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The Game

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 1,208 ratings · 160 reviews

It’s the future, and most jobs are done by machines. Now that school is over, Lisse and her friends are consigned to a bleak neighborhood for the permanently unemployed. Then they receive an invitation to the Game—which transports them to a paradise. Is it a dream, or a computer simulation? Each time they play the Game, the new world seems more and more real....

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Paperback, 183 pages

Published October 5th 2010 by Simon Pulse (first published September 1st 1991)

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Feb 10, 2011 Flannery rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: swords-and-lasers, young-adult-teen, read-in-2011, ya-space-quest-o-mine, reviewed-2011

So, when I saw this on the shelves at B & N, I thought it sounded like a mixture of The Running Man(awesome) and The Hunger Games (also awesome) and I had to buy it. Having finished it, I can't say that it is as good as either of those books, but it is definitely enjoyable. This book was originally published in the early nineties and, though the author passed away a few years ago, obviously her publisher didn't want to miss out on the YA dystopia trend. I have to say, though, that this book...more So, when I saw this on the shelves at B & N, I thought it sounded like a mixture of The Running Man(awesome) and The Hunger Games (also awesome) and I had to buy it. Having finished it, I can't say that it is as good as either of those books, but it is definitely enjoyable. This book was originally published in the early nineties and, though the author passed away a few years ago, obviously her publisher didn't want to miss out on the YA dystopia trend. I have to say, though, that this book is not dated at all--but I did chuckle at her prediction that we'd be using e-readers in the future...

The beginning of this book is definitely not its strong point. Monica Hughes introduces us to Lisse, our protagonist, and her group of friends, all of whom are graduating from Government School. In a The Giver-type ceremony, each graduate is given their future job assignment or confirmation that they are an Unemployed. As their society has replaced more and more of its workforce with robots, an increasing number of students find themselves Unemployed. Surprise! Lisse and several of her friends join the ranks of the jobless and move to their "Designated Area," where the Government provides them with their basic needs. All around their neighborhood, they hear whispers and conversations about "The Game."

Now, don't get crazy, I'm not going to tell you what The Game is, it would ruin the whole story. But I will tell you that each kid specializes in some sort of occupation while at school. Lisse's group is balanced so each person brings something to their team. When they start playing The Game, it is clear that some people bring more to the table than others and this book was a little frustrating for me because the person who is dead weight on the team is THE PROTAGONIST. Seriously, we have a chemist, a farmer, someone medically trained, a historian, someone that knows karate, etc. And Lisse? Useless. (view spoiler) She keeps getting injured, sick, crying, and generally holding her team back.

This book is pretty interesting in that it shoves political theory into the minds of young adults. There were undertones of rebellion, questionings of authority, and at least a few discussions of the organization of society. The author really packs it all into 182 pages--it's like a clown car--but I didn't mind as I became invested in the story. In fact, I thought it was a great misdirection method--I couldn't wait to find out what The Game really was and what it had to do with the organization of this society! (view spoiler)

If you really want to know what The Game is about, I'll tell you: (view spoiler)

I don't regret buying this one, nor do I regret reading it. The writing style (especially the dialogue) were annoying at points because the characters (who were basically cardboard, let's not kid ourselves here) had simplistic conversations and then they went to a club where the author said a Pierrot approached them. Now, I had an idea of what a Pierrot was, but I had to look it up to confirm my suspicion. Who the hell is the audience for this book? In most respects, I feel like it is middle readers, but every once in a while it felt like a teen book. I am clueless who I'd recommend this book to amongst my friends, but it was worthwhile.(less)

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Mar 28, 2012 Katy Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

1. Who was Charlie really? What was the point in his part of the story? Why was he so powerful? I don't know. Was he a government spy or thought police who was supposed to see if this group was strong enough for The Game?

2. Didn't the other group on the Subway say that this was their second year at The Game? Does that mean that they got stronger as a group and were ready for drop off to another planet?

3. So Lisse's special thing was being a writer. Gotcha. That's the reason I am forgiving of the...more 1. Who was Charlie really? What was the point in his part of the story? Why was he so powerful? I don't know. Was he a government spy or thought police who was supposed to see if this group was strong enough for The Game?

