Game Theory

by Barry Jonsberg

Jamie's sister has been kidnapped. And Jamie is convinced that the way to save her is to apply the principles of Game Theory. But is playing the game the best option when lives are at stake? A hugely compelling YA thriller.

Genres: Young Adult, Family, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

312 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2016

About the author

Barry Jonsberg is an Australian author and teacher originally from Liverpool, England. He holds degrees in English and Psychology from Liverpool University and moved to Australia in 1999. His debut novel, The Whole Business with Kiffo and the Pitbull, earned acclaim in 2005, and his follow-up, It’s Not All About YOU, Calma, won the 2006 South Australian Festival Award for Children’s Literature. Jonsberg has continued to receive numerous honors, including awards and shortlistings for Dreamrider, My Life as an Alphabet, A Little Spark, and Smoke & Mirrors, affirming his place in contemporary young adult literature.

Reviews

[RitaSkeeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this was one heck of a fun ride!! Our protagonist Jamie is a kids who loves numbers; a self-described mathematician. Little did he know that the random numbers he sprouted would help his older sister, Summerlee, win 7.5 million big ones in Tatts. Summerlee lived big with the money, until the day younger sister Phoebe is kidnapped with a ransom request following. The book follows the events to try and have Phoebe returned.

Given the subject matter it seems incongruous to say that this is a very funny book, but it is. There is a particular chapter where Jamie speaks with a friend 'Gutless' about Summerlee being fired from her job - hilarious, very very funny stuff.

Other things I liked about this book; I didn't manage to pick the kidnapper (I'm a bit miffed about that I have to say, darn red herrings!) and there was real tension in the latter part of the book. Something else I really liked was that it showed different types of intelligence: Jamie may have a high IQ but little sister Phoebe blows him out of the water with her emotional intelligence and understanding of people.

I enjoyed this book a whole lot, so a big thank-you to Goodreads and Allen & Unwin for this copy to read.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the narrative voice in this novel and the plot ripped along at a great pace. Will be getting more copies of this for the library.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm admitting right now that I am a Barry Jonsberg fan, I like the kids he writes about, they all have some fairly dramatic stuff happening in their lives that they need to overcome and they do that in an exciting way. This book has more of that flavour. Jamie is mathsy and logical and a fan of Game Theory, he applies this to his problem and goes for the win. The problem is that his sister has been kidnapped after his other sister, the flakey Summerlee has won a humongous amount of money on Lotto. The kidnapper is contacting Jamie and making him responsible for the safe delivery back of his sister. It is a clever ploy. Jamie uses whatever is at his disposal, from his only friend to Summerlee's awful boyfriend. There is a whole heap of stuff going on all the time. There are a few tiny clunky moments but it is all forgivable as the exciting race to the finish keeps you turning pages trying to figure out who exactly the kidnapper is and trying to eliminate the red herrings. Great book for boys!

[Clare Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I know my sister. And it's not a good idea to keep on smacking a live hand grenade with a sledgehammer."

[Joanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was such a great read! Everything about Game Theory deserved a tick - the plot, the characters, the writing and the extremely satisfying ending. At no time did I pick who was the kidnapper and not knowing until near the end of the book added to the enjoyment.

Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher for my copy.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3/5

Genre: YA Thriller/Mystery

Recommended Age: 16+ (language, violence, slight mature content).

I received this book for free courtesy of KidLitExchange. All opinions are my own.

Jamie is a 16-year-old math whiz. Summerlee, his older sister, is in the grip of a wild phase. Tensions at home run high. When Summerlee wins a 7.5-million-dollar lottery, she cuts all ties with her family. But money can cause trouble—big trouble. And when Jamie's younger sister Phoebe is kidnapped for a ransom, the family faces a crisis almost too painful to bear. Jamie thinks he can use game theory—the strategy of predicting an opponent's actions—to get Phoebe back. But can he outfox the kidnapper? Or is he putting his own and his sister's life at risk? An astute, page-turning novel from a superb storyteller. – Amazon.com

So I read recently that people who like to read do not usually like math. So when I was presented with a book heavily involving math and theorems I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t enjoy this book. And while I didn’t enjoy it as much as I do others I still found this book to be pretty awesome. The characters were developed well and the plot was complex but not too complex that it loses its readers. I have read that the author was an English teacher and you can really tell by the writing.

