About the Author

T. L. Costa writes thrillers for young adults. Her debut, Playing Tyler, will be released in July from Strange Chemistry Books. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, she taught high school for five years before becoming a full-time mom and writer. She has lived in Texas, New York, New Jersey and Spain. Currently, she lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children.

Reviews

Video games, drug abuse, and the business of war combine in Costa's of-the-moment debut novel. Seventeen-year-old Tyler McCandless is an exceptionally talented gamer, but he doesn't fit the stereotype. He has ADHD, which can make social interactions tricky, but he's also ripped and loves flying planes even more than gaming. Those two skills earn Tyler the attention of Rick Anderson, an businessman/mentor who hires him to test an experimental flight simulator designed by 16-year-old gamer/prodigy Ani Bagdorian. Tyler and Ani fall for each other, which complicates matters when they realize that the simulator is more than a game, as readers will guess early on. Costa updates War Games for the 21st century, asking teens to consider the ethics of private contractors, drone warfare, and collateral damage. Tyler and Ani's rapid romance sits somewhat uneasily with the buildup of the story's action, but Costa adeptly gets inside the heads of two idealistic but conflicted teenagers trying to balance the personal, familial, and national responsibilities that have been dumped on them. Ages 14-up. Agent: Jenny Bent, the Bent Agency. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.