2. Didn't the other group on the Subway say that this was their second year at The Game? Does that mean that they got stronger as a group and were ready for drop off to another planet?

3. So Lisse's special thing was being a writer. Gotcha. That's the reason I am forgiving of the holes in the story. It is only told through her perspective so we get a very limited view.

4. There were so many people to keep up with. 3/4 of the way through I think I finally got it.

5. Parallels to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins include the name of the book, the concept of bread and circuses, and all of the outlandish clothing of the people on Earth.

6. This book made me really think at the end. What would happen if we had to start all over? Without being conditioned as they were in a government school, I'm afraid we may not succeed as they did. How many of us know how to build a loom? Make things from the various metals? Start a fire. Ok, I might be able to do that one. Maybe. We are way too dependent on modern conveniences.

7. I needed more information about how the government was run, the rules that the masses had to abide by, why the stores were really only open at night, why they never really met more groups like themselves on the street, what family life was like before they go to school, how the parents met, what the government school like (in more depth,) more backstory to the takeover of robots, more about the mechanics of the robots, more about the technology, what their space exploration was like. But again, Lisse doesn't know these answers, so neither do we. Maybe this story would have been even better in third person or with all of the information I want to know, a series?

8. So Earth is just going to suck forever? Earthlings, please rebel. Seriously, just throw some water on those robots and watch 'em rust. (less)

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Jan 18, 2012 TheBookSmugglers rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: apocalypse-dystopia-keepers

Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers

Why did I read this book: This previously published early '90s book has been coming up in talks with other dystopian-minded bibliophiles (including the wonderful author Megan Crewe who mentioned the book as one of her favorite YA dystopians in this month's newsletter!), and when I learned that Simon & Schuster had recently republished the book, I knew I had to track it down and give it a shot. Although I must say, I think I prefer the totally rad 1990...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Reuben H. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review originally written on 7/4/11.

For me, Invitation to the Game by Monica Hughes is a classic. I absolutely loved it the first time I read it several years ago, and this time I loved it as well. I actually reviewed this book on a past blog when I read it the first time.

I was first introduced to Invitation to the Game by my librarian. I instantly knew it wouldn't be a "regular" teen science fiction novel, because, well, my librarian introduced it to me! This is the librarian that doesn't reall...more

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Sep 04, 2011 Dorine White rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found a book at Borders that came out in 2010 that I just loved, so I'm going to share it so everyone else can enjoy it. The book is called The Game, by Monica Hughes, published by SimonPulse. Previously it was published as Invitation to the Game.

The Story- The year is 2154 and society is divided into two sections, the employed and the unemployed. Lisse is graduating from High School and is ready to enter the work force, the only problem, all jobs she qualifies for are already filled by robot...more

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Jun 03, 2011 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who enjoy mild Dystopian/Sci-Fi! It's a fun experience! Anyone can read it!

Recommended to Nicole by: Library in Middle School

Shelves: dystopian, science-fiction

This book, is absolutely a fantastic read! The writing style is so easy and clear that you flow right through the book and are sucked into it before you even know it! Everything runs so smoothly! It's amazing how well Monica Hughes makes this book run, and I have only the highest compliments for her. It's a short book as well! Under two hundred pages which makes it an even easier task to go through swiftly, but the pace is never rushed, even though you can read it within a few hours if you're a...more This book, is absolutely a fantastic read! The writing style is so easy and clear that you flow right through the book and are sucked into it before you even know it! Everything runs so smoothly! It's amazing how well Monica Hughes makes this book run, and I have only the highest compliments for her. It's a short book as well! Under two hundred pages which makes it an even easier task to go through swiftly, but the pace is never rushed, even though you can read it within a few hours if you're a fast reader or even not so quick! On top of that, Monica Hughes has a GREAT talent for bringing you right into the situation. The book and its characters are IMMENSELY relate-able. The situation is twisted of course to match the future year, yet even though this book is categorized as Science Fiction, there are only a few mild elements to it that really brings about that feel, which makes it not wholly an alien landscape. You have the school they go to, you have the idea of being assigned jobs by the government, and then the concept of being dictated where to live. It all has a very Dystopian air about it, which is probably the stronger of the two elements in the book. But it mingles it so very well that you don't even pay much attention to either. They serve as only the mild sparks of the unusual that make this book a really interesting read! Plus, even with these elements, the book never strays too far from the impossible, even at the surprise twist towards the end! (Don't worry. This review will remain Spoiler Free, I promise.)

