How We Play the Game

Description

Competitive gaming and fake dating combine to create a razor-sharp romance perfect for fans of Twelfth Knight and SLAY.

Zora Lyon plays to dominate. And as a no-nonsense, strategic prodigy of Wizzard Game’s viral battle royale, she has all the skills she needs. So when Wizzard offers their top players a chance to participate in a summer academy designed to crown a national champion, Zora knows she has what it takes to be the last player standing.

But Wizzard isn’t just looking for winners-they’re looking to create viral gaming superstars. Suddenly, Zora finds herself competing against famous esports influencers who can play the game and boost their follower count. That includes Ivan Hunt, the insufferably good-looking fan-favorite streamer, whom she betrayed to cement her spot at the academy.

As their matches broadcast to Wizzard’s fanbase, Zora’s ruthless playing style and obvious lack of streaming experience immediately sends her to the bottom of the class. With her dreams of impressing Wizzard’s cofounder Brian Juno in jeopardy, Zora will do just about anything to fix her image-even if that means pretending to date Ivan to gain some popularity points. What can go wrong with a little white lie?

Binding Type: Hardcover
Author: Alexis Nedd
Published: 11/11/2025
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
ISBN: 9781547605057
Pages: 304
Weight: 0.77lbs
Size: 0.97″ H x 8.55″ L x 5.78″ W

About the Author

Alexis Nedd is the author of Don’t Hate the Player and a writer who has only ever loved things obsessively. Her writing on television, movies, and video games has appeared in Elle, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Mashable, IndieWire, and Buzzfeed. Legend tells that one day she will stop bombarding her loved ones with unsolicited information about history, dragons and musical theater-but that day has not yet come.

www.alexisthenedd.com
@alexisthenedd