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Invitation To The Game
Invitation to the Game is classic Monica Hughes: part thriller, part environmental mystery and part science fiction/fantasy, and an exciting and innovative novel that is sure to grip the imagination of young readers. Lisse is a member of the graduating class of 2154, but the future doesn't look good for her or her classmates. There are almost no jobs available anymore, workers having been replaced by robots, and Lisse can look forward to a life of boredom and unemployment, forced to live in a government-controlled Designated Area under the watchful eyes of the thought police.
So when Lisse begins to hear rumours about "The Game," a computer stimulation program in which participants have an opportunity to experience life in an unfamiliar setting (à la Survivor), she'll do anything to participate. Eventually she's invited to play with nine other teens. "The Game" isn't easy and grows increasingly difficult. But then, as Lisse and her companions discover, it isn't really a game. It's a government program intended to colonize a host of other planets using teenagers as the test subjects. And by the time that Lisse and her companions make this discovery, it's too late for them to go back. Their only chance to survive is to work together co-operatively. Invitation to the Game will keep readers on edge from start to finish as well as serving up a powerful message about caring for our planet and working together to keep it green. Readers will want to check out other great Monica Hughes books like The Other Place, The Golden Aquarians, and The Crystal Drop. (Ages 10 and older) --Jeffrey Canton
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 25, 1991
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12465 people want to read
About the author
Monica Hughes
579 books117 followersMonica Hughes was a very popular writer for young people, and has won numerous prizes. Her books have been published in the United States, Poland, Spain, Japan, France, Scandinavia, England, and Germany. She has twice received the Canada Council Prize for Children's Literature, and was runner-up for the Guardian Award.
She is the author of Keeper of the Isis Light, an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, which also received a Certificate of Honor from the International Board on Books for Young People; Hunter in the Dark, also an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; and Sandwriter, among many other titles.
She is the author of Keeper of the Isis Light, an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, which also received a Certificate of Honor from the International Board on Books for Young People; Hunter in the Dark, also an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; and Sandwriter, among many other titles.
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February 10, 2020
"An invitation to the game! Where had it come from? Who apart from the librarians and those horrible people we had met during our dip into the night jungle of our DA, Knew of our curiosity"?
Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes.
Dystopian before anybody even knew what Dystopian actually is.
I cannot believe I missed this in my young adult years. Or maybe I read it. It did seem sorta familiar. But who knows...
Anyway this was really good. I had no idea what was going on with "the game" and I wanted to know as much as the kids did I think.
Anyway..it is short read..and way ahead of its time. I really enjoyed every aspect of Invitation, from the characters to where the plot ultimately went. I think Dystopian fans will enjoy this one.
Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes.
Dystopian before anybody even knew what Dystopian actually is.
I cannot believe I missed this in my young adult years. Or maybe I read it. It did seem sorta familiar. But who knows...
Anyway this was really good. I had no idea what was going on with "the game" and I wanted to know as much as the kids did I think.
Anyway..it is short read..and way ahead of its time. I really enjoyed every aspect of Invitation, from the characters to where the plot ultimately went. I think Dystopian fans will enjoy this one.
April 20, 2009
This was one of the first books I can ever remember reading and really loving. This book had a huge impact on both my reading habits and my main areas of interest. I fully believe that this book is the reason I love science fiction novels and have a great love for (read: obsession with) the end of the world and post-apocalyptic fiction.
Invitation to the Game follows a group of characters who have recently graduated with highly specialized degrees but most of whom are unemployable because of the growing number of jobs that are given to robots. These unemployed children are shuttled off to the middle of a ghetto and told society has no use for them. Life is dull and very nearly unbearable until the group receives an invitation.
I haven't read the book in about 12 years but the characters and story still stick with me to this day. This book is hard to find, but hunt it down. I promise you won't be sorry.
Invitation to the Game follows a group of characters who have recently graduated with highly specialized degrees but most of whom are unemployable because of the growing number of jobs that are given to robots. These unemployed children are shuttled off to the middle of a ghetto and told society has no use for them. Life is dull and very nearly unbearable until the group receives an invitation.
I haven't read the book in about 12 years but the characters and story still stick with me to this day. This book is hard to find, but hunt it down. I promise you won't be sorry.
December 3, 2011
Review originally written on 7/4/11.
For me, Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes is a classic. I absolutely loved it the first time I read it several years ago, and this time I loved it as well. I actually reviewed this book on a past blog when I read it the first time.
I was first introduced to Invitation to the Game by my librarian. I instantly knew it wouldn't be a "regular" teen science fiction novel, because, well, my librarian introduced it to me! This is the librarian that doesn't really want any books about fishing in the library but has an entire section on quilting. She is definitely not a science fiction fan.
But, alas, she actually recommended the book. I believe she said it was the only science fiction book that she ever liked. I was a little unsure when I started reading it, but after a short time I realized that it really was . . . you know, cool!
In the future, 2154 to be exact, the world is practically run by machines. (Sound familiar? At first it seems like a typical science fiction story setting.) Thousands of occupations that were once filled by human beings are now filled by robots. This leaves thousands, probably millions across the world, of people unemployed, and they're pretty much dumped in a designated area (DA for short) and told to stay there.
A sixteen-year-old girl named Lisse, fresh out of school, fails to land a job, as does seven of her friends (which she's shocked about, since they're all such bright students). They are driven to a city (it never specifies which) and let off in their designated area. They are given just enough government credits to survive every month, and are told that if they ever leave their DA, the Thought Police will track them down in mere moments.
That's how Invitation to the Game starts out: a group of teens trying to survive in a dark and savage world. I believe if the author had spent more time exploring this world and all of the interesting pieces of future culture, then the book would've been a lot better, but it was written over twenty years ago, so I doubt I can change her mind.
The group actually fares well for a while, until in a night bar they heard of something called 'The Game', and it perked their interest. On a few occasional nights since then they went to taverns and such and ask about this 'Game' that has capital letters. Eventually they find something about it, but not in any of those dirty, scum-infested bars.
The Game is a treasure hunt. You're given clues every time you play, and the clues are all for a prize in the end, which nobody knows what it is. Only those invited can participate. It sounds sort of weird and maybe a bit boring, but the teens continue looking for information about it.
And then they get invited to it. They don't know how, or why, or even if they should accept or not. Soon they find it is amazing beyond what they had imagined before.
I'll stop the story synopsis at that point, as I don't want to tell you the entire story. Whether or not I made it sound great or horrible, I loved the book both times I read it. It's full of adventure, and jam-packed with various emotions such as intrigue, depression, joy, hatred, triumph, and realization that in the end it can all work out if you work together (the long version of saying "teamwork").
The plot was great, and I didn't really see the ending twist coming (though I'm the type of person who doesn't usually see twists coming). I've fallen in love with the author's portrayal of the future (though I certainly hope our future doesn't turn out that way), and if there were other books that take place in the same universe, I'd read them for sure.
