Gotcha! by Shelley Hrdlitschka

Children's Literature

Katie McLeod does not want to participate in the grade 12 bead game known as Gotcha! but Katie's best friend Paige convinces her to play. Since the prize for winning this year is $2,120, people soon resort to dangerous tactics that sometimes border on stalking. The only way for players to protect their beads is to link arms with another player still in the game, but Katie quickly learns even this is not enough. She attends a party after spraining her ankle, but the partygoers get angry when she embellishes the story behind her injury. The others attack Katie and her date Joel and take away her crutches, leaving Katie and Joel to crumble to the floor. This still is not enough, as the mob jeers for her to walk to the kitchen to prove she did not make up the injury itself. Katie is only saved by the arrival of Warren, the class president, who ends the harassment and retrieves Katie's crutches. Katie considers quitting the game but decides instead she must win it all when she loses the Gotcha! funds after loaning them to her deadbeat dad. Katie betrays Paige, Joel, and other friends on her way to the top, only to be betrayed by Warren himself, who cheats his way to victory. Though she assumes she is immune to the mob mentality that takes over the night of the party, Katie finds it difficult to take action when the other seniors decide to punish Warren. The subject matter seems more suited to high school students, though Katie's voice frequently seems inauthentic, and the inclusion of a hemp string with a bead—similar to those described in the game—seems an inappropriate choice that could encourage other teens to try playing the game despite the dangers depicted. Reviewer:Jennifer Wood

KLIATT

The senior class of Slippery Rock High School is psyched to play Gotcha, a traditional pre-graduation game now banned by the school's administration. The students take their game underground, hiding it from the officials. In Gotcha, each participant has a bead on a string and the name of a "victim." Once the victim is tagged, the other student gets the bead and the name of the victim. The game goes on until there is only one player remaining. The cost to enter into the game is $10, and the winner will receive $2,120. It seems harmless enough, but the game is essentially encouraging the students to stalk one another and scheme against each other. Katie doesn't want to participate, but can't get out of it. When she loans her father the prize money, she ends up determined to win. The game quickly spirals out of control, with students going to great lengths to obtain more beads. Katie is horrified at the plotting and mob mentality, but finds herself helpless to stop it or go against it. It's up to Katie to put a stop to the madness, but can she do it in time? Though the plot sometimes drags, the game always moves quickly, keeping the reader interested. The alliances, set ups, and schemes packed into the story make what initially seems like a fairly straightforward game much more interesting. Katie's misgivings about the destructive nature of the game will force readers to wonder how she could give in to something she didn't think was right to begin with. Reviewer: Amanda MacGregor

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up

About to graduate from high school, Katie needs money for college, which motivates her to play a game banned by the school administration. Played only by seniors, Gotcha! has gone underground this year. The person who acquires the most beads from fellow players wins, and this year the jackpot exceeds $3000. Despite the competition bringing out the worst in people, the size of the prize makes it worthwhile even with the inevitable dangers. Friends betray friends. Students risk physical harm, trying to avoid having their beads captured. During the game, Katie seems to have acquired an added benefit: a boyfriend in Joel. Unfortunately, she doesn't know whether to trust that he really likes her or to believe he's angling to win the game. Worse, as class treasurer, Katie is keeping the prize money in her bank account, and she lends it to her dad, who recently left the family and has a gambling addiction. It's a long and circuitous path to the end of the story. The premise holds promise, but the execution is barely competent.-Catherine Ensley, Latah County Free Library District, Moscow, ID

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