The Revenge Game by Jordyn Taylor
on November 7, 2023
ISBN: 0593563646
Pages: 320
Genres: Psychological thriller, Realistic Fiction, Suspense
Format: Fiction
Goodreads

Prep school junior Alyson is a romance novel enthusiast, but hasn’t had a boyfriend despite having some serious crushes. She falls for a senior lacrosse player (and eventual missing person in a subplot that is told Carrie-style with interviews and news articles) named Riggs and can’t believe it when she finds herself in what seems like a relationship straight out of one her favorite books. But is it, though? Piece by piece the female students put together clues that the males have been using them to rack up points according to the sexual acts they engage in. Alyson is convinced that Riggs can’t be part of it, even though his own father’s game is still admiringly talked about. The girls band together and reciprocate with their own game: they publicly humiliate boys, whether or not there is proof that they are involved in the game.

A meta-romantic thriller with a likeable cast of female characters (it should be noted that we only get tiny glimpses of even remotely likeable males), The Revenge Game is a little overblown, but its value lies in the more subtle signs of red flags in Riggs and Alyson’s willful determination to ignore them in the name of love. Recommend to those looking to explore generational toxic masculinity and/or those who might enjoy a solid tale of revenge.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath