The Game Book

Raised by her grandparents since she was a baby, when her parents mysteriously went missing, Hayley is homeschooled, and kept away from other children. When she does something to upset her grandmother she is sent to her aunts in Ireland, where she discovers to her surprise that she has a very large extended family she knew nothing about. As she gets involved in "the game" played by her cousins, a game involving the magical mythosphere, she makes further startling discoveries about the nature of this family to which she belongs...

Although I have read and enjoyed quite a few of Diana Wynne Jones' fantasy novels for young people over the years - I have particularly fond memories of the Chronicles of Chrestomanci , as well as Howl's Moving Castle - I never happened to pick up The Game until it was assigned as a text in the course I took on the history of children's literature, while getting my masters a few years back. It utilizes Greek mythology, and to a lesser extent Russian folklore, in ways that are quite interesting and unique, and it kept me entertained, as I was reading. That said, it was not particularly memorable, and if I did not have the detailed notes I kept for all my class readings, I would struggle to recall anything beyond the vague outline. Certainly, none of the characters made a great impression upon me. Perhaps I will reread this, at some point, and change my mind, but overall I would not describe this as one of the author's better works. Recommended primarily to strong Diana Wynne Jones fans, and to readers who enjoy mythology-adjacent fantasy fiction.