However, I can’t really say much good beyond that. I found while the book was perfectly written the structure was all over the place. It would start off in present day and then proceed to talk about an event sometimes in the present tense that occurred months prior to the original present day. The book’s pacing was thrown off by this constant shift in present and past and I felt the story was lost in the shuffle. I also found the book‘s main theory to be a bit ambitious. It states that you can accurately predict your opponents movements by thinking ahead in some logical and overly complex way. It’s basically the same theory used in chess and this book did well to mimic a chess game. However, humans are unpredictable by nature and thus this theory would never have a true 100% success level. Also, I found the way the main character talked to the young sibling very awkward. In the book he calls her hot and refers to her “other bits” as a prize that some boys are to win in their made-up bedtime fairytale. I’m not sure if this is an Australian thing, but it made me very uncomfortable as a reader.

Verdict: While I thought the story was good overall I had some concerns with the structure of the story, the main element, and the way one character refers to the other. This might be a cultural thing or it might just be me since I’ve never had siblings and this I wouldn’t know what a comfortable way of talking to them would sound like. If you enjoy math or enjoy thrillers and enjoy sherlockian characters then I recommend you check this book out!

[Jack Shanks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short, well-written, simple, and easy text to complete. Barry Jonsberg writes, telling it exactly how it is - plain and simple without metaphors or beating around the bush at all. On occasion, this straightforwardness would feel unnecessary, but other times, it was greatly appreciated as it kept the story moving quickly without dwelling on insignificant details.

The first part of this book seemed a bit unorganized. It was all over the place, jumping around a lot to have a chapter about Phoebe, a chapter about the family dynamics, a chapter about Summerlee, a chapter about Gutless... Part one didn't really seem to follow much of a plot, and seemed quite scattered compared to the remainder of the book.
The prologue was gripping - I was excited to continue reading, so this vastly different approach, scattered and unorganized, was a bit off-putting. I was definitely relieved when the story got moving and the plot became more evident and important as compared to the background character information.

It was definitely an enjoyable read - I read it on the train to and from university - and I was quite interested in the concept of game theory being applied in real life situations. Additionally, I loved the twist at the end of the book - no spoilers! - it was unexpected and I was glad it wasn't predictable.
What was predictable for me - perhaps from watching too many crime shows, such as the brilliant Criminal Minds - was who the kidnapper was. I'm not sure if it was just obvious to me, or if it was obvious for other readers too - but I was a bit disappointed with who the bad guy ended up being. Furthermore, it led to the question, how did this person know about Jamie's interest in game theory if they only targeted the family for Summerlee's money from winning the lottery? They explained that they kidnapped Phoebe for money and basically to teach Summer a lesson, so how did they know so much about Jamie? Food for thought.

Overall, the concept of the story was interesting, but you know, quite unrealistic. Jamie was a teenage boy, how could he suddenly be confident enough to take on a criminal? Why would anyone even sell a gun to a teenage boy? Jamie went from big brother who is obsessed with mathematics to a kind of hero, James Bond figure - and that just wouldn't really happen in real life. The matter would be left with the police, an adolescent wouldn't be likely to attempt to hunt down their sibling's kidnapper, especially when endangering themselves and when they are aware that the kidnapper is targeting them specifically.

But really, enjoyable read. A quick, simple and easy one to settle down with.

[kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

REMINDER: READ THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN

No time to write a review, I need to finish 5 practice papers plus my Higher Chinese homework and they're due on Monday...

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

honestly this ended more interestingly than i thought it would. every character sucked so bad tho

[Jasbr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich muss gestehen, dass ich nach dem Lesen des Buches die Altersangabe "ab 13 Jahren" ganz schön knackig finde. Auch wenn es sich um ein Jugendbuch handelt, ist die Thematik doch nicht ganz leicht und einige Dinge, wie Drogen oder Waffen, nehmen doch einen großen Raum in diesem Buch ein. Ich denke, das Buch ist für Leser ab 15 Jahren gut geeignet.

Von der Sprache her ist es aber ein klassisches Jugendbuch: Es ist leicht geschrieben, enthält viele Dialoge und auch sehr viel Schimpfwörter. Hier hätte es für meinen Geschmack wieder ein bisschen weniger sein dürfen, aber das Problem habe ich häufig bei Jugendbüchern.

Die Geschichte an sich ist interessant: Ein Mathegenie muss sich im echten Leben beweisen - greift er da auf seine Spieltheorie zurück oder nicht? Jamie ist ein sehr sympathischer Protagonist, der zwar wenig von sich hält, dafür aber seine Familie, besonders seine kleine Schwester, umso mehr liebt. Das Buch ist aus seiner Sicht geschrieben, man weiß also immer, was er denkt und fühlt. Das macht ihn menschlich und ich denke, dass sich einige Jugendliche mit ihm identifizieren können.

Leider konnte mich das Buch am Anfang nicht wirklich packen. Es ist in drei Teile gegliedert und auf den ersten 100 Seiten passiert nicht wirklich viel. Wir lernen nur ausführlich die Familie und Freunde des Protagonisten kennen. Etwas geärgert hat mich auch, dass der Klappentext schon ziemlich viel vorwegnimmt.

