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Movie Game
A coming of age story for readers who are both book lovers and film fans.
It’s been three years since Joe’s father vanished. Now seventeen, he is unaware that government agents are watching him in case his dad makes contact. Joe is too distracted by his secret girlfriend, midnight swims in the pools of strangers, free drinks from his buddies at the movie game and the glamorous college student, Felicity. But his movie-esque existence and addiction to fiction is set to collide with a heavy dose of reality this summer when he discovers everything is not what it seems: his secret girlfriend wants to be the real thing. His college fling may have ulterior motives. And the government agents want co-operation to catch his missing father. All this and the three year old death of Joe’s first girlfriend Alice are going to cause him to face some dark truths.
It’s no longer a movie game. This is his life and he wants to win.
It’s been three years since Joe’s father vanished. Now seventeen, he is unaware that government agents are watching him in case his dad makes contact. Joe is too distracted by his secret girlfriend, midnight swims in the pools of strangers, free drinks from his buddies at the movie game and the glamorous college student, Felicity. But his movie-esque existence and addiction to fiction is set to collide with a heavy dose of reality this summer when he discovers everything is not what it seems: his secret girlfriend wants to be the real thing. His college fling may have ulterior motives. And the government agents want co-operation to catch his missing father. All this and the three year old death of Joe’s first girlfriend Alice are going to cause him to face some dark truths.
It’s no longer a movie game. This is his life and he wants to win.
302 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2015
About the author
Michael Ebner
3 books515 followersMichael Ebner has been named a Kirkus Reviews 'Best Books of the Year' author and some of his books are currently in Hollywood film development. His new book is the crime thriller The New Bad Thing released in Fall 2023 by Pen and Picture.
https://www.penandpicturepublishing.com
https://www.penandpicturepublishing.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
December 13, 2015
I'd rate this 3.5 stars.
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Many thanks to NetGalley and Pen and Picture for making it available!
The story of a teenager who spends much of his life watching or thinking about movies, Michael Ebner's Movie Game reads kind of like a blockbuster movie. There's action, intrigue, mystery, romance, violence, sex, and even a little drama. But like many popular blockbusters there's so much shoehorned into the plot it veers off the rails from time to time, but its charm ultimately keeps you reading.
It's the summer before Joe's senior year of high school. He spends nearly every waking moment watching or thinking about movies, or playing the rapid-fire Movie Game with his buddies, which he usually wins. He considers himself the defender of distraction-free movies, and often follows offenders home after the movie has ended. Joe also has late-night encounters with Nikki, who keeps their relationship a secret from her real boyfriend, and he's a big fan of dark dipping, or swimming in neighborhood pools late at night.
Joe and his older sister have been keeping up appearances since their father disappeared three years ago and their mother left to live with her new boyfriend, afraid if authorities find out Joe is without parental supervision, social services may step in. While Joe is a cinephile, his sister is an excessive reader. But what Joe doesn't realize is that government agents have him on constant surveillance, because their father isn't quite who he said he was.
"Their excessive consumption of fiction was an essential distraction from their broken home."
Suddenly Joe's life seems more and more like a movie—his new college-aged girlfriend may have hidden motives for their relationship, the stories he's been telling his sister to push her to live her own life are actually less elaborate than the truth, and then there's the increasingly annoying presence of the federal agents, who want his help tracking down his father, who has apparently become a terrorist. All that, and he's still dealing with the trauma of his high school girlfriend's tragic death three years earlier.
Will Joe choose the bonds of family over the long arm of the law? Will he finally get the girl he deserves? Will he be able to continue winning at the Movie Game, or will a new competitor supplant him? And most importantly, will they all live happily ever after?
Ebner's book is a little wacky and far-fetched (I can't tell you how often I had to remind myself that Joe was supposed to be entering his senior year in high school given his level of sophistication), but it's fun, funny, and even a little bit moving. There is a lot going on in this book—too much, I think—so the plot really goes all over the place, and you sometimes don't know what scenario you're in at a particular moment. But Joe is a fascinatingly charming yet flawed character, and you're compelled to keep reading to see where his story goes.
Summer movie season may be over, but Movie Game is like a summer movie in book form. All you need is the popcorn.
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Many thanks to NetGalley and Pen and Picture for making it available!
The story of a teenager who spends much of his life watching or thinking about movies, Michael Ebner's Movie Game reads kind of like a blockbuster movie. There's action, intrigue, mystery, romance, violence, sex, and even a little drama. But like many popular blockbusters there's so much shoehorned into the plot it veers off the rails from time to time, but its charm ultimately keeps you reading.
It's the summer before Joe's senior year of high school. He spends nearly every waking moment watching or thinking about movies, or playing the rapid-fire Movie Game with his buddies, which he usually wins. He considers himself the defender of distraction-free movies, and often follows offenders home after the movie has ended. Joe also has late-night encounters with Nikki, who keeps their relationship a secret from her real boyfriend, and he's a big fan of dark dipping, or swimming in neighborhood pools late at night.
Joe and his older sister have been keeping up appearances since their father disappeared three years ago and their mother left to live with her new boyfriend, afraid if authorities find out Joe is without parental supervision, social services may step in. While Joe is a cinephile, his sister is an excessive reader. But what Joe doesn't realize is that government agents have him on constant surveillance, because their father isn't quite who he said he was.
"Their excessive consumption of fiction was an essential distraction from their broken home."
Suddenly Joe's life seems more and more like a movie—his new college-aged girlfriend may have hidden motives for their relationship, the stories he's been telling his sister to push her to live her own life are actually less elaborate than the truth, and then there's the increasingly annoying presence of the federal agents, who want his help tracking down his father, who has apparently become a terrorist. All that, and he's still dealing with the trauma of his high school girlfriend's tragic death three years earlier.
Will Joe choose the bonds of family over the long arm of the law? Will he finally get the girl he deserves? Will he be able to continue winning at the Movie Game, or will a new competitor supplant him? And most importantly, will they all live happily ever after?
Ebner's book is a little wacky and far-fetched (I can't tell you how often I had to remind myself that Joe was supposed to be entering his senior year in high school given his level of sophistication), but it's fun, funny, and even a little bit moving. There is a lot going on in this book—too much, I think—so the plot really goes all over the place, and you sometimes don't know what scenario you're in at a particular moment. But Joe is a fascinatingly charming yet flawed character, and you're compelled to keep reading to see where his story goes.
Summer movie season may be over, but Movie Game is like a summer movie in book form. All you need is the popcorn.
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
January 31, 2024
"SHUT UP! Non-stop and incredibly loud. The couple sitting up front were talking as if the other viewers were invisible and that the movie was just background to their amazing lives. SHUT THE HELL UP!" -The very first sentence is definitely relatable.
This was a quick fun read. Lots of drama and secrets exposed. Would recommend.
Many thanks to Goodreads, Pen and Picture and Michael Ebner for a copy of the book. All opinions are of my own.
This was a quick fun read. Lots of drama and secrets exposed. Would recommend.
Many thanks to Goodreads, Pen and Picture and Michael Ebner for a copy of the book. All opinions are of my own.
April 11, 2024
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
A kid who acts as a vigilante against movie talkers, seems to have a dream life for a high school kid, even if his vigilantism bounces back against him as often as not.
He has a secret girlfriend, an affair with a college girl, free movies, and he can get into a bar even though he's underage. On the other hand, his first love tragically died, his father disappeared, and his mother is an alcoholic.
Government agents are after his dad, and want him to cooperate.
Reminds me of one of those movies from the 80's that had a concept, but no real storyline, so they threw in government agents or drug dealers.
A kid who acts as a vigilante against movie talkers, seems to have a dream life for a high school kid, even if his vigilantism bounces back against him as often as not.
He has a secret girlfriend, an affair with a college girl, free movies, and he can get into a bar even though he's underage. On the other hand, his first love tragically died, his father disappeared, and his mother is an alcoholic.
Government agents are after his dad, and want him to cooperate.
Reminds me of one of those movies from the 80's that had a concept, but no real storyline, so they threw in government agents or drug dealers.
March 7, 2016
Movie Game is the story of teenager Joe. Joe is living what appears to be the dream life for a seventeen-year-old. It’s the summer before his senior year, he lives with only his sister, he’s having a secret relationship with an attractive girl, and a summer fling with an older college girl who goes to Yale, and he gets to see all the movies he wants for free (as long as he sneaks in when a certain usher friend of his is working, he’s been banned for life from the theater several times for his “movie crusade,” making sure the other people don’t distract from the movie). He hangs out in a bar in the evenings with fellow movie-buff friends, drinking and playing the movie game, despite the fact that he’s underage.
Of course, this seemingly perfect setup hides the bigger problems in Joe’s life. His girlfriend died three years ago, on the same day that he walked in on his mom cheating on his dad. His dad left them around the same time, and, more recently, his mom moved out too, to live with her boyfriend. Now Joe’s sister is forced to play mother to him, despite offers she’s received to live and work in Paris, not to mention the fact that she has to finish school. Joe’s secret girlfriend has a boyfriend. Oh, and there are the two feds that are stalking Joe, hoping he’ll lead them to his missing father.
Ebner’s writing style reminded me of James Patterson’s, short snappy sentences that keep you wanting more. This style works well for Movie Game. I found the premise of this book to be completely unique, and I thought Ebner executed it well. Movie Game is exciting and fun to read. I would definitely recommend it.
review by Elise Ramsey for San Francisco Book Review
San Francisco Book Review gave Movie Game 4 stars out of 5. Pen and Picture gave it 5 stars.
Of course, this seemingly perfect setup hides the bigger problems in Joe’s life. His girlfriend died three years ago, on the same day that he walked in on his mom cheating on his dad. His dad left them around the same time, and, more recently, his mom moved out too, to live with her boyfriend. Now Joe’s sister is forced to play mother to him, despite offers she’s received to live and work in Paris, not to mention the fact that she has to finish school. Joe’s secret girlfriend has a boyfriend. Oh, and there are the two feds that are stalking Joe, hoping he’ll lead them to his missing father.
Ebner’s writing style reminded me of James Patterson’s, short snappy sentences that keep you wanting more. This style works well for Movie Game. I found the premise of this book to be completely unique, and I thought Ebner executed it well. Movie Game is exciting and fun to read. I would definitely recommend it.
review by Elise Ramsey for San Francisco Book Review
San Francisco Book Review gave Movie Game 4 stars out of 5. Pen and Picture gave it 5 stars.
February 6, 2016
I got this as a review copy from the publisher on Netgalley. To be honest I'm not sure what drew me to this book. I think it was the the cover. I was definitely not expecting everything that happened after I started reading. I felt really bad for Joe and his sister Loren. Their mother was a drunk who left them alone and their father worked to much and wasn't ever around. I really liked the game joe and his friends played. Which is the title of this book. I love movies and although I'm not a movie buff like these guys this is definitely a game I would enjoy. All of the things that happened with joes dad was so unexpected! I still kind of hate his mother just a tiny bit more for not having anything to do with her kids because she has a new boyfriend. The parts about Alice were really sad and made me understand some of the reasons how was the way he was. I was impressed with the level of activity Joe had during the summer even though he had no car. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I really hope Joe and his sister made up.
