A review by illstoptheworldandreadwithyou
Let the Games Begin by Rufaro Faith Mazarura

4.0

Two twenty-somethings fall in love during the 2024 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, in Rufaro Faith Mazarura’s Let the Games Begin. He’s a famous track-and-field athlete on the British Olympic team. She’s an intern with a carefully plotted plan outlining the steps she needs to take to achieve her dream career. 

 

At a glance: 

- Meet-disaster 

- Summer Olympics backdrop 

- Athlete + non-athlete 

- Both are driven by the expectations and goals of immigrant parents 

- Both with parents who immigrated to Great Britain from Zimbabwe 

- Dating a professional athlete / celebrity 

- Depictions of anxiety and grief 

- How one dictates their own behavior in relation to others’ preconceptions based on gender, race, and social class 

- Depictions of nepotism 

- Learning how to pivot when plans change 

- Figuring out what one’s willing to do to get ahead 

- Trying to strike a balance between working towards goals and having a life outside of them 

- Closed door 

- Queer rep (secondary characters) 

 

Highlights for me: 

- The friendships / found family aspects 

- The atmosphere and connections in the Olympic Village 

- Olivia’s and Zeke’s families 

- The flirtatious banter 

 

What didn’t work as well for me: 

- It’s an enjoyable story, but the love story was missing that intangible spark and sparkle for me. 

- I wanted to get even more swept up in the phenomenon of the Olympic Games. There are moments when the author describes people watching all over the world that gave me a glimpse of that magic, but I would have loved to feel that tug to become engrossed in the events and the athletes’ stories even more. 

 

I listened to an advance copy of the audiobook, and Shaniqua Okwok’s narration kept me going. I was especially impressed with the number of accents she tackles in the audiobook. Since the story is set at the Olympics, there is quite an array of international characters, and she uses an appropriate accent for each and every one. 

 

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.