The Game by Teresa Toten

This book came recommended to me by a friend from work. It has been sitting on my shelf for a bit and now that it is summer I finally had time to pick it up. The Game tells the story of Dani Webster- who when we meet her has just been admitted into a treatment facility for teenagers with issues. As Dani adjusts to life inside this facility we learn that she was there as a result of substance abuse, but the more Dani reveals about herself, the more we learn why she turned to drinking. As Dani tells her story, the reader gets flashbacks to her past and to The Game she played with her sister Kelly. The story is disjointed in parts, because Dani is struggling to know what is real and what is part of the Game. Inside the treatment centre, Dani finds friends who are there with their own issues, but truly care for Dani and try to help her out. This book was unlike any book I have read before. Reading about Dani's stuggles to come to terms with her life and how she learned to deal with a very challenging situation at home was hard. The way the author chose to share Dani's story helps the reader understand how difficult recovery is. It took some time to get into the story, trying to follow Dani's scattered mind as she puts together all the pieces of her past was difficult. But, I did enjoy the story and it was great to kick off a summer of reading!