What do you think?
Rate this book
Game Changer
Athletics are everything for eighth-grader KT Sutton. She’s a softball star, and she’s on track to get a college scholarship and achieve international fame. Then one day during a championship game—in the middle of an important play—she suddenly blacks out.
When she wakes up, she’s in a different world. One where school is class after class of athletic drills, and after-school sports are replaced by popular academic competitions. One where KT is despised for her talent, and where her parents are fixated on her brother’s future mathletics career rather than KT’s softball hopes.
KT is desperate to get back to reality as she knew it, but bits and pieces of disturbing memories and dreams make her wonder if something truly awful happened there. What if she’s lost something a lot more important than a softball game?
When she wakes up, she’s in a different world. One where school is class after class of athletic drills, and after-school sports are replaced by popular academic competitions. One where KT is despised for her talent, and where her parents are fixated on her brother’s future mathletics career rather than KT’s softball hopes.
KT is desperate to get back to reality as she knew it, but bits and pieces of disturbing memories and dreams make her wonder if something truly awful happened there. What if she’s lost something a lot more important than a softball game?
247 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2012
23 people are currently reading
859 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Peterson Haddix
130 books6,337 followersMargaret Peterson Haddix grew up on a farm near Washington Court House, Ohio. She graduated from Miami University (of Ohio) with degrees in English/journalism, English/creative writing and history. Before her first book was published, she worked as a newspaper copy editor in Fort Wayne, Indiana; a newspaper reporter in Indianapolis; and a community college instructor and freelance writer in Danville, Illinois.
She has since written more than 25 books for kids and teens, including Running Out of Time; Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey; Leaving Fishers; Just Ella; Turnabout; Takeoffs and Landings; The Girl with 500 Middle Names; Because of Anya; Escape from Memory; Say What?; The House on the Gulf; Double Identity; Dexter the Tough; Uprising; Palace of Mirrors; Claim to Fame; the Shadow Children series; and the Missing series. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, the tenth book in the 39 Clues series. Her books have been honored with New York Times bestseller status, the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award; American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations; and more than a dozen state reader’s choice awards.
Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio, with their two children.
She has since written more than 25 books for kids and teens, including Running Out of Time; Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey; Leaving Fishers; Just Ella; Turnabout; Takeoffs and Landings; The Girl with 500 Middle Names; Because of Anya; Escape from Memory; Say What?; The House on the Gulf; Double Identity; Dexter the Tough; Uprising; Palace of Mirrors; Claim to Fame; the Shadow Children series; and the Missing series. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, the tenth book in the 39 Clues series. Her books have been honored with New York Times bestseller status, the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award; American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations; and more than a dozen state reader’s choice awards.
Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio, with their two children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
January 12, 2013
I think I should just accept that possibly every book by Margaret Peterson Haddix is fabulous. I haven't read them all (there are a lot!), but I have really liked every one that I have read.
The main character of this book is an eighth grader, and I think this would be a really great novel for the middle school audience. The premise is a girl, KT, who is unusually talented at softball for her age. KT and her parents have made her softball the sun upon which the rest of their world rotates. It is more important than anything, including school and her younger brother Max.
During the most important game of her young life, KT suddenly has an experience that makes her question where her priorities lie.
The book ends up being about the role of academics and athletics in schools and in the lives of young people, as well as the importance of being kind to everyone, even those who may dress differently or have different interests than you. It's a fabulous message—especially for the rough years of middle school. Oh, and it also delves a bit into the physical toll of sports on a person's body.
As a parent, I wouldn't have minded if it also addressed more the sad way KT and Max's parents treated Max.
"'Dad, stop! Let me out here!' KT demanded.
'Um, okay. Good lu—'
KT was out of the car and slamming the door before he finished the last word. But KT knew what it was, and she didn't need it.
Luck? That's not what wins games. It's talent. Training. Hard work. Skill. It's wanting to win so bad you could taste it.
KT already had that."
"She savored the pull of her muscles, the smack of the ball against her bare palm. She tightened her grip around the ball, as if ready to throw it was hard as she could, and her hand and arm and shoulder felt absolutely fine. She flexed her wrists, her ankles, her neck. Not a single nerve ending complained.
This was miraculous. KT couldn't remember the last time she hadn't had some part of her body aching at least a little—a pulled muscle, a shin splint, a tender bruise growing on her leg from sliding into base. She sat up on the edge of her bed, and still nothing hurt."
The following quote has been edited a bit to make sense to someone who hasn't read the book.
"All my life I have been told that the point of school is to prepare students for adulthood and the world of work. The way everyone acts at our school, you would think that all of us are going to grow up to play professional sports. Oh, sure, the teachers make a halfhearted effort to teach us math, literature, writing, and science—the skills that 99.9 percent of us will actually need in our adult lives. But very few teachers try to challenge us to work to our fullest potential. If a student on her own works really, really hard in class, other students—and sometimes even the teachers themselves—make fun of her.
Instead, the students who consistently get held up as role models and praised and rewarded the most for their efforts are the ones who play sports. The greatest energy and enthusiasm in this school always goes toward basketball, football, etc. Why do we waste valuable classroom time going to pep rallies for sports? Why are the morning announcements always about which team won which game the night before? Why is the first thing anyone sees walking into the school the trophy case of athletic trophies? Why does Principal Arnold on the first day of school each year tell all the sixth graders that the best way to take full advantage of a Brecksville North education is to be an athlete-scholar and make sure that they get involved in sports?
I have a great idea. Why don't we cancel all the sports, and have the teachers and coaches use all the energy they usually put into sports for making classes as fun and interesting and educational as possible? And for making students the best students they can be? Why don't we make school important as school, not just as an excuse to play sports?"
"'You know, I was kind of jealous of you, back in the real world,' Evangeline admitted. 'Sometimes I watched you and your friends in the school cafeteria . . . '
'What? Why?' KT asked, stunned all over again. 'I wasn't that popular. I wasn't like the cheerleaders and the football players or, I don't know, the student-body president. I wasn't even that smart!'
'Oh, the cheerleaders and the football players and the student-body president were miserable—why would I be jealous of them?' Evangeline said. 'I watched them, too, and you could tell. They were always worried about what other people thought of them. They were always trying to be somebody they weren't—skinnier or prettier or funnier. . . . You didn't care what anybody thought. You were just happy being yourself.'
'I was always trying to be a better softball player,' KT corrected her. 'I wasn't happy unless I won.'
Evangeline laughed.
'Well, you almost always won, didn't you? That's all I saw.'"
The main character of this book is an eighth grader, and I think this would be a really great novel for the middle school audience. The premise is a girl, KT, who is unusually talented at softball for her age. KT and her parents have made her softball the sun upon which the rest of their world rotates. It is more important than anything, including school and her younger brother Max.
During the most important game of her young life, KT suddenly has an experience that makes her question where her priorities lie.
The book ends up being about the role of academics and athletics in schools and in the lives of young people, as well as the importance of being kind to everyone, even those who may dress differently or have different interests than you. It's a fabulous message—especially for the rough years of middle school. Oh, and it also delves a bit into the physical toll of sports on a person's body.
As a parent, I wouldn't have minded if it also addressed more the sad way KT and Max's parents treated Max.
"'Dad, stop! Let me out here!' KT demanded.
'Um, okay. Good lu—'
KT was out of the car and slamming the door before he finished the last word. But KT knew what it was, and she didn't need it.
Luck? That's not what wins games. It's talent. Training. Hard work. Skill. It's wanting to win so bad you could taste it.
KT already had that."
"She savored the pull of her muscles, the smack of the ball against her bare palm. She tightened her grip around the ball, as if ready to throw it was hard as she could, and her hand and arm and shoulder felt absolutely fine. She flexed her wrists, her ankles, her neck. Not a single nerve ending complained.
This was miraculous. KT couldn't remember the last time she hadn't had some part of her body aching at least a little—a pulled muscle, a shin splint, a tender bruise growing on her leg from sliding into base. She sat up on the edge of her bed, and still nothing hurt."
The following quote has been edited a bit to make sense to someone who hasn't read the book.
"All my life I have been told that the point of school is to prepare students for adulthood and the world of work. The way everyone acts at our school, you would think that all of us are going to grow up to play professional sports. Oh, sure, the teachers make a halfhearted effort to teach us math, literature, writing, and science—the skills that 99.9 percent of us will actually need in our adult lives. But very few teachers try to challenge us to work to our fullest potential. If a student on her own works really, really hard in class, other students—and sometimes even the teachers themselves—make fun of her.
Instead, the students who consistently get held up as role models and praised and rewarded the most for their efforts are the ones who play sports. The greatest energy and enthusiasm in this school always goes toward basketball, football, etc. Why do we waste valuable classroom time going to pep rallies for sports? Why are the morning announcements always about which team won which game the night before? Why is the first thing anyone sees walking into the school the trophy case of athletic trophies? Why does Principal Arnold on the first day of school each year tell all the sixth graders that the best way to take full advantage of a Brecksville North education is to be an athlete-scholar and make sure that they get involved in sports?
I have a great idea. Why don't we cancel all the sports, and have the teachers and coaches use all the energy they usually put into sports for making classes as fun and interesting and educational as possible? And for making students the best students they can be? Why don't we make school important as school, not just as an excuse to play sports?"
"'You know, I was kind of jealous of you, back in the real world,' Evangeline admitted. 'Sometimes I watched you and your friends in the school cafeteria . . . '
'What? Why?' KT asked, stunned all over again. 'I wasn't that popular. I wasn't like the cheerleaders and the football players or, I don't know, the student-body president. I wasn't even that smart!'
'Oh, the cheerleaders and the football players and the student-body president were miserable—why would I be jealous of them?' Evangeline said. 'I watched them, too, and you could tell. They were always worried about what other people thought of them. They were always trying to be somebody they weren't—skinnier or prettier or funnier. . . . You didn't care what anybody thought. You were just happy being yourself.'
'I was always trying to be a better softball player,' KT corrected her. 'I wasn't happy unless I won.'
Evangeline laughed.
'Well, you almost always won, didn't you? That's all I saw.'"
January 23, 2013
Margaret Peterson Haddix has the ability to draw me immediately into a story and hold my interest. The writing is very good and the alternate universe storyline is an interesting way to help the main character KT grow and develop. I rated this a 3 instead of 4 because I had a hard time sympathizing with KT. She was over-the-top whinny, self-absorbed and got on my nerves. However, the Epilogue is redeeming and sends a good anti-bully message to help middle schoolers navigate those difficult years and let them know it gets better.
June 23, 2013
Margaret Peterson Haddix just gets this age. Period. She bends time again in this book, and it's fun and a great read, but for the writer, the middle-grade writer, Haddix is an uber teacher. Thanks Margaret.
December 26, 2022
Rating: 4.5 stars. But I'm not remotely upset to bump it up on GoodReads.
