Playing Tyler - A Great Read!

~ I received a copy of this book from the publisher or author to facilitate this review.  I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~

Synopsis: Ani is a geek girl, a legendary gamer and a 16-year-old Yale computer programming prodigy—basically she’s an outcast in her own right. 17-year-old Tyler can’t focus, even when he takes his ADHD medication. Tyler’s dad is dead, his mom has mentally checked out and his brother is in rehab again. Just when it seems Tyler’s life is on a collision course with a life sentence at McDonald’s, an exciting opportunity to test a flight simulator designed by Ani makes Tyler think his life might be turning around. Together, Tyler and Ani team up and discover that the simulator is being used for darker purposes than either originally realized.

My Review: 

One (or more) Sentence Summary:  Just as the title page asks, “when is a game not a game”?  In Playing Tyler, the title character is given a drone “simulator” from a gaming company that apparently has ties to the military industrial complex.   It gets very exciting when Tyler figures out, his gaming is really him flying missions in Afghanistan.    

Favorite Character(s):  Playing Tyler is written in 2 narratives; Tyler and his soon to be girlfriend, Ani, another gamer who actually wrote the program for the drone simulator.  They are such great characters.  The action really heats up as they figure out what is happening and try to put a stop to it. 

What Others Are Saying: "Fresh. Thrilling. Heartfelt. I'm running out of adjectives, but trust me. You will love this book."
- Kristan Higgins, NYT and USA TODAY Bestseller author of THE BEST MAN

Fast Read/Slow Read:  Playing Tyler was a quick read!

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: Of course I would! Playing Tyler is a great YA read.

Meet the Author: T. L. Costa is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and has a Masters of Teaching from Quinnipiac University who 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.

Connect: T. L. can be found on Twitter.

Purchase it:  You can purchase Playing Tyler online at Amazon for $9.99 ($5.79 Kindle version).