Der zweite Teil des Buches hat mich dann doch mehr überzeugt: Es geht Schlag auf Schlag und endlich passiert auch etwas. Der Leser wird gut mitgenommen, es bleibt genug Raum zum Miträtseln, auch wenn einige falsche Fährten etwas plump gelegt wurden.

Das Ende war dann allerdings wieder nicht unbedingt nach meinem Geschmack. Zwar klärt sich alles auf und ist in sich logisch, aber es kommt sehr plötzlich und weil alles dann sehr schnell geht, lässt es mich nicht gerade befriedigt zurück.

Ich denke, dass ich für das Buch doch schon etwas zu alt bin und dass sich Jugendliche mehr dafür begeistern können. Da mir der Protagonist und der Plot an sich aber gut gefallen haben, gibt es von mir 3 Sterne!

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you @kidlitexchange for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Jamie is a high school math whiz. Little did he know that by explaining probability to his older sister, Summerlee, that he would in fact help her choose the winning lottery numbers. Money changes people, especially when it totals $7.5 million. Summerlee quickly moves out to enjoy her new found freedom and fortune, Jamie’s parents aren’t communicating or connecting and someone decides they deserve a piece of the prize. Their little sister, Phoebe, is kidnapped in a terrifying way and a ransom soon follows. Jamie must rely on game theory to help track down the culprit.

This was an intense thriller and good mystery from start to finish. I was drawn to the challenges in this family and enjoyed Jamie’s point of view. He was a different lead character, though definitely imature at times which fit his age range perfectly. The actual kidnapping was full of emotion and panic. If you have a young child, it’s one of your worst fears and these scenes were written smoothlessly. By this point in the story, you already have quite a few suspects lined up and I have to admit that I was kept guessing until everything was finally revealed at the very end. I was definitely taken by surprise. I was a tad worried that math descriptions would overpower the storyline, but the author did a fantastic job of gently including terms and explanations throughout the entire book

My only quip would be that some of the storylines/suspects weren’t fully completed. I appreciate that they played their part to throw you off, but their behavior needs to have closure as well. This story does include violence, lewd descriptions and quite a bit of cursing so beware if you find offense with any of that. The author is Australian so at times you have to decipher some of the terminology as well.

Overall, this was an entertaining story full of suspense, twists and turns and plenty of red herrings.

[Janine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Klappentext:

Jamie ist 16 Jahre alt und ein Mathe-Genie. Verblüffend logisch und ehrlich ist sein Blick auf seine eigene Familie – und darauf, dass da etwas schief läuft. Zum Beispiel bei Summerlee, seiner rebellischen älteren Schwester. Als die an ihrem 18. Geburtstag mehrere Millionen im Lotto gewinnt, sagt sie sich endgültig von der Familie los – und provoziert eine Kettenreaktion von Unheil. Jamies kleine Schwester Phoebe wird entführt und der Kidnapper verlangt zwei Millionen. Ausschließlich mit Jamie will er darüber verhandeln. Warum? Wieso weiß der Täter so viel über Jamie? Und weshalb fühlt sich das Ganze wie ein einziges Duell an, bei dem Jamies Kombinationsgabe auf eine tödliche Probe gestellt wird?


Meine Meinung:

Erstmal hat die Geschichte mit Mathe weder noch mit Kombinationsgabe zu tun.
Die Charakter sind eindimensional und haben mich in keinster Weise interessiert.
Es ist ein Jugendbuch, aber auf keinem hohen Niveau. Spannung Fehlanzeige und es ist so vorausschauend.
Braucht keiner zu lesen.

[St Stephen's C C]

Jamie's sister has been kidnapped. And Jamie is convinced he can save her using the principles of game theory. But is strategy the best option when his little sister's life is at stake?
Game theory has brought me to this point and I must follow where it leads. Even though this is not a game.
Jamie is a sixteen-year-old maths whiz. Summerlee, his older sister, is in the grip of a wild phase. Tensions at home run high.
When Summerlee wins a 7.5-million-dollar lottery, she cuts all ties with her family. But money can cause trouble - big trouble. And when Jamie's younger sister Phoebe is kidnapped for a ransom, the family faces a crisis almost too painful to bear.
Jamie thinks he can use game theory - the strategy of predicting an opponent's actions - to get Phoebe back. But can he outfox the kidnapper? Or is he putting his own and his sister's life at risk?
A brilliant, page-turning novel from a superb storyteller.

