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The Game

3.52 of 5 stars 3.52 · rating details · 2,000 ratings · 227 reviews

Hayley’s parents disappeared when she was a baby. Since then, she has been raised and homeschooled by her grandparents. Grandad is overworked and travels a lot; Grandma is much too strict and never lets her meet any children her own age. When Hayley does something wrong—she is not quite sure what—they pack her off to her aunts in Ireland. To Hayley’s shock, her family is m...more

Hardcover, 181 pages

Published March 1st 2007 by Firebird

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Jan 20, 2013 Penelope rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books

I wasn't planning on writing a review of The Game, but after finishing the book, I feel I need to. The book has a great idea: a girl who lives with her strict grandma and traveling grandpa, is sent to live with her cousins, where they take her to a place called the "mythosphere." No spoilers here; you can read that in the book description. Well while the idea is great, and the mythosphere sounds like an amazing place, the entire things falls short.

For one thing, there wasn't enough description....more I wasn't planning on writing a review of The Game, but after finishing the book, I feel I need to. The book has a great idea: a girl who lives with her strict grandma and traveling grandpa, is sent to live with her cousins, where they take her to a place called the "mythosphere." No spoilers here; you can read that in the book description. Well while the idea is great, and the mythosphere sounds like an amazing place, the entire things falls short.

For one thing, there wasn't enough description. I felt like I never got enough of a description of the mythosphere, for it to make sense. I wanted a clear picture of it in my mind, but I was forced to make up in my own imagination (aside from a tree here, and a lake there, descriptions) of what I thought the mythosphere would be like. I wished there had been more world-building involved, so I could really get a good feel for the mythosphere.

There was also a clear lack of descriptive character actions, and it was hard to tell--especially in the mythosphere--what was happening. The author describes what the character is seeing, but not what the character is doing, until it is already done, and you don't know how it happened.

This extended to the mythology characters as well. While I was excited to read another book having to do with mythology, I really wish there had been more explanation of the significance of important characters, or how they related to the story through mythology. It seemed the author relied heavily on the hope that the reader would have previous knowledge of such things, and there was no explanation for readers who may not have this knowledge.

For one reason or another, I did find myself lost at times (which is so frustrating), and chose to just forge on through, skipping ahead until I understood what was happening. I finished the book, but it wasn't much worth finishing. The end happens all too quickly, and you don't know it's the end, until there's no more story to read. I kept hoping that more pages would magically appear, so that the weak sauce ending I had just read, wouldn't be it. As much as I didn't like the way the book was written, it did deserve a stronger ending.

All-in-all, the whole idea of the book was great. The actual book could have been great...with some more work. It just felt like I was reading a first draft, and that there should have been more to the story. So two stars for an awesome idea, and no more, for not pulling it off.

Edit: Another reviewer (Amitha) said: "I think perhaps this novel would appeal more to her fans rather than someone reading her books for the first time."

...I completely agree!(less)

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Apr 17, 2008 Jarrah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-dianawynnejones, genre-childrensfiction, gods, greek-mythology, chosen-one, orphans, genre-childrensfantasy, setting-secretworld, country-ireland

Children's contemporary fantasy. Hayley grew up with her grandparents, isolated from the world. Only then Hayley did something wrong - she's not sure what, only that it was to do with Fiddle and Flute and the boy with the dogs - and now she's been packed off to a house full of aunts and cousins in Ireland. The house is riotous and warm and, best of all, the children play something called The Game, in the mysterious Mythosphere. But Hayley's misdeed has attracted the attention of the dangerous he...more

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Dec 08, 2007 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 6th grade and up, fans of Rowling, Pratchett, Gaiman, McKinley

This was my first experience reading the prolific Diana Wynne Jones, and I was very impressed! I'd heartily recommend her to anyone who is pining for more J.K. Rowling, or any good fantasy that incorporates both strong writing and good storytelling.

Hayley does something to upset her grandma -- she's not sure what -- and is sent to live with her cousins in Ireland, where everyone runs amok in a huge, leaky mansion and aunts are aplenty but uncles are mysteriously absent. The children invite Hayl...more

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Jul 30, 2008 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2008, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 25, 2011 El Templo de las Mil Puertas added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 04-eltemplo, que-no-leerás-en-español

"The Game es la historia de Hayley, una joven que se ve obligada a irse a vivir a casa de una de sus tías después de una horrible pelea con su abuela. Para colmo, Hayley es huérfana y no sabe absolutamente nada de sus padres… como tampoco sabe nada acerca del secreto que esconde su familia. Por suerte para ella, ha ido a mudarse justo cuando el resto de familiares se reúnen en la casa de su tía, por lo que Hailey se encontrará, de repente, con montones de primos y primas de los que nunca antes h...more

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Dec 31, 2008 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is one of those books that had amazing ideas and potential...and then falls quite miserably on its face. Well not quite on its face.

