Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Check & Mate

This was fun, page-turning, romantic, chess-filled, and filled with coming-of-age goodness — and that’s all I wanted from it! An absolute delight that makes me want to rewatch The Queen’s Gambit.

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lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

After reading Ali Hazelwood's other books, I was excited to pick up her first venture into Young Adult.
"Check & Mate" follows Mallory Grennleaf, a young adult who has put her life on hold to try to take care of her mom and sisters. When she was a younger teenager, she was on track to become a chess champion, unfortunately, after an incident involving her father, she vowed to give up chess forever. That is, until opportunity knocks on her door, and she is offered a chance to get paid to play the game she loves so much. At a charity competition, Mallory beats the best chess player in the world, Nolan Sawyer. Should Mallory return to the world of competitive chess? And should she give into her desire to see Nolan again?
This was a really sweet love story, with two really lovable characters. Nolan is such a good guy, and he is so humble despite being an exceptional chess player. He is flawed, and doubts himself, but Mallory is so good for him and really helps him to see that there is more to life than chess. Nolan helps Mallory accept her love of chess and helps her become an even better player.
We know early on that something happened to Mallory's dad, and that is why she does not want to play, but the author really drags out the "reveal" of what actually did happen. I understand the significance of this event and why it is important to Mallory's story and character development, but I feel like the author did not have to leave so many frequent breadcrumbs, she could have just waited and reveled it in the same way. I also find it slightly unbelievable how much Mallory blamed herself for what happened. Her guilt seemed a little extreme and unnatural to me, and more of a plot point to make the story seem higher stakes.
As with all of Ali Hazelwood's books, there are great feminist undertones to this book. Women in chess are often heavily discriminated against, and it was empowering to see strong women characters fighting back on these groundless claims. I almost feel like Ali Hazelwood's writing style is better suited in the Young Adult sphere.
I will, of course, read more from Ali Hazelwood in the future, and I highly recommend this title!

Content Warnings

lightsuplibrary's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

ali hazlewood, you did it again! being an adult in my late twenties, i will say first and foremost that i was nervous to read YA. i don’t touch it anymore unless its a really beloved series. but this…i loved truly and dearly. i also found myself enjoying chess as the plot device, which i didn’t expect to happen.

the romance was freaking adorable and pure and i just wanted to squish their cheeks. nolan sawyer was the cutest little guy, and i enjoy when a guy is just head over heels and is super sure about it. i think the side characters were strong too, and i giggled way too many times at mallory’s little sisters.

it was a big heap of slow burn, and i still feel robbed of more time for mallory and nolan together. but it’s okay. the characters really truly likeable, despite the fact that i’ve seen so many people say they dislike mallory. but i relate to her something fierce. i was that 18 year old without stable parents trying to raise my brother and skipping college and getting dead end jobs. it brought me back to a place where i can say now that i’m proud of myself. and i’m proud of her too

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uranaishi's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book simultaneously wrecked me and was everything to me. Mallory is no stranger to being female in male-dominated spaces. Before she secretly re-entered the chess world after a four-year hiatus, she supported her family as a mechanic. But a surprise checkmate against the world’s top player upends her life in ways she never expected. A queer queen of hookups and avoider of emotional connection, Mallory may have finally found her perfect match—Nolan, the only person who sees chess the way she does: beautiful, artistic, all-consuming. The sexual tension between them is unrivaled, and each is healing from family trauma. This is a story of a gifted young woman who dares to follow her dream.

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