Now, I'm an adult, but this isn't my first time reading this book-- and I'm not even certain that my 2015 marking on here is the first time I read it, either. What I do remember of that first time read was that it was just like every time I picked up a new Haddix book as a child: magical, exciting, unique, and so easily readable. This book might as well have been glued to my hands for all the time I put it down while reading.
The primary gift of this book, again, like with most Haddix books, is how unique the plot is. And that's partially because it might make you raise an eyebrow-- a world where school and sports are switched? How would that even work? And it doesn't, of course, but Haddix knows that. While I had my small critiques with the at times very black-and-white view of sports vs. school*, overall the book addresses very thoroughly how silly such a world would be. It doesn't really exist, even where it does, but to understand that... you have to read the book! And doing so is just such a great time you couldn't care less what makes sense and what doesn't.
*Obligatory example or two that made me twitch, no spoilers, just long--
Now, I spoilered that because I don't want it to take over the review, because, like I said, these are two relatively small things over the course of an entire book. I can't stress enough how little I actually cared while reading the book, because I was so enthused at the idea of seeing more of this impossible backwardsland. You really feel for KT, and you get to love the Other World, not because it's good but because it's so entertaining, and you know you'll never find anything like it anywhere else.
My real critique of the book would primarily be that it often felt like KT didn't understand the fact that her parents were essentially neglecting her brother in their treatment of their two children, but I'm mixed on this as well, because there's just so much going on in the story that it seems unfair to take the exaggerated fantasy of the Other World and extrapolate it into an honest look at anyone's life. So I suppose this fits with the other critique. And I find this point ambiguous, too, because... well, you could argue KT did learn! And I do feel silly reading this far into the book, which should tell you something, because my God have I read deeply into nothing.
One thing I really like about this book is that it rewards really getting invested into the characters. So many books for this age group have characters who just sort of Exist, with a name and two parents and nothing else to identify them by. Every character here felt exactly as fleshed out as they ought to have for a book of this length and type. In particular, the emphasis on family allows us to get genuinely compelling parental characters! Guys, the parents are actually HERE! In a kids' book! Yes!
The plot, as I said, is compelling even for a third-time adult reader. It's hard to find a book that's so entertaining you'll happily follow it even knowing how it ends, but again, here we are. I think the book might have been stronger had it omitted the final epilogue, but, well, what am I going to do it's a book for children and a cheesy epilogue is quite par for the course.
I hope I've said enough about the setting... really, the Other World is perfectly handled. It gets just the worldbuilding it needs to make sense, keep to the right page length, leave room for the reader to speculate on, and stay away from those nasty drop-offs where things might otherwise stop making sense.
And... well, I am an adult! This review was very hard to balance, because without writing paragraphs of praise, you don't really get the sense that this is a book I 98% enjoyed 2% snarkily complained at in my head. And that is a fantastic proportion for any book, when it comes to someone as snarky and complaint-ridden as I am. I love this book, and I'm glad for the other reviews to balance out my silliness just a bit.
So, all in all, this is an old favorite. Funnily enough, I used to remember it as a new favorite, because, while I first read most of my Haddix books fairly early, this is one I stumbled upon around my mid-teens... and now, of course, I'm twenty and that seems so far away. I'm glad I took it home with me so I can reread it another hundred times.
Now, I'm an adult, but this isn't my first time reading this book-- and I'm not even certain that my 2015 marking on here is the first time I read it, either. What I do remember of that first time read was that it was just like every time I picked up a new Haddix book as a child: magical, exciting, unique, and so easily readable. This book might as well have been glued to my hands for all the time I put it down while reading.
The primary gift of this book, again, like with most Haddix books, is how unique the plot is. And that's partially because it might make you raise an eyebrow-- a world where school and sports are switched? How would that even work? And it doesn't, of course, but Haddix knows that. While I had my small critiques with the at times very black-and-white view of sports vs. school*, overall the book addresses very thoroughly how silly such a world would be. It doesn't really exist, even where it does, but to understand that... you have to read the book! And doing so is just such a great time you couldn't care less what makes sense and what doesn't.
*Obligatory example or two that made me twitch, no spoilers, just long--
Now, I spoilered that because I don't want it to take over the review, because, like I said, these are two relatively small things over the course of an entire book. I can't stress enough how little I actually cared while reading the book, because I was so enthused at the idea of seeing more of this impossible backwardsland. You really feel for KT, and you get to love the Other World, not because it's good but because it's so entertaining, and you know you'll never find anything like it anywhere else.
My real critique of the book would primarily be that it often felt like KT didn't understand the fact that her parents were essentially neglecting her brother in their treatment of their two children, but I'm mixed on this as well, because there's just so much going on in the story that it seems unfair to take the exaggerated fantasy of the Other World and extrapolate it into an honest look at anyone's life. So I suppose this fits with the other critique. And I find this point ambiguous, too, because... well, you could argue KT did learn! And I do feel silly reading this far into the book, which should tell you something, because my God have I read deeply into nothing.
One thing I really like about this book is that it rewards really getting invested into the characters. So many books for this age group have characters who just sort of Exist, with a name and two parents and nothing else to identify them by. Every character here felt exactly as fleshed out as they ought to have for a book of this length and type. In particular, the emphasis on family allows us to get genuinely compelling parental characters! Guys, the parents are actually HERE! In a kids' book! Yes!
The plot, as I said, is compelling even for a third-time adult reader. It's hard to find a book that's so entertaining you'll happily follow it even knowing how it ends, but again, here we are. I think the book might have been stronger had it omitted the final epilogue, but, well, what am I going to do it's a book for children and a cheesy epilogue is quite par for the course.
