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    The Word Game
    The Word Game
    The Word Game
    Audiobook5 hours

    The Word Game

    Written by Steena Holmes

    Narrated by Kristin Watson Heintz

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    USA Best Book Award Winner in General Fiction

    For overprotective parent Alyson Ward, any time her daughter, Lyla, is out of sight is reason to panic. So it’s a big step for her when she lets Lyla attend a sleepover at her cousin’s house. Comforted by the knowledge that her sister, Tricia, is the chaperone, Alyson does the one thing she never thought possible: she lets go and trusts that her daughter will be safe.

    But Alyson’s sense of peace is short lived. When Lyla comes home the next morning, she reveals something that could tear apart not only their family but also the entire community. Now, Alyson and Tricia must confront their painful shared past as they come together to help a little girl who they fear might be harboring terrible secrets similar to their own. Will the sisters be strong enough to face their demons in order to protect the child, even if it means telling their most private truths?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateNov 3, 2015
    ISBN9781501274398
    The Word Game
    Author

    Steena Holmes

    Steena Holmes is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of titles including Saving Abby, Stillwater Rising, and The Memory Child. Named to the “20 Best Books by Women in 2015” list by Good Housekeeping and Redbook, Steena won the National Indie Excellence Award in 2012 for Finding Emma as well as the USA Book News Award for The Word Game in 2015. Steena lives in Calgary, Alberta, and is a self-proclaimed “travelholic” who can’t resist a good cup of coffee. To find out more about her books and her love of traveling, you can visit her website at www.steenaholmes.com or follow her journeys on Instagram @authorsteenaholmes.

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    Reviews for The Word Game

    3.5/5

    43 ratings12 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Due to a traumatic event in her past, mom Alyson Ward keeps a protective and close watch over her ten-year-old daughter, Lyla. So when she allows Lyla to go on her first sleepover--to another friend's house--it's a big deal for Aly. Her fears are somewhat calmed by the fact that Lyla will be staying with Aly's sister Tricia and a group of her friends from dance class. All in all, it seems like a fun sleepover. But after Aly picks Lyla up, she has some troubling things to tell her Mom. Have Aly's worst fears come true after all?

      This book was a quick read with a timely plot. It's always horrific to read about abuse, especially at it relates to children. In many ways, I would have enjoyed this book more if Aly was simply an overprotective parent and the story unfolded based on what happened at the sleepover, without involving Aly and Tricia's past. The novel unwinds from both their perspectives, as well as that of their mother, Ida, and their friend, Myah, who teaches the girls' dance class. For me, the messed up family tale involving Aly, Tricia, and Ida simply became too much after a while - the constant bickering and allusions "to things in the past." When all is revealed, it's shocking and horrible yes, but really just poorly overshadows what was otherwise a fairly well-written and interesting (albeit sad and horrific) story about the women's daughters.

      Also, while we get a lot of arguing among the elder sisters and their mom, and whispers about their troublesome upbringing and childhood, there's no real character development, so I wound up feeling more annoyed by them (especially Tricia and her mom) versus sympathetic. It seems especially appalling that no one listens to Aly -- you'd think one would rather be safe than sorry when the subject is potential child abuse.

