Gripping and suspenseful.
Rachel Goldberg has put a lot of effort into distancing herself from her past. Raised in a household that included an uncompromising and overbearing Orthodox Jewish grandmother, Rachel’s lifestyle is nothing like her formative years. But her progressive views do more than separate her from family. Rachel tries to ignore it when she is initially harassed online, but when the threats shift into real life, she can no longer ignore the danger. Stephen Drescher has hit a bit of a rough patch. His dishonorable discharge from the military casts a pall over his entire life. Hoping to find some peace, Stephen looks to his childhood for comfort. Although they remember their childhood in shades of different colors, Stephen and Rachel’s history has shaped their lives. To move forward, Rachel discovers that she has to reconnect with and solve issues from her past, even if it means dredging up painful memories.
Games We Played is a gripping and suspenseful, vitriol-filled story about people coming to grips with their past and correlating it with the present. Shawne Steiger touches on a lot of important social issues and does so with honesty and grim realism. There is no sugar-coating the bigotry, hatred, or fanaticism displayed by the characters. Steiger’s skilled storytelling transports readers to the heart of the decision making processes for them, making for an uncomfortable yet enlightening read, a rare opportunity to understand why people with polarizingly different viewpoints do what they do. Containing content and themes that some may find objectionable, Games We Played is an emotive piece of contemporary fiction that truly speaks to our troubling times. Steiger deftly adds in intriguing elements of danger and breathless suspense to the story, culminating in an empowering finale.
