Ana Valdez is from the distant future in which the world lives inside of domes and is run by androids that oversee and take care of the human population. Ana is chosen to take place in a futuristic version of a reality TV show. She is to travel back to the past and get Carson Wheeler to propose marriage to her within six weeks. If she is successful when she returns home, she and her crèche mates will earn another five years on their life span. Carson Wheeler is a widower who has seen more than his fair share of tragedy. Over two years ago his wife died of cancer leaving him with his infant daughter Elizabeth and his young son Jackie. He remarried quickly on the rebound and then his second wife stole his baby daughter and disappeared. Carson is determined to never trust or become involved with a woman again. But will Carson be able to resist Ana? Can Ana fulfill her mission for the game and then walk away? Oh and the game judges add a twist at the last moment and Ana arrives with no memory of who she really is.

Game Time by Mary Ann Chulick is a fascinating story that compares what our current society is like against what one version might be for a future society. It took me a little while to decide if I liked the situation that Ana is placed in. Since the future world is run by androids they don’t take human emotions into account when they planned the game. I loved Ana’s character; she is intelligent, caring, and generally a sweet personality but the game judges have left her very vulnerable in this game situation. I also like Carson’s character but he has been through enough and it seems cruel of the game people to use him this way. Now that being said, Ms. Chulick does a fantastic job of drawing me into these characters lives and making me feel for them. That is the problem. I was unhappy with the game officials because of how this game will affect the lives of Ana, Carson, and even Jackie. But I stayed with the story and I’m glad I did. The book doesn’t end the way I expected it to but I was happy with the solution the author comes up with in the end!

Reviewed by: Stephanie B.