a star athlete and the romantic interest of Alyson, and with interviews of his family and friends. What holds one’s attention is the alternating between flashbacks that chronicle what lead up to that moment and the police and media reports.
I really like this book. I think, though, that a warning should be given in a preface that there is sexual content that might make some readers uncomfortable. I would, however, encourage them to read the novel because it is well written and worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Thriller, mystery, wicked comedy, let me at it! I was excited to start this one and see where it went. A girl who wants romance and then meets the guy of her dreams. It all seemed so perfect, until it wasn't.
What I liked:
I really like the cover of this book. Once you start reading, the symbolism of it definitely pans out. Plus it gives me a bit of an 80s vibe (though there is nothing 80s about the book at all).
The news reports and interviews interspersed with the flashbacks that lead up to the tragedy. I think the former did a great job building up the mystery and kept you wondering just what would happen.
I enjoyed the feminist theme for the most part. The concept of reclaiming their girl power was also very enticing. I love to see a book where the female characters aren't afraid to stand up for what they believe. And to believe in themselves. This book definitely had that vibe going.
The MMC, no, I didn't love him but I did see right through him from the beginning and that made me like him more than any of the other characters in the book.
The author's potential is there. I think her writing could use a bit more fine tuning but overall I can see future books will be fun to read.

What I didn't like.
Alyson, ugh. She was just so wishy washy for me. And super naive. I just don't find that to be the case with teens her age. I wanted to love her and cheer her on, hope for the best because I love romance. But she spent the whole book worrying about whether or not she was coming off too strong, or not strong enough, or looking like a nerd, or anything else than seeing what was right in front of her. I pinned what would happen from the very start. It never sat right for me and I just could not see how she didn't see it. It made me mad for her ad at her! And I hated how she justified how it was ok that she didn't participate in the revenge even though she was the one who started it.
The revenge. Like, I get it. The boys are doing harm so you want to get back at them. But is this truly the message we want to send to our teens? It's ok to seek revenge because and eye for an eye and all that? No, I would not want my child thinking it was ok. And also, without spoiling too much, the mystery that gets revealed. The complacency of the teacher that is involved, and the fact that the girls involved just move on like it was not a big deal. They will carry that secret for the rest of their lives and, despite how terrible the MMC is, how can you say anyone deserves that?
The mystery/thriller angle was never really there for me. Because I figured it out right from the start. It was too predictable. And there were no twist and turns, no cliffhangers to really drive the story forward.
The sex ideas. For the most part I find this to be an important conversation for teens as we all know they are introduced to such themes very early on these days. But how they were presented in the book were very raw. It was like zero to 60 in three seconds with no build up, no nothing. And for YA, it was more graphic than I thought it would be.
The ending. WHAT EVEN WAS THAT? Like, men suck, I'm done, let's date? It just felt forced. There was nothing organic about it at all. I feel like the author wasn't sure how to end the book, so she just threw it in. Had there been some build up to it during the book, I would have felt much better about it.

This was a quick read but mostly because I just wanted to get to the end. I found much of the book boring and felt I had to push myself to truly move on and get to the end. Unfortunately, not really to my liking but I can see where teens may enjoy the story.

First of all, this book takes place in a town where I’m from!!! Sooooo, that was pretty amazing.

The book was a fast paced YA thriller, I read this in one day. So many sensitive topics were touched on in this book and the author did an amazing job with them. Just to mention a few: LGBTQ, sexual harassment, sexual consent, feminism.

This book kept me interested and turning the pages as quickly as I could. I was highly impressed with this read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this.

Alyson, the high school junior, protagonist of this book, is a hopeful romantic. She even wants to write romance novels someday after attending a prestigious college with a first rate literature and writing department.

Her problem? She comes across to the first boy she’s interested in as desperate and, after she overhears him talking about her not in a good way, she determines to be more cautious as she moves on from this embarrassment.

But her resolution doesn’t last long. The first day of the new school year, she finds herself attracted to a senior lacrosse superstar. To her astonishment, her teacher pairs her with him for a class project.

Before she knows it, she finds herself falling for him as they seem to hit it off immediately. He’s kind and sexy and nothing like she thought he might be as the big man on campus. They seem to have a lot in common even though she is a library nerd and he’s a sports star.

At a camping trip with other students, one of Alyson’s friends overhears a conversation with some of the boys. It seems they have a contest going called the King’s Cup. Points are awarded to the young men for various acts related to the opposite sex.

Upon learning of this, the girls set up a Queen’s Cup for dumping boys publicly because of this point system.

Alyson is sure her lacrosse player, Riggs, isn’t part of the King’s Cup. He even tells her he thinks it’s a stupid game.