Monica Hughes is a great author. There are many things that I think she could have done better, but altogether it was a spectacular novel. I'd recommend it to people at any age.
For me, Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes is a classic. I absolutely loved it the first time I read it several years ago, and this time I loved it as well. I actually reviewed this book on a past blog when I read it the first time.
I was first introduced to Invitation to the Game by my librarian. I instantly knew it wouldn't be a "regular" teen science fiction novel, because, well, my librarian introduced it to me! This is the librarian that doesn't really want any books about fishing in the library but has an entire section on quilting. She is definitely not a science fiction fan.
But, alas, she actually recommended the book. I believe she said it was the only science fiction book that she ever liked. I was a little unsure when I started reading it, but after a short time I realized that it really was . . . you know, cool!
In the future, 2154 to be exact, the world is practically run by machines. (Sound familiar? At first it seems like a typical science fiction story setting.) Thousands of occupations that were once filled by human beings are now filled by robots. This leaves thousands, probably millions across the world, of people unemployed, and they're pretty much dumped in a designated area (DA for short) and told to stay there.
A sixteen-year-old girl named Lisse, fresh out of school, fails to land a job, as does seven of her friends (which she's shocked about, since they're all such bright students). They are driven to a city (it never specifies which) and let off in their designated area. They are given just enough government credits to survive every month, and are told that if they ever leave their DA, the Thought Police will track them down in mere moments.
That's how Invitation to the Game starts out: a group of teens trying to survive in a dark and savage world. I believe if the author had spent more time exploring this world and all of the interesting pieces of future culture, then the book would've been a lot better, but it was written over twenty years ago, so I doubt I can change her mind.
The group actually fares well for a while, until in a night bar they heard of something called 'The Game', and it perked their interest. On a few occasional nights since then they went to taverns and such and ask about this 'Game' that has capital letters. Eventually they find something about it, but not in any of those dirty, scum-infested bars.
The Game is a treasure hunt. You're given clues every time you play, and the clues are all for a prize in the end, which nobody knows what it is. Only those invited can participate. It sounds sort of weird and maybe a bit boring, but the teens continue looking for information about it.
And then they get invited to it. They don't know how, or why, or even if they should accept or not. Soon they find it is amazing beyond what they had imagined before.
I'll stop the story synopsis at that point, as I don't want to tell you the entire story. Whether or not I made it sound great or horrible, I loved the book both times I read it. It's full of adventure, and jam-packed with various emotions such as intrigue, depression, joy, hatred, triumph, and realization that in the end it can all work out if you work together (the long version of saying "teamwork").
The plot was great, and I didn't really see the ending twist coming (though I'm the type of person who doesn't usually see twists coming). I've fallen in love with the author's portrayal of the future (though I certainly hope our future doesn't turn out that way), and if there were other books that take place in the same universe, I'd read them for sure.
Monica Hughes is a great author. There are many things that I think she could have done better, but altogether it was a spectacular novel. I'd recommend it to people at any age.
April 4, 2017
To say the least I did not enjoy this book. The dialog is forced and cringe worthy, the characters do not develop at all, the plot is predictable and very basic. It takes a lot for me to not like a book but this book definitely did it. The only reason I stuck with it till the end (which, was by all means utterly predictable) was because it was a book read for school and refusing to read school material can do a toll on your grade. The characters are stagnant and don't change over the course of the entire book. You never get attached to the characters they are not established enough for you to do so. And the character you get to know a little are irritating and get on your nerves. Sorry, Lessie but you deserved pneumonia for being such a nuisance. What about Scylla? or Katie? They should be more involved in the story. The book would have been a better read through the eyes of Scylla or Katie. There are ten main characters and I can name about six of them and tell you maybe one or two things about four of the characters. I usually am very invested in the character throughout a story but this book made this incredibly hard to do. And what is the moral? Don't let robots take your jobs? New beginnings are needed to keep from make the human population extinct? If you know please tell me. Although this was a cautionary story they talk about now modern technology like its exotic and foreign and won't be invented for another 150 year but spoiler alert these things are happening now. Don't even get me started on the plot it is predictable in every way shape and form. No, i'm not done yet. I haven't even gotten started, next stop on the pity train is the dialog. The dialog in this so called book is the most forced and awkward conversations you will ever read. No one talks like that and if you do I feel bad for you.
Example (no big spoilers):
“No way! Oh, for a little hot chicken soup. My throat-”
“Why don’t you just pipe down, Rich, before I make your sore throat worse?”
“What’s happened to you all? You just awful!”
“Jogging. I looked for our old place. But I couldn’t find it.”
(page 124)
Ect.
I would find another better example but if I look at this book again I might throw it out the window. Am I the only one we thinks the characters talk like robots? This has nothing to do with the quality of the book but THE COVER makes me want to barf. I screams. Cool, futuristic, adventure that is if you think an outdated drawing of a cheesy girl wearing a headset is adventurous . This cover was made in the 90's I am begging someone to please give this book a cover update. And um the girl on the cover is wearing an orange jumpsuit it clearly states several times throughout the book that the jumpsuit are plan and gray-green.
Proof (no big spoilers):
"There was every possible size to chose from, but otherwise they were an identical greenish-gray"
(page 61)
The only reason it gave this book two stars instead of one is that I do see the thinking behind this book and can see how this could be an amazing tale. But, instead it is a crappy excuse for a book that seems as if the pages where slapped together and put under and cover that makes me ill.
And if you still want to read this book after reading my rant, you should skim it. It might be a good skim book.
Thanks for reading my rant.
Example (no big spoilers):
“No way! Oh, for a little hot chicken soup. My throat-”
“Why don’t you just pipe down, Rich, before I make your sore throat worse?”
“What’s happened to you all? You just awful!”
“Jogging. I looked for our old place. But I couldn’t find it.”
(page 124)
Ect.
I would find another better example but if I look at this book again I might throw it out the window. Am I the only one we thinks the characters talk like robots? This has nothing to do with the quality of the book but THE COVER makes me want to barf. I screams. Cool, futuristic, adventure that is if you think an outdated drawing of a cheesy girl wearing a headset is adventurous . This cover was made in the 90's I am begging someone to please give this book a cover update. And um the girl on the cover is wearing an orange jumpsuit it clearly states several times throughout the book that the jumpsuit are plan and gray-green.
Proof (no big spoilers):
"There was every possible size to chose from, but otherwise they were an identical greenish-gray"
(page 61)
The only reason it gave this book two stars instead of one is that I do see the thinking behind this book and can see how this could be an amazing tale. But, instead it is a crappy excuse for a book that seems as if the pages where slapped together and put under and cover that makes me ill.
And if you still want to read this book after reading my rant, you should skim it. It might be a good skim book.
Thanks for reading my rant.