The story is set in the future, during a time period where almost every job has been replaced by robots. Not too unusual a scenario, but even if this makes it familiar, it also makes it easy to relate to. When a batch of kids fresh from high school end up as the Permanently Unemployed, you're sitting right there thinking, "Well great! We get to stay in one place, with this amount of money, for the REST of our BORING lives! Wonderful!" It's enough to play on the emotions of any self-respecting individual! And then, (Warning, corny line coming up) everything changes when they get introduced to The Game. Since that itself is a spoiler, I won't tell you what it is. *Smiles* However! It's enough to get these kids crazy involved with it, since heck! ANYTHING is better than this slum life they're FORCED to live because the entire Government has them in lock-down until they DIE. You get this enormous sense of the unfairness of this corrupt, slowly degrading world, and you feel even worse because you know that there's not a stinking thing you can do about it. It brings about a vivid feeling of imprisonment in not just these kids, freshly raised with all this knowledge! And now no where to use it...but in the reader as well.

And speaking of the kids! These characters are AWESOME. They're so smart and they work so well together, and even when they have fights and disagreements, you GET what they're going through, because you would probably feel the same way if you were in their shoes! Plus, the main character, Lisse? She's awesome. She comes off as such a quiet type, but she has her moments of speaking out and stating her thoughts aloud (as well as in narrative, which is really great to read) and mingling them with those of her friends. What Monica does is takes all these different people and uses them to create every single side of the argument possible, and you feel so easily bounced back from one to the other that you don't even mind when you're not quite sure who's speaking, because what they say makes so much SENSE. It's a book that plays on your emotions more than anything, and it's a great ride. Because it's also fun! You've got a lot of seriousness in it, but the bond of this band of teenagers is so tight that everything you go through feels...well, normal! And not in the boring normal way either, but in the way that makes you feel like you're right in there with them, going through the same things they are. It's a great way of being carried along in the story, and I know that if you don't agree with one of the characters, you'll find yourself echoing the thoughts and words of one of the others. That's what Lisse's job is throughout the book. She's the one that we get to relate to, and who sets the scene for us. It's because of her that our emotions begin to fuse with those of the people around us in the story, since we're seeing it from Lisse's point of view. And that's the key to really enjoying this book! Because we get to know Lisse's thoughts, it evokes in us a lot of corresponding ideas until we're just as deep in as the rest of them.

Plus, this book's got that GREAT twist at the end. Considering it's such an EASY book to fall into, and it really does carry that sense of normality and relate-ability to it, when you get thrown for that big loop at the end, you're just as stunned as the rest of them. In my opinion, that's what makes this such a great and really fun book to read! You know it's Sci-Fi and Dystopian, but you forget all that in the fact that it's also really, really, really personal! Monica Hughes herself said it in the book! It's about the subtlety of the story. You get so drawn in, you can conceive of the situation they're in with the government and living situations, because it's something that CAN happen to OUR world and US. And because of that, when you DO get the twist at the end, you're shocked! Because after everything being so easy to relate to, you've suddenly been thrown a curve ball you couldn't have seen coming if you were as involved with the characters and their thoughts as I was! And sure, you probably could figure it out, but that's not the magic of this book. Its true wonder is revealed when you give up your own thoughts and just get captured in the book itself, in the characters and in their thoughts and arguments. When you flow right along with them, when you go through their troubles and their attempts to survive and learn, you get so into their situation that the ending does take you by surprise and it's AWESOME for it!

This is truly a great story. Simple and fun, easy to read and filled with enjoyable, intelligent characters of all kinds! It's the kind of story you like to pick up and read because it's just a blast to be taken along for the ride! I would recommend this story definitely for the Sci-Fi minded Dystopian lovers. It's not top-full of one over the other, but it's a great story to read just for enjoyment's sake! And it's so easy to read and enjoy that I don't see why anyone shouldn't read it! Go on and have some fun! It's worth the trip if you're willing to let loose and let the story take you. Try it out! I hope you'll be amazed! Maybe that's just the child in me though? It's definitely not over-complex, and it's also a typical middle-school book I'd say. But there's nothing wrong with enjoying a simple read for the sake of enjoyment itself. *Smiles* I think if you have an open mind, and read this book seeking to enjoy it, you will. And that's a good enough reason to pick it up and try!(less)

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Nov 26, 2010 P.M. rated it 3 of 5 stars

16 year old Lisse is not looking forward to graduation from her government-run school. When she is handed her envelope and sentenced to a life of unemployment, she is devastated. Her best friend Benta is going to the farming job she has been anticipating and her sometime enemy Rich is headed to psychiatry. With seven other classmates, Lisse is unloaded in her designated area (DA) where she will spend the rest of her life. The friends band together and turn an abandoned warehouse into livable spa...more

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Jun 10, 2010 Bibliotropic rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Whenever I read this book, I am reminded of the fact that short summaries, even the back of the book itself, simply do not do this story justice. It's one of the few books that I would recommend without hesitation to be on a school's reading curriculum, since not only does it tell an engaging story about unemployed life in a dystopian future, but it also has the thread of hope running through it that tells people that no matter what, they have useful skills, even if they don't yet know what use...more Whenever I read this book, I am reminded of the fact that short summaries, even the back of the book itself, simply do not do this story justice. It's one of the few books that I would recommend without hesitation to be on a school's reading curriculum, since not only does it tell an engaging story about unemployed life in a dystopian future, but it also has the thread of hope running through it that tells people that no matter what, they have useful skills, even if they don't yet know what use those skills are.

The story is told from the perspective of Lisse, who has just graduated from school and found herself with no employment prospects. This is far from unusual, as she came from one of the top schools in the country, which had a 10% job placement rate in a world essentially run by robots. Along with her friends from school, Lisse starts out her new life as an unemployed.

The world Hughes set up is an interesting one. Unemployed people are taken care of, in a basic sense, by the government, given shelter and enough credits to buy food and cleaning supplies. Anything else they want they must get by scrounging materials from garbage cans, anything throw away or to be recycled. They may not work, except at "indie" things like selling art to the employed who have money to spare. They may not travel, and they are limited to their Designated Area. Gangs essentially rule the streets, the goverment's first line of defense is the thought police, and overcrowding is a major problem.

Then when the tables turn and they find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings, they are forced to exercise every one of their individual talents to the utmost in order to survive as a society. That, in a nutshell, is what this book is about. Society, whether it be overcrowded and terrible or tiny and held together by only the bonds of friendship and necessity. What makes a society, and what makes a good or bad society? Monica Hughes is not afraid of asking the big questions, nor of posing them to young people who most of us would deem incapable of truly understanding such broad concepts. Most adults couldn't properly answer what makes a good or bad society, after all, and I enjoy coming across good YA novels that don't dumb the issues down for children, but instead present the questions in an entertaining and provocative way.

And like Michael Grant's Gone , this book doesn't flinch away from the fact that life involves death, killing, and other unpleasant things, especially when one is in exceptional circumstances.

I could read this book a hundred times over and never get bored of it. I highly recommend it to, well, just about anybody, really, be they young or old. It's the kind of book that makes you want to think, that makes you want to be productive, and makes you examine yourself and your place in the world.

I know I, for one, feel pretty confident that if I were in the same situation as Lisse, all my friends would have plenty of clothes to wear. Most people would consider skills like making a drop spindle, spinning yarn, and knitting to be quaint hobbies at best in this modern world, but when I read this novel, it's easy to remind myself that there are plenty of situations in which my "quaint hobbies" could be the difference between barely surviving the cold and being comfortable and warm.

Read this book for yourself and then take an inventory of your skills. You'll be surprised at what you don't even know you know.(less)

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Apr 07, 2012 Ubalstecha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: what-to-read-after-harry-the-teen, so-you-like-the-hunger-games-why

It's 2154, and the world is a dystopian mess. Many years ago, some apocalyptic event occurred that caused the population to drop to a point that there was a lack of workers. To fill this need, governments created robots to do menial work. These robots began to get better, able to handle more complex work. This meant that as the population recovered, there was no work for them to do. Permanent classes of unemployed were created, living off government hand outs.

