A review by sophiesmallhands
Two Can Play That Game by Leanne Yong

emotional funny lighthearted fast-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? Yes

5.0

 I was next-level excited when I found out about Leanne Yong’s debut book, Two Can Play That Game, only a few months before its release! Demi-sexual MC? Game development/STEMinism? Malaysian/Australian banter? 
 
The story starts out introducing our main players early; Sam Khoo has been waiting for the release of a super rare ticket to a game design workshop, only to have it snatched from her hands by Jay Chua. Sam takes advantage of the Asian Gossip Network to leverage a deal with Jay; whoever wins the best out of five classic video games 1v1 gets the ticket or Sam will tell everyone what a jerk he is. 
 
Not only is reading Sam and Jay play through their competition great fun (all the games are based on real games!) but meeting Sam’s family and becoming invested in Vinculum (the game that Sam has been developing herself for years) really sucks you in. This is not just a romance story (though Jay is a refreshingly different YA love interest), you’ll also get sucked into the slightly fraught relationship Sam has with her younger “more Australian” sister, and Sam trying her best to fulfil the good Asian Elder Sibling and being the most “gwai” (good/filial) daughter by getting a successful career. I also loved seeing the banter between Sam and his younger, autistic brother Ansen – the autism rep is done sooooo well here and is such a stark contrast to the stereotypical male autism rep most of us are used to seeing. 
 
A big part of the story is Sam’s game development of Vinculum to present at the Upcoming Game Developers Expo. While I know nothing about coding, I completely related to Sam’s possessiveness of any free time to spend perfecting what will hopefully be her ticket into a career that is her passion. 
You can tell Leanne has poured her heart and soul, not to mention game design know-how, into this story! I can’t say too much without spoilers, but two chapters in particular broke my heart, but Leanne still manages to finish the story on a hopeful note and a satisfying ending. This will probably be my top YA read of 2023! 
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