The Genie Game
A Novel
Will be published approx. on 28. May 2026
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-1-4197-6437-0 (ISBN)
Description
Harriet the Spy meets Black Mirror in The Genie Game, the start of a thrilling new middle-grade series from Jordan Ifueko, author of the New York Times bestselling fantasy Raybearer.
Four starred reviews! "Positive, powerful, and action-packed." (Kirkus)
Valentine Adesanya has two missions: 1) become a Feared and Fabulous Film Director and 2) find her missing big sister, Mango. She suspects The Trio Trust, a collection of creepy mega-companies that now rule the United States, made Mango disappear.
A text lures Valentine to a magical boba shop, which comes to life and tells Valentine she is now a GENIE: a member of the General Employee Network of Immortal Engineers, an underground workforce run by the Trio Trust. Genies may only leave their bottles to grant the wishes of mortals. With each granted wish, The Trio Trust gains more magic, and so the Trio hosts a glamorous wish-granting competition, rewarding top players with fabulous prizes. The twist?
The greedy Trio forbids genies from using magic. Genies must grant wishes using nothing but smarts, luck, and elbow grease.
To free her sister Mango and escape the Genie Game, Valentine must score more wish-granting points than any other Genie. But how did the Trio Trust get so powerful in the first place? Why is a magical monster stomping through her home city of Gloss Angeles?
And why does the Trio Trust seem so afraid of 13-year-old Valentine Adesanya?
Four starred reviews! "Positive, powerful, and action-packed." (Kirkus)
Valentine Adesanya has two missions: 1) become a Feared and Fabulous Film Director and 2) find her missing big sister, Mango. She suspects The Trio Trust, a collection of creepy mega-companies that now rule the United States, made Mango disappear.
A text lures Valentine to a magical boba shop, which comes to life and tells Valentine she is now a GENIE: a member of the General Employee Network of Immortal Engineers, an underground workforce run by the Trio Trust. Genies may only leave their bottles to grant the wishes of mortals. With each granted wish, The Trio Trust gains more magic, and so the Trio hosts a glamorous wish-granting competition, rewarding top players with fabulous prizes. The twist?
The greedy Trio forbids genies from using magic. Genies must grant wishes using nothing but smarts, luck, and elbow grease.
To free her sister Mango and escape the Genie Game, Valentine must score more wish-granting points than any other Genie. But how did the Trio Trust get so powerful in the first place? Why is a magical monster stomping through her home city of Gloss Angeles?
And why does the Trio Trust seem so afraid of 13-year-old Valentine Adesanya?
Reviews / Votes
"The Genie Game is equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. Jordan Ifueko has created a world where imagination is the only cost of admittance, and magic and adventure wait around every glossy corner." * Kwame Mbalia, New York Times bestselling author of the Tristan Strong series * ***STARRED REVIEW***"The series opener is lighthearted but grapples age-appropriately with heavy themes, such as exploitation under capitalism, labor rights, and the epidemic of missing women of color...Positive, powerful, and action-packed; will hook adventurous readers." * Kirkus Reviews * ***STARRED REVIEW***
"Clever writing dazzles with whimsical details...This impressive volume is at once playfully imaginative and grimly familiar in its portrayal of capitalism's influence and the power of corruption." * Publishers Weekly * ***STARRED REVIEW***
"In her series opener (and first book for middle-graders), New York Times best-seller Ifueko has crafted a fantastically dystopian world of artificiality while taking the be-careful-what-you-wish-for trope to a new level. The satirical commentary on capitalism, technology, and industrialization provides for an intense but humorous story that is digestible for young readers and entertaining for adults, too." * Booklist * ***STARRED REVIEW***
"The latest work by Ifueko continues to confirm her fantasy worldbuilding and character development expertise....Readers of sci-fi fantasy books will love this inventive new addition."
* School Library Journal * "While the topics are big, they're handled with the care and explanation needed to introduce such themes to a younger set without ever feeling overbearing or forced, and it's all wrapped up in a unique and compelling adventure that will have readers hungry for the sequel." * The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books *
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Abrams
Target group
Young adult
US School Grade: From Fifth Grade to Ninth Grade, Interest Age: From 10 to 14 years
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Dimensions
Height: 206 mm
Width: 136 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
386 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4197-6437-0 (9781419764370)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Jordan Ifueko is the New York Times bestselling author of the Raybearer series. She's a Nebula Award, Ignyte Award, Audie Award, and Hugo Lodestar finalist, and she's been featured in People magazine, NPR Best Books, NPR Pop Culture Hour, and ALA Top Ten. She writes about magical Black girls who aren't magic all the time, because honestly, they deserve a vacation.