The story centers around a young girl who is an orphan living with her Grandma. Her name is Hailey, adn often times she will 'think' her way into a strange world where nothing is what it should be. While in this world she meets many friends one of which is a boy in charge of several large hounds (Pan from Greek Mythology?) who accidentaly gets pulled back into...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Douglas rated it 4 of 5 stars

I started to get into Diana Wynne Jones' books after enjoying Hayao Miyazaki films, then finding out that a few were based on her books. Both storytellers are very similar in their imagination of fantasy worlds.

I think "The Game" is a good book to introduce the reader to Jones' work. It gently lifts you from the real world to the mythical, while overall flowing as a fast read. It is rooted in our world, but the gates open to folklore and fairy tales of old. One comes to realize that the main cha...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Mae rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, sweet, science-fiction, spin-off

It's a quick read, but the allusions are so heavy that my mind is whirling with Literature that I've read... but what I know is inadequate in comparison to the content within this book. No kidding, I have to look up even more now. This story isn't limited to Greek mythology, it also contains Russian fairy tales, Gypsy folk tales, the Brothers Grimm, and even contemporary classics like Lord of the Rings and Alice in Wonderland.

Okay, it's a challenge to explain this complicated tapestry... like th...more It's a quick read, but the allusions are so heavy that my mind is whirling with Literature that I've read... but what I know is inadequate in comparison to the content within this book. No kidding, I have to look up even more now. This story isn't limited to Greek mythology, it also contains Russian fairy tales, Gypsy folk tales, the Brothers Grimm, and even contemporary classics like Lord of the Rings and Alice in Wonderland.

Okay, it's a challenge to explain this complicated tapestry... like the eponymous title this story is a Game itself. Ugh. There's too much to think about. Like when I read Alice, I feel like I'm trying to make sense out of nonsense. And there is something waiting to be discovered. There's meaning, thought, and cleverness woven into every detail... aaahhh I just finished the book and I'm processing it's splendor!

For those planning to read the book: Don't be fooled by the simplistic way it's written as if it were a child's novel, because it's far from that. I feel like this book is a test of how much I know and how much I get... no kidding. Ugh, I need to go back and reread Norse and Turkish folk tales to follow up on what's going down to fully appreciate the story. I think people who have avid knowledge of myths and legends would enjoy the unraveling the puzzle laid out. Well, The Game is a modern twist (focuses mainly on Greek mythology, and goes off from there), but it's not only based on the general knowledge of Greek gods and goddesses; it goes off with Pleiades and more.
It gives a little, but not a lot.

(view spoiler)[
I still enjoyed it overall, it had a vague beginning and by the end everything wraps up with a happy ending. Though I feel the ending was... meh, weak. It's cute, but I hoped for something better.

Okay, so the novel is mostly about the mythosphere which is a realm where all stories from the beginning of time go. It's complex, you have to read the book to figure things out as you go along. The main plot fades the further I read the book, but it makes sense considering that the book is founded on a bunch of stories crossing over and mixing up. So Hayley's story starts in the "real world" but ends in the mythosphere where she and the characters really belong.

On the side note, there are waaay too many characters who are mostly things personified. Well that is Greek mythology, I mean Harmony? Both a person and the noun itself "present everywhere". Woah!

The novel is enjoyable. There's a dreamlike vibe to it - probably due to the high level of fantasy going on. It's stories within stories within stories. It's reality and imagination colliding, where dreams are as real as the real world. One word: INCEPTION. It's very imaginative, and by having the story taking place through the eyes of a child, I find myself having to fill in the gaps. The best way I can describe The Game is that the author presents you with a canvas full of colors and shapes and it's up to you to draw the lines. It's a beautiful mess. And sad. Even though there's a happy ending, not everything is resolved in the end. This novel isn't a children's novel because not only is there graphic content, the sense of helplessness and despair is present from the start and remains throughout.

Wow I can't make sense of this novel in a concise manner.
It'll take an essay to interpret what the allegories signify, but there's so many that I might as well write a book on it!

I believe though, that this book will have different meanings to different people. Not only due to the too-many overcrowding allusions woven in, but because it's easy to get lost and lose track of what is going on. Ummmm it's hard to explain, then again it's because I read it all in one go and now I'm in the process of digesting what I just read. I think that's why my thoughts are scattered. Then again that's the perfect word to describe the book - it's scattered. One thing leads to another and it all works out in the end.

What I do love most:
The clever use of Golden Apples. The foreshadowing of its use was obvious from the start, and the allusions tied to this... wow I'm so happy right now. This is my first Diana Wynne Jones' novel, and I'm convinced she has read a lot. (It shows.)

I'm not sure if she has written for the right target audience though, since this book would be better suited for the entertainment of scholars or hardcore educated English/literary bookworms of all ages... This book, though awesome and epic, confused me simply because I did not know enough. But I love that too, because it's like a map for a new territory to explore. Thanks!
(hide spoiler)]
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Oct 05, 2012 Chris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, dwj

The concept of the mythosphere is a wonderful thing, typical of Diana Wynne Jones and full of creative potential. It is the place we go to in dreams, the realm of the Collective Unconscious, the landscape where mythical archetypes roam and Jungian symbols are to be encountered, collected and treasured. Hayley gets drawn into the mythosphere when she is sent by her grandparents to stay with relatives in Ireland, who have invented a pastime called the Game where they have to fetch back mythical ob...more The concept of the mythosphere is a wonderful thing, typical of Diana Wynne Jones and full of creative potential. It is the place we go to in dreams, the realm of the Collective Unconscious, the landscape where mythical archetypes roam and Jungian symbols are to be encountered, collected and treasured. Hayley gets drawn into the mythosphere when she is sent by her grandparents to stay with relatives in Ireland, who have invented a pastime called the Game where they have to fetch back mythical objects against the clock. However, there are repercussions which not only put her in danger but also reveal who she really is and the nature of her large extended family.

Wonderful as the the concept is, and much as it saddens me to say it, this is not the most successful of Jones' novellas. There is a haunting quality to many of the characters but I never quite lose the feeling that they are mere personifications of abstract notions. The once novel but now ancient idea espoused by the 4th-century Euhemerus that the gods were merely deified human beings has been turned on its head here (not for the first time in her books), as spelt out by a final note. Just as, say, in 16th- and 17th-century masques Greek and Roman gods and goddesses were portrayed as fickle humans acting pretty much arbitrarily, so do Jones' characters behave contrary to their presumed elevated and cosmic statuses, acting out personal whims and displaying petty feelings about each other. As with many of the author's other novels humour and wit and insight and intricate plotting are all present in abundance, but here the final outcome is rather a let-down in terms of drama and consequence. In particular, the transference of Mediterranean deities to two Atlantic isles, thereby transforming them into petit bourgeoisie, overly diminishes them for no apparent reason.

This is not to say that this is a poor book: Jones seems never able not to draw you into her storytelling by combining familiar everyday situations with fairytale motifs, mixing the new with the old. However, with The Game she has fallen a little short of her usual high standards and our voracious expectations, to my disappointment.(less)

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Sep 29, 2012 Yuite Dio rated it 4 of 5 stars

Man, I really enjoyed this book!! It's short, incredibly imaginative, and just outright fun. It draws off so much mythology and just plays with it delightfully. One interesting thing is I, uh. Maybe got a bit confused? I know most of the characters are super pale British and/or Irish folk, so comparatively Hayley, Troy, Harmony, Tollie, and Hayley's father are dark, but by the descriptions I honestly thought for the entirety of the book that Hayley and her father along with Troy and Harmony were...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Emily Collins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ohh does this book go way too fast every time I read it! It's extremely short but it contains so very much information if you only go looking for it!
First there are all of the characters! Each one has had various myths and legends told about them and Diana does such a wonderful job incorporating all of them so seamlessly together - characters that in reality should never have met but why not when you think about it! Why not have Haley's Comet be the daughter of a god and a mortal? Why not incorp...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Me the Awesome (You can call me Joe) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mythology, adventure, fantasy

I had good expectations for this book, sadly, none of them were fulfilled.
I picked it up because it had to do with Greek mythology and it looked like a fairly quick read, but it really wasn't too good at all.
I haven't read any of the author's other books, so I don't know whether all her books are like this, but I thought it was quite boring. It's for kids, it's not funny, nor exciting, and it's extremely descriptive, all of which, when put together, make a dry book. I never really got to know an...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Possibly because of the mental age of the protagonist Hayley, and her world view, this felt like a 'smaller' book than 'Enchanted Glass', but no less beautiful. Hayley's discoveries about herself and her family, and the need to learn to stand up to the bullies in her family, were well told. Her adventures in the game and her time among the stars were exhilarating.
A common thread with a number of D W Jones books that I've read, is a discovery of inner magic tends to go hand in hand with a sense...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Shazza Maddog rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked this story up just because of the author. I've liked every other novel I've read by Ms. Jones and figured I couldn't go wrong with this young adult novella. Hayley is part of a large family, however, she's never actually met any of them besides her Uncle Jolyon and her grandparents, whom she lives with. Uncle Jolyon is scary and her Grandmother is very strict. Hayley's Granddad is kinder, though he's often out traveling the world.

The story starts with Hayley being picked up by her cousi...more I picked this story up just because of the author. I've liked every other novel I've read by Ms. Jones and figured I couldn't go wrong with this young adult novella. Hayley is part of a large family, however, she's never actually met any of them besides her Uncle Jolyon and her grandparents, whom she lives with. Uncle Jolyon is scary and her Grandmother is very strict. Hayley's Granddad is kinder, though he's often out traveling the world.

The story starts with Hayley being picked up by her cousins at the airport. She's not quite sure why Grandmother has sent her away, only that Grandmother had been very angry with her about the boy and the dogs. Hayley is immediately swept up into the cousins - of which there seem to be many, considering she has aunts coming out the whazoo. Hayley feels like she doesn't fit in - she's quiet and overwhelmed by all the noise and all the cousins. However, when a flood starts inside the house, Hayley is the one who is small enough to get out the window to fix the gutter. Unfortunately, that earns her the enmity of cousin Tollie, who set up the gutter to leak.

Some few days later, Hayley is invited to join in The Game, which the family has been playing for years. Harmony is the gamemaster, setting all the cousins up to collect certain things - a quest for each cousin. Hayley is paired up with cousin Troy as this is her first time playing the game, and they are sent off to collect a scale from the dragon who guards the Zodiac.

It turns out that Hayley's family is extraordinary - they have the ability to travel through the mythosphere, which is where all stories come from. Playing the game is not Hayley's first time in the mythosphere; she traveled through it with Flute and Fiddle, twin brothers she met in Grandmother's city. It was traveling with one of the twins that Hayley met the boy and his hounds, and subsequently called them up in her own bedroom, which freaked out Grandmother.

The story winds around throughout the mythosphere - not necessarily a safe place. There are many things hidden within the mythosphere that Hayley needs to seek and not all of them are part of The Game.

Hayley's adventures in the mythosphere and the things she finds out are revealed a little at a time. There are some lovely little twists and turns in this novella. While the convention seems familiar to me, I enjoyed with Ms. Jones has done with the storyline and how everything has been tied together. (less)

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Jun 12, 2011 Anila rated it 3 of 5 stars

Definitely not DWJ's strongest book, but it still captures her characteristic whimsy and amazing imagination. The basic idea - that of a 'mythosphere' encircling the planet where it's possible to walk among all the stories ever told - is awesome. My problem, I guess, is that it's so short. I would have loved to read more about the Mythosphere, about the Game and the kids that play it, about their family politics. There was so much crammed into such a small volume that I felt much of it was incom...more

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Apr 05, 2011 Emeli rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book tremendously. As a fan of fantasy and science fiction, I found this book right up my alley.

Hayley is a young orphan, living with her amiable Grandfather and her very strict Grandmother, that is, until Hayley does something wrong and is shipped off to Ireland. Upon arrival, Hayley is thrust into a startling new environment full of family she never knew existed, not knowing any of them or even why she is there at all. She finds a quiet moment the first night to reflect on the...more

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Jun 02, 2010 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-fiction, tween-fiction

Diana Wynne Jones is the master of creating a steady developing mystery within the guise of a fantasy plotline and The Game is no exception. As a novella, the story is much lighter than most of Jones' intricately detailed works, but the suspense and and craft of storytelling are no less than one would expect from a writer of this caliber. Young orphaned Haley is banished from her aunt and uncle's home for unknown reasons. Forced to spend the holidays with her cousins, Haley is exposed to a famil...more

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May 21, 2009 Bethany rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: altered-reality, fantasy, mystery, religion, ya

When orphaned Hayley's grandparents send her off to live with an aunt, Hayley learns more than she could ever have expected from her many cousins and their "game" of traveling through a Mythosphere. Astute readers might pick up on the hints and puns, but they're subtle enough to keep the reader wondering how all of the story threads weave together.

