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Tess Kendrick, a junior at the elite Hardwicke Academy in Washington, D.C., never wanted to be like her older sister and guardian, Ivy. But apparently fixing other people’s problems runs in the family.
When Tess is asked to run a classmate’s campaign for student council, she agrees. But even high school elections can involve life-shattering secrets — especially when the candidates are the children of politicians. When her friend is threatened with a scandal that may or may not be true, Tess is determined to set things right.
Meanwhile, Ivy has also taken on an impossible case. A terrorist attack causes many to question who can and cannot be trusted on Capitol Hill. Tess knows better than most that power is currency in D.C., but she’s about to discover firsthand that power always comes with a price. And some problems cannot be made to disappear.
The Long Game picks up shortly after the end of The Fixer and carries all the same elements that made the first book one of my favorite reads of the year. Pulse-pounding plot. Suspenseful. Heart-wrenchingly emotional. Twisty. Dark — darker even than the first book. This book will definitely take readers on a wild ride filled with surprises that just keep coming.
While Tess continues her role as champion for the underdog, she faces only one real “fix” in this story, unlike in the first book. Instead, the heart of the story continues to build upon the tension and intrigue from The Fixer to create a gripping and intricate plot that leans heavily into political thriller. No character is immune to the dangerous twists and turns found in these pages. And, in the end, neither are the reader’s emotions.
While the story doesn’t necessarily end with a cliffhanger, there are many unresolved threads, and I NEED them answered. Sadly, no third book in this young adult thriller series has been published, and there is no mention of another coming up. Barnes has instead been focused on finishing her bestselling The Inheritance Games series. I’m still hopeful for a potential sequel; however, I’m content enough with where the story ends to still recommend it to readers looking for an addictive thriller.
Rated: Moderate, for violence, blood, death, and witnessed acts of terror. Terrorists hold a high school hostage, and all guards are murdered in a mass shooting. A student is forced to watch videos of murdered classmates. Overall body count is high. A boy talks about finding a parental figure after they committed suicide. Sexual content includes insinuations and rumors of sexual interaction between two students — one of which is a female student enduring hazing. Some crude comments are also made. Reference is made to an event where a female character was drugged. Students hold a secret party featuring underaged drinking, though the MC does not drink. There are a few uses of mild language.