She helps her friends with their plans for the Queen’s Cup and is pretty much the ringleader of the quest to expose the boys in the King’s Cup to ridicule. But she is relentless in her belief in Riggs. She feels sorry for the other girls that they can’t find a true and loyal boyfriend.

As the book progresses, the book moves from flashbacks of Alyson and Riggs during the school year to various news reports of Riggs being missing after the prom in May.

The way the author moves the story from time to time is seamless and intriguing. We as the readers know something bad may have happened to Riggs and the story keeps us turning pages to see what occurred to cause his disappearance.

Alyson is likable and funny. She’s a well-rounded character with a few blind spots but, she’s a teenager, so that’s expected. I enjoyed her and her personality. I liked she had a good family relationship and loyal friendships.

The last chapter seemed a bit off for the character to me but that’s really my only issue with the story. I didn’t think it rang true for the character we’d learned about in the rest of the story.

An enjoyable, intriguing read with a unique presentation. And it ticked a lot of boxes for our times, including feminism, family dynamics, date rape, and empowerment over misogyny in a boarding school environment.

Thank you to Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel has heavy feminist themes and discusses heavy topics surrounding sexual assault and rape. Trigger warnings should be included for sensitivity.

The mystery of Brenton held my attention throughout the story, however I found myself quite often bored and in a massive reading slump attempting to finish this novel. It was lacking excitement and I do believe that is due to the writing style of the author.

I found most scenes felt more like info dumping that didn’t drive the dialogue or plot forward. Some of the information given was unnecessary and at times hard to follow.

For a YA book it was not my favorite and wouldn’t necessarily recommend to anyone within this age bracket.

I Voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced copy of this book. All Thoughts and opinions are my own. . A fun, quick read that had you guessing and ultimately a horrifying look at men and toxic culture. This would make a good tv show.

2-1/2 Stars, rounded up to 3

The Revenge Game has everything that should have made it an awesome choice for me . . . it’s billed as a YA mystery/thriller, wickedly comic, with a feminist theme. However, somewhere along the line it didn’t deliver.

One of the things I love most about YA books is that they hook you right from the off. TRG never really did it for me. It was enjoyable enough, and an easy read, but I found that could put it down and not feel a rush to pick it back up again.

As far as the mystery/thriller angle . . . well I’ll give you the mystery part (although it was predictable) but it isn’t a thriller IMO. At least not like any of the thrillers I normally read. There is a conflict that served to drive the plot to be sure, but there isn’t a number of twists or any cliff hangers between chapters. Additionally, I didn’t feel any escalating tension. Also, I must have missed the “wickedly comic” bits I guess?

What I really enjoyed was the feminist themes, the spotlight on toxic masculinity, and the honest conversations about sex and their bodies.

The Revenge Game was perfectly fine book; a weekend diversion. I liked it enough that I’d give the author another read, but I finished the book feeling like it could have been so much more than it was.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

*Trigger warnings for sexual assault/rape

I seriously loved this book! It was smart, funny, sad, real, and incredibly engaging! It was such a genius and revolutionary story with amazing characters that made it all come alive. It was so smart and made me think of the countless girls and women that get assaulted and caught up in men’s/boy’s games, me included. It’s honestly sad that we’ve come so far in feminism but we still have SO FAR to go! Kudos to this phenomenal author for bringing this to the forefront!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book! There were times when the pace or plot dragged a little bit, but overall the characters were engaging and the format (chapters interspersed with news articles) kept the story moving.

The Revenge Game is a great YA book however I don’t think it is appropriate for 14 year olds due to the amount of TW around sex, sexual assault/rape. I would suggest the age range at 16/17 years old.

Otherwise this is a cute book mainly about high school antics and the girls turning the tables on chauvinistic boys. I truly did not like the ending. It seemed thrown together and out of place. I would have preferred if the main character ended up by herself continuing to empower young girls that came after her.

The author added depth to the characters without too much internal dialogue, but you could see that Riggs was an asshole from a mile away. I would have liked to see the main character plan a true Queen’s Cup for him vs the ending we received. It also would have been cool to have Riggs point of view.

Overall this is a great read for YA however I suggest increasing the suggested age.

Alyson's journey in "The Revenge Game" takes readers on a captivating ride through the tumultuous world of high school, friendship, and the desire to turn romantic novels into real-life experiences. Her dreams of becoming a romance writer are only rivaled by her longing to live out the passionate encounters she often reads about.

The story kicks off with an exciting twist at a school party when Brenton Riggs, Jr., comes to Alyson's rescue, igniting hope that this school year might just be the one where she steps into the pages of a romance novel. As the plot unfolds, Alyson's life seems to fall into perfect alignment with her romantic aspirations, setting the stage for a thrilling adventure.

