The Game of Love and Death

by Martha Brockenbrough

Flora and Henry were born a few blocks from each other, innocent
of the forces that might keep a white boy and an African American
girl apart; years later they meet again and their mutual love of
music sparks an even more powerful connection. But what Flora and
Henry don't know is that they are pawns in a game played by the
eternal adversaries Love and Death, here brilliantly reimagined
as two extremely sympathetic and fascinating characters. Can their
hearts and their wills overcome not only their earthly circumstances,
but forces that have battled throughout history?

• ISBN13: 9781407159546
• Publish Date: 2 April 2015
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 8 February 2018
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Scholastic
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

The Game of Love and Death enthralled me the first time I read it, and in re-reads, I feel the same way. Martha Brockenbrough does not write a lot of fiction like this – she has a couple historical non-fiction works – and I would love to read another fable like this one. Her writing still strikes me as achingly beautiful, and the story is so unique. It bothers me that so few people are aware of this book, because it’s gorgeous. It’s easy to fall in love with her writing.

If I had to condemn one thing, it’s that the middle gets a bit slow. The chapters are short, but as the players are moving into position, there’s a lot of waiting. But it’s still good. I almost don’t mind because her words are like honey and the music and the message outside of the plot is so beautiful. I also really like the formatting of the book – it’s different and nice looking. Plus a tale of polar opposites always gets me.

Really, I can’t emphasize enough how gorgeous this book is. There’s flowery language like in Shatter Me, and then there’s evocative language that summons jazz night clubs and a cigar smoke haze and the slow sway of Chicago summer that are beautiful without trying and just… aaghh. I love it.

Original Review: 4 Stars (9/8/17)

THIS BOOK IS SO BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN.

Seriously, I think I am in love with it? It’s so flowy and eloquent and the LOVE is beautiful and the DEATH is horrible and seriously Martha Brockenbrough knows her stuff – I’d like more books please. The characters are all REALLY well done. I thought Death was the most sabotaging, frustrating soul, but all characters are well written. Her word choice was gorgeous and I wanted to swoon because even if you don’t like fantasy or love stories you have to read this book just for THE WORDS. It’s so lovely, really, I’m entirely grateful to have read it.

Brockenbrough has a way of eliciting really raw emotions that will tug your heartstrings or ENRAGE YOU TO THE CORE. The story, set in the 1930s, tells the tale of a white boy and a black girl. They’re both hard workers. Henry is driven by his emotions. Flora is driven by rationality. One has been backed by Love, the other by Death. It’s a game to them (thus the title) like Romeo and Juliet or Helen and Paris. Death always wins. The conflict here is not a battle of families or of grecian warships – it’s to choose courage when all the world is against them.

And all the world is against them. Because the 30s were a time of racial turbulence, there’s about 5 people in their entire city that can accept their relationship. Most the city can’t even accept the fact they play music together. While the reactions and the HORRIBLE racism present in this book is likely accurate for the era, IT MADE ME SO MAD.

Please don’t misunderstand. This book is not written in a racist way. It’s written – I thought – with incredible sensitivity. But there are characters who behave deplorably.

And if that wasn’t enough, Death just keeps making a mess of things for each of them.

I WAS HOOKED FROM THE MOMENT I READ THE FIRST PAGE.

I really, really, really liked Henry and Flora. Ethan was wonderful as well, and his subplot of accepting his homosexuality. A lot of it was subtly written – just seeing the characters for who they are rather than shining a spotlight on their sexuality. It was beautifully done.

You really can’t help but root for Henry. He’s so sweet and sacrificing, but in a pure way? Not too sugary, not selfish at all. He has always had the courage to know who he is and what he likes, but he does it in a soft, likable way.

ONE THING: I HATED THE TITLE?

It’s difficult to explain, but I’m going to try. The Game of Love and Death? The title feels really impersonal. Since the book felt incredibly intimate, the title feels awkward on top of that. While the underlying story was about Love and Death and who is stronger and more enduring, I really think that Henry and Flora stole the show. I don’t have a better title suggestion, but “The Game of Love and Death” sort of makes me twitch a little.

This review and more like it can be found on The Literary Phoenix.