The characters are intriguing, but the necessary reliance on mythological figures somewhat limits the full-dimensionality of the cast. The careless bl...more

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May 28, 2012 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Diana Wynne Jones was a master of her craft and wrote brilliant tales that are both fresh and endearing in their essences. I always set apart some time to truly appreciate her novels whenever I come upon one, and can depend on a wonderful and magical journey that is whimsical in nature and overall satisfying in hindsight.

Her works are the stuff of daydreams, and this one is no less...if you read story, you'll know what I mean. A short jaunt through the book requires no more than a bit of a plea...more

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Mar 28, 2012 Dannielle R rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Dannielle by: Librarian

After being recommended by a librarian, I expected more. I was disappointed! If I was 12 and reading this I may have enjoyed it more, but at almost 20 I think it was just not something I could have enjoyed. I was really looking forward to reading a shorter book, but even at less than 200 pages it took me a few days to make myself finish it.

The plot itself is cool, and had loads of potential. Seriously, I loved the idea of the 'mythosphere' and 'the game'. I just felt there wasn't enough explanat...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Shweta rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fantasy, oh-my-gods

I have been living under a rock as far as fantasy genre is concerned. If not, I couldn't have missed reading Diana Wynne Jones's books which are written for an audience consisting of children, teens and adults. Some where at the cross roads of teen and adult literature lies The Game. Relying heavily on Greek mythology and taking some creative liberties with the interpretation and characterization it weaves a tale of modern times. Sounds familiar? Don't come to a conclusion. It is as different f...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, kick-ass-heroines

This book was awesome, Diana Wynne Jones is awesome and I now need to read ALL THE DWJ BOOKS! Seriously, she was an excellent writer. I didn't catch how much I was enjoying this book until I found myself thinking about the cousins and the Mythosphere while I was doing other things and reading other books. DWJ has such a knack for writing emotional, memorable stories without the reader realizing it's something emotional and memorable: it just seeps into your mind and you can't let it go.

The Game...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Kiersten added it

I've come to expect great things from Diana Wynne Jones, but this novella sadly failed to match those expectations. It was playful enough, but lacked her usual irrepressible wit and unexpected plot turns. I agree with the other reviewer here that there were definitely not enough pages to develop all the characters introduced, by any means. The story seemed in a hurry to get to the ending, which wasn't really that satisfying anyway, because we'd only had half an hour to warm up to a couple dozen...more

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Mar 01, 2012 Jesse rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely adore Diana Wynne Jones' writing. Every story is a great adventure, with lots of plot twists and surprises, and at the end, things are usually drastically different than they were at the beginning, but always in a way that makes a crazy sort of sense.

Her characters shine brilliantly. All of them. Even though they all have elements of the fantastic in them, they're all so real and believable at the same time. And there are always strong female characters with roles that--even today--...more I absolutely adore Diana Wynne Jones' writing. Every story is a great adventure, with lots of plot twists and surprises, and at the end, things are usually drastically different than they were at the beginning, but always in a way that makes a crazy sort of sense.

Her characters shine brilliantly. All of them. Even though they all have elements of the fantastic in them, they're all so real and believable at the same time. And there are always strong female characters with roles that--even today--would still be relegated to male characters only, were it any other author writing the tale.

Young Hailey has displeased her strict, prim and proper, drill sergeant of a grandmother and her nicer but slightly aloof grandfather, who live near London, so they've packed her off to Ireland to spend some time with her numerous aunts and even more numerous cousins (yet, strangely, no uncles to be seen, except for one: Uncle Jolyon, who Hayley dislikes on principle for his duplicity and his manipulative ways). While visiting her aunts, she is invited to play The Game with her cousins, which involved setting foot in the mythosphere...a realm of myths and fables and all sorts of other things that will start to seem more and more familiar to the reader as the story goes along.