February 27, 2016
'The Movie Game' by Michael Ebner is at times reminiscent of Chuck Palahniuk and Steve Martin with a dash of Raymond Chandler thrown in for good measure.
Ebner's work is comic, subversive, mysterious and altogether engaging; the first person narrative of seventeen year old Joe blurs the lines between reality and silver-screen fiction as he searches for his missing father.
This would certainly be a good addition to a school library for more mature teen readers, as it explores a range of issues relating to questions of identity and belonging. There is a smoothness, a lightness to Ebner's style which makes this highly readable.
Ebner's work is comic, subversive, mysterious and altogether engaging; the first person narrative of seventeen year old Joe blurs the lines between reality and silver-screen fiction as he searches for his missing father.
This would certainly be a good addition to a school library for more mature teen readers, as it explores a range of issues relating to questions of identity and belonging. There is a smoothness, a lightness to Ebner's style which makes this highly readable.
October 14, 2015
*Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
DNF. Didn't find the plot interesting at all and the writing was fairly juvenile. I don't give books lower than 2-stars but this one had me second guessing.
DNF. Didn't find the plot interesting at all and the writing was fairly juvenile. I don't give books lower than 2-stars but this one had me second guessing.
October 23, 2015
Author: Michael Ebner
Genre: New Adult, Teens and YA
Release Date: Nov 15, 2015
Summary: It’s been three years since Joe’s father vanished. Now seventeen, he is unaware that government agents are watching him in case his dad makes contact. Joe is too distracted by his secret girlfriend, midnight swims in the pools of strangers, free drinks from his buddies at the movie game and the glamorous college student, Felicity. But his movie-esque existence and addiction to fiction is set to collide with a heavy dose of reality this summer when he discovers everything is not what it seems: His secret girlfriend wants to be the real thing. His college fling may have ulterior motives. And the government agents want co-operation to catch his missing father. All this and the three year old death of Joe’s first girlfriend Alice are going to cause him to face some dark truths. It’s no longer a movie game. This is his life, and he wants to win.
Review:
It was a good book, and an enjoyable read.
It had a very strange feel to it, which is not really one I’d come across before. It genuinely read like a movie. Visual mediums don’t work the same way as written ones, and it’s not like the book went scene-by-scene and I had a movie reel in my head with scene cues and actors and everything. That sounds kind of impossible to me, to manage that kind of adaptation perfectly, but if any of you know a book like that, point me to it.
What I mean to say is the book gave off the vibe of a movie. Movie logic is different from real-world logic, and the shenanigans and slight element of ridiculousness along with all the emphasis on movies made it seem like the events were in a movie.
The story is about the main character, Joe, dealing with the real world and escaping his addiction to fiction. Now, I’m not really sure how well that worked, because the whole movie-feel continued all the way into the climax. While that kind of thing may just be the writer’s style, I think it would have worked better from a story point of view, if that feel was dropped towards the end of the book, where Joe’s forced to come to terms with reality.
Even so, that style is really what sold the story to me. Throughout the first half of the book, I couldn’t quite get my finger on what felt odd to me about the whole thing. Not odd in a bad way, it was just different. I really need subtlety in my books, and the fact that I didn’t realize the movie-ish aspect was kind of nice. I thought it was done really well (but it could just be that I was being stupid and didn’t pay attention). Either way it ended with me being surprised. Normally, if I catch some literary device, I just think, hey, that’s a clever idea, or nope, that didn’t work, which means that I never really experience them as part of the writing or the “reading experience”.
It’s kind of a problem with me. But, this book used it subtly enough that I just went with it, without thinking about how well the gimmick worked, so props for that. And even aside from the subtlety, it was just kind of clever. To incorporate the element of a “movie-esque existence” into the prose itself so that the reader feels like they’re reading a movie, in a story about a character feeling like they’re living in a movie is just really, really smart.
It’s not exactly groundbreaking, but there’s nothing really wrong with the book as a whole. If you’re looking for a fully serious book, this is not it, but it teeters on the edge of full parody/comedy and seriousness. Much as I’m fond of full-on unrealism, the fact that it never quite crosses the line into parody means that I’m never sure how seriously to take the book. I’m willing to give illogical events a pass in a comedic book, but not so much in a serious one. So what do I make of a book that’s in between the two? It kind of plays with your expectations, which was something I liked.
I also have a problem of not being able to take a fully serious book seriously, so this fixes that problem too. I still wasn’t able to really get into it, but I don’t regret reading it.
The story overall had a kind of maturity to it. I mean, that’s a bit odd considering the book is 100% unrealistic shenanigans. However, the story has a feel of self-awareness, like it knows that it’s kind of ridiculous but that ridiculousness is building up to some kind of message. Rather than feel childish, it actually works.
The characterization was decent, especially Joe’s and Loren’s. The family dynamics were also really nice. The storyline was also good; it was kind of a combination between a spy flick and a family drama.
To be honest, though, the feel of the book is the real highlight. Not exactly the style, but just the impression it gives. I kind of glossed over the other aspects very quickly, because although they’re nice, it’s nothing extraordinary. It’s sufficient and completely acceptable, but the feel of the book really elevates it to something great.
Overall, if you come across it, check it out. You may not love it, but it won’t be a waste of your time.