      I'm giving this three stars for the story that focuses more on the younger generation and Myah, but feel the book needed to better deal with Alyson and Tricia's backstory and character development.
    • 3/5
      This was a tough subject but I just didn't care for the book. For me, I didn't feel as though the characters were developed enough which just left me not really caring about any of them.
    • 5/5
      From my blogI couldn't stop reading this, I wanted to call in to work and say I had more important things to do, which was finishing this book. The story completely captured my attention. This is the perfect book for an advocate group on sexual abuse to read and discuss with each other. What I loved the best that Steena Holmes did was not make it emotionally driven to the point where you have to warn readers about possible triggers to sexual abuse as their were no descriptions. This wasn't about the act but more about what do you do with suspicions or when a young child repeats something and your unsure.Alyson was my favourite character, she had a traumatic experience when she was young which makes her overprotective with her daughter Lyla. The unfortunate part is her family treat her with kid gloves and thinks that she exaggerates everything. Alyson has a great trusting relationship with her sister Tricia and so when Tricia has a huge sleepover with all the dance girls she says yes. Her son is allowed a friend also, so here starts the preteen drama, boys and girls in the house together, hmmmm.The night goes well but when Lyla is telling her mom about it, she innocently says Keera, Alyson's sisters best friend daughter makes this statement. "She said she wanted to know if a boy's kisses are different than a man's."Alyson's world stops, is history repeating itself. She is happy her daughter told and it wasn't her daughter involved but she goes into advocate mode. This is where the story is edge of your seat worthy until the end. We then see how adults deal with a suspicion of sexual abuse to a child. This would make for some great discussion. Secrets, lies, debates, anger, betrayal, all sorts of emotions start. I also enjoyed that the grandparents were in the story. We were able to see how another generation dealt with accusations of sexual abuse, bringing family together but also keeping mouths shut. A huge question would be how do you protect the child, the parents, the abuser if they are innocent? It can wreck everyone's world but what if the accusations are true? Alyson is angry that everyone is not making critical fast decisions which trigger her past more.Tricia is having coffee with her friend which is also the principle and makes a statement without thought. In my opinion she knew exactly what she was doing and I was proud that the principle went into risk of abuse mode.This story is an important one for young adults to understand when secrets should be revealed, how adults should deal with possible abuse, generational decisions and how they affect adults and when adults need to be honest with children. Again, I didn't think the author underplayed the circumstances but made it readable for all, such an important topic can be to hard to read about but was perfectly executed in my opinion, it was powerful. A great portray of friendships, marriage, culture pride, cousin connections, sibling relationships and a little bit of dance mom drama. A perfect character driven book, a loved the execution of this story which was told by the 3 adult, Alyson, Tricia and Myah, the mom of Keera.
    • 4/5
      This was a hard, sad look at dysfunctional families, guilt, and secrets long buried finally coming to light. The subject is harsh but it is told in a non exploitative manner. I felt a strong connection to the character Alyson, and though she was described as a helicopter parent she certainly had her reasons for being so protective of her daughter. This was a thought provoking story of the courage it takes to come forward even when you think nobody may believe you.
    • 4/5
      What words describe a parent’s relationship with a child or with a spouse? What words make promises while promising to break them? And what words betray a secret never to be told?In The Word Game, words can’t be unsaid, and a mother once wounded can’t sit back and let another child be hurt. But are the words truth, exaggerations, lies of offense or defense, or simply confusion? Does a child try too hard to please mother, father or friend? And how do you balance protection against the people you’re going to hurt?Author Steena Holmes does an excellent job of conveying the languages of teens and adults, the secrets behind their careful words, and the pain of not being believed. The Word Game offers a well-researched portrayal of how claims of sexual abuse are dealt with now and in the past. But it also offers a well-plotted story of friends caring for each other, the trust between adults, and the same trust shared between children. It’s a vivid haunting tale, well-told and highly recommended.Disclosure: It was included in a deal. Lucky me.
    • 4/5
      I received this book free from net galley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Alyson is a helicopter mom whose 10 year old daughter has been kept very sheltered. When Lyla is allowed to go to her very first sleepover at her cousin's house along with some other children, Alison's stomach is tied in knots at letting go even a little of the apron strings that connect her and her child. When Lyla comes home the next day, in her accounting of the events of the previous night are some things that just don't seem right and alarm bells go off in Alyson's head. She suspects that another girl, Keera has been sexually abused, but when she shares her concerns with her sister Tricia, who tells their mother, no one believes her and thinks she is overreacting. Tricia's daughter Katy was there, and swears Lyla is making things up and it became she said/he said as both women believe what their daughters have told them. But even if there's suspicion, can we just sit back and do nothing? Alyson, being a victim herself, just can't let it go. It angered me that Alyson had to keep defending her actions. Even her own mother and sister seemed to be more concerned about Alyson being wrong and embarrassing them. While a lot of the story deals with Keera, there's a lot of family dynamics going on with Alyson, Tricia and their mother. At a time when Alyson needed her mother the most, Ida was not supportive and their relationship has been strained since. But there's a lot Alyson doesn't know. There are many secrets with this family that gradually are revealed in this story; things that should have been brought to light years ago. This book is heartbreaking. From what I have read of Steena Holmes work so far, they are well written and very emotional. This one was no exception. A child should never have to go through what Keera experienced, the loss of innocence in a child is so tragic. At a time where they should only be girlfriends and Barbies, sleepovers and recess, Keera is thrown into a life she should never know. I thought the author captured the emotional aspect quite well; with the subject matter, some parts were so difficult to read but I couldn't stop reading. I like Alyson; even though she's wound a little too tightly, there should be more women like her that stick to their convictions and do the right thing if it isn't the popular thing. Even with the events in her past, she showed healing is possible, and she grew into a kind and loving person. I didn't care at all for Alyson and Tricia's mom Ida. Aside from the history of their rocky relationship,I didn't see a lot of actual caring or warmth. I did find some parts a little repetitive, everyone was so concerned with "did anything actually happen" as opposed to doing something about it. And what's with everyone being cranky with Alison because "the decision should be made as a family". What does the family decision have to do with doing the right thing and helping Keera? Whether or not the family approves doesn't even come into play there. This is a pretty short book but one that will pack a wallop, and not be quickly forgotten. Thanks to net galley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.
