The Genie Game: Grant wishes. Earn points. Escape the game!

By Author / Illustrator

Jordan Ifueko

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Piccadilly Press

ISBN

9781800785267

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

21-04-2026

Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author Jordan Ifueko comes a dazzling middle-grade adventure set in a glitzy, dystopian Los Angeles where a young girl on a mission to save her sister finds herself thrust into a world of genies, magic and mystery!

One wish could change everything. But what if the game is rigged?

13-year-old Valentine Adesanya is desperate to find her missing big sister, Mango. So when a mysterious text from Mango leads her to a boba shop, Valentine follows. But when she arrives, instead of finding her sister, she's pulled into the Genie Realm, a magical world where kids become 'genies' and grant wishes to power the Trio Trust, the mega-corporations secretly running Gloss Angeles.

To escape and rescue Mango, Valentine must compete in the Genie Game: a wish-granting contest where only cleverness, grit and a little chaos will get her to the top. But as she climbs the leaderboard, Valentine uncovers a monstrous secret buried beneath the glittering surface. Has the game been rigged against her since the start? How did the Trio Trust get so powerful? And why do they seem so afraid of Valentine Adesanya?

Harriet the Spy meets Black Mirror in this thrilling middle-grade debut from the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of the Raybearer books. Perfect for fans of Nevermoor, The Marvellers and Percy Jackson!

Reviews

Sue

When she receives a mysterious present on her 13th birthday, Valentine Adesanya suddenly remembers her older sister, Vanessa - but she is the only one who seems to realise that Vanessa, or Mango as Valentine calls her, is missing. With the arrival of a text supposedly from Mango to a boba shop, Valentine unwittingly becomes entangled in the Genie Game, a wish-granting contest, controlled and organised by the Trio Trust, three powerful corporations behind everything in Gloss Angeles where Valentine lives. Now a genie, Valentine uncovers secret after secret as she strives to save her sister and change the world.

Action-packed and pacey, The Genie Game manages to be light-hearted in tone whilst packing a powerful punch in terms of themes such as monopolies and exploitation. Valentine is an inspiring character, full of personality and determination. Her life in this dystopian version of Los Angeles is, like everyone else's, completely controlled by the Trio Trust and her parents, Nigerian immigrants, are keen for her to get a job as a corporate executive, not a 'future feared and fabulous film director' which is her dream. Although occasionally stubborn, her big heart, determined nature and desire for justice make Valentine a force to be reckoned with as she takes on all obstacles in her quest to find her beloved sister.

The world-building of the story is brilliant, using the alternate universe to expose and explore the often misleading ideas sold by huge corporations, making this a very thought-provoking read, drawing parallels with 'real life' events. The idea of wish fulfilment and the different levels of wishes, from whimsical thoughts to powerful, life-changing desires and everything in between, also makes the reader reflect on things which are genuinely important. There is much to recommend this one!

306 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher