Review By: Anonymous
Published: 2023
Genres: YA Romance, Contemporary Fiction
Audience: Grades 9–12 (Recommended for 11–12)
Number of Stars: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Goodreads Link: Check & Mate
Content Warnings: Sexual content, language, parental infidelity, death of a parent, and chronic illness (rheumatoid arthritis).
Publisher’s Summary
Goodreads Choice AwardWinner for Readers’ Favorite Young Adult Fiction (2023)
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—especially Mallory. 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 hotter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce(-ly attractive. And intelligent…and infuriating…)
Review
Check & Mate is a young adult romance by best-selling author Ali Hazelwood, who is known for her adult “STEMinist” romances. This is a very solid rivals-to-lovers story. Mallory Greenleaf grew up as a chess prodigy, but when her father’s affair was revealed, she cut him off and quit the game. His subsequent death created an even deeper disconnect. Because Mallory’s mom suffers from severe rheumatoid arthritis, Mallory has stepped up to care for her two younger sisters, fueled by the guilt of being the one who exposed the affair.
When a friend convinces her to join a charity tournament, Mallory reluctantly faces the world champion, Nolan Sawyer. To everyone’s shock, she defeats him. This win ushers her back into the chess world via a paid fellowship she can’t afford to refuse. As she and Nolan continue to cross paths, they develop a rapport—and eventually, something much more.
I think students who enjoy romances will eagerly read this and fall for Nolan and Mallory. However, the characters feel a bit mature for 14- and 15-year-olds to fully relate to. There is some frank discussion of sex, including Mallory’s use of it as a coping mechanism earlier in the book. While I might be wary of using it as a universal summer reading choice for younger grades, I will definitely buy a copy for my library and recommend it to older students who are romance fans.
🎒 Classroom & Library Connections
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Discuss the concept of “Coping Mechanisms.” Mallory uses both avoidance (quitting chess) and other behaviors to handle her grief. Are these healthy or “maladaptive”?
- Physical Education/Health: Mallory’s mother has Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). This is a great opportunity to discuss chronic autoimmune disorders and how they affect family dynamics.
- Math & Logic: Chess is deeply rooted in probability and pattern recognition. Link the “strategy” in the book to logical reasoning or game theory.
- Literature (Tropes): Analyze the “Rivals to Lovers” trope. Why is the transition from competition to romance so popular in YA literature?