I hope I've said enough about the setting... really, the Other World is perfectly handled. It gets just the worldbuilding it needs to make sense, keep to the right page length, leave room for the reader to speculate on, and stay away from those nasty drop-offs where things might otherwise stop making sense.
And... well, I am an adult! This review was very hard to balance, because without writing paragraphs of praise, you don't really get the sense that this is a book I 98% enjoyed 2% snarkily complained at in my head. And that is a fantastic proportion for any book, when it comes to someone as snarky and complaint-ridden as I am. I love this book, and I'm glad for the other reviews to balance out my silliness just a bit.
So, all in all, this is an old favorite. Funnily enough, I used to remember it as a new favorite, because, while I first read most of my Haddix books fairly early, this is one I stumbled upon around my mid-teens... and now, of course, I'm twenty and that seems so far away. I'm glad I took it home with me so I can reread it another hundred times.
August 8, 2025
Great book to end the summer I would recommend it
June 16, 2013
The first books I ever read by Haddix were the Shadow Children Series. I loved those books, and moved on to read a few of her other works. However, I ended up disappointed with most of them. They just didn't possess the same excitement and exceptional plot that I felt the Shadow Children Series had. So, needless to say, i wasn't expecting too much from Game Changer, but I read it anyways.
I loved it.
Literally one of the best books I've ever read.
Game Changer is about a softball-obsessed eighth grade girl who blacks out during a championship game. She, wakes up only to find herself in an alternate world where kids spend the school day in fitness training and spend after school hours obsessing over academic teams. Suddenly, her parents are focused on her brother's future math career and not [KT's] softball dreams. KT wants more than anything to get back to the real world, but more and more she begins to think that something awful has happened to her real self. What if she returns only to find out her life is destroyed?
KT is a special character to me because I can totally identify with her. I may not obsess over soccer or cross country to the degree that she does with softball, but I still totally get her. She's committed to excelling in what she does, and when she's out there on the diamond, she gives it her all because softball is what she loves. Pitching a good game or playing a good practice feels amazing. Living in the moment and trusting her gut instinct- that thrills her. I get that. I'm the same way on the soccer field.
My favorite part of the story was when her little brother told her she couldn't always win. He said she was so used to winning that she didn't "even think about how every time there's a game, both sides get that 'rah, rah, team' speech from their coaches. Both sides hear 'You're the best!' You've got to win!' You're the greatest!' But half of the people playing that game are going to walk away losers." I understand what it's like to be used to success. I don't always win, but I'm good at everything that I set my mind to. I have a way of figuring things out, then letting my intuition and determination take over. And I usually succeed. So this story was a nice reminder that sometimes I won't succeed. And sometimes I need to focus on cheering for others instead of simply watching and waiting for my turn to get in the game.
The ultimate lesson behind this incredible book is that "no matter what life gives you, don't treat the people around you like lemons." Naturally, kids assume that that if they want to win at something, they have to make others look and feel like losers. If they're going "to 'win' at being popular, other kids have to lose. If someone wants to be cool, they get that way by making fun of other kids who aren't cool." But in Game Changer, Margaret Peterson Haddix endeavors to teach kids that there are other ways to be winners, and being on a team is better that standing alone. Lift each other up. encourage others to be themselves. That's what being a team is all about. That's what winning is all about.
READ THIS BOOK!!! You won't regret it.
January 21, 2013
It's been years since I read one of Haddix's books, but when I saw this book on display at e library, I immediately snatched it. I love her writing, and this book did not disappoint me.
KT is a star softball player. During the fifth inning, she pitches against a girl whose batting is legendary in the area. She hits the ball close enough to KT that she goes for it, and throw the ball to first. As she throws the ball, she collapses with crippling pain shooting through her arm...and everying goes black.
When KT awakes, she is in her bed, without any pain. She tries to find out the result of the game, but the website for the softball tournament doesn't seem to exist and her teammates are no longer her friends on Facebook. KT finds herself in some kind of alternate world where school classes consist of athletic drills and academic teams are the extra-carricular. Smart kids are treated like royalty, while KT is an outcast.
KT has to figure out how she got to this place and how to get back. She learns much about herself and the power of placing too much importance on one thing.
This book was so good. Try as I may, I was never able to figure out on my own anything that was happening. That is part of what makes Haddix so great. Her writing is not confusing, it just doesn't easily click in place...it's not exactly the norm.
Read it.
KT is a star softball player. During the fifth inning, she pitches against a girl whose batting is legendary in the area. She hits the ball close enough to KT that she goes for it, and throw the ball to first. As she throws the ball, she collapses with crippling pain shooting through her arm...and everying goes black.
When KT awakes, she is in her bed, without any pain. She tries to find out the result of the game, but the website for the softball tournament doesn't seem to exist and her teammates are no longer her friends on Facebook. KT finds herself in some kind of alternate world where school classes consist of athletic drills and academic teams are the extra-carricular. Smart kids are treated like royalty, while KT is an outcast.
KT has to figure out how she got to this place and how to get back. She learns much about herself and the power of placing too much importance on one thing.
This book was so good. Try as I may, I was never able to figure out on my own anything that was happening. That is part of what makes Haddix so great. Her writing is not confusing, it just doesn't easily click in place...it's not exactly the norm.
Read it.
