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literarynina 's review for:
Check & Mate
by Ali Hazelwood
I’ll admit that I was skeptical going into this book since it was YA and pushed off reading it a bit due because of this but I was 100% wrong for this preconceived judgement.
Check & Mate follows Mallory Greenleaf, a former chess lover and current avid chess avoider, who participates in a chess charity tournament as a favour for a friend. After years of not playing, Mallory ends up being paired up with Nolan Sawyer the number one chess champion in the world and wins. Nolan, a notorious bad loser, is immediately obsessed with Mallory and wants to play chess with her again. Mallory swore it was a one time thing but after her family needs money and she’s offered a chess fellowship she finds herself back in the chess world.
I want to start off by saying that the nerdy tension between these two was adorable. I loved every minute of it. Nolan has a “sex appeal” famous boy image but he truly is so nerdy and was tripping over himself to see Mallory. Mallory, confused and flustered by him, was initially blinded by how obviously gone this man was for her.
I loved Nolan’s character. He was so nerdy yet had a quiet confidence. He was open about what he wanted and what he liked and wasn’t self conscious in the least even if it might be different than a lot of people his age. He showed up and supported Mallory time and time again, being a solid rock so contrary to the image the press paints of him.
I absolutely loved the positive sex and sexuality representation in this book. Mallory is bi and someone who enjoys having sex. She is not ashamed of this and Nolan reinforced this positivity by explicitly stating that there’s nothing wrong with that (as he should). Then there’s Nolan, who is seen as someone who sleeps around, is on the asexual spectrum, I believe the intention was for him to be demi. They have a great conversation about this and this is also something that he is not ashamed of. Most of the asexual characters I’ve seen represented in books have been female, so I enjoyed seeing a straight male character in their 20s being represented as there are many societal views and pressures for this population in terms of sex and masculinity.
It also wouldn’t be an Ali Hazelwood book without commentary on the discrimination within the field. She is a pro at portraying the nuances and realities of sexism in male dominated fields. Showing the small things that many of us don’t bat an eye at but are in reality internalized norms.
I loved their relationship within this book. It was so full of banter, tension, and nerdy goodness. I think it would be an injustice to dismiss it because it has no spice, I was fully kicking my feet and giggling and didn’t think it was lacking because of the YA categorization. As a book nerd in stem it covered what I needed in a book but it is also just a great cute Ali Hazelwood rom com.
Check & Mate follows Mallory Greenleaf, a former chess lover and current avid chess avoider, who participates in a chess charity tournament as a favour for a friend. After years of not playing, Mallory ends up being paired up with Nolan Sawyer the number one chess champion in the world and wins. Nolan, a notorious bad loser, is immediately obsessed with Mallory and wants to play chess with her again. Mallory swore it was a one time thing but after her family needs money and she’s offered a chess fellowship she finds herself back in the chess world.
I want to start off by saying that the nerdy tension between these two was adorable. I loved every minute of it. Nolan has a “sex appeal” famous boy image but he truly is so nerdy and was tripping over himself to see Mallory. Mallory, confused and flustered by him, was initially blinded by how obviously gone this man was for her.
I turn to glare at him. "You don't have things. You told me so."
"I also said 'until recently. "
I loved Nolan’s character. He was so nerdy yet had a quiet confidence. He was open about what he wanted and what he liked and wasn’t self conscious in the least even if it might be different than a lot of people his age. He showed up and supported Mallory time and time again, being a solid rock so contrary to the image the press paints of him.
"Why aren't you nervous?"
"About what?"
"About"— I gesture inchoately between us– "all of this."
He glances at me. "I don't know. It feels right. Besides, I don't get nervous much."
I absolutely loved the positive sex and sexuality representation in this book. Mallory is bi and someone who enjoys having sex. She is not ashamed of this and Nolan reinforced this positivity by explicitly stating that there’s nothing wrong with that (as he should). Then there’s Nolan, who is seen as someone who sleeps around, is on the asexual spectrum, I believe the intention was for him to be demi. They have a great conversation about this and this is also something that he is not ashamed of. Most of the asexual characters I’ve seen represented in books have been female, so I enjoyed seeing a straight male character in their 20s being represented as there are many societal views and pressures for this population in terms of sex and masculinity.
"You've never had sex," I repeat.
"Nope," he says, confident, calm, like he has nothing to prove to anyone, like he doesn't care to be anyone but himself, fully himself.
"Do I wish I were having sex?"
I nod again. Jesus, I can speak. I am better than this.
"No." He doesn't even think about it. "Not until recently."
"What ... what changed recently?"
It also wouldn’t be an Ali Hazelwood book without commentary on the discrimination within the field. She is a pro at portraying the nuances and realities of sexism in male dominated fields. Showing the small things that many of us don’t bat an eye at but are in reality internalized norms.
I loved their relationship within this book. It was so full of banter, tension, and nerdy goodness. I think it would be an injustice to dismiss it because it has no spice, I was fully kicking my feet and giggling and didn’t think it was lacking because of the YA categorization. As a book nerd in stem it covered what I needed in a book but it is also just a great cute Ali Hazelwood rom com.