
Check & Mate
Reviews

Leave it to Ali Hazelwood to make me interested in the most random topics (because now I want to look up chess drama???).

i love when mc falls first and harder, and chess has been very cool to me so this was fun

thats not how 12 year olds, or 14 year olds, or 18, or 20 talk in this day and age,, but thats ok i can overlook ali hazelwood’s millenial brain
overall, this was really cute and i had a fun time :] i recommend it if youre looking for ya, low stakes books
2nd buddy read w/ @jellypoppd ! ♟️

idk what was put in this that made me feel like i was going to war.(it might've been the reading slump that hasn’t let me finish a book in a month) but like this was all love and giggles until it wasn’t. like i'm laughing at a one liner and then see a brick getting thrown at me full speed. It was like if a lynn painter book was nerdier and if all the family undertones were intensified by 1000. But i really liked it i think the dynamic there was really good + the aspect of gender roles in chess but theres some random one liners that weird me out ngl like not enough to fully ick me out but ones that made me stare blankly at it like 😀

the little cutiepatooties

not my favorite I'm afraid

This is the best book I've read from Hazelwood yet. I will be yanking on her house gate and begging for a sequel , even though it's not needed . And as a side note , I hope Bob went bankrupt

Dos livros da Ali foi o que eu menos gostei, acho que ultrapassou os níveis de água com açúcar especialmente quando a promessa era um romance que começava com rivalidade. Não cumpre com o que promete e ainda enrola de maneira desnecessária, dando preguiça do livro ao longo da leitura. Talvez seja minha culpa por ter diferentes expectativas mas definitivamente aproveitei menos do que achei que aproveitaria.

Funny, heartfelt if not teetering on cheesy, and the chess setting was super unique. Solid read.


Un buen libro pero si siento que me falto mas amor o en su caso mas interacciones de los protagonistas, igual ojo que todo lo que Ali escriba es una joya

No fue lo que yo esperaba pero me gusto, sin embargo, me falto mas interacción entre los protagonistas y menos familia ingrata

3.5/5 It's okay. The story is hooking but I didn't feel the chemistry of the main characters. I like the chemistry of ML's bestfriend and his "it's complicated" ex-gf GF better.

cute til u find out nolan was modeled after magnus carlsen

twas cute

I whisper-screamed at 2 am for two days straight, and for that reason alone, I'm giving this 4.5 🌟 This book isn't perfect. Far from it, even. However, the internal turmoil within the main character and the depths given to each interpersonal relationship she has is impressive. I found myself empathic in more ways than one, and not just toward the main character but also her family and friend (yes, singular). This book could've been better if Mallory had better judgement. Don't get me wrong, even though her choices are justified by her past and I get the way she thinks, I myself think like her at times (well, more than 'at times'), her decisions come across as immature and unthought. Despite her being in her head a lot, not much comes out of it. The answers to her problems are so evident, and yet she never seems to be able to find them. She just seems daft at times, that's all. But all in all, this book made me giggle, shriek, and even gasp. I'm a chess fan and always have been so ofc I might be biased when I say that this book was ENTERTAINING! Yes, folks, you heard me correctly. This book was SO MUCH FUN. I mean, I can't even remember the last time I had this much fun with a book. You should read it. :)

Ali Hazelwood just can’t miss in my personal opinion!! Every single one of her books makes me believe in possibilities. Her characters are complex and genius level smart, and I love that her female characters are usually smarter than the men!! Mallory and Nolan are no different!! I love chess so this book was even more enjoyable!! All in all this is a winner, Checkmate!!!!

this was okay but i really do not care about chess. sorry

"Are you real?" The air between us swells, overflows. "Sometimes I'm scared that I imagined you. Sometimes I think you're only in my head." any time i see any variation of this quote i start smiling so hard….which i already was this entire book.