I love how, in Diana Wynne Jones' stories, along the way the characters band together (some of whom may have been at odds at the beginning of the story) and head off to solve whatever confrontation is brewing, usually with unexpected results, and it is always a very wild ride…and The Game is no exception to that. Even the secondary and minor characters glow with life. They could grace the story for a page or two at most, and still leave a lasting impression. And also true to Diana Wynne Jones' form, characters who go off on their own at the beginning of the story (and as a reader it seems like their part is done, and you’ll never hear from them again) tend to show up at the penultimate moment. That, too, happens in The Game, and I was very delighted by it.

Reading this, I almost felt as if I was along for the adventure, which in my mind is a very good compliment indeed. The Game is definitely a book I will re-read, several times, and share with others. It's a fun roller-coaster ride from the beginning, sometimes mysterious, often hilariously funny (few books make me laugh out loud, and this one did). There were also many references, both to classical mythology and folklore--as well as some of the fantasy worlds from Diana's other works--which were a treat, too, as I always love making connections to other stories like that.
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Jul 04, 2010 Amitha rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I picked this book up at the library when I was there looking for something else completely. I've been wanting to read one of Jones's books and the description on the cover about magic and mythology really sucked me in. I love a good fantasy novel.

At first glance, the idea seems a genuinely good one: what would happen if the constellations came to life as real people? I imagine this book is meant to appeal to the Percy Jackson set (I still haven't read those books). But in practice, the book was...more

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Apr 14, 2010 Robert rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s, fantasy

The Game is a novel set in our world and "the mythosphere" - where mythologies, fairy tales, stories and ancient religions live. The world of stories, so to speak.

Our heroine, Hayley, is an orphan girl who has just been kicked out by her grandparents and is staying with her aunts for a weekend. And then they start playing a game...

Unfortunately, the story is not nearly as rich in atmosphere as I'd hoped. Hayley never stays in any story or myth for more than two paragraphs, toggling between them...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Auggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was one of Ms. Jones' more recent works and was published on March 1, 2007. Almost 4 years exactly before her passing.

I picked up this book knowing that I was going to love what I read, but not knowing what sort of fantastic story I was going to find. Ms. Jones' writing spanned all sorts of worlds, dimensions, ideas, and moral concepts. Her characters are always deep and engaging, full of spunk and adventure and humanity.

"The Game" is no different.

What I loved most about "The Game" is...more

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May 28, 2010 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of greek mythology, fantasy

Recommended to Susan by: Helen

Shelves: youngadult, 2010read

Sometimes I like Diana Wynne Jones, sometimes I don't. I have a feeling it has something to do with the depth of the fantasy world portrayed in the particular book. For example, Fire & Hemlock is one of my favorite novels ever and I consider it to be light on the fantasy, more magic realism than anything. This one was too heavy on the fantasy for me. Many of the scenes, especially all the traveling on "strands" was very difficult for me to picture, and I found it a bit boring. There was also...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Yvonne Boag rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: junior-fiction

Hayley has been brought up by her grandparents and all she has to remember her parents by is a photo that she is not allowed to touch. Her grandmother is strict, home schools her and won't let her interact with anyone but the maid. Her grandfather on the other hand is very fond of her and tells her about interesting things including the Mythosphere. Then one day Hayley is packed off to stay with family in Ireland that she has never met. She never knew what she did wrong. In Ireland she is surrou...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Jacey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, childrens

Hayley's parents are dead and she has been raised by overly restrictive grandparents who seem to be ruled by Uncle Jolyon. Suddenly she is sent away to live with the Aunts in Ireland because she's done something wrong. What she's done and the consequences of it are revealed gradually in The Game as Hayley finds a whole new world (the Mythosphere) waiting for her when she meets the Aunts and her previously unknown cousins.

Interweaving story strands from myth, legend and literature (even Tolkien g...more

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About Diana Wynne Jones

Diana Wynne Jones was the author of more than thirty critically acclaimed fantasy stories, including the Chrestomanci series and the novels Howl's Moving Castle and Dark Lord of Derkholm.

For Diana Wynne Jones's official autobiography, please see http://www.leemac.freeserve.co.uk/aut...

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Books by Diana Wynne Jones

Howl's Moving Castle (Howl's Moving Castle, #1)

The Lives of Christopher Chant (Chrestomanci, #4)

Castle in the Air (Howl's Moving Castle, #2)

House of Many Ways (Howl's Moving Castle, #3)

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“Beauty isn't made of sugar.” — 23 people liked it

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