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A review by chronicallybookish
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ali Hazelwood has me wanting to play chess?
And I HATE chess.
Every time I pick up one of Ali Hazelwood’s books I am taken aback by what an incredible writer she is. People make fun of her books so often, talk down on them for their tropes and cliches, but it is undeniable—on a craft standpoint? She has talent and skill in heaps. The narration and prose, the plot beats and pacing, the characters and development. All of it is so much stronger than the majority of the books that are out there.
AND her books are so much fun. I’m kicking my feet with giddiness the entire freaking time I read her books, and Check & Mate was no exception.
I absolutely adored Mal. She’s a sympathetic, imperfect character with a strong voice who is easy to root for and even easier to love. Nolan, similarly, is a well developed love interest that I couldn’t help myself but to fall for right alongside Mal. Historically, I’ve found the weakest link of Ali Hazelwood’s books to be the characterization and depth of her love interests, but Love, Theoretically and now Check & Mate have really proved that to no longer be the case!
This book is an absolute ride that had me giddy, giggling, and having so much fun while still having deeper moments and discussions that resonated with me.
I look forward to Ali Hazelwood’s upcoming releases, but I hope she returns to this slightly younger audience at some point. However, I do think that this book would be better classified as New Adult as opposed to Young Adult. Mallory is 18, but she is out of high school, and Nolan is 20. These character ages, and some of the themes discussed, were definitely more NA than YA. This book has multi-age range appeal, and while there is no content that is inappropriate for upper YA audiences (there is steam and discussions of sex, but nothing spicy or especially “explicit” is shown on page and any sex scenes are fade to black), I believe that it better fits the conventions of NA, as the characters are out of high school and are exploring life after high school.
And I HATE chess.
Every time I pick up one of Ali Hazelwood’s books I am taken aback by what an incredible writer she is. People make fun of her books so often, talk down on them for their tropes and cliches, but it is undeniable—on a craft standpoint? She has talent and skill in heaps. The narration and prose, the plot beats and pacing, the characters and development. All of it is so much stronger than the majority of the books that are out there.
AND her books are so much fun. I’m kicking my feet with giddiness the entire freaking time I read her books, and Check & Mate was no exception.
I absolutely adored Mal. She’s a sympathetic, imperfect character with a strong voice who is easy to root for and even easier to love. Nolan, similarly, is a well developed love interest that I couldn’t help myself but to fall for right alongside Mal. Historically, I’ve found the weakest link of Ali Hazelwood’s books to be the characterization and depth of her love interests, but Love, Theoretically and now Check & Mate have really proved that to no longer be the case!
This book is an absolute ride that had me giddy, giggling, and having so much fun while still having deeper moments and discussions that resonated with me.
I look forward to Ali Hazelwood’s upcoming releases, but I hope she returns to this slightly younger audience at some point. However, I do think that this book would be better classified as New Adult as opposed to Young Adult. Mallory is 18, but she is out of high school, and Nolan is 20. These character ages, and some of the themes discussed, were definitely more NA than YA. This book has multi-age range appeal, and while there is no content that is inappropriate for upper YA audiences (there is steam and discussions of sex, but nothing spicy or especially “explicit” is shown on page and any sex scenes are fade to black), I believe that it better fits the conventions of NA, as the characters are out of high school and are exploring life after high school.