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

An intensely original book about the meaning of life, love, and death, The Game of Love and Death pits two forces of nature against each other with two teenage humans caught in the middle. The story takes readers through a tumultuous few months as protagonists Flora and Henry attempt to discover what it means to love each other, and what it will cost in a society that disapproves of interracial dating, as–unknown to them–their time is counting down.

While I want to like The Game of Love and Death for its unabashedness in tackling tough life issues ranging from finding where to belong, dealing with prejudice, and making the most of one’s talents and for its unique take on the characters (and roles) of Love and Death, my feelings about the novel are actually mixed. While the stakes for Flora and Henry are remarkably high, and they share a number of cute lines about what they mean to each other and what love means in general, I never got the full feeling they are actually in love. The end of the novel deals with the issue of whether two people who were “made” to love each other for the sake of a “game” are actually in love–I suspect because the author thought readers might think of this conundrum. However, my disbelief in their relationship actually came simply because they do not seem to know each other well. They know things about each other and they go through a couple of tough situations together, but overall I think people who were close friends would have acted similarly. Actually, people who are just nice people would have acted similarly. It’s not necessarily a gallant act of adoration and commitment to offer someone a ride home or walk them home if their car tires have been slashed.

The novel also simply deals with a lot of issues. Flora and Henry have layers of issues of their own, but add in Ethan’s romantic and ethical conundrums, Love’s frustations, Death’s questionings, and the side problems of side characters and there is just a lot going on in this book. And while the novel might want to make sweeping statements about what love is, I don’t think it actually adequately addresses what are actually rather varied situations. I also don’t fully understand what the final message is supposed to be or what exact decision by Flora and Henry makes the game end the way it does. I suspect the reality is that the author is trying to say something very simple about love–that it is worth loving and the difficulties you may face in loving are what makes it worth it, so you should go ahead and love whomever you choose–but all the characters are too busy trying spout eloquently quotable lines to state the matter as transparently as that.

These issues aside, the book does have an interesting cast of characters and the messiness of the novel accurately reflects the messiness of real life and of everyone’s feelings. The backdrop of the Great Depression, with its racism and financial difficulties, make the character’s dire circumstances stand out in stark relief. I simply wish I felt more for the characters, that I felt as if the book really were a great love story on par with the great couples of literature and history (Romeo and Juliet, Helen and Paris) and not as if it were spending a bit too much energy trying to show its own cleverness in revealing out the game works. I suspect a lot of readers, however, will enjoy The Game of Love and Death more than I did. It’s enjoyable, suspenseful, creative, and sometimes wise. My problem comes from a lack of connection with the characters and the message, but, technically speaking, the book is well-written and I think Brockenbrough has a great career waiting for her in YA. 3.5 stars

[Angie]

I absolutely loved all of the ideas that made up The Game of Love and Death, but sadly, I found the story too slow for my liking. And the ending was just...annoying. Love and Death have been playing this game for millenia. They each choose a player, then roll dice to determine the end date of their challenge. Before that time their two players must fall in love and complete the terms of the game, otherwise one of them dies. It's Flora and Henry's turns now, but of course, this is the match that changes the game forever.

The Game of Love and Death has a wonderful set up and cast of characters, so I'm so sad that I didn't connect with it in the way that I wanted to. I love forbidden romance and interracial romance and historical romance! It has all of these things, but everything just moves so freaking slowly! I really don't think fast paced would work for this story at all, so it's just a matter of it not being my thing. But I do wish there had been something that really drew me into the plot.

What I really loved was how Love and Death are not just cliche embodiments of these ideas. Love is not all goodness and light. Obviously he always wants the lovers to end up together, and he's willing to do whatever it takes to win. He does some underhanded stuff that you'd not expect from the representation of love. As for Death, she's not all gloom, doom, and bloodthirsty. She wants to win, too, but she's not all bad. Just like Love does bad things, she does some good things. I thought this was so great! At least until that ending. I really could have done without that, because it felt like the author was pulling back instead of just going for it!

The Game of Love and Death is also much more diverse than I was anticipating. Aside from the obvious, there's also a M/M romance happening here! I felt badly for one of the guys, because of reasons, but I did like that this was included. Henry's friend Ethan is also dyslexic and relies a lot on Henry to get through school and work, making their friendship that much closer. I just really appreciated these things being here. They didn't feel forced or gimmicky, just a real part of these characters' lives.

