A review by jillwedemeier
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes her debut YA novel, Check & Mate.

Eighteen-year-old former chess prodigy Mallory Greenleaf is done with the sport.  After it led to the destruction of her family four years ago, Mallory’s new focus is on her sick mom, her two younger sisters, and her dead-end job as an auto-mechanic.  But then, Mallory begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity chess tournament and inadvertently beats the current World Champion, Nolan Sawyer, also known as “the bad boy of chess.“  Her victory leads to a job opportunity she can’t pass up and opens the door to cash-prizes that her family sorely needs.  It also leads to more run-ins with Nolan.  Will they become chess rivals or something more?

I know absolutely nothing about chess and have never even played, but having recently read and loved “The Queen’s Gambit,” I couldn’t wait to read this book.  It was a fun romantic comedy, and I enjoyed it overall.  However, I don’t think this book should be classified as a YA novel.  It straddled the line between juvenile (too many fart jokes and TikTok references) and adult (we get it, Mallory likes sex), so I would not recommend it to a younger audience.  I also had a hard time reading any chapter with Mallory’s 12-year-old and 14-year-old sisters.  They were horrible to her, even though she worked so hard to give them everything they needed and keep the bills paid.  They did redeem themselves in the end, though.  Overall, a fun read, and I look forward to reading more from Ali Hazelwood.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group/G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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