Best Ali Hazelwood book and it is all because she had to keep it PG and could not write smut or about how massive the LI is how much it turns the MC on, etc. etc. so she had to get to the heart of the novel which is, by all means, a sports anime. Outstanding work. (Though it was pretty clear Hazelwood's knowledge of chess was not as broad as that of any other subject she has written about. And my favourite book that I have read this year featuring chess as a metaphor for the main charaters' relationship is still Micah Nemerever's "These Violent Delights").

ew … she tried to so hard to be relatable to gen z and it only translated as cringe sorry

I love everything Ali Hazelwood writes, that being said, this is probably my least favorite of her books. The characters are well-formed and the side characters are quirky and fun, but the MC has the biggest chip on her shoulder and it pained me to read her whining all the time. Thank God someone finally put her in her place, unfortunately that doesn't happen until the last 30 pages when it really should've happened halfway through (at the latest)

"Check & Mate" by Ali Hazelwood is a captivating YA debut that had me glued from the start. As someone who loves stories that blend romance with unique settings, this book was right up my alley. Mallory Greenleaf, the protagonist, is done with chess after it tore her family apart. But when she unexpectedly defeats renowned player Nolan Sawyer, everything changes. Their connection sparks a whirlwind of emotions as Mallory navigates newfound success and unexpected romance. Hazelwood's portrayal of Mallory's internal struggle resonated with me, as she grapples with her past and her budding feelings for both chess and Nolan. The chemistry between the characters is palpable, drawing me deeper into their story with each page. As Mallory rises through the ranks, Hazelwood explores themes of family, ambition, and love, weaving together a compelling narrative that kept me engaged until the very end. What I found particularly compelling was the way Hazelwood skillfully intertwined Mallory's personal journey with her passion for chess. The descriptions of the game were vivid and immersive, making me feel like I was right there on the board with Mallory and Nolan. But beyond the chess matches, "Check & Mate" is ultimately a story about resilience and redemption. Mallory's journey to reclaim her love for the game and find happiness despite her past struggles is both inspiring and heartwarming. Overall, "Check & Mate" is a captivating read that will appeal to fans of YA romance and stories about overcoming adversity. With its witty dialogue, endearing characters, and swoon-worthy romance, it's a book that left me eagerly anticipating Ali Hazelwood's next book, "Not in Love" which comes out June 11.

4.5 rounded up. this book made me want to play chess again, that's explanation enough. also, as someone who has played chess, is a sore loser and half-assedly tried to learn openings and variations it felt very authentic. -0.5 because I will never not laugh at references of the real world. stop mentioning jeff bezos pls thanks!
Highlights

think we both said some things that we regretted." I swallow. "Things that we knew would hurt." I swallow again. “Mostly me." That's what happens when you fight with someone who gets you."

And to do that, you're going to have to look into yourself, and be honest about what you want. And yes, I know that's terrifying. But life is too long to be afraid." I snort wetly. "Too short, you mean." "No. Years spent carrying grudges, talking yourself out of things that might make you happy? They go slowly."

"Why would you keep some- thing that makes you think of me?" I feel him shrug. "Because I think of you anyway, Mallory."

He's staring at me like I just stole his lunch money and bought myself a feather boa with it. Which, let's be real, I kind of did.



Did it happen to you like it happened to me?



"If you're a woman, this system tears you down. Makes you doubt yourself and drop out of the chess club to leave room for the ones who are actually talented. Oz, Emil, Nolan ... even the good ones, they don't know how it feels. They don't know what it's like, being told that you're inherently destined to be second best."


"Who doesn't love a good fake dating scheme."


"Hi," I say. I can't tear my gaze from his. Am I out of breath?
"Hi." Is he out of breath?
"Hi,"

And I don't think of him again for a little over two years. That is, until the day we play for the first time.
And I wipe the floor with him.

“Mallory.”
“I don’t know why I did that. I’m just— I’m so so sorry.”
Nolan stares like I’m the center of gravity of the room, like nothing else ever existed but me in all of space and time. It makes my heart beat in my throat, it makes me want to kiss him again, it makes me want to run the hell away.
“Sorry, I— ”
“Touch- take rule,” he murmurs. He stands, too. Every step back I take is one forward for him.
“I— What?”
“You touched me. Can’t stop now. Touch- take rule.”
Omg🥵

I pad barefoot across the hardwood floor first thing in the morning, knowing I’ll find him in the breakfast nook, ready to tell him about whatever revelation I had during my sleep; his eyes scan every room he enters, quiet only when they settle on me, and sometimes I have the urge to lean forward to flatten the curls growing on the nape of his neck.
Quiet only when they settle on me😭