Into this world is borne Lisse. As...more

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Dec 05, 2010 Jennifer Lavoie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-would-teach, books-to-teach, scifi, fantasy, future, utopia, dystopia

Very interesting book and a fast read. It is on the novel list for my school, but I ignored it last year because the title - which previously had been "Invitation to the Game" - sounded like it would be a sports novel. As such, I didn't bother looking into it. This year, when I needed something new to teach for reluctant readers, I was surprised to find that the book was actually a futuristic scifi novel. The new cover and title are great and really draw readers in. Unfortunately, my school has...more

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Feb 06, 2011 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, re-read, get-sister-to-read

Best post-apocalyptic dystopian interstellar colonization story EVER. Specific, yes. But you know what, nothing else in children's lit scratches this itch! It's maddening! Enough that I re-read it earlier this year (preparatory to trying to make my youngest sister read it.) And it was still good, because frankly it taps into the same childhood fantasy you would have every time you went to the mall. 'Wouldn't it be COOL if I was locked in here, after hours, especially with a bunch of my friends?...more

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Sep 29, 2010 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, science-fiction, games

The copy I read did not have this exciting a cover. Though its cover was more accurate than the one showing here.

I think this is a book I would've really liked to have read as a kid. Unfortunately, the timing was a little off. I was already 15 or 16 by the time it was published. I don't think I was reading a lot of new books then. Unless it was a Star Trek novel.

So it's the future and robots have taken over most of the jobs, so it's a really big deal to be able to have a job. This is decided up...more The copy I read did not have this exciting a cover. Though its cover was more accurate than the one showing here.

I think this is a book I would've really liked to have read as a kid. Unfortunately, the timing was a little off. I was already 15 or 16 by the time it was published. I don't think I was reading a lot of new books then. Unless it was a Star Trek novel.

So it's the future and robots have taken over most of the jobs, so it's a really big deal to be able to have a job. This is decided upon your graduation (if you were lucky enough to go to school). The main character joins the ranks of the jobless. Though they're provided with a place to live, clothes, and adequate food. And allowed to scavenge for other things they might need or want -- like mattresses. She bands together with other classmates who also didn't get a job and they set up house together.

Then they hear about The Game and wonder what it's all about, how to get invited to it. But these are no 'fight other jobless to the death' type games. It's more a puzzle game. A game you have to explore and figure out. But how much of it is real? Is it all a hypnotic trance? Drugs? Technology? Real, unreal? Hmmm.

I really liked that the focus seemed to be on teamwork and cooperation. And it's an interesting premise overall.

I saw the twist, if you can call it a twist, coming a mile away. Which is why it definitely would've been a different experience for me to read it as a kid. Before I've gotten all sophisticated and jaded. Though maybe I would've guessed it even then. I had read a lot of science fiction by 1990.

There's a dated feel to the whole thing. Not really because of the mention of hypnosis, which was a big thing in sf decades ago and not so much now. But just.. hmm.. the 'niceness' of it, perhaps? The 'innocence'? Neither of those is quite the right description of it. But you wouldn't mistake it for a YA novel of 2010. You might mistake it for 1960, 1970, or 1980. In fact, I wouldn't have guessed 1990. For the same reason it feels dated to me, it also feels like a Marion Zimmer Bradley book to me.

I read this book because a friend listed it as one of her favorites. And I'm really shocked that I had never before heard of Monica Hughes or any of her books. There's a lot of them! And they look right up my alley.

They reissued this, possibly to cash in on The Hunger Games mania. But it's not a bad idea. If you liked The Hunger Games, there's a definite chance you'll like this one too. If you're worried about the brutality of Hunger Games, then this is a good alternative.(less)

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Apr 19, 2009 Carllee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, end-of-the-world, middle-reader

This was one of the first books I can ever remember reading and really loving. This book had a huge impact on both my reading habits and my main areas of interest. I fully believe that this book is the reason I love science fiction novels and have a great love for (read: obsession with) the end of the world and post-apocalyptic fiction.

