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Check & Mate

Ali Hazelwood

2023352 pagesabout 5–8 hours
2023
first published
  • 2023Penguin Young Readers Group · ENGISBN 9780525489795
  • 2023Little, Brown Book Group Limited · 352 pages · ENGISBN 9781408727614
  • 2023G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers · 368 pagesISBN 9780593698440
  • 2023G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers · 368 pagesISBN 9780593619919

Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory's focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious "Kingkiller" Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess. Nolan's loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What's even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory's victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can't help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist.... As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren't only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligent... and infuriating... )

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