The Genie Game by Jordan Ifueko – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: social commentary in gaming adventure.
Children’s book title: The Genie Game.
Children’s author: Jordan Ifueko.
Genre: Children’s fiction, adventure.
Published by: Piccadilly Press.
ISBN: 9781800785267.
Recommended for children aged: 9+.
First published: Paperback April 2026.
This children’s book is ideal for: children who enjoy fast-paced gaming adventures with social justice themes.
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Our review:
Valentine Adesanya is 13, living in Gloss Angeles (previously Los Angeles), and dreams of being a Feared and Fabulous Film Director. She also has an older sister, Vanessa (or Mango, as Valentine calls her), but everyone seems to have mysteriously forgotten about her until a flying gift on her 13th birthday, with a note from Mango, makes Valentine realise something is very, very wrong. Before long, she finds herself led to a boba tea shop, where she is transported into the Genie Game. Valentine becomes a genie, or General Employee Network of Immortal Engineers.
Here in the Genie Realm, genies are trapped in their bottle buildings (in Valentine’s case, a boba tea shop called Bubby, who becomes her trusted friend), and they are only allowed out on wish-granting business. Grant wishes to earn points that can be spent on luxury items at the hypnomall. Climb the genie leaderboard and possibly earn your freedom. Genies at the top of the leaderboard earn fans and followers, becoming celebrities in the Genie Realm. Valentine had no choice about whether to enter the game, but now she has a decision to make. Should she play the game if it means finding Mango?
The world in which the story takes place is a stark warning about capitalist dystopia. The Trio Trust of Bubblebell Foods, Gloss and Gleam Beauty, and FareFyte Technology controls all production, having taken over all small businesses (and this is the reason Los Angeles is now Gloss Angeles). Ad drones aggressively market products, and social media influencers can make or break a business. There are several references to climate change, such as the snot rain and the innocently named ‘oopsie gases’ that are destroying the environment.
As the book progresses, the true reality of the ‘American dream’ is revealed, with horrific factory farming and cancer-causing pesticides. We realise that the ad drones are often marketing products that are only needed because of the actions of the Trio Trust in the first place. We are also warned about the consequences of apathy in the form of Gargan monsters, who feed on disappointment, sap energy and make people feel things like, ‘I wish this funny video was shorter.’
Immigration is a theme that appears several times, with a focus on the exploitation of those who were promised a better life. Valentine’s own immigrant parents are shown to be anxious for their children to get jobs that promise them security.
The Genie Game cleverly shows the reader how easy it is to be drawn into a ‘game’ that they may feel they have no choice but to try to win, and how easy it is to be distracted from social injustice, exploitation and the monopoly of fat-cat corporations. The short author’s note at the end is a call to action to be more aware and to hold companies to account.
The Genie Game is a fast-paced and intricate story that draws on gaming, social media and influencer culture in a way that young readers will relate to as they follow Valentine deciding who she can trust, whether to play or fight the game, and, most importantly, how she can find her sister.
Our verdict:
The Genie Game is an exciting adventure across real and virtual realms with themes that young readers can easily relate to. There’s a strong message about social justice and a call to action to fight exploitation.
- Bonnier Books UK’s The Genie Game activity sheet includes a character-clue matching task and a word search featuring Valentine, Mango, Bubby and other characters.
- Jordan Ifueko’s author visits page describes Genie Game LIVE!, an interactive storytelling workshop covering story structure, problem-solving and resource-management skills.
Many thanks to Piccadilly Press for the review copy.
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