Invitation to the Game follows a group of characters who have recently graduated with highly specialized degrees but most of whom are unemployable because of the...more

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May 04, 2011 Nadine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, read-in-2011

Im Jahr 2154 wurden viele Berufe durch Roboter ersetzt und so steigt die Arbeitslosenzahl drastisch an. Wenn die geeigneten Berufe für die jeweiligen Schüler nicht mehr durch lebende Arbeiter besetzt werden, heißt es für sie, ein Leben in Arbeitslosigkeit zu führen, sie leben in abgeschotteten Bezirken, bekommen das allernötigste vom Staat und können sich ansonsten beim Sperrmüll bedienen. Auch Lissi trifft nach der Schule dieses Schicksal und sie zieht mit einigen Freunden in eine Wohngemeinsch...more

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May 10, 2012 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: youngadult

Recommended for gr. 6-10. Although this was written in the early 90's, it does not have a particularly dated feel. In the year 2154, Lisse is graduating from school with honors, but along with a group of similarly gifted friends, finds herself unemployed. In her society, most of the work is done by robots, leaving a large portion of the population unemployed and idle, although their basic needs are met by the government. Lisse and her friends stick together and after receiving invitations to the...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Maria Muller Felton rated it 3 of 5 stars

I feel bad giving this book 3 stars, but I have to.
I liked the concept. It was pretty interesting and I would definitely read more books with a similar concept. However, I feel like Hughes was not really successful in developing the characters, plot or even a good ending. This book had so much potential and it just left me like "Are you serious?"

First thing.
Who exactly was Charlie? and why was he so powerful? How come he knew about The Game but was still living in the city?

Also when she says t...more

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Dec 31, 2009 Beck rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: botb, future, teen-ya

This book confuses me. The "voice" (both narrative and in dialogue) is sort of like...I don't know...a young Katharine Hepburn, or some cross between Britain and 1950s America. I can't imagine this feeling right to teens even in 1990. (Turns out it's a Canadian book, but still.) It seems like teens today could find the voice highly annoying, although I find it more quaint than anything.

I also do NOT think the characters behave like teenagers, but perhaps they aren't teens--I don't believe the bo...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Mindi Mallia rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is the first book in a really long time that I haven't been thrilled with. I picked this up while browsing through the store one day and thought it looked interesting. The book is really short, I assumed it would be a quick and easy read. Realistically it would have been, but it took me forever to get through because I just wasn't interested in it. The only part that I was mildly interested in was the last 40 pages or so, and only because the twist was so far out of left field that I read c...more

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Sep 13, 2009 Wealhtheow rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, ya

In a future dys/utopia, Lisse and her friends have all just graduated from school. But there are too many people and not enough jobs, and they are each left unemployed, on the dole, and at a loss for how to live in a highly regimented society with no place for them. They quickly learn hard lessons about dumpster-diving and squatting, and even faster, they lose interest in the hard-partying lifestyle of their fellow unemployed youths. When the group is invited to play a free virtual reality game,...more

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Jul 30, 2010 Sam rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love sci-fi, but this book was absolutely awful. It's fundamental premise, that almost all jobs have been filled by robots and created a huge unemployed class, unravels with the lightest application of logic (the unemployed all have many, many needs and wants that are not met, but they are forced to scrounge through the trash rather than make and sell products and services to each other). The characters are whiny and one-dimensional and really not all that different from each other. The story...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Kerri rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book and love that it is written by a Canadian. I liked the storyline. "It's the year 2154 and Lisse and her friends have been deemed unemployable in the eyes of society. Now they must scavenge the disintegrating city for food and shelter just to make ends meet. But their dismal existence starts to look up when Lisse and her friends are invited to participate in the Game, an experience highly regarded in their society." I wanted to know more about the game. I also found that thing...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Monica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ci-546-wide-reads, fantasy-sci-fi, intermediate-4-5, middle-6-8, magical-realism, read-alouds, young-adult

SUMMARY:

“Invitation to the Game,” by Monica Hughes is the story of a group of teenagers trying to find their way in futuristic society. The story takes place in 2154, in a time when a gradually mechanizing society and overpopulation leaves a group of eight graduates homeless and unemployed, but staged to make an incredible adventure that can only be dreamed.

