Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of over thirty novels. He won the 2015 (United States) National Book Award for Young People’s Literature for Challenger Deep. His novel Scythe was a 2017 Michael L. Printz Honor book, and is in development with Universal Studios as a feature film. His novel Unwind has become part of the literary canon in many school districts around the world, and has won more than thirty domestic and international awards. He co-wrote the novel Dry with his son Jarrod, and in addition to being on numerous award lists, Dry is currently in development with Paramount Pictures. His latest novel Game Changer is in development with Netflix as a TV series, and Neal is co-writing the pilot episode. Neal lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and is looking forward to the end of the pandemic, so he can return to travelling the world on speaking trips where he gets to meet and sign books for for readers.
Today, Neal Shusterman is on the blog to answer a few of our questions about Game Changer. Read on!
Neal Shusterman
Tell us about your book, Game Changer!
NS: Game Changer is a story about empathy. The main character, Ash is a fairly oblivious white heterosexual male—but in the course of the story, he’s going to have all his notions of the world, and of himself, challenged. He’s going to have a crash course in racism, sexism, homophobia, and privilege through a series of world-bending events that will hit him harder than he hits on the football field. It’s a story of alternate universes, where the changes aren’t just external, but internal as well. Ash will not only face the prospects of different realities, he’ll experience different selves – and see perspectives he’d never been able to see before. My goal was to take the overdone “white-male-hero-who-saves-the-world” trope, and flip it. This is a story of that same character learning that he’s not the hero he thought he was, and the only reason the world needs saving is because of his own actions … and inaction. Game Changer is about accepting personal and social responsibility, even when it’s painful. It’s about growing into accountability–which is something every teen–and adult–needs to face if we’re ever going to truly thrive as a society.
Where did the inspiration for this book come from?
NS: At a school visit, a student asked if I’d ever write a sports story, and if I did what would it be about. Off the top of my head, I said, ‘Maybe an American football player who tackles so hard, he bounces into alternate dimensions.’ It got a laugh from the audience, but the idea stuck with me. It wasn’t until many years later that I realised it could be a vehicle for teaching a character social responsibility — by forcing him to see perspectives he’d never considered before.
After his accident, Ash starts to experience life from other perspectives, which opens his eyes to how privilege works when it comes to race, gender, sexuality and so on. How did you approach the writing of this aspect of the story?
NS: Very carefully! I spoke with lots of people in the LGBTQ+ community, as well as Black friends and authors, as well as women who’ve been victims of abuse. I had them read early drafts to give feedback, because it was incredibly important to me that I be respectful and authentic. I don’t have the authority to tell stories from their point of view — the best that I could hope to do was get my character to experience their point of view himself.
Is this a standalone novel or can we expect to see more adventures with Ash in the near future?
NS: This is a stand-alone novel. It’s in development as a TV series with Netflix, and if that happens, there will be more to explore!
‘There’s that old expression — don’t judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. As a writer, I want to take that even further.’
What made you want to become a writer?
NS: I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love writing stories. I had great teachers along the way who encouraged me, and when I read books that I loved, instead of saying “I want to read something else like that,” my response was always, “I want to write like that!”
Who do you most admire in the writing world?
NS: Oh, so many writers! I admire Jason Reynolds and Jackie Woodson for their brilliant work, and for opening the door for other writers of colour. Laurie Halse Anderson, for always taking on such important subjects, across multiple genres. Andrew Smith for a narrative voice that reminds me of my personal favourite, Kurt Vonnegut. Veronica Roth, who’s not just a wonderful writer, but one of the nicest people ever! I could list dozens!
What was the last book you read and loved?
NS: This is How You Lose the Time War. I read it in a zoom book club made up of my fellow National Book Award Judges. Mind-expanding science fiction!
What do you hope readers will discover in Game Changer?
NS: Perspective, plain and simple. If there’s one belief that infuses everything that I write, it’s that perspective is the only way we’ll ever come close to answering the hard questions, and solving the problems we face. There’s that old expression — don’t judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. As a writer, I want to take that even further. It’s more than just walking in someone’s shoes — it’s also understanding the reason for the journey. I want to show readers what it means to be the road.
And finally, what’s up next for you?
NS: I have tons of projects in the works. In addition to many of my books in development for film and TV, I have a new novel coming out in November 2021, cowritten with my son Jarrod that takes on the opioid crisis, called Roxy, and a graphic novel with a Holocaust theme entitled Courage to Dream, coming out in early 2022. Those are already completed — but there are plenty of others that I’m working on right now. Stay tuned!
Thanks Neal!
—Game Changer by Neal Shusterman (Walker Books Australia) is out now.
Game Changer
Ash is used to taking hits on the field for his high school football team – until he takes one that doesn’t just impact his body, but his whole reality. It starts with one small shift, but with every game, every hit, Ash finds himself pushed through a succession of universes almost-but-not-really like his own, until the small shifts in reality become significant shifts in Ash’s own identity.
As Ash experiences life from other perspectives, he starts to question the world he thought he knew, as well as the ones he finds himself catapulted into...
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