[Nanao Midori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author spends more than half of the book delving into the protagonist's life and the protagonist conducting his own investigation on his own list of suspects which led to nowhere. It'd be great if the author had provided explanations on one of the suspect's sudden change in behaviour. The protagonist (Jamie) keeps bringing up 'game theory' as if to remind readers what this book is centred about. I feel that Jamie is pretty self-centred and overestimated himself just because he is a self-proclaimed math whiz.

The prologue has definitely hooked me into the story but unfortunately, the story has not lived up to my expectations. The identity of the kidnapper has left me baffled. It feels like a letdown because the kidnapper was not developed as a character prior to the reveal so it feels contrived. The motive for the kidnapping is underwhelming. However, the twist on who actually saved the day at the end is really an unexpected surprise. I find that to be a good twist.

[Viki Holmes · Rating 1 out of 5]

This really frustrated me: the whole conceit of game theory is a potentially fascinating one, and the idea of a kidnapper playing cat and mouse with the narrator a nice one, but here's the thing. The narrator likes maths, sure, but you never really get a sense that he is obsessed by game theory, other than when the plot calls for it. It's tell don't show throughout, and rather than introducing him through the medium of his love for game theory, it all feels just shoehorned in, like you're supposed to know he's fascinated by game theory because of the title, duh. There's certainly no evidence in the text. And there's not a huge amount of game theory in the way that the plot unfolds either. So that annoyed me. Plus I didn't really care for the characters, who were one-dimensional and often annoying. I was hoping for a roisteringly exciting mystery thriller with added maths, but it was all a bit tepid, really.

[Lin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dieses Buch war echt schlecht. Die Geschichte hätte in unter 100 Seiten erzählt werden können. Stattdessen wurde auf 317 Seiten gestreckt. Sowas mag ich überhaupt nicht. Alle Charaktere waren unausstehlich gewesen und die Handlung kein Stück spannend. Die Identität des Täters war in meinen Augen eine Überraschung, aber das Motiv war eine totale Lachnummer.

[Nova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jamie is a top Math student and when his sister is kidnapped he uses game theory and probability to try to second-guess the culprit. This is a well-written, edge of your seat thriller with some surprising twists at the end.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly suspenseful with a clever resolution

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally I do not read mysteries because I always skip to the end. However, this book was so captivating that I enjoyed the process more than the ending. I hope it has a sequel.

[Hannah´s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich liebe dieses Buch. Jamie ist so ein toller Junge und wie er dem Leser die Familie schildert ist der Wahnsinn. Die Logik hinter Jamies Taten kann man super nachvollziehen. Er ist zwar ein Nerd und Logiker, doch trotzdem herrscht erstmal Panik, als er seine Schwester im Supermarkt verliert. Man findet hier komplizierte Familienverhältnisse vor, die vor Liebe aber auch Hass, von der großen Tochter, nur so strotzden. Das hat mir super gefallen, von Anfang an werden die Figuren eindeutig charakterisiert und beschrieben. Der Schreibstil von Jonsberg ist einzigartig und einfach nur schön. Topp!!

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

For a book called game theory, there was not that much game theory in the book. It did show a curveball with the kidnapper suspect but even that was rather predictable. The blurb promised an enticing story but it was a rather typical plot. It sweared excessively, even though it was building a character I still feel like it was an excessive amount of swearing. What I thought would unique about this book would be the Game theory, but there wasn’t that much, that’s what deluded me the most.

[Elissa Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd give this 2.5-3 stars. By part 3 I was kinda into the story, but prior to that I wasn't particularly engaged. It's an interesting idea, though. I like a good whodunnit, and when I suspect what the author is trying to get me to think I get a little disappointed. The bad guy was supposed to be a big reveal, but it wasn't really to me and the red herrings were a little too obviously red herrings.

[Chloe Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced thriller about 16 year old mathematician Jamie who has to play 'game theory' to get back his younger sister Phoebe who gets kidnapped when their older sister Summer-Lee wins $7.5 million dollars in the lottery.
Un-put down-able and a page turner!

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting kidnap drama where 16 year old Jamie Delaware uses his game theory brain - the strategy of predicting an opponent's actions - to try to get his little sister back. To the very end, it's impossible to predict which way this will go. Great book!

[Maddy Jeffery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like I was rolling my eyes at every second sentence that Jamie said, but the plot was good and the rest of the other characters were great.

Also I kind of didn't understand why he hated Spider so much.

[Unley Libraries · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action-packed adventure for teens

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but nothing special.

[Gian Nielsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Characters were believable and likeable. Loved the tension. But the number of characters was too small to prevent the ending from being predictable.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this book 10/10. Best Young Adult book I have read this year.

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good book! I loved how we got to try and crack the mystery too. I definitely recommend this book! Written so well and educated us on game theory at the same time.