November 3, 2014
What a neat premise! The story lacks a bit of richness, though and I had a tough time connecting with KT. The action is quick, though, and the "don't fall in to labels trap" is a great message for teens.
March 18, 2021
This book was very good. It has a slow start, but once I got into it it was really good. I liked the suspense throughout the story. I also liked the character development of KT, Max, and Evangeline.
January 7, 2013
KT Sutton is a softball-obsessed eight grader who is almost compleate with the biggest game of her career. As she winds up for her final pitch, she faints. The next morning when she wakes up, she had no memory of what has happened. Even worse, she discovered that no one even remembers that she had played softball. Sports seemed unimportant to most people, almost nerdy. All day long during class the children practice physical drills, but there is never a game. Academics, however, have become the newest obsession; cheerleaders chanted math formulas and the pep rallies were for the mathletes. It seemed that sports and school had switched places. As KT learns more about this new world, she discovers that a few other children remember the real world. They have to figure out how to get back before i's too late, and find what is waiting for them there.
I read this book, Game Changer, which is a fictional book by one of my favorite authors, Margaret Peterson Haddix. I was dissapointed by this book because her books are usually excellent and fast paced, but htis one seemed a bit slow. The charecters in this book were not likaable, and they also seemed a bit one-dimentional. THe main charecter was constantly talking about softball. Comments like, "I need... I need... softball," will make the reader believe that this is the only thing that the charecters care about. I was hoping that this book would improve by the ending, but the ending was predictable and not very enjoyable. I would not reccemend this book to another reader, but I would reccomend another book by this author.
I read this book, Game Changer, which is a fictional book by one of my favorite authors, Margaret Peterson Haddix. I was dissapointed by this book because her books are usually excellent and fast paced, but htis one seemed a bit slow. The charecters in this book were not likaable, and they also seemed a bit one-dimentional. THe main charecter was constantly talking about softball. Comments like, "I need... I need... softball," will make the reader believe that this is the only thing that the charecters care about. I was hoping that this book would improve by the ending, but the ending was predictable and not very enjoyable. I would not reccemend this book to another reader, but I would reccomend another book by this author.
March 14, 2013
KT is an average student, but an amazing softball player. Although she is only in eighth grade, she is already working towards a softball scholarship in order to go to college. During a freak accident in a championship game, she blacks out. When she wakes up, it is to a world turned upside down. In this new world, sports take place during the school day -- these are the regular classes. After school sports are now "Acs," or academic competition. The mathletes are now the school heroes, and the former jocks get straight A's but are regarded as the teachers' pets and "nerds." KT has the hardest time making sense of this world, where all of her softball trophies are replaced by her brother's math trophies. Her parents are embarrassed by her need to exercise and beg her not to jog to school. They even want her to drop her nickname. KT slowly puts the pieces together, figuring out how this world works. Next, though, comes the challenge of trying to return to her own world. Another winning fantasy story from Margaret Peterson Haddix. Recommended for grades 5 and up.
July 31, 2014
Haddix, M. (2012). Game Changer. New York: Simon and Schuster.
This story tells about a brother and sister who end up in an alternate world where sports is academics and academics is sports. The characters learn the value of family and friendship while trying to change things back to normal.
This story would be great for any middle school student. The lessons about focusing too much on sports or too much academics will be eye-opening to most students. This book really teaches the value of being a well- rounded individual. Teachers could connect the book to lessons about sports, and sporting activities.
Intermediate
From Follett Titlewave: Reviews & Awards
Booklist 10/01/12
Publishers Weekly 09/24/12
Kirkus Reviews 09/01/12
This story tells about a brother and sister who end up in an alternate world where sports is academics and academics is sports. The characters learn the value of family and friendship while trying to change things back to normal.
This story would be great for any middle school student. The lessons about focusing too much on sports or too much academics will be eye-opening to most students. This book really teaches the value of being a well- rounded individual. Teachers could connect the book to lessons about sports, and sporting activities.
Intermediate
From Follett Titlewave: Reviews & Awards
Booklist 10/01/12
Publishers Weekly 09/24/12
Kirkus Reviews 09/01/12
October 20, 2012
I see where Haddix was going with this one, but I couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to get into the story. (Softball obsessed main character has an accident that hurtles her into an alternate dimension where athletics is the school curriculum and the "sports" are academic activities). The main character is not likable and it turns into a public service message at the end about how we should all get along. Not a winner.
June 16, 2014
I've long been a fan of Margaret Peterson Haddix. This wasn't her best book, but nonetheless worth being written. The idea here is to give sporty kids a chance to understand what it's like to be the smart kid in school. I had trouble reading these passages because it reminded me a little too much of everything I hated about middle school and high school. But I'm so glad they've been written. And I have to admit, the end of the book hit my emotional centers quite strongly.
February 28, 2013
Great story for sport minded girls, especially if they live to play softball. Basically the storyline is what perspective on life do teens have. What if your Plan A changes? What are you going to do now? Especially if you are stuck in another world different from the real world and how in the world do you get back to the real world!?!?!?
June 28, 2016
This would get a 3.5 from me. As Margaret Peterson Haddix books go, I felt this one was slow in getting started. However, I am glad that I saw it through to the end. The epilogue nearly had me in tears and cheering at the same time. It is definitely a book that needs to be read more than once. While there was some rudeness between characters - the language was not of any concern.
January 13, 2013
A really great take on the alternate universe if academics were the main thing in life. People take great importance in sports and that can be a drawback for some of the characters in this book like the intelligent Evangeline. Ending could have been better though.