–charien
For more reviews like this one (and some not like this one), check out our blog at: almostelysian.wordpress.com
Genre: New Adult, Teens and YA
Release Date: Nov 15, 2015
Summary: It’s been three years since Joe’s father vanished. Now seventeen, he is unaware that government agents are watching him in case his dad makes contact. Joe is too distracted by his secret girlfriend, midnight swims in the pools of strangers, free drinks from his buddies at the movie game and the glamorous college student, Felicity. But his movie-esque existence and addiction to fiction is set to collide with a heavy dose of reality this summer when he discovers everything is not what it seems: His secret girlfriend wants to be the real thing. His college fling may have ulterior motives. And the government agents want co-operation to catch his missing father. All this and the three year old death of Joe’s first girlfriend Alice are going to cause him to face some dark truths. It’s no longer a movie game. This is his life, and he wants to win.
Review:
It was a good book, and an enjoyable read.
It had a very strange feel to it, which is not really one I’d come across before. It genuinely read like a movie. Visual mediums don’t work the same way as written ones, and it’s not like the book went scene-by-scene and I had a movie reel in my head with scene cues and actors and everything. That sounds kind of impossible to me, to manage that kind of adaptation perfectly, but if any of you know a book like that, point me to it.
What I mean to say is the book gave off the vibe of a movie. Movie logic is different from real-world logic, and the shenanigans and slight element of ridiculousness along with all the emphasis on movies made it seem like the events were in a movie.
The story is about the main character, Joe, dealing with the real world and escaping his addiction to fiction. Now, I’m not really sure how well that worked, because the whole movie-feel continued all the way into the climax. While that kind of thing may just be the writer’s style, I think it would have worked better from a story point of view, if that feel was dropped towards the end of the book, where Joe’s forced to come to terms with reality.
Even so, that style is really what sold the story to me. Throughout the first half of the book, I couldn’t quite get my finger on what felt odd to me about the whole thing. Not odd in a bad way, it was just different. I really need subtlety in my books, and the fact that I didn’t realize the movie-ish aspect was kind of nice. I thought it was done really well (but it could just be that I was being stupid and didn’t pay attention). Either way it ended with me being surprised. Normally, if I catch some literary device, I just think, hey, that’s a clever idea, or nope, that didn’t work, which means that I never really experience them as part of the writing or the “reading experience”.
It’s kind of a problem with me. But, this book used it subtly enough that I just went with it, without thinking about how well the gimmick worked, so props for that. And even aside from the subtlety, it was just kind of clever. To incorporate the element of a “movie-esque existence” into the prose itself so that the reader feels like they’re reading a movie, in a story about a character feeling like they’re living in a movie is just really, really smart.
It’s not exactly groundbreaking, but there’s nothing really wrong with the book as a whole. If you’re looking for a fully serious book, this is not it, but it teeters on the edge of full parody/comedy and seriousness. Much as I’m fond of full-on unrealism, the fact that it never quite crosses the line into parody means that I’m never sure how seriously to take the book. I’m willing to give illogical events a pass in a comedic book, but not so much in a serious one. So what do I make of a book that’s in between the two? It kind of plays with your expectations, which was something I liked.
I also have a problem of not being able to take a fully serious book seriously, so this fixes that problem too. I still wasn’t able to really get into it, but I don’t regret reading it.
The story overall had a kind of maturity to it. I mean, that’s a bit odd considering the book is 100% unrealistic shenanigans. However, the story has a feel of self-awareness, like it knows that it’s kind of ridiculous but that ridiculousness is building up to some kind of message. Rather than feel childish, it actually works.
The characterization was decent, especially Joe’s and Loren’s. The family dynamics were also really nice. The storyline was also good; it was kind of a combination between a spy flick and a family drama.
To be honest, though, the feel of the book is the real highlight. Not exactly the style, but just the impression it gives. I kind of glossed over the other aspects very quickly, because although they’re nice, it’s nothing extraordinary. It’s sufficient and completely acceptable, but the feel of the book really elevates it to something great.
Overall, if you come across it, check it out. You may not love it, but it won’t be a waste of your time.
–charien
For more reviews like this one (and some not like this one), check out our blog at: almostelysian.wordpress.com
July 27, 2016
With a distinct Ferris Bueller feel for circumstantially created chaos, Michael Ebner’s main character is one of the most likeable teenagers I’ve ever met. He’s arrogant, pretentious as hell and a thoroughly bad role-model, and he is utterly compelling, hilarious and intriguing to watch.
A teenage brother and sister fake their mother’s presence in their house as they fumble through parental abandonment. Loren dreams of being French while Joe, shadowed by secret agents, sneaks into the neighbour’s swimming pool in the middle of the night, or inflicts vigilante justice against violators of the strictest movie theatre etiquette. When he’s not saving the world from errant cellphone calls or over-crunched popcorn, he plays the Movie Game with his buddies in a bar – name a movie, name an actor from that movie, name a movie starring that actor, and so on, taking turns until someone runs out of obscure references and loses the game. Cruise ships explode, a mysterious stranger appears in a limousine, and a relentlessly sexy woman moves in next door.
Boy did this book surprise me. I wasn’t blown away by the blurb, to be honest. It reminded me of Carl Hiaasen’s chaotically funny romps, but there was a dark core to it that, juxtaposed with the dry wit, sharpened it and gave it depth. I couldn’t believe it – I actually cared about this selfish little prat with an unhealthy movie obsession, whose teenage heart had been shattered by tragedy. I warmed to him, I rooted for him, and I cheered for him as I watched the dominos fall around his oblivious flailing.
The novel has the feel of a 1980s coming-of-age story, and it has some seriously strong character development. I loved watching as Joe writhes and jerks around, trying to figure out who he is and reconcile who he imagines himself to be with the circumstances he is in. I cried for him as he grieved and fought through bitter disappointment. And I laughed as he took on the evil scumbags who ruin movies for all of us.
Joe is not the hero we want, but the hero we need. This book has some powerful ideas about death and abandonment, but when it comes down to it, it’s just a whole lot of fun to read. The pace was perfect and I whizzed through it. I want to see it as a movie. I even want to play the Movie Game myself, except that I lack the level of obsession with movie trivia to be any good at it. I want more. The problem with this book is that it ends.
It’s not litrahchah but it’s a jolly good read and a lot of fun. A good one for next to the swimming pool, as every time Joe goes for a dip you’ll want to follow him. It’s saucy, cheeky, witty and raw and I loved every minute of it. I want to see it as a movie.
Joe killed the flame and took the stairs. On the quiet street, cigarette in his mouth, he lit up, took one drag then gave it to gravity. Joe wasn’t a serious smoker; he just liked the motions: the theatrics of blazing up after suburban shakedowns. It was part of his crusade on movie talkers.
A teenage brother and sister fake their mother’s presence in their house as they fumble through parental abandonment. Loren dreams of being French while Joe, shadowed by secret agents, sneaks into the neighbour’s swimming pool in the middle of the night, or inflicts vigilante justice against violators of the strictest movie theatre etiquette. When he’s not saving the world from errant cellphone calls or over-crunched popcorn, he plays the Movie Game with his buddies in a bar – name a movie, name an actor from that movie, name a movie starring that actor, and so on, taking turns until someone runs out of obscure references and loses the game. Cruise ships explode, a mysterious stranger appears in a limousine, and a relentlessly sexy woman moves in next door.
When most people are asked about the worst moment of their lives, there’s usually a shortlist of contenders. Like a list of Top Ten Bad Movies – they’re all there for different reasons. For Joe, there was only one day that took the terrible title. It was winter, he was fourteen, and in one of the hospital’s many waiting rooms, Alice, his girlfriend of one year, had slipped into a coma.
Boy did this book surprise me. I wasn’t blown away by the blurb, to be honest. It reminded me of Carl Hiaasen’s chaotically funny romps, but there was a dark core to it that, juxtaposed with the dry wit, sharpened it and gave it depth. I couldn’t believe it – I actually cared about this selfish little prat with an unhealthy movie obsession, whose teenage heart had been shattered by tragedy. I warmed to him, I rooted for him, and I cheered for him as I watched the dominos fall around his oblivious flailing.
Underneath in the wet darkness was his world for solace and quietude. Apart from sitting alone in a cinema wrapped in wall-to-wall fiction, underwater was the only other time he felt okay. Okay when you can stop from it all and actually take time from your woes.
The novel has the feel of a 1980s coming-of-age story, and it has some seriously strong character development. I loved watching as Joe writhes and jerks around, trying to figure out who he is and reconcile who he imagines himself to be with the circumstances he is in. I cried for him as he grieved and fought through bitter disappointment. And I laughed as he took on the evil scumbags who ruin movies for all of us.
Outside the window, through open shutters, he could see his sister Loren. She was hanging out Mom’s clothes on the line beside the dramatic conservatory. Sundresses, skirts, shirts. All part of their daily routine to paint a picture of parent presence to keep nosy neighbours at bay and the authorities away.
Joe is not the hero we want, but the hero we need. This book has some powerful ideas about death and abandonment, but when it comes down to it, it’s just a whole lot of fun to read. The pace was perfect and I whizzed through it. I want to see it as a movie. I even want to play the Movie Game myself, except that I lack the level of obsession with movie trivia to be any good at it. I want more. The problem with this book is that it ends.
Snack consumption was legal but Joe expected anyone dining on the distracting shit to synchronize chewing with car chases and shootouts regardless of the genre. The Popcorn Pig was treating the space like a pie-eating contest. The buttery snack was his instrument and he was doing a sound check with the venue’s acoustics. The elderly woman became more unsettled by his riotous feasting, which gave Joe reason to intervene sooner.
It’s not litrahchah but it’s a jolly good read and a lot of fun. A good one for next to the swimming pool, as every time Joe goes for a dip you’ll want to follow him. It’s saucy, cheeky, witty and raw and I loved every minute of it. I want to see it as a movie.
December 17, 2015
“I don’t think you understand. There’s an epidemic of young males in this country, who don’t read or follow the news or anything to acknowledge their reality”
The second novel by Micheal Ebner (All The Talk Is Dead) is an amusing cineliterate tale of dealing with loss, cinema, and terrorism.
Our protagonist Joe is 17. He lives at home with his Sister Loren. Their Dad, who works for National marine fisheries, went missing a while ago and their Mom moved out to live with architect. But they still pretend that their mom still lives with them – hanging out laundry, getting the daily newspaper delivered, just to keep social services at bay. Joe used to be a swimmer, but three years ago his girlfriend, Alice, died and he lost interest in everything , except Cinema. Now he and his three friends: Brad, Toby and Dan get together to play ‘The Movie’ game (a version of six degrees of separation). His life pretty much revolves around going to the cinema, stalking those who talk in the cinema, this game and taking nigh-time swims in other people’s pools.
Whilst this is going on he seems unaware that his sister is suicidal and that he is being followed by the FBI.
What follows is an often very funny, sometimes touching, tale of how we deal with loss, how we all use deception to hide our true selves – indeed play roles, and how we can become so immersed in things that real life starts to pass us by. The most interesting parts of the book are probably the flashbacks to Joe as a 14 year old in the immediate aftermath of Alice’s death (the cause of which we don’t discover until the book’s end). There is a real sense of sadness in these sections that is mostly blotted out by the film humour in the ‘present’ – perhaps intentionally so, as blotting out is arguable what Joe and Loren have been doing.
