"Game Changer" by Neal Shusterman
"Game Changer" by Neal Shusterman is a 2021 YA sci-fi novel about a teenage football player who travels across dimensions. During a Friday night football game, linebacker Ash discovers that when he hits someone hard enough, he can travel to a different dimension. His attempts to journey back to his own dimension every Friday football game fail, but he soon realizes that his role in these new dimensions prevent him from returning home with an easy mind. As his inter-dimensional adventures continue, he realizes that his place in the universe is so much bigger than he could ever have imagined.
Although the themes of identity and privilege are common, this book brings a fresh and unique perspective through the straight, white male main character. Ash is not necessarily prejudiced in the beginning of the novel, but by the end, he definitely realizes his own privilege and the discrimination others face that was previously invisible to him. His character growth, while obvious, is inspiring for people who need to go beyond sympathy and feel empathy.
I deeply enjoyed this book. It vaguely resembles Quantum Leap, though instead of leaping into different bodies, Ash leaps into different versions of himself and his world, creating interesting internal conflicts over who he thought he was and who he is. These different versions of himself do not have the same values, forcing him to realize he is capable of disastrous things had circumstances been different. Ash does not start the book as a jerk, rather, he begins as a sympathetic human who prides himself in the diversity of his world. However, as he changes dimensions, he realizes that his ignorance is more harmful than he thought.
I like that Ash is not a cliche (the role of all-American quarterback belongs to someone else) and he is open to learning new things. There is some violence, and some talk about drugs and sex, but nothing is shown or taken.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sci-fi and/or speculative fiction. 5/5 Stars
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