March 24, 2013
This author always delivers, great storyline, excitement, susupense, real characters and books any tween/teen can imperse themself in. When you are so focused on one thing, do you see/feel/hear what else is happening around you? Can you place yourself in someone else's shoes? Excellent read.
August 6, 2016
liked it better than i thought i would...not being much of a middle-grade reader.
LIKES
excellent exploration of popularity, sports, and academics.
DISLIKES
exposition took too long and was confusing
pg
LIKES
excellent exploration of popularity, sports, and academics.
DISLIKES
exposition took too long and was confusing
pg
November 3, 2012
The beginning was kind of slow but I LOVED LOVED LOVED the ending.
July 20, 2015
This is a really good book!
August 17, 2015
Absolutely hilarious - the flow, the emotions and best of all the ending was perfect.
July 12, 2021
Minus a half star for a slow begining :)
November 26, 2024
Title: Game Changer
Pages: 247
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Copyright date: November 12th, 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Genre: Science- Fiction
ISBN: 0689873816
Price: $14.49
The all-star pitcher in the Rysdale 8th grade blacked out during her eighth-grade career's most important softball game. At the top of the fifth inning, she was getting a strikeout, after a strikeout, after a strikeout, and then all of a sudden she just blacked out. The next morning she woke up thinking it was just a normal day, and then she realized that all of her trophies that she has ever won are missing. She decides to run to school just thinking it’s going to be a normal day at school. When she gets into her homeroom, she realizes that all of the desks are gone and are replaced by yoga mats. She thinks that they are having a day of workouts and stretching. When she’s switching to her next class, when of the teachers pull her aside asking her about a mystery email she sent to her teachers and her principle. She was wondering why none of her friends weren’t talking to her. When she got home from school she found out that her brother (the un-athletic one) had a mathletes meet. She was wondering how all of this because last she knew about Max was that he was obsessed with gaming. She went to it anyways, this is when she found out that she is an alternate world. She texts all of her friends that were her friends or that played softball in the real world, to try and get a softball practice together. When no one went to the practice she broke down in tears because she realized that in the weird world there was no chance having softball. Her brother found her crying in the park. He tells her that he remembers the real world, and that there is another person that they have to talk to, to get back to the real world.
I love this book. Softball is one of my favorite sports.I love this book, because it combines my two favorite things: softball and sci-fi. I would recommend this book to softball players, because it's a mystery about softball.
One of my book recommendations is The Always War. It is another Sci-Fi book written by Margaret Pererson Haddix. It has somewhat of the same plot, its about a teenage girl. Another one of my book recommendations is Claim to Fame. It is another Sci-Fi book written by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Its about a girl close to both KT and Tessa’s ages. The last recommendation is Strike Three, You’re dead! It is a realistic fiction written by Josh Berk. It is about something suspicious happening at a baseball game.
Pages: 247
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Copyright date: November 12th, 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Genre: Science- Fiction
ISBN: 0689873816
Price: $14.49
The all-star pitcher in the Rysdale 8th grade blacked out during her eighth-grade career's most important softball game. At the top of the fifth inning, she was getting a strikeout, after a strikeout, after a strikeout, and then all of a sudden she just blacked out. The next morning she woke up thinking it was just a normal day, and then she realized that all of her trophies that she has ever won are missing. She decides to run to school just thinking it’s going to be a normal day at school. When she gets into her homeroom, she realizes that all of the desks are gone and are replaced by yoga mats. She thinks that they are having a day of workouts and stretching. When she’s switching to her next class, when of the teachers pull her aside asking her about a mystery email she sent to her teachers and her principle. She was wondering why none of her friends weren’t talking to her. When she got home from school she found out that her brother (the un-athletic one) had a mathletes meet. She was wondering how all of this because last she knew about Max was that he was obsessed with gaming. She went to it anyways, this is when she found out that she is an alternate world. She texts all of her friends that were her friends or that played softball in the real world, to try and get a softball practice together. When no one went to the practice she broke down in tears because she realized that in the weird world there was no chance having softball. Her brother found her crying in the park. He tells her that he remembers the real world, and that there is another person that they have to talk to, to get back to the real world.
I love this book. Softball is one of my favorite sports.I love this book, because it combines my two favorite things: softball and sci-fi. I would recommend this book to softball players, because it's a mystery about softball.
One of my book recommendations is The Always War. It is another Sci-Fi book written by Margaret Pererson Haddix. It has somewhat of the same plot, its about a teenage girl. Another one of my book recommendations is Claim to Fame. It is another Sci-Fi book written by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Its about a girl close to both KT and Tessa’s ages. The last recommendation is Strike Three, You’re dead! It is a realistic fiction written by Josh Berk. It is about something suspicious happening at a baseball game.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2025
the best book in that book club
December 23, 2025
An okay story. I didn't like the MC until the end, and I don't know if the conclusion fits the rest of the story. I enjoyed it, though.
December 4, 2023
Title: Game Changer
Pages: 247
Author: Margaret Peterson
Copyright date: 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division
Genre: Science Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-689-87380-5 (hardcover)
Price: $16.99
KT is a girl who loves softball. Softball is her whole life. One of her games she completely blacked out. KT wakes up in a completely different world. Everyone in her life was good at school. Everything in her life now depended on school. KT was so confused. She had to find the way back to the real world.
I didn’t really enjoy this book because it never really clicked with me. I never really understood the book Game Changer. More towards the end it started to make a little more sense than it did throughout the book. I would say that it just isn’t the type of genre I like to read.