The main characters of the story go away to school for much of their lives. The government imposes these boarding schools to develop the st...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really like reading this book. It had a great plot that lead to a whole new world. It reminded me of Tron. No so much action but more so of survival. I enjoyed learning about all the characters.

It was told in the POV of Lissie in the year of 2154. The world is falling apart and everyone wants out. They stumble upon what they think is a game, but it feels so real. Lissie and her group of friend collecting clues trying figure out where there are and if it's real.

I like how it ended but I wanted...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Peyton rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, juvenile, dystopian, science-fiction, survival

What a stupid book. You'd think if someone was going to write a book with ten main characters, she would try to come up with at least one personality. Or use a dialogue tag once in a while. Or at least decide if the characters reclined on couches or chairs and whether they were wearing boots or sandals instead of constantly switching back and forth. I know I'm no author, but I would have guessed this was pretty basic stuff.

To be fair, the story is pretty good. The last chapter is even definitely...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Les rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Set in a dystrophic 2154, a group of high school graduates have failed to find jobs. The government ships them off to a designated area where they will get minimal food and money but have to scrounge for anything like a mattress. The unemployed have no rights (ex can't ride subway) and are looked down on by the working class as a drain on their taxes. Banding together for protection against criminals they settle down into a boring existence. Then they hear rumors about The Game, a mysterious pro...more

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Feb 09, 2011 Steve Lawson added it · review of another edition

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

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Jun 02, 2010 Kbord rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At the end of school, teenagers are assigned their positions in life: either they receive a job, or they're permanently unemployed. Life expectancy is low, and there are so many robots to do the work that there isn't enough work to employ everyone.

A group of friends find themselves all unemployed and have to figure out how to get along with government-provided clothes and rations. After they get settled, they find a mysterious invitation at their door to a virtual reality game with seemingly no...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-dystopian, teen-and-ya

I had a lot of fun with this one. It was a quick and easy read which, like any halfway decent dystopian book, introduces some food for thought about our society, such as whether we might value efficiency too much. The plot does raise a few questions that never quite get answered though. Perhaps the main one that kinda still bugs me is that I'm still unsure about what's up with Charlie, or why the author keeps bringing him up when nothing happens after a couple of incidents. Flaws like that keep...more

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Jan 16, 2009 TheSaint rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: post-apocto, ya

In Monica Hughes' vision of the future, the Government selects only a very few graduates of its education system to actually have jobs. The rest of the students are assigned a premature life of leisure in Designated Areas and otherwise left to fend for themselves. Lisse and her friends choose to stay together to increase their chances of survival -- each contributing their own unique skill to their small society. When they receive the Invitation to the Game, little did they know just how importa...more

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Jul 24, 2009 Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: post-apocalypse, children

When I was in junior high and high school, my favorite subgenre was the group of books where the story takes place after the Apocalypse, after Earth has self-destructed and people are beginning to rebuild. This story would fall into that category. Lisse has just graduated from school and is hoping to be placed in one of the few jobs available in the world, but this does not happen. Instead, she is sent to live with a group of other unemployed young people in an old building in the dying inner ci...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
What's The Name o...: sci-fi survival [s]	6	125	Dec 08, 2012 10:43pm
What's The Name o...: Dystopian Society that uses dream machine/mind transfer to handle overpopulation. [s]	3	48	Jul 27, 2012 05:28pm
What's The Name o...: Early 90s YA scifi, group of teens are selected to be sent to a better world [s]	4	75	Jan 11, 2012 03:20am
What's The Name o...: SOLVED Young Adult Sci Fi - Permanent unemployed explore a strange virtual reality [s]	4	48	Mar 12, 2010 10:02am

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About Monica Hughes

Monica Hughes was a very popular writer for young people, and has won numerous prizes. Her books have been published in the United States, Poland, Spain, Japan, France, Scandinavia, England, and Germany. She has twice received the Canada Council Prize for Children's Literature, and was runner-up for the Guardian Award.

She is the author of Keeper of the Isis Light, an American Library Association B...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7775616-the-game?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1274910953l/7775616.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7775616-the-game?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Game by Monica Hughes[/url]

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