    • 1/5
      After Alyson’s daughter Lyla comes home from her first sleepover, Alyson is disturbed by some of the things she mentions. Alyson confronts her sister, Tricia, the chaperone. I’m not really sure what to say about this book. I hope adults don’t act like this. I thought their responses were completely wrong. In a world where sexual abuse is prevalent, I didn’t understand their hesitation in confronting the issue head on. It is much better to protect the child than to worry about gossip and reputation. Overall, a bust.
    • 2/5
      The subject matter of this book is no laughing matter. It is a serious one. Not just parents but everyone should be aware of the subject matter and how to identify the signs. This is why I became frustrated with most of the characters in this book because it seemed that only Alyson was the only one that took the situation very serious. Towards the end the rest of the characters did come together and help make the situation a better one but by than I was so over the people that it was a little too late for me. Also, I felt the story was just ok. I have read other books by this author so I know that Steena Holmes can write and bring emotion to her characters. This is why I was disappointed that I did not experience this while reading this book.
    • 3/5
      Alyson "Aly" Ward is the quintessential helicopter mom. She's not overbearing, but she is overly protective and hyper-vigilant about her daughter and her daughter's activities. Aly's behavior stems from a childhood incident involving a neighbor and an attempted molestation. In Aly's mind, this event was made even worse because her mother didn't really believe her accusations. Now Aly must decide whether to err on the side of caution or do what must be done to protect another child in The Word Game by Steena Holmes.Although Aly is considered a helicopter mom, she isn't a tiger mom always making excuses for her child no matter the occasion. Aly trusts her daughter and knows that she wouldn't lie about events that took place at her sister's house during a sleep over. When Aly seeks to gain more insight from her sister, Tricia, and niece, Katy, she's immediately placed on the offensive. Aly's only recourse is to ask for advice from her friend, Rachel, who just happens to be the principal at the elementary school. What happens next is much more than a she-said versus she-said event or one person rushing to judgment; it is the emotional and physical health and well-being of a young child at stake. Has Aly jumped to conclusions? How far is too far when a child's safety is a stake? Will her efforts to protect a child from a potentially abusive relationship cause irreparable harm to not only the family of the child in question, but to her family as well? The Word Game is a touching story about one community and child molestation. Aly is an overprotective mom, but she has good cause to be concerned as she was the victim of sexual abuse as a child. Yes, she may have leapt to conclusions in the past about certain situations, but she's always done what she feels is the right thing to do in order to protect children that might be in a harmful situation. Aly is not only fighting against her family in order to protect a possibly endangered girl, but she's also fighting against her memories of the past. The Word Game deals with some harsh topics, namely child molestation, but it does so in a respectful manner without providing graphic details. This in no way lessens the emotional horror felt on behalf of a young child dealing with sexual abuse. Ms. Holmes has once again provided a stirring story that packs an emotional wallop without detracting from its readability. Is it possible to enjoy reading a story that deals with such a horrific topic? Yes it is, especially when it is done tastefully and Ms. Holmes has done just that with The Word Game.
    • 3/5
      There is a fear involved. A fear that turns into a knot in the pit of your stomach. And in that knot, that tortured piece of your soul, there is a secret that will seep into your veins like a poison. There is no easy way to tell a secret. It’s actually easier to deny it. It’s easier to just keep breathing, keep ignoring that knot, just put one foot in front of the other. Keep moving. Pretend that the innocence, the purity, was not torn away unjustly. Just keep it a secret. It’s these secrets that Steena Holmes has turned into the reality of the Wilhem family in her latest novel, Word Games. This is a story we’ve all heard, and sadly – it’s a story far too many of us have lived. Word Games centers around Aly, an overprotective (helicopter, if you will) mother, and Keera, her niece. Aly allows her daughter to attend her very first sleepover with some friends, including Keera. While the party was coed, it was also moderately supervised. Kids, however, will be kids. And that evening, there were whispered confessions and shared secrets that sparked a chain of events that changed the lives of many. The topic of sexual abuse is sadly, still taboo, but Holmes tackled it with grace and sensitivity. In that sense, this novel definitely hit the mark. There are, unfortunately, too many places where this story falls short. There are too many moments in this novel when the opportunity for emotion and detail is completely ignored. The writing is impeccable and very endearing, which is no surprise coming from Holmes. The story flows easily, though incredibly predictable. It almost flows too easily, too quickly, that it is difficult to really get to know the characters. It was difficult to really feel for the victim in the story, because the reader barely understands her, rarely hears her speak and never sees her thoughts.It is a very commendable task that Holmes took on in this one, but she sadly falls short. Is it possible that we will get a part two like Holmes previously did with Emma? I sure hope so, and I hope she takes her time telling that story.
    • 3/5
      In The Word Game, Steena Holmes tackles the difficult subject of child abuse. She does this in a sensitive and tasteful manner. Told from multiple points of view, the reader gets an emotional insight into how one extended family copes with the initial suspicion, the doubt, the worries, the loyalties right through to the aftermath. The family dynamics and the relationships between mother, sisters and daughters were described very well, and the portrayal of the characters as well as their dialogue made them seem very real. What was missing for me was some depth, something to make this story memorable. But I guess that's a difficult thing to achieve with such an intricate topic and only 207 pages. As it was, it was a quick easy read but didn't leave any lasting impression. Therefore, 3.5 stars.Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
    • 5/5
      This was a tough book to read because of the subject matter but well worth it. Its a story about secrets and about how far mothers should go to protect their children. The story centers around two sisters Alyson and Tricia and their 11 year old daughters. Alyson has always been overly protective of her daughter and at the start of the story has allowed her to go to her first ever sleep over. What her daughter shares with her the next day can upset her family, her friendships and her community. Steena presents the story in a way that is very thought provoking and its a real page turner because you are anxious to see how everyone reacts. I have read all of Steena's books and this is her best one yet. I highly recommend it