I would give this book a two out of five stars because towards the beginning of the book I wasn’t a big fan of it. The more I read the book and got to the end of it everything started to piece together and make sense.
I would recommend this book to someone who likes reading about a character that is trying to figure out an incident that occurred so randomly. If there is somebody who likes figuring out and piecing things together throughout the book, this would be a great book for them!
Perfect by Natasha Friend- this book could be both similar and different. It could be similar because she is struggling with something and trying to fix it. It is different because the girl in this book and the girl in Game Changer are trying to fix two completely different things. This is a great book to read if you like reading about heavy topics.
Monday’s not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson- this book is different then Game Changer. In this book, it’s about a girl who is trying to figure out why her best friend disappeared. In Game Changer the book is nothing like that. Even though both the books are different, Monday's not Coming is still a great book to read. If you enjoy reading about the disappearance of a girl that no one realized but one person, I would recommend this book.
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney- this book is different from the book Game Changer. It is different because Janie figures out that she’d been kidnapped but she gets the help from one of her friends to find everything out. Unlike KT in Game Changer, she had to find out how to get back on her own. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about a girl who has to find out who her real parents are with very little information.
Pages: 247
Author: Margaret Peterson
Copyright date: 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division
Genre: Science Fiction
ISBN: 978-0-689-87380-5 (hardcover)
Price: $16.99
KT is a girl who loves softball. Softball is her whole life. One of her games she completely blacked out. KT wakes up in a completely different world. Everyone in her life was good at school. Everything in her life now depended on school. KT was so confused. She had to find the way back to the real world.
I didn’t really enjoy this book because it never really clicked with me. I never really understood the book Game Changer. More towards the end it started to make a little more sense than it did throughout the book. I would say that it just isn’t the type of genre I like to read.
I would give this book a two out of five stars because towards the beginning of the book I wasn’t a big fan of it. The more I read the book and got to the end of it everything started to piece together and make sense.
I would recommend this book to someone who likes reading about a character that is trying to figure out an incident that occurred so randomly. If there is somebody who likes figuring out and piecing things together throughout the book, this would be a great book for them!
Perfect by Natasha Friend- this book could be both similar and different. It could be similar because she is struggling with something and trying to fix it. It is different because the girl in this book and the girl in Game Changer are trying to fix two completely different things. This is a great book to read if you like reading about heavy topics.
Monday’s not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson- this book is different then Game Changer. In this book, it’s about a girl who is trying to figure out why her best friend disappeared. In Game Changer the book is nothing like that. Even though both the books are different, Monday's not Coming is still a great book to read. If you enjoy reading about the disappearance of a girl that no one realized but one person, I would recommend this book.
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney- this book is different from the book Game Changer. It is different because Janie figures out that she’d been kidnapped but she gets the help from one of her friends to find everything out. Unlike KT in Game Changer, she had to find out how to get back on her own. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about a girl who has to find out who her real parents are with very little information.
January 26, 2015
Some authors produce consistently superb books. Some authors produce books that I enjoy and books that I don’t enjoy, not for reasons of quality, but because it’s just not my thing. And some authors produce some amazingly good books and some pretty awful ones. Margaret Peterson Haddix is one of those authors. At her best, we get wonderful novels like Running out of Time or Double Identity. At her worst, we get books like this one, ironically entitled Game Changer.
Game Changer sounds like a good idea in theory. A young girl, an arrogant sports star, suddenly awakens in a parallel reality where academics are extracurricular activities and athletics are taught in schools. It’s a nice idea, in theory, and an appealing one to those of us who really hated the extra attention athletes got, while we worked our butts off to get good grades. But it’s an idea with some glaring flaws to it, and that, correspondingly, makes this book flawed as well.
To be fair to Haddix, she does appear to realize this halfway through the book. Unfortunately, she only appears to have realized this fairly late in the writing process. The book feels like she frantically rewrote it in response to figuring out the flaws in her idea, and didn’t do a very good job of it. The transition to the second part of the book is fairly jarring, and it’s made worse by the protagonist’s behavior.
Let me be absolutely clear. I couldn’t stand her protagonist, an annoying, hateful girl obsessed with being the best. Being trapped in what would presumably be her worst nightmare didn’t serve to humble her an iota, and she remains as stubbornly awful as before at the end of the book. I did enjoy some of this book’s supporting characters, but since we spent so much time seeing the world through the spiteful eyes of our protagonist, this didn’t mean much.
Another thing I absolutely hated is that the protagonist took SO LONG to figure out what the hell was going on. Okay, fair enough, not everyone would immediately think they’ve ended up in a parallel reality. But her sheer denial of what was going on around her and her determination to deliberately not see what’s staring her in the face was just absolutely annoying. By the time she figured it out, we reached the aforementioned jarring transition, which didn’t make matters any better.
Don’t draw the conclusion that you should never pick up a Haddix book by reading this review. She’s written plenty of zingers. Just not this one.
Game Changer sounds like a good idea in theory. A young girl, an arrogant sports star, suddenly awakens in a parallel reality where academics are extracurricular activities and athletics are taught in schools. It’s a nice idea, in theory, and an appealing one to those of us who really hated the extra attention athletes got, while we worked our butts off to get good grades. But it’s an idea with some glaring flaws to it, and that, correspondingly, makes this book flawed as well.
To be fair to Haddix, she does appear to realize this halfway through the book. Unfortunately, she only appears to have realized this fairly late in the writing process. The book feels like she frantically rewrote it in response to figuring out the flaws in her idea, and didn’t do a very good job of it. The transition to the second part of the book is fairly jarring, and it’s made worse by the protagonist’s behavior.
Let me be absolutely clear. I couldn’t stand her protagonist, an annoying, hateful girl obsessed with being the best. Being trapped in what would presumably be her worst nightmare didn’t serve to humble her an iota, and she remains as stubbornly awful as before at the end of the book. I did enjoy some of this book’s supporting characters, but since we spent so much time seeing the world through the spiteful eyes of our protagonist, this didn’t mean much.
Another thing I absolutely hated is that the protagonist took SO LONG to figure out what the hell was going on. Okay, fair enough, not everyone would immediately think they’ve ended up in a parallel reality. But her sheer denial of what was going on around her and her determination to deliberately not see what’s staring her in the face was just absolutely annoying. By the time she figured it out, we reached the aforementioned jarring transition, which didn’t make matters any better.
Don’t draw the conclusion that you should never pick up a Haddix book by reading this review. She’s written plenty of zingers. Just not this one.
July 28, 2014
This is definitely one of those books that gets more interesting as the progress into the plot. It is definitely a book worth reading and then some.
The beginning -I will admit- is very slow as it gets deeper into the climax. However, as you read more you want to know what happens to who and sometimes even a why given and you read more; then you keep reading it until you find yourself on the last page, amazed at what a great book it was and torn that it is over- at Ieast, I hope it is for you.
The beginning showcases KT-the main character- who is an ace as a pitcher in softball and happens to have a championship game that very day. In the last play- that decides which team wins- KT( who is already having pains in her arm) throws a ball, hoping it makes it to first base, and ends up severely injuring her throwing arm and later knocking out her brother with the ball. When she comes to, she finds herself with little memory of last night's game, and also in a world completely different from her own. She finds that unlike in the real world her parents praise her brother, Max, with his academics and look down upon KT for her athletic abilities. At school, she finds it to be the same: those who play sports are considered unpopular and are looked down upon, while those who play on an academic team are the ones who are popular and praised.
As the plot continues, KT starts to remember things about that night that got her there, until finally, she allows herself to remember everything and finds herself in a hospital bed with a brace on her arm. She finds out devastating news about her health condition that goes deeper than just a broken arm, that ends her softball career. However, as times goes on she learns to deal with it, with the help of friends she never talked to because of her softball career.
The beginning -I will admit- is very slow as it gets deeper into the climax. However, as you read more you want to know what happens to who and sometimes even a why given and you read more; then you keep reading it until you find yourself on the last page, amazed at what a great book it was and torn that it is over- at Ieast, I hope it is for you.
The beginning showcases KT-the main character- who is an ace as a pitcher in softball and happens to have a championship game that very day. In the last play- that decides which team wins- KT( who is already having pains in her arm) throws a ball, hoping it makes it to first base, and ends up severely injuring her throwing arm and later knocking out her brother with the ball. When she comes to, she finds herself with little memory of last night's game, and also in a world completely different from her own. She finds that unlike in the real world her parents praise her brother, Max, with his academics and look down upon KT for her athletic abilities. At school, she finds it to be the same: those who play sports are considered unpopular and are looked down upon, while those who play on an academic team are the ones who are popular and praised.
As the plot continues, KT starts to remember things about that night that got her there, until finally, she allows herself to remember everything and finds herself in a hospital bed with a brace on her arm. She finds out devastating news about her health condition that goes deeper than just a broken arm, that ends her softball career. However, as times goes on she learns to deal with it, with the help of friends she never talked to because of her softball career.
November 11, 2012
"Game Changer" by Margaret Peterson Haddix has an interesting premise. What would the world be like if sports (top professional athletes make millions) and academics (university professors don't) switched places?
In other words, what if the world revered those who excelled at academics, and those who excelled at sports were not considered special. Instead of football games on Sunday afternoons, there would be math competitions with cheerleaders and screaming crowds.
KT Sutton, an eighth grader whose only passion is softball, is playing the most important game of her life when the unthinkable happens. She hurts her arm, throws the ball badly and passes out. When she wakes up, the world around her has changed.
It's a new world, and in it, KT is not the popular athlete. She is the nerd, and those who play the academic games are the popular kids. None of her sports friends seem to know her (or be her friends), and they are all involved in academics.
KT begins to question her own past behavior toward everyone, including her brother. In fact, much is made of KT's relationship with her brother. It's a little difficult to swallow that a sister could be as cruel and thoughtless to a sibling as KT is to her brother. Her revelations about her behavior are predictable. In fact, unlike many of Haddix's other books, there are few surprises in this one.
Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/review/game-c...
In other words, what if the world revered those who excelled at academics, and those who excelled at sports were not considered special. Instead of football games on Sunday afternoons, there would be math competitions with cheerleaders and screaming crowds.
KT Sutton, an eighth grader whose only passion is softball, is playing the most important game of her life when the unthinkable happens. She hurts her arm, throws the ball badly and passes out. When she wakes up, the world around her has changed.
It's a new world, and in it, KT is not the popular athlete. She is the nerd, and those who play the academic games are the popular kids. None of her sports friends seem to know her (or be her friends), and they are all involved in academics.
KT begins to question her own past behavior toward everyone, including her brother. In fact, much is made of KT's relationship with her brother. It's a little difficult to swallow that a sister could be as cruel and thoughtless to a sibling as KT is to her brother. Her revelations about her behavior are predictable. In fact, unlike many of Haddix's other books, there are few surprises in this one.
Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/review/game-c...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews