Forever and a Game

Forever and a Game by Jason J. Herne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Forever and a Game. It was a surprisingly emotional read, but it also kept enough suspense and tension going that I wanted to keep reading and see where everything was heading.

What I liked most was Sam. His character felt very human to me. He isn’t someone who suddenly becomes fearless when things get serious. He struggles with anxiety, freezes under pressure, avoids confrontation, and keeps trying to rationalize difficult situations. A lot of that connects back to his childhood and his own experiences, which made his reactions feel believable. Even when I didn’t agree with what he was thinking or doing, I could understand why he was doing it.

His relationship with Felicity was probably my favourite part of the whole book. She is energetic, clever, talkative, a little socially awkward, and genuinely funny. I liked that she felt like a real child rather than just a plot device. The gaming scenes between her and Sam were especially cute and gave the story some lighter moments. Their relationship slowly becomes much more meaningful, and the moment when she tells Sam she wishes he were her dad really got to me.

I also liked how the darker parts of the story were handled. Sam doesn’t immediately rush in and become the perfect hero. He actually hesitates because he understands that exposing Luiz could have consequences for Felicity and her family. That hesitation made sense to me, especially considering his personality and his past. When Felicity is hurt and he finally decides he can't ignore what is happening, his reaction feels earned rather than forced.

The suspense worked well for me too. The mystery around the damaged equipment gradually becomes something much more serious, and I liked watching the situation get worse as Sam starts putting the pieces together. The final confrontation was tense, especially because Sam's usual way of coping doesn't magically disappear when he needs to be brave.

There are some genuinely funny and sweet moments as well. Felicity's enthusiasm, the gaming scenes, and some of the side characters helped keep the book from becoming too heavy. Those lighter moments were important because they made the emotional scenes hit harder.

My main criticism would be the pacing in some parts. The story moves quite quickly overall, which I liked, but there were moments where Sam's thoughts went over the same emotional point more than once. Some of the explanations, particularly around the technical mystery, also slowed things down a little for me. I think the book could have been even stronger with a slightly tighter edit.

My notes

- The psychology was my favourite part. Sam's fears and reactions actually felt connected to his past.
- I really liked the Sam/Felicity relationship. Their scenes gave the book a lot of heart.
- The suspense kept me interested, and I liked that the story still had cute and funny moments alongside the darker parts.
- I would have enjoyed it even more with a tighter pace and less repetition in some of Sam's internal thoughts.

Verdict
A very enjoyable, emotional thriller with a lot of heart. The characters—especially Sam and Felicity—are what made the book work for me. I liked the suspense, the darker storyline, and the little funny and feel-good moments scattered throughout.

4 stars from me. I would recommend it, especially if you like suspenseful stories with psychologically believable characters and a strong emotional connection between the main characters.