In the end, The Game of Love and Death didn't really work out for me. It has a lot of great things going for it, but I'm not a fan of these slower paced, subtler novels. I wanted to be hooked and have my emotions thrown in a blender! That didn't happen though.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Jo]

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

I do not know how to begin this review. The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough took me completely by surprise. It's beautiful, it moved me, and was not what I expected at all.

Henry, a white boy with an academic and wealthy future ahead of him, if he just does exactly what is expected of him by his adoptive family - who do not view him as family. Flora, a black girl who spends her nights singing to make ends meet, but dreams of a life in the sky - a dream that seems as far away as the sky itself. Love and Death, who chose them as their unknowing players in a game they have no say in. When they meet, their lives are turned around, the attraction immediate. But romance isn't easy when you're from different backgrounds - having to work hard for every cent, or having everything you're told you need handed to you; being inconsequential for being white, or being noticed and scorned for being black. But when love finds you, it's hard to ignore - even when it's all a game.

Oh, how I loved this book! And there are so many reasons for it! It's so beautifully written, and so quotable! Brockenbrough has some wonderful, gorgeous insights into love, death, and life, and a way with words that just beg to be read out loud! For this reason alone, The Game of Love and Death captured my heart, but the story! It reminded me at times of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, but with Love and Death as those who set up the game, it's such an original and thought-provoking story! The way Love and Death manipulate situations or the people around their players reminded me so much of a game of chess; tactics and strategies, moving pieces into place, but on such a larger scale with such unbelievable effects, it was wonderful to watch.

Henry and Flora were such amazing characters. Henry is so romantic; his love for Flora was pure and so, so sweet. He adored her, and sees not her skin colour, but the beauty of who she is. He is completely enamoured by her, and by her gorgeously lush voice. A musician himself, he is completely captivated by the music made in her club, by the way she sings. Flora is incredible! She loves Henry, without a doubt, but she's a realist. She's black, he's white, it's simply not going to work. Rather than have her heartbroken, she fights how she feels at every turn. She's independent and fierce, and will not have this get in the way of her life, of her dreams. How I loved this girl, despite her pessimism, her certainty that there is no way. She is strong-willed and determined, and such a fantastic heroine! We need more girls like Flora in YA! Girls who are not willing to drop everything for a boy! Even though I was rooting for them both throughout, I admired Flora for her strong sense of self, of her steady head, and for not turning completely into a pile of goo because of a smile and some nice words from a boy. I just loved her!

Neither Love nor Death are who you think they would be. They are complex beings, pawns themselves in their own roles. Neither Love nor Death is completely good nor completely bad, and they have their own stories too. The game isn't just a form of entertainment for them, it's not just about winning or losing; by losing, both will suffer. Though Love is full of compassion and joy at the beauty in life - especially of the most amazing emotion in existence, Love has also never won. This can make him a little desperate, and some of his actions are shocking. Death, despite her cruel and manipulative ways at times, is the character I found most sympathetic of the two. She's not all she seems, but not only does she have her part to play, she has an endless hunger, a hunger than must be fed.

There was another part of this story that had me wanting to shout for joy! The human embodiment of Love - whose embodiment is male - develops feelings for a guy. In the 1930s, when homosexuality was seen as repugnant. The significance was not lost on me; Love doesn't see gender, or gender matters not at all to Love. Love embraces love, there is no wrong when it comes to love, no matter who you love. I cannot tell you how much I loved seeing this subplot! Seeing this was just so beautiful, I can't even tell you. And Love's thoughts on such things, oh my god!

'"The powerful are happy to send men to the front lines of war and have their limbs shot off. But should that man ask a question, he's a traitor. This same system could condemn injustice, but instead it chooses to condemn something as simple and as fundamental as the search for the second half. We are all born wanting this. Why does it matter what shape this second half takes, provided it is the thing both seeks? [...] Why choose fear over love? In what world does that make sense?"' (p179)

The Game of Love and Death is quite simply breathtaking, for so many reasons. And you all need to discover just how incredible this book is for yourself.

Thank you to Scholastic for the reading copy.