Ebner clearly has a love for cinema, and as this is a love I share, it made this an easy and rapid read. His prose style is easy going and there are hints of Carl Hiaasen in the bleakness of the humour. A good holiday read.
The second novel by Micheal Ebner (All The Talk Is Dead) is an amusing cineliterate tale of dealing with loss, cinema, and terrorism.
Our protagonist Joe is 17. He lives at home with his Sister Loren. Their Dad, who works for National marine fisheries, went missing a while ago and their Mom moved out to live with architect. But they still pretend that their mom still lives with them – hanging out laundry, getting the daily newspaper delivered, just to keep social services at bay. Joe used to be a swimmer, but three years ago his girlfriend, Alice, died and he lost interest in everything , except Cinema. Now he and his three friends: Brad, Toby and Dan get together to play ‘The Movie’ game (a version of six degrees of separation). His life pretty much revolves around going to the cinema, stalking those who talk in the cinema, this game and taking nigh-time swims in other people’s pools.
Whilst this is going on he seems unaware that his sister is suicidal and that he is being followed by the FBI.
What follows is an often very funny, sometimes touching, tale of how we deal with loss, how we all use deception to hide our true selves – indeed play roles, and how we can become so immersed in things that real life starts to pass us by. The most interesting parts of the book are probably the flashbacks to Joe as a 14 year old in the immediate aftermath of Alice’s death (the cause of which we don’t discover until the book’s end). There is a real sense of sadness in these sections that is mostly blotted out by the film humour in the ‘present’ – perhaps intentionally so, as blotting out is arguable what Joe and Loren have been doing.
Ebner clearly has a love for cinema, and as this is a love I share, it made this an easy and rapid read. His prose style is easy going and there are hints of Carl Hiaasen in the bleakness of the humour. A good holiday read.
January 17, 2016
The Movie Game is firstly what a movie buff's favorite type of book would be. The plot is well enough in that its jumble-gamble of misunderstandings and messes that the characters get themselves into did not overshadow their personality and they were very interesting. And for the cinephiles, the book has a lot of movie references -both old and new, which isn't all that necessary to the plot but is entertaining to read. the book is fast paced and the writing is not heavy but sharp and sometimes witty.
So, there are a lot of plotlines that resemble famous movie themes. The "movie game" in itself kinda being like fight club; what with the rules and all.
1) first rule of movie game, you do not talk about movie game
2)second rule of movie game, you are allowed in by invitation only
3) third rule, the loser must pay...yada yada yada..
It had all the classic movie plot devices all jammed into one book- you have your romance, police chases, family problems, death, cheating, drugs, terrorists etc. but it somehow ties together neatly in the end.Its definitely not something that can possibly happen in real life. That's why we have our movies and our fiction books and this book was a form of escape for me too. The movie references and fast plot progression got me out of my reading slump.
And unlike in fight club, i could sympathize with Joe's character. I got why he was doing the things he was doing. He was seriously depressed and going to the movies was his form of escapism. his life had taken a complete turn and who doesn't want to just throttle the neck of those annoying movie goers who talk too loudly, or eat too noisily.And it was these parts of the book that were really funny and relatable coming from Joe's perspective..
'The popcorn Pig was treating the space like a pie-eating contest. The buttery snack was his instrument and he was doing a sound check with the venues acoustics'
And obviously, any book about movies absolutely HAS to include a Pulp Fiction reference...which made me love the ending!!
So, there are a lot of plotlines that resemble famous movie themes. The "movie game" in itself kinda being like fight club; what with the rules and all.
1) first rule of movie game, you do not talk about movie game
2)second rule of movie game, you are allowed in by invitation only
3) third rule, the loser must pay...yada yada yada..
It had all the classic movie plot devices all jammed into one book- you have your romance, police chases, family problems, death, cheating, drugs, terrorists etc. but it somehow ties together neatly in the end.Its definitely not something that can possibly happen in real life. That's why we have our movies and our fiction books and this book was a form of escape for me too. The movie references and fast plot progression got me out of my reading slump.
And unlike in fight club, i could sympathize with Joe's character. I got why he was doing the things he was doing. He was seriously depressed and going to the movies was his form of escapism. his life had taken a complete turn and who doesn't want to just throttle the neck of those annoying movie goers who talk too loudly, or eat too noisily.And it was these parts of the book that were really funny and relatable coming from Joe's perspective..
'The popcorn Pig was treating the space like a pie-eating contest. The buttery snack was his instrument and he was doing a sound check with the venues acoustics'
And obviously, any book about movies absolutely HAS to include a Pulp Fiction reference...which made me love the ending!!
November 29, 2015
There is a lot going on in the Movie Game. The book opens with the main character, Joe, telepathically shouting to the couple in the movie theatre to, “Shut the hell up!” We’ve all been there, right? Imaging what we would like to do to those annoying theatre goers. Joe takes it a step further, he actually does do something to them. That in itself could be the plot of a story - someone stalking and getting even with people who annoy him at the movies. But that is just one tiny aspect of this crazy novel.
There is so much going on in this novel. It has an almost movie-like feel to it, the scenes are so well described and the action and plot ruthlessly plowing ahead. Joe’s dad vanished 3 years ago and now some government agents are following him in case his dad gets in touch. There is a gorgeous new neighbor, Felicity, who makes him read books to be able to spend time with her. Joe is still recovering from the death of his girlfriend.