June 3, 2011
This book, is absolutely a fantastic read! The writing style is so easy and clear that you flow right through the book and are sucked into it before you even know it! Everything runs so smoothly! It's amazing how well Monica Hughes makes this book run, and I have only the highest compliments for her. It's a short book as well! Under two hundred pages which makes it an even easier task to go through swiftly, but the pace is never rushed, even though you can read it within a few hours if you're a fast reader or even not so quick! On top of that, Monica Hughes has a GREAT talent for bringing you right into the situation. The book and its characters are IMMENSELY relate-able. The situation is twisted of course to match the future year, yet even though this book is categorized as Science Fiction, there are only a few mild elements to it that really brings about that feel, which makes it not wholly an alien landscape. You have the school they go to, you have the idea of being assigned jobs by the government, and then the concept of being dictated where to live. It all has a very Dystopian air about it, which is probably the stronger of the two elements in the book. But it mingles it so very well that you don't even pay much attention to either. They serve as only the mild sparks of the unusual that make this book a really interesting read! Plus, even with these elements, the book never strays too far from the impossible, even at the surprise twist towards the end! (Don't worry. This review will remain Spoiler Free, I promise.)
The story is set in the future, during a time period where almost every job has been replaced by robots. Not too unusual a scenario, but even if this makes it familiar, it also makes it easy to relate to. When a batch of kids fresh from high school end up as the Permanently Unemployed, you're sitting right there thinking, "Well great! We get to stay in one place, with this amount of money, for the REST of our BORING lives! Wonderful!" It's enough to play on the emotions of any self-respecting individual! And then, (Warning, corny line coming up) everything changes when they get introduced to The Game. Since that itself is a spoiler, I won't tell you what it is. *Smiles* However! It's enough to get these kids crazy involved with it, since heck! ANYTHING is better than this slum life they're FORCED to live because the entire Government has them in lock-down until they DIE. You get this enormous sense of the unfairness of this corrupt, slowly degrading world, and you feel even worse because you know that there's not a stinking thing you can do about it. It brings about a vivid feeling of imprisonment in not just these kids, freshly raised with all this knowledge! And now no where to use it...but in the reader as well.
And speaking of the kids! These characters are AWESOME. They're so smart and they work so well together, and even when they have fights and disagreements, you GET what they're going through, because you would probably feel the same way if you were in their shoes! Plus, the main character, Lisse? She's awesome. She comes off as such a quiet type, but she has her moments of speaking out and stating her thoughts aloud (as well as in narrative, which is really great to read) and mingling them with those of her friends. What Monica does is takes all these different people and uses them to create every single side of the argument possible, and you feel so easily bounced back from one to the other that you don't even mind when you're not quite sure who's speaking, because what they say makes so much SENSE. It's a book that plays on your emotions more than anything, and it's a great ride. Because it's also fun! You've got a lot of seriousness in it, but the bond of this band of teenagers is so tight that everything you go through feels...well, normal! And not in the boring normal way either, but in the way that makes you feel like you're right in there with them, going through the same things they are. It's a great way of being carried along in the story, and I know that if you don't agree with one of the characters, you'll find yourself echoing the thoughts and words of one of the others. That's what Lisse's job is throughout the book. She's the one that we get to relate to, and who sets the scene for us. It's because of her that our emotions begin to fuse with those of the people around us in the story, since we're seeing it from Lisse's point of view. And that's the key to really enjoying this book! Because we get to know Lisse's thoughts, it evokes in us a lot of corresponding ideas until we're just as deep in as the rest of them.
Plus, this book's got that GREAT twist at the end. Considering it's such an EASY book to fall into, and it really does carry that sense of normality and relate-ability to it, when you get thrown for that big loop at the end, you're just as stunned as the rest of them. In my opinion, that's what makes this such a great and really fun book to read! You know it's Sci-Fi and Dystopian, but you forget all that in the fact that it's also really, really, really personal! Monica Hughes herself said it in the book! It's about the subtlety of the story. You get so drawn in, you can conceive of the situation they're in with the government and living situations, because it's something that CAN happen to OUR world and US. And because of that, when you DO get the twist at the end, you're shocked! Because after everything being so easy to relate to, you've suddenly been thrown a curve ball you couldn't have seen coming if you were as involved with the characters and their thoughts as I was! And sure, you probably could figure it out, but that's not the magic of this book. Its true wonder is revealed when you give up your own thoughts and just get captured in the book itself, in the characters and in their thoughts and arguments. When you flow right along with them, when you go through their troubles and their attempts to survive and learn, you get so into their situation that the ending does take you by surprise and it's AWESOME for it!
This is truly a great story. Simple and fun, easy to read and filled with enjoyable, intelligent characters of all kinds! It's the kind of story you like to pick up and read because it's just a blast to be taken along for the ride! I would recommend this story definitely for the Sci-Fi minded Dystopian lovers. It's not top-full of one over the other, but it's a great story to read just for enjoyment's sake! And it's so easy to read and enjoy that I don't see why anyone shouldn't read it! Go on and have some fun! It's worth the trip if you're willing to let loose and let the story take you. Try it out! I hope you'll be amazed! Maybe that's just the child in me though? It's definitely not over-complex, and it's also a typical middle-school book I'd say. But there's nothing wrong with enjoying a simple read for the sake of enjoyment itself. *Smiles* I think if you have an open mind, and read this book seeking to enjoy it, you will. And that's a good enough reason to pick it up and try!
The story is set in the future, during a time period where almost every job has been replaced by robots. Not too unusual a scenario, but even if this makes it familiar, it also makes it easy to relate to. When a batch of kids fresh from high school end up as the Permanently Unemployed, you're sitting right there thinking, "Well great! We get to stay in one place, with this amount of money, for the REST of our BORING lives! Wonderful!" It's enough to play on the emotions of any self-respecting individual! And then, (Warning, corny line coming up) everything changes when they get introduced to The Game. Since that itself is a spoiler, I won't tell you what it is. *Smiles* However! It's enough to get these kids crazy involved with it, since heck! ANYTHING is better than this slum life they're FORCED to live because the entire Government has them in lock-down until they DIE. You get this enormous sense of the unfairness of this corrupt, slowly degrading world, and you feel even worse because you know that there's not a stinking thing you can do about it. It brings about a vivid feeling of imprisonment in not just these kids, freshly raised with all this knowledge! And now no where to use it...but in the reader as well.
And speaking of the kids! These characters are AWESOME. They're so smart and they work so well together, and even when they have fights and disagreements, you GET what they're going through, because you would probably feel the same way if you were in their shoes! Plus, the main character, Lisse? She's awesome. She comes off as such a quiet type, but she has her moments of speaking out and stating her thoughts aloud (as well as in narrative, which is really great to read) and mingling them with those of her friends. What Monica does is takes all these different people and uses them to create every single side of the argument possible, and you feel so easily bounced back from one to the other that you don't even mind when you're not quite sure who's speaking, because what they say makes so much SENSE. It's a book that plays on your emotions more than anything, and it's a great ride. Because it's also fun! You've got a lot of seriousness in it, but the bond of this band of teenagers is so tight that everything you go through feels...well, normal! And not in the boring normal way either, but in the way that makes you feel like you're right in there with them, going through the same things they are. It's a great way of being carried along in the story, and I know that if you don't agree with one of the characters, you'll find yourself echoing the thoughts and words of one of the others. That's what Lisse's job is throughout the book. She's the one that we get to relate to, and who sets the scene for us. It's because of her that our emotions begin to fuse with those of the people around us in the story, since we're seeing it from Lisse's point of view. And that's the key to really enjoying this book! Because we get to know Lisse's thoughts, it evokes in us a lot of corresponding ideas until we're just as deep in as the rest of them.
Plus, this book's got that GREAT twist at the end. Considering it's such an EASY book to fall into, and it really does carry that sense of normality and relate-ability to it, when you get thrown for that big loop at the end, you're just as stunned as the rest of them. In my opinion, that's what makes this such a great and really fun book to read! You know it's Sci-Fi and Dystopian, but you forget all that in the fact that it's also really, really, really personal! Monica Hughes herself said it in the book! It's about the subtlety of the story. You get so drawn in, you can conceive of the situation they're in with the government and living situations, because it's something that CAN happen to OUR world and US. And because of that, when you DO get the twist at the end, you're shocked! Because after everything being so easy to relate to, you've suddenly been thrown a curve ball you couldn't have seen coming if you were as involved with the characters and their thoughts as I was! And sure, you probably could figure it out, but that's not the magic of this book. Its true wonder is revealed when you give up your own thoughts and just get captured in the book itself, in the characters and in their thoughts and arguments. When you flow right along with them, when you go through their troubles and their attempts to survive and learn, you get so into their situation that the ending does take you by surprise and it's AWESOME for it!
This is truly a great story. Simple and fun, easy to read and filled with enjoyable, intelligent characters of all kinds! It's the kind of story you like to pick up and read because it's just a blast to be taken along for the ride! I would recommend this story definitely for the Sci-Fi minded Dystopian lovers. It's not top-full of one over the other, but it's a great story to read just for enjoyment's sake! And it's so easy to read and enjoy that I don't see why anyone shouldn't read it! Go on and have some fun! It's worth the trip if you're willing to let loose and let the story take you. Try it out! I hope you'll be amazed! Maybe that's just the child in me though? It's definitely not over-complex, and it's also a typical middle-school book I'd say. But there's nothing wrong with enjoying a simple read for the sake of enjoyment itself. *Smiles* I think if you have an open mind, and read this book seeking to enjoy it, you will. And that's a good enough reason to pick it up and try!
April 12, 2015
I tried to think of a reason to give this book three stars. I really did. It's true it entertained me for two or three hours. I never wanted to put it down; I had to know what would happen. Hughes' writing is certainly engaging. And the premise is so intriguing!
But... there are so many things wrong with it.
First of all, there are ten main characters. I can list seven. I can describe none. No one had a distinct personality, even the narrator. For example, Katie knows karate. That is literally the only thing we know about her. At least that I can remember. And apparently three of them had incredibly generic names. Anyway, it was frustrating to read about a bunch of strangers. They all talked the same way. Read a line of dialogue; any one of the characters could have said it and you wouldn't know which.
The writing, while intriguing, was just...bad. Maybe I just don't like the style? It just read really weird. It was supposedly in first person but... no teenager talks that way!
The premise, while interesting, makes absolutely no sense!
You can tell Hughes just wanted to write this and when she got to the end she realized how little sense it made but just didn't care anymore.
But at least it's entertaining, right?
But... there are so many things wrong with it.
First of all, there are ten main characters. I can list seven. I can describe none. No one had a distinct personality, even the narrator. For example, Katie knows karate. That is literally the only thing we know about her. At least that I can remember. And apparently three of them had incredibly generic names. Anyway, it was frustrating to read about a bunch of strangers. They all talked the same way. Read a line of dialogue; any one of the characters could have said it and you wouldn't know which.
The writing, while intriguing, was just...bad. Maybe I just don't like the style? It just read really weird. It was supposedly in first person but... no teenager talks that way!
The premise, while interesting, makes absolutely no sense!
You can tell Hughes just wanted to write this and when she got to the end she realized how little sense it made but just didn't care anymore.
But at least it's entertaining, right?
January 18, 2012
Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers
Why did I read this book: This previously published early '90s book has been coming up in talks with other dystopian-minded bibliophiles (including the wonderful author Megan Crewe who mentioned the book as one of her favorite YA dystopians in this month's newsletter!), and when I learned that Simon & Schuster had recently republished the book, I knew I had to track it down and give it a shot. Although I must say, I think I prefer the totally rad 1990s cover to the bland reissued version. Look at that Virtual Reality madness! The colors! LIGHTNING!
Review:
In the year 2154, overcrowding is the world's biggest problem. For Lisse and her friends, graduating from their government sponsored school is a time of morbid dread, because even though she and her classmates have graduated with honors and have surpassed all expectation in their final exams, they are surplus population. With androids taking over tasks both menial and specialized, there isn't anything available for newly minted high school graduates - certainly not college, and no career prospects. When Lisse's graduation day comes around, she learns that her worst fear has come true with three brief sentences:
With seven other friends, Lisse is driven to the City and dropped off in her "Designated Area". Given a monthly allowance by the government to cover shelter, food, and the bare necessities, Lisse and her friends decide to pool their knowledge and resources and try to make it, together, in this strange, terrifying new world, teeming with youthful unemployed with nothing but time on their hands. As the group becomes acclimated to their new surroundings, they learn about a mysterious diversion that promises riches and treasure. A diversion known, in whispered tones, as The Game.
A secret affair, The Game can be accessed by invitation only - and Lisse and her crew have just received their summons. The Game is an alternate reality like nothing like they have ever felt before, and Lisse and her friends become ever-deeper immersed in the experience, hungry for their next invitation. But what is The Game? What is its purpose? And why have Lisse and her friends been chosen?
Prior to last year, I had not heard of The Game (nor had I seen anything of its glorious 1991 original cover) - and you know, it's funny how you can tell the era a book was written in by the tropes present. Though it has been repackaged for the era of The Hunger Games, from the prose to the characterizations, the quick plotting to the tropes, this is very much an early '90s science fiction/dystopia. And you know what? Despite the lack of in-depth characterization or emotion, I liked it. I liked it a lot.
Easily, the strongest aspect of The Game lies with its overall conceptualization and its plot. Like an episode of The Twilight Zone, The Game relies on a strong central hook, the ensuing conflict, and a helluva twist at the end to tie it all together. I love the theme at the heart of the book and how oddly socially relevant it is today: there's the problem of unemployment, especially of intelligent, motivated, and educated youth who are unable to procure jobs by no real fault of their own as there simply aren't any jobs to be had. With robots able to do tasks faster and cheaper than the human populace (hello, outsourcing parallel), and the snide attitudes of the employed resenting the taxes they have to pay in order to keep the unemployed fed and housed (sound familiar?), it's almost eerie how much the issues in The Game mimic today's socio-economic issues. I loved that The Game's society is a true dystopia - on a superficial level, it's kind of a Utopia in that the populace need not work, their needs are generally catered for by the state and taxpayers. On a deeper level, the state controls the populace with Orwellian Thought Police, through limited means and absolute control of credits, communication and transportation, and of course through The eponymous Game itself. Also, I loved the "twist" that pulls the book together - thought-provoking and deeply rooted in full-blown SF territory, I was not expecting the final level of The Game, and I love the path down which Monica Hughes takes readers. (Sorry, can't say more for fear of spoilers! Suffice to say, it's good, dear readers. It is good.)
These praises said, I do feel like certain elements of the book were lacking - most importantly, the characterizations, especially that of our narrator Lisse. Utterly passive and strangely detached, there's a hollowness to Lisse's narrative that makes her seem like a passenger to her own story - we learn much more about the characters of Scylla or Katie, or even Alden than we do Lisse, who spends a lot of time sitting and watching, catching up when she falls behind, and playing peacekeeper. There's nothing really endearing or defining about Lisse as a character, which is a huge drawback to the novel.
From a writing perspective, my reaction to The Game is hard to scale. It's interesting to me because clearly, there's enough meat in The Game to protract the story across a trilogy of books spanning a thousand pages - yet this novel is a standalone that finishes the job in less than 200 pages. It's a kind of interesting examination of the YA market today versus what it used to be in the early '90s. So many of my favorite books as a tween and teen (hello, Christopher Pike!) were standalone novels very much like The Game - brilliant in concept, but perhaps less indulgent in the characterization and emotional explication. By the end of the book, too, there's a lot of telling and characters sitting around theorizing (thus explaining) their predicament in lieu of showing. Had Ms. Hughes been writing in today's market, I'm certain Lisse would be quite a different character, and The Game expanded over multiple volumes. I'm not sure which era is better for YA Speculative Fiction - but it's an interesting contrast, at the very least.
While I felt like this book could have used a lot of beefing up, particularly in the character department, for what it is - one of those glorious neon packaged books that you would devour in a bus ride as a tween reader (fellow nerds, you know what I'm talking about) - The Game completely succeeds. For anyone yearning for a kickback to nostalgic '80s/'90s style YA SF, this one's for you.
Why did I read this book: This previously published early '90s book has been coming up in talks with other dystopian-minded bibliophiles (including the wonderful author Megan Crewe who mentioned the book as one of her favorite YA dystopians in this month's newsletter!), and when I learned that Simon & Schuster had recently republished the book, I knew I had to track it down and give it a shot. Although I must say, I think I prefer the totally rad 1990s cover to the bland reissued version. Look at that Virtual Reality madness! The colors! LIGHTNING!
Review:
In the year 2154, overcrowding is the world's biggest problem. For Lisse and her friends, graduating from their government sponsored school is a time of morbid dread, because even though she and her classmates have graduated with honors and have surpassed all expectation in their final exams, they are surplus population. With androids taking over tasks both menial and specialized, there isn't anything available for newly minted high school graduates - certainly not college, and no career prospects. When Lisse's graduation day comes around, she learns that her worst fear has come true with three brief sentences:
CONGRATULATIONS ON GRADUATING WITH HONORS!
ENJOY YOUR LEISURE YEARS!
USE THEM CREATIVELY.
With seven other friends, Lisse is driven to the City and dropped off in her "Designated Area". Given a monthly allowance by the government to cover shelter, food, and the bare necessities, Lisse and her friends decide to pool their knowledge and resources and try to make it, together, in this strange, terrifying new world, teeming with youthful unemployed with nothing but time on their hands. As the group becomes acclimated to their new surroundings, they learn about a mysterious diversion that promises riches and treasure. A diversion known, in whispered tones, as The Game.
A secret affair, The Game can be accessed by invitation only - and Lisse and her crew have just received their summons. The Game is an alternate reality like nothing like they have ever felt before, and Lisse and her friends become ever-deeper immersed in the experience, hungry for their next invitation. But what is The Game? What is its purpose? And why have Lisse and her friends been chosen?
Prior to last year, I had not heard of The Game (nor had I seen anything of its glorious 1991 original cover) - and you know, it's funny how you can tell the era a book was written in by the tropes present. Though it has been repackaged for the era of The Hunger Games, from the prose to the characterizations, the quick plotting to the tropes, this is very much an early '90s science fiction/dystopia. And you know what? Despite the lack of in-depth characterization or emotion, I liked it. I liked it a lot.
Easily, the strongest aspect of The Game lies with its overall conceptualization and its plot. Like an episode of The Twilight Zone, The Game relies on a strong central hook, the ensuing conflict, and a helluva twist at the end to tie it all together. I love the theme at the heart of the book and how oddly socially relevant it is today: there's the problem of unemployment, especially of intelligent, motivated, and educated youth who are unable to procure jobs by no real fault of their own as there simply aren't any jobs to be had. With robots able to do tasks faster and cheaper than the human populace (hello, outsourcing parallel), and the snide attitudes of the employed resenting the taxes they have to pay in order to keep the unemployed fed and housed (sound familiar?), it's almost eerie how much the issues in The Game mimic today's socio-economic issues. I loved that The Game's society is a true dystopia - on a superficial level, it's kind of a Utopia in that the populace need not work, their needs are generally catered for by the state and taxpayers. On a deeper level, the state controls the populace with Orwellian Thought Police, through limited means and absolute control of credits, communication and transportation, and of course through The eponymous Game itself. Also, I loved the "twist" that pulls the book together - thought-provoking and deeply rooted in full-blown SF territory, I was not expecting the final level of The Game, and I love the path down which Monica Hughes takes readers. (Sorry, can't say more for fear of spoilers! Suffice to say, it's good, dear readers. It is good.)
These praises said, I do feel like certain elements of the book were lacking - most importantly, the characterizations, especially that of our narrator Lisse. Utterly passive and strangely detached, there's a hollowness to Lisse's narrative that makes her seem like a passenger to her own story - we learn much more about the characters of Scylla or Katie, or even Alden than we do Lisse, who spends a lot of time sitting and watching, catching up when she falls behind, and playing peacekeeper. There's nothing really endearing or defining about Lisse as a character, which is a huge drawback to the novel.
From a writing perspective, my reaction to The Game is hard to scale. It's interesting to me because clearly, there's enough meat in The Game to protract the story across a trilogy of books spanning a thousand pages - yet this novel is a standalone that finishes the job in less than 200 pages. It's a kind of interesting examination of the YA market today versus what it used to be in the early '90s. So many of my favorite books as a tween and teen (hello, Christopher Pike!) were standalone novels very much like The Game - brilliant in concept, but perhaps less indulgent in the characterization and emotional explication. By the end of the book, too, there's a lot of telling and characters sitting around theorizing (thus explaining) their predicament in lieu of showing. Had Ms. Hughes been writing in today's market, I'm certain Lisse would be quite a different character, and The Game expanded over multiple volumes. I'm not sure which era is better for YA Speculative Fiction - but it's an interesting contrast, at the very least.
While I felt like this book could have used a lot of beefing up, particularly in the character department, for what it is - one of those glorious neon packaged books that you would devour in a bus ride as a tween reader (fellow nerds, you know what I'm talking about) - The Game completely succeeds. For anyone yearning for a kickback to nostalgic '80s/'90s style YA SF, this one's for you.
September 13, 2009
In a future dys/utopia, Lisse and her friends have all just graduated from school. But there are too many people and not enough jobs, and they are each left unemployed, on the dole, and at a loss for how to live in a highly regimented society with no place for them. They quickly learn hard lessons about dumpster-diving and squatting, and even faster, they lose interest in the hard-partying lifestyle of their fellow unemployed youths. When the group is invited to play a free virtual reality game, they jump at the chance to escape the grime and social stigmas of their daily lives. Living on an alien planet within "the game," each of the group finds new purpose to their lives. But when they disconnect, they're still just as poor and unwanted as ever.
July 20, 2011
This was almost really good. It felt like a mash-up of 1984, The Running Man, and The Hunger Games, but not quite as good as any of them. Definitely an interesting concept though - and a new one that I wasn't really expecting. But in the end, I felt the book was lacking depth. And where it was lacking depth, I felt that Hughes had made the ending too clean for my taste.
February 22, 2019
VERDICT: 3 YA/juvenile stars. Adult rating: under 3 stars.
FIRST LINE: It was the last day of school and the terror of the previous weeks had crept up on me again.
PLOT: High school grads in a future dystopia... with rumors of a mysterious Game.
IN SHORT: A more juvenile, uber-lite Hunger Games* -- minus the details and depth. And romance. And weapons. And most everything else. BUT... with a plot twist you will NOT find in The Hunger Games books.
* Hunger Games was first published in 2008. [INVITATION TO] THE GAME was published 17 years earlier (1991).
A FEW DETAILS (no big spoilers):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note: my copy of THE Game (paperback ISBN 1442409398) included at the end a preview of a book by Robin Wasserman:
Skinned
,
also published under the title Frozen
FIRST LINE: It was the last day of school and the terror of the previous weeks had crept up on me again.
PLOT: High school grads in a future dystopia... with rumors of a mysterious Game.
IN SHORT: A more juvenile, uber-lite Hunger Games* -- minus the details and depth. And romance. And weapons. And most everything else. BUT... with a plot twist you will NOT find in The Hunger Games books.
* Hunger Games was first published in 2008. [INVITATION TO] THE GAME was published 17 years earlier (1991).
A FEW DETAILS (no big spoilers):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note: my copy of THE Game (paperback ISBN 1442409398) included at the end a preview of a book by Robin Wasserman:
Skinned
,also published under the title Frozen
Read
November 16, 2015I read the Invitation To The Game by, Monica Hughes. I think this book is wonderful to read,I think it's wonderful because i like books/movies about the future and i wish we had flying cars like in old movies sad 2015 would be like. The main setting is inside the game and in the Designated Area. The main characters are children named Lisse, Scylla, Brad, Rich, Paul, Katie, Alden, Trent, Karen and Benta and robots. The conflict was the robots were doing jobs for the kids and others but the other people need jobs but the robots took them. I would recommend this book because people would find it wonderful like i did its the best book i ever read. I would recommend this book to people who wants to go to the future and what it would be like.
Read
November 2, 2015The book I read was Invitation to the Game the author is Monica Hughes. I really did like the book because there is robots who take all the jobs and so the kids have to survive with a group. There is many settings like there house, the nightlife Barton oaks, and the virtual reality. The main characters are Karen, Benta, Brad, Lisse, Scylla, Charlie, Alden, Katie, Paul, and Rich. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes science fiction I would recommend this book to them because it is a really good book and it has robots.
December 16, 2014
Based on my memory of reading the book in '92. At the time, it was a fairly 'hard' dystopia starring wayward and dead end kids that captured a very particular version early late gen-x/early gen-y zeitgeist of economic fatalism.
December 19, 2019
This book seems confused about its politics.
It's a dystopia sci-fi novel about a world with an oppressive and totalitarian government keeping the unemployed penned into squalourous neighborhoods - but the government and their decisions are celebrated and justified by the end of the book.
It's a book about a privileged working class and a destitute underclass legally prohibited from working, who rely on government programs to survive - but it seems critical of social programs that it dubs 'bread and circuses.'
It's about a government that has driven unemployment rates to 90% by refusing to decommission a cheap and efficient robotic workforce because it would cost more to give jobs back to humans - but the natural questions of labor exploitation, late-stage capitalism, and corporate greed are never broached.
It's a book about extreme self-reliance and community solidarity that doesn't try to engage with the contradictions of those worldviews, and that scarcely questions a moral question in the third act that absolutely strips all characters of their agency.
Also, everyone is just so straight by the end, and that's just a bummer.
By the end, the only takeaway I could glean was an Ayn Rand-ian, luddite philosophy that the only good life option is throwing away society and living alone in the wilderness while forging your own copper.
This was a book I read a dozen times in middle school, and still recalled a lot of the passages with surprising clarity on this re-read. I was disappointed that it didn't hold up to a less childlike exploration of its ideas. I think there a lot of interesting ideas that could have been expounded on further. A much longer book written for an older audience on this same premise would probably be something I'd be very interested in reading.
It's a dystopia sci-fi novel about a world with an oppressive and totalitarian government keeping the unemployed penned into squalourous neighborhoods - but the government and their decisions are celebrated and justified by the end of the book.
It's a book about a privileged working class and a destitute underclass legally prohibited from working, who rely on government programs to survive - but it seems critical of social programs that it dubs 'bread and circuses.'
It's about a government that has driven unemployment rates to 90% by refusing to decommission a cheap and efficient robotic workforce because it would cost more to give jobs back to humans - but the natural questions of labor exploitation, late-stage capitalism, and corporate greed are never broached.
It's a book about extreme self-reliance and community solidarity that doesn't try to engage with the contradictions of those worldviews, and that scarcely questions a moral question in the third act that absolutely strips all characters of their agency.
Also, everyone is just so straight by the end, and that's just a bummer.
By the end, the only takeaway I could glean was an Ayn Rand-ian, luddite philosophy that the only good life option is throwing away society and living alone in the wilderness while forging your own copper.
This was a book I read a dozen times in middle school, and still recalled a lot of the passages with surprising clarity on this re-read. I was disappointed that it didn't hold up to a less childlike exploration of its ideas. I think there a lot of interesting ideas that could have been expounded on further. A much longer book written for an older audience on this same premise would probably be something I'd be very interested in reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2018
So this was first published in 1991, but oh wow, it could've been written in response to the events of today. Robots taking over jobs! And the comments about unemployeds living off taxpayer money? Owwwwww, that was hard to read.
So that was interesting and I liked this for the most part, though the characters didn't really stand out to me. The ending weakened it.
Anyway, glad I finally pulled this off my shelf.
So that was interesting and I liked this for the most part, though the characters didn't really stand out to me. The ending weakened it.
Anyway, glad I finally pulled this off my shelf.
January 15, 2018
This holds up surprisingly well! There are times when the worldbuilding is a little weak -- are there still countries in this time? The kids mention Australia, e.g., but it also seems like the Government is somehow global -- but it detracts minimally from the story. The other thing that struck me rereading this after over a decade was the pacing. I'd forgotten how these big chunks of time pass.
Both the thinness of the worldbuilding and the pacing can easily be put down to this being very much a kids' book, and I think the principles of it and the intrigue manage to make up for that, for the most part.
Both the thinness of the worldbuilding and the pacing can easily be put down to this being very much a kids' book, and I think the principles of it and the intrigue manage to make up for that, for the most part.
January 8, 2025
An absolute mess of a book from the clunky pacing to the out of the blue pay off to the libertarian premise. Universal basal income is evil and the only thing worth doing is pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. I checked out around when The Game pulled two people out of gainful employment for the luls and no one complained or did anything at all. How come the parents who could pull strings suddenly lost their strings? How come so many plot threads showed up and blew away? How come we had to have a JK Rowling epilogue? Not my favorite that’s for sure.
September 18, 2017
Amazing book that everyone should read, you don't even know that is happening until the end!
December 13, 2018
This was just OK. I thought it kinda sucked. I took some righteous vape hits while I read it though
July 8, 2019
I enjoyed this one! I wasn't sure where it was going and I could see this being expanded upon for a longer, more up-to-date YA novel, but the story was interesting and I enjoyed the characters.
May 8, 2020
Invitation to the Game was a fascinating, thought-provoking and fun book to read.
My only problem was that there was pretty poor characterization through the story, though that is kind of part of the dystopian genre I think. Finding your identity.
The author takes you through three different main settings (and many other different atmospheres in those settings), and this was written in a seamless way that really engrossed me. You do have to get used to the writing style, and the quotes are not defined as to who said them (which was kind of annoying).
4.25 Stars
My only problem was that there was pretty poor characterization through the story, though that is kind of part of the dystopian genre I think. Finding your identity.
The author takes you through three different main settings (and many other different atmospheres in those settings), and this was written in a seamless way that really engrossed me. You do have to get used to the writing style, and the quotes are not defined as to who said them (which was kind of annoying).
4.25 Stars
April 3, 2024
2.5 starts because it is the only book I’ve read for school and didn’t hate every moment
December 21, 2024
Ahead of it's time, filled with wonder and hope.
March 30, 2025
Just no.......
July 21, 2025
Old-school YA of a kind I miss! This reminds me of William Sleator crossed with a bit of Suzanne Collins and stirred up with a huge middle finger toward Lord of the Flies. The pacing is bonkers insane -- so very very rushed, like Hughes was given a 200-page limit, which she might well have been. But I admire the efficiency with which she dispenses with her plot and ideas. I just wish the characters had been stronger (by which I mean: existent).
October 25, 2013
Monica Hughes has long been a hero of mine. Her books DEVIL ON MY BACK and THE KEEPER OF THE ISIS LIGHT are amazing, and I read them over and over as a child. Long before YA books like THE HUNGER GAMES were common, books that asked hard questions of teen readers and put teen characters in truly desperate situations, she was writing things like this. DEVIL ON MY BACK doesn't have a happy ending, it has a hard ending, where the main character has to decide whether to give up happiness in order to do the right thing.
In INVITATION TO THE GAME, Lisse and her friends have been declared unemployable, their only skills are things that can be done by robots. So they know they will live out their days on welfare, reviled by workers, scrounging for anything beyond the basic necessities. There's talk of sterilizing the unemployeds, their life expectancy is around 60, and they cannot leave the single neighborhood they've been assigned to. It's harsh stuff. But Lisse and her friends are trying. They're trying to make something of themselves, to be happy . . . and then they're invited to play the game. But is the game for real? And what is the prize waiting for them at the end?
The premise of this book is fascinating, and Hughes' writing just whips along. It's a small book, and spare. There are no endless training montages or deep descriptions. If this book had been written today, it would have been a good two hundred pages longer, and my attention would have wandered a great deal. As it is, I couldn't put it down. But It's not her best book, sadly. There are WAY too many characters, and most of them are completely interchangeable. I actually didn't care enough about most of Lisse's friends enough to bother learning who was who. The only person given a physical description is her friend Scylla, who has long red hair and a deep voice. We don't even know what Lisse looks like. She's also the least dynamic character in the book, the only one who really has no useful skills, until the very end. With more compelling characters this book would have been 5 stars and would probably still be talked about.
In INVITATION TO THE GAME, Lisse and her friends have been declared unemployable, their only skills are things that can be done by robots. So they know they will live out their days on welfare, reviled by workers, scrounging for anything beyond the basic necessities. There's talk of sterilizing the unemployeds, their life expectancy is around 60, and they cannot leave the single neighborhood they've been assigned to. It's harsh stuff. But Lisse and her friends are trying. They're trying to make something of themselves, to be happy . . . and then they're invited to play the game. But is the game for real? And what is the prize waiting for them at the end?
The premise of this book is fascinating, and Hughes' writing just whips along. It's a small book, and spare. There are no endless training montages or deep descriptions. If this book had been written today, it would have been a good two hundred pages longer, and my attention would have wandered a great deal. As it is, I couldn't put it down. But It's not her best book, sadly. There are WAY too many characters, and most of them are completely interchangeable. I actually didn't care enough about most of Lisse's friends enough to bother learning who was who. The only person given a physical description is her friend Scylla, who has long red hair and a deep voice. We don't even know what Lisse looks like. She's also the least dynamic character in the book, the only one who really has no useful skills, until the very end. With more compelling characters this book would have been 5 stars and would probably still be talked about.
March 29, 2012
1. Who was Charlie really? What was the point in his part of the story? Why was he so powerful? I don't know. Was he a government spy or thought police who was supposed to see if this group was strong enough for The Game?
2. Didn't the other group on the Subway say that this was their second year at The Game? Does that mean that they got stronger as a group and were ready for drop off to another planet?
3. So Lisse's special thing was being a writer. Gotcha. That's the reason I am forgiving of the holes in the story. It is only told through her perspective so we get a very limited view.
4. There were so many people to keep up with. 3/4 of the way through I think I finally got it.
5. Parallels to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins include the name of the book, the concept of bread and circuses, and all of the outlandish clothing of the people on Earth.
6. This book made me really think at the end. What would happen if we had to start all over? Without being conditioned as they were in a government school, I'm afraid we may not succeed as they did. How many of us know how to build a loom? Make things from the various metals? Start a fire. Ok, I might be able to do that one. Maybe. We are way too dependent on modern conveniences.