However, beneath the surface, darker secrets lurk as some of her friends discover an unsettling contest among the boys at their exclusive private school, the annual King's Cup, which objectifies and exploits encounters with girls. Drawing from her past experiences, Alyson's determination to seek justice and turn the tables on the boys leads to the formation of the Queen's Cup—an empowering response to the boys' degrading games.

The novel masterfully weaves together shifting timelines, adding depth and intrigue to the narrative. Alyson's journey of reclamation and empowerment is both compelling and inspiring. Her resilience in the face of adversity, driven by her past struggles, is a testament to her strength of character.

As Alyson becomes the driving force behind various revenge plots, readers are taken on a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with suspense, drama, and moments of genuine connection. The question of whether she has found the only decent boy at the school keeps the tension alive throughout.

In this book, readers are treated to a multi-layered narrative that explores not only the complexities of teenage life but also themes of friendship, empowerment, and the pursuit of justice. Alyson's character is a compelling and relatable protagonist, and her journey of self-discovery and growth is a powerful one.

Overall, it is a captivating and thought-provoking tale that delves into the intricacies of high school dynamics and the resilience of the human spirit. It's a story that reminds us that even in the face of adversity, empowerment and reclamation are possible. Don't miss out on this compelling read!

I'm a sucker for high school boarding school thrillers, and this one didn't disappoint! That being said, I expected a little more snark and humor based on the reviews and description. The writing was very clever, and I enjoyed the mystery and suspense throughout - for as many books as I've read I didn't see this ending coming! It was a little far-fetched, but still entertaining. I found Alyson a really strong and well-written character, and thought her thoughts and dialogue sounded true to a typical teen around her age. The feminism theme was a unique spin that I hadn't seen in a thriller/suspense YA story before. I think many of my students would enjoy this one, especially those who like Holly Jackson/Karen McManus thrillers. Thanks for the ARC!

Alyson loves romantic novels and her plan after high school is to become a romance writer The trouble is, she also wants to live the experiences in romances novels. When the new school year starts, Alyson attends a party where a fellow student, Brenton Riggs, Jr., steps in to defend her when another boy starts to become threatening, and Alyson starts to believe that this school year may turn into the year that she gets to live a romance-novel life. While things seem to be going perfectly for Alyson, some her friends find out that the boys at their exclusive private school have a contest to determine the winner of the annual King's Cup, based on various types of encounters with girls. So Alyson does what she does best, plans revenge, just like she did when her mother's boyfriend became abusive toward her. Alyson and her friends form the Queen's Cup, a way to reclaim their dignity after what the boys have been doing. Soon Alyson is at the heart of many revenge plots and it looks like she may have found the only decent boy at the school. Or has she? With a shifting timeline, this reclamation of power story is too good to be missed!

A wickedly comic feminist mystery about the dark side of a hopeless romantic's seemingly perfect love story—for readers of Jessica Goodman and Kara Thomas.

I have a soft spot for books like this. I loved it, even though it is imperfect.

The Revenge Game is an inspiration and warning to all women about the pitfalls of young love, courtships, and games people play at the expense of others. It is fittingly clever as a mystery that creates suspense throughout using current technology to maintain the path. The characters are all gullible until they see the error of their ways. I enjoyed the novel.

I read the description (“ a wickedly funny feminist mystery…”) and expected more wickedness and more humor, honestly. But, aside from that description, it was a good read. I appreciated the nod to history and also the “legacy” of boarding schools and high school athletes and white men behaving with privilege just exactly like they want. 🤬 I also liked the surprise at the end, as it surprised me quite well! I’ll be buying this one for the library. 💜📚

Thank you for allowing me to read this advanced reader's edition. I was very excited to read this book, and once I started reading I couldn't put it down. This novel tells the story of what many women go through in their lives when it comes to their significant others or people they may come to like and date. I was thoroughly invested in Alyson's story from the start, I was rooting for her to get her happily ever after all throughout, even though usually that never happens for the average character. I am glad that at the end she got through the tough times and finally saw who really was there for her and who loved her unconditionally, and they were right in front of her face the whole time! All in all, I really enjoyed reading this novel because the moral of the story is, if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.

Alyson loves love, and after a hiccup over the summer she finds herself dating the most eligible guy at school. However things take a turn when the female students realise that the boys have been playing a disgusting game to see who can make the most conquests, and so they team up to hatch a plan of their own ...

This is a fantastic story of women taking back their power, and I loved it. Alyson was pretty frustrating to begin with, but she did improve. This is one I'd recommend!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy

Cute, Alyson was a totally believable teenage girl, down to the part where she believes her teenage boyfriend is on some higher plane. LOL I did feel like Jess was a bit much. Every little thing was "that's why we can't trust men" and "you should break up with him." Maybe it was a hint at the ending? Overall not bad.