Almost as interesting as all the twist and turns that takes place is the movie game that Joe and his friends play. One person names a movie, the next person has to name and actor in that movie and then name another movie that actor was in. For some reason, I am always drawn to characters that have some sort of obsession. A desire to deeply know all about something. I loved how much these characters loved movies.
I didn’t realize that this was a YA novel. I found it very entertaining and if it was made into a movie, I would definitely want to watch it.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There is so much going on in this novel. It has an almost movie-like feel to it, the scenes are so well described and the action and plot ruthlessly plowing ahead. Joe’s dad vanished 3 years ago and now some government agents are following him in case his dad gets in touch. There is a gorgeous new neighbor, Felicity, who makes him read books to be able to spend time with her. Joe is still recovering from the death of his girlfriend.
Almost as interesting as all the twist and turns that takes place is the movie game that Joe and his friends play. One person names a movie, the next person has to name and actor in that movie and then name another movie that actor was in. For some reason, I am always drawn to characters that have some sort of obsession. A desire to deeply know all about something. I loved how much these characters loved movies.
I didn’t realize that this was a YA novel. I found it very entertaining and if it was made into a movie, I would definitely want to watch it.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 22, 2015
The MOVIE GAME by Michael Ebner is the story of Joe, a 17 year old young man meandering through life who constantly escapes reality by watching movie after movie and when he is not watching movies, he is playing the movie game with his friends. The reality he is escaping is absentee parents, the death of his girlfriend three years earlier, and a sister who feels obligated to be there for him but that he wants her to go live her life how she wants without obligations.
The beginning of the book hooked me in, with the very fun movie game Joe plays with his buddies, but I found than the story then slowed down a lot, with Joe bouncing between two girls he is into, and also trying to help his sister. It seemed that all of the parts of the book where slowly moving along, but towards the end, all storylines wrapped up, along with another line of story teased early on that comes to fruition. It didn't flow like most books do, but to say it flowed more like a movie seems appropriate to me.
A fun, quick read that would appeal to the younger generation. It often reminded my of PERKS OF A WALLFLOWER (the movie, not the book), but in the end it had it's own identity. I did like the movie game described in the book and plan on playing with my friends in the future.
Thank you to Michael Ebner, Pen and Picture publishers, and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review!
The beginning of the book hooked me in, with the very fun movie game Joe plays with his buddies, but I found than the story then slowed down a lot, with Joe bouncing between two girls he is into, and also trying to help his sister. It seemed that all of the parts of the book where slowly moving along, but towards the end, all storylines wrapped up, along with another line of story teased early on that comes to fruition. It didn't flow like most books do, but to say it flowed more like a movie seems appropriate to me.
A fun, quick read that would appeal to the younger generation. It often reminded my of PERKS OF A WALLFLOWER (the movie, not the book), but in the end it had it's own identity. I did like the movie game described in the book and plan on playing with my friends in the future.
Thank you to Michael Ebner, Pen and Picture publishers, and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review!
October 25, 2015
The death of his girlfriend is the catalyst for this young man. I love how he stalks the talkers in the movie theater. They are so rude, I love how he treats them-wishing I could do the same. He plays a game with his friends - The Movie Game - it is so exciting that I want to play along. This book is very enjoyable.
March 6, 2024
Extremely well written book enjoyed this one alot
February 8, 2024
This was a Goodreads giveaway winner. This was a nice story.
March 3, 2024
I liked this book. I wouldn't have picked it, necessarily, but since I won it, easy to give it a try. And I wasn't disappointed!
Character development was good. I was worried at one point that it was going to have an ending that would leave me hanging but nope, wrapped it up nicely.
Character development was good. I was worried at one point that it was going to have an ending that would leave me hanging but nope, wrapped it up nicely.
March 26, 2024
Fun read
This was a surprisingly fun read. First time reading this author. Looking forward to reading more of his work.
I received a complementary copy via Goodreads Giveaway.
This was a surprisingly fun read. First time reading this author. Looking forward to reading more of his work.
I received a complementary copy via Goodreads Giveaway.
February 26, 2024
After Joe's girlfriend dies in a tragic accident and his home life falls apart, seventeen year old Joe has grown accustomed to distracting himself with movies. His friends share his passion, and their movie game is fast-paced and fun to follow along. After a few years, though, reality catches up with him in unexpected ways. The government agents following him were more well played out than the college student's Felicity character, who seemed outright fake. An unusual plot, but the author kept me reading til the end to find out how his life would turn out.
Thanks to the author, Michael Ebner, I received a free Amazon Kindle copy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Thanks to the author, Michael Ebner, I received a free Amazon Kindle copy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
March 23, 2024
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway!
It was very different than I expected and definitely took me out of my comfort zone. I found the last 25% of the book to be really exciting. Plot twists kept you on your toes while Joe searches out the truth of his dad.
It was very different than I expected and definitely took me out of my comfort zone. I found the last 25% of the book to be really exciting. Plot twists kept you on your toes while Joe searches out the truth of his dad.
March 5, 2024
Funny that a book called Movie Games where movies are a pillar of the book, whisked me back to the 1980s movies from John Hughes, Jerry Zucker and Richard Donner. Like the movies MG was a fun read with slightly ridiculous scenarios. But it had underlaying family angst and personal tragedy.
I’m probably not the target reader; younger readers would likely connect better. Still, a well written book with pithy sentences.
I’m probably not the target reader; younger readers would likely connect better. Still, a well written book with pithy sentences.
June 2, 2016
A Mary Sue story of the statutory rape variety for the cinephile, white, CIS-hetero boys out there.
We have Joe. He's seventeen. He has limitless access to alcohol, and drugs. He has no parental oversight and does whatever he wants. He has a quip and a comeback for every situation. Women drop their panties at the sight of him. FBI agents need his help. He'll do anything to protect his sister. He knows everything there is to know about movies.
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
Perhaps this is poorly done satire? I'm going to assume that this is just poorly done satire, otherwise I think I'd feel like I lost fifty IQ points for reading it. I'm also going to assume that my free preview copy hasn't been fully copy edited yet because I don't understand why someone like Joe who professes to love cinema so much keeps making mistakes regarding film, such as calling Brad Pittle's character in Fight Club Tyler Dern. That's right. Brad Pittle. Tyler Dern. Or watching the French prison movie En Prophet rather than a movie that actually exists, say Un prophète. I'm not even a movie buff and I seem to know more that Joe about movies. (And it isn't as if all characters/movies/actors are slightly misspelled to avoid legal implications or something. Most are spelled correctly.)
The writing, sadly, is actually decent. The pacing is great. Just the story, of Joe continually and effortlessly saving the day while banging girls in their twenties (plus one teenager), is so moronic and facile that the whole thing smacks of stupidity and wish-fulfillment. Ebner should maybe try his hand at something a little more meaty and put this whole nonsense of a story behind him.
Movie Game by Michael Ebner went on sale May 5, 2016.
I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
We have Joe. He's seventeen. He has limitless access to alcohol, and drugs. He has no parental oversight and does whatever he wants. He has a quip and a comeback for every situation. Women drop their panties at the sight of him. FBI agents need his help. He'll do anything to protect his sister. He knows everything there is to know about movies.
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
Perhaps this is poorly done satire? I'm going to assume that this is just poorly done satire, otherwise I think I'd feel like I lost fifty IQ points for reading it. I'm also going to assume that my free preview copy hasn't been fully copy edited yet because I don't understand why someone like Joe who professes to love cinema so much keeps making mistakes regarding film, such as calling Brad Pittle's character in Fight Club Tyler Dern. That's right. Brad Pittle. Tyler Dern. Or watching the French prison movie En Prophet rather than a movie that actually exists, say Un prophète. I'm not even a movie buff and I seem to know more that Joe about movies. (And it isn't as if all characters/movies/actors are slightly misspelled to avoid legal implications or something. Most are spelled correctly.)
The writing, sadly, is actually decent. The pacing is great. Just the story, of Joe continually and effortlessly saving the day while banging girls in their twenties (plus one teenager), is so moronic and facile that the whole thing smacks of stupidity and wish-fulfillment. Ebner should maybe try his hand at something a little more meaty and put this whole nonsense of a story behind him.
Movie Game by Michael Ebner went on sale May 5, 2016.
I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2016
Great read, though it did take me a while to get used to the writing style.
This is the story of Joe, a mad movie buff, and what happens to him and his sister after his mother and father split and leave home. The storyline is imaginative, funny, unbelievable, sad but overall really interesting. With terrorists, FBI agents, sexy girlfriends, pretend boyfriends, movie references galore and much more, there is a lot to enjoy.
Pick this up with an open and and you will enjoy it, and if you like your movies there is even more to enjoy.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This is the story of Joe, a mad movie buff, and what happens to him and his sister after his mother and father split and leave home. The storyline is imaginative, funny, unbelievable, sad but overall really interesting. With terrorists, FBI agents, sexy girlfriends, pretend boyfriends, movie references galore and much more, there is a lot to enjoy.
Pick this up with an open and and you will enjoy it, and if you like your movies there is even more to enjoy.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2015
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for review.
This was a unique and very funny read which I really enjoyed. It has a suburban noir style to it with a cinephile slacker at the story's center. Joe is quietly furious with the world and I found him amusing and comical and harmless for the most part. He is delusional for sure which is part of the book's main theme of fiction which is evident throughout in the sub plots and side characters and their constant cravings for escapism via fiction. I especially liked the ending and thought it was clever and understated.
This was a unique and very funny read which I really enjoyed. It has a suburban noir style to it with a cinephile slacker at the story's center. Joe is quietly furious with the world and I found him amusing and comical and harmless for the most part. He is delusional for sure which is part of the book's main theme of fiction which is evident throughout in the sub plots and side characters and their constant cravings for escapism via fiction. I especially liked the ending and thought it was clever and understated.
May 27, 2020
This is a terrific book! I would recommend it to anyone who likes movies, or just a good romp. I don't usually read novels, but wanted something to distract me. It was definitely worth it.
I love stories where it is someone clever against the world. Good for you, Joe.
This is wonderful, please read it.
I love stories where it is someone clever against the world. Good for you, Joe.
This is wonderful, please read it.
September 23, 2016
I received a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
This book was awesome! I had such a good time reading it, and Joe's passion for movies was so much fun.
I'm gonna miss the characters, and that means I really really loved the story. <3
This book was awesome! I had such a good time reading it, and Joe's passion for movies was so much fun.
I'm gonna miss the characters, and that means I really really loved the story. <3
February 9, 2024
The Kindle version of this book is messed up. I feel like neither the publisher, editor, nor author even glanced at it. Sentences get a new line character at random locations. Pages break randomly. The margins change page to page.
I also couldn't figure out why I was supposed to care about any of the characters. They were all assholes I had no interest in. Maybe that was the point? I see this is listed as literary fiction.
Anyway, I got an ARC copy for free to review, so consider that.
I also couldn't figure out why I was supposed to care about any of the characters. They were all assholes I had no interest in. Maybe that was the point? I see this is listed as literary fiction.
Anyway, I got an ARC copy for free to review, so consider that.
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