7. I needed more information about how the government was run, the rules that the masses had to abide by, why the stores were really only open at night, why they never really met more groups like themselves on the street, what family life was like before they go to school, how the parents met, what the government school like (in more depth,) more backstory to the takeover of robots, more about the mechanics of the robots, more about the technology, what their space exploration was like. But again, Lisse doesn't know these answers, so neither do we. Maybe this story would have been even better in third person or with all of the information I want to know, a series?
8. So Earth is just going to suck forever? Earthlings, please rebel. Seriously, just throw some water on those robots and watch 'em rust.
2. Didn't the other group on the Subway say that this was their second year at The Game? Does that mean that they got stronger as a group and were ready for drop off to another planet?
3. So Lisse's special thing was being a writer. Gotcha. That's the reason I am forgiving of the holes in the story. It is only told through her perspective so we get a very limited view.
4. There were so many people to keep up with. 3/4 of the way through I think I finally got it.
5. Parallels to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins include the name of the book, the concept of bread and circuses, and all of the outlandish clothing of the people on Earth.
6. This book made me really think at the end. What would happen if we had to start all over? Without being conditioned as they were in a government school, I'm afraid we may not succeed as they did. How many of us know how to build a loom? Make things from the various metals? Start a fire. Ok, I might be able to do that one. Maybe. We are way too dependent on modern conveniences.
7. I needed more information about how the government was run, the rules that the masses had to abide by, why the stores were really only open at night, why they never really met more groups like themselves on the street, what family life was like before they go to school, how the parents met, what the government school like (in more depth,) more backstory to the takeover of robots, more about the mechanics of the robots, more about the technology, what their space exploration was like. But again, Lisse doesn't know these answers, so neither do we. Maybe this story would have been even better in third person or with all of the information I want to know, a series?
8. So Earth is just going to suck forever? Earthlings, please rebel. Seriously, just throw some water on those robots and watch 'em rust.
May 4, 2011
Im Jahr 2154 wurden viele Berufe durch Roboter ersetzt und so steigt die Arbeitslosenzahl drastisch an. Wenn die geeigneten Berufe für die jeweiligen Schüler nicht mehr durch lebende Arbeiter besetzt werden, heißt es für sie, ein Leben in Arbeitslosigkeit zu führen, sie leben in abgeschotteten Bezirken, bekommen das allernötigste vom Staat und können sich ansonsten beim Sperrmüll bedienen. Auch Lissi trifft nach der Schule dieses Schicksal und sie zieht mit einigen Freunden in eine Wohngemeinschaft. Sie sind zwar kreativ und vertreiben sich die Zeit mit basteln, malen oder lesen, fühlen sich jedoch von der Gesellschaft verachtet und ausgestossen, haben keinen Zugang zu aktuellen Informationen und dürfen ihren Bezirk nicht verlassen.
Doch dann hören sie von einem Spiel "The Game", zu dem man eingeladen werden muss, und das absolut faszinierend sein soll. Es gelingt ihnen, eine Einladung zu ergattern und nachdem sie in die Welt des Spiels eingetaucht sind, leben sie nur noch für die nächste Einladung, sie treiben Sport um fit für das Spiel zu sein, und verbringen ihre Zeit damit, sich auf die nächste Spielrunde vorzubereiten.
Ich würde gerne noch mehr über den Inhalt verraten, denn die eigentlich spannende Geschichte beginnt erst später, da ich aber auch nicht darauf vorbereitet war, möchte ich auch niemandem die Überraschung verderben.
Das Buch hat mir sehr gut gefallen, es ist zwar relativ kurz, erzählt aber eine tolle und spannende Geschichte. Man wird allerdings das Gefühl nicht los, dass es sich um eine typische Schullektüre handelt und dem jugendlichen Leser verschiedene moralische Weisheiten eingeimpft werden sollen.
Doch dann hören sie von einem Spiel "The Game", zu dem man eingeladen werden muss, und das absolut faszinierend sein soll. Es gelingt ihnen, eine Einladung zu ergattern und nachdem sie in die Welt des Spiels eingetaucht sind, leben sie nur noch für die nächste Einladung, sie treiben Sport um fit für das Spiel zu sein, und verbringen ihre Zeit damit, sich auf die nächste Spielrunde vorzubereiten.
Ich würde gerne noch mehr über den Inhalt verraten, denn die eigentlich spannende Geschichte beginnt erst später, da ich aber auch nicht darauf vorbereitet war, möchte ich auch niemandem die Überraschung verderben.
Das Buch hat mir sehr gut gefallen, es ist zwar relativ kurz, erzählt aber eine tolle und spannende Geschichte. Man wird allerdings das Gefühl nicht los, dass es sich um eine typische Schullektüre handelt und dem jugendlichen Leser verschiedene moralische Weisheiten eingeimpft werden sollen.
October 2, 2018
The book is set in a dystopian future wherein human labor is being replaced with that of robots. A group of students graduate from the government boarding school and are shipped to their 'area'. They are not allowed to leave the area without permission. They basically live off of meager welfare and their craftiness.
But the thing is, these kids really are intelligent. They decide to live together which gives them more latitude in choosing a place to live, as there are no individual dwellings available at that time. The group demonstrates solidarity and diversity. Not the stereotypical diversity of different skin colors—we never learn anything about anyone's ethnicity, actually—but in their skills and personalities. You know, like in real life. They are invited to "the game" (as in the title) even as they learn to thrive in the sordid world of the unemployed.
The story is about character, skill, and teamwork. It is about learning that a team of six can accomplish vastly more than six individuals. And the reveal—there are two—at the end is gratifying; it is gracious; it is rewarding.
Also, the kids know how to do stuff, like make a loom and identify plants. This hints at actual useful, practical applied knowledge (ie, technology) will make the book challenging for your pre-teen or early teen. The Hunger Games series forces a young woman to be a hero by displaying masculine traits. This book doesn't fall into that facile, infantile, ridiculous trap of the unsophisticated and misanthropic mind.
But the thing is, these kids really are intelligent. They decide to live together which gives them more latitude in choosing a place to live, as there are no individual dwellings available at that time. The group demonstrates solidarity and diversity. Not the stereotypical diversity of different skin colors—we never learn anything about anyone's ethnicity, actually—but in their skills and personalities. You know, like in real life. They are invited to "the game" (as in the title) even as they learn to thrive in the sordid world of the unemployed.
The story is about character, skill, and teamwork. It is about learning that a team of six can accomplish vastly more than six individuals. And the reveal—there are two—at the end is gratifying; it is gracious; it is rewarding.
Also, the kids know how to do stuff, like make a loom and identify plants. This hints at actual useful, practical applied knowledge (ie, technology) will make the book challenging for your pre-teen or early teen. The Hunger Games series forces a young woman to be a hero by displaying masculine traits. This book doesn't fall into that facile, infantile, ridiculous trap of the unsophisticated and misanthropic mind.
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