SLAY

Written by Brittney Morris, Michael Boatman, Alexandra Grey and 2 more

Narrated by Kiersey Clemons

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2019!
“Gripping and timely.” —People
“The YA debut we’re most excited for this year.” —Entertainment Weekly
“A book that knocks you off your feet while dropping the kind of knowledge that’ll keep you down for the count. Prepare to BE slain.” —Nic Stone, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin and Odd One Out

Ready Player One meets The Hate U Give in this dynamite debut novel that follows a fierce teen game developer as she battles a real-life troll intent on ruining the Black Panther–inspired video game she created and the safe community it represents for Black gamers.

By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only Black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the “downfall of the Black man.”

But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for “anti-white discrimination.”

Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Sep 24, 2019
• ISBN: 9781508296065

Brittney Morris

Brittney Morris is the author of SLAY, The Cost of Knowing, and The Jump, and has written video game narrative for Insomniac Games’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for PlayStation 5, Unknown Worlds’s Subnautica: Below Zero, and Soma Games’s The Lost Legends of Redwall. She is the founder and former president of the Boston University Creative Writing Club. She holds a BA in economics. You can find her online at AuthorBrittneyMorris.com and on Twitter or Instagram @BrittneyMMorris.

Reviews for SLAY

[Geneviève Rouleau · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

TW : racism, antisemitism, racist slurs, sexism, hate crimes, violence

THIS BOOK ? I really don't understand how VR works, and I'm definitely not a gamer, but this was amazing! ?

This book is about race, culture, identity, Black history, gaming, the token Black friend, and what it means to be a Black gamer. SLAY created a community for fellow Black gamers, so they can play in a safe space, in a universe filled with aspects of their history. It was absolutely beautiful.

Let's talk about Malcom : UGH. From the start, I didn't like him. He is subtly verbally abusive, and I didn't like how he dimmed his Queen's light. There are some very important points made about him at the end of the book, but I can't say more without spoiling.

Can we now talk about Kiera's younger sister? A-MAZING. I love how this whole story brought them closer together. And Claire.??

I loved how the story unfurled at the end. MAJOR. PLOT. TWIST. And... everything afterwards, it was just so perfect. ?

[hailey soliz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Amazing! The description of it being a mix between Ready Player One and The Hate U Give is exactly what it is! It was an unexpected read but I’m really glad I read it!

[Cheryl Thomas · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My favourite part about the book is different prospective, where the parents are actually in the story and know about the people around the main character.

[d-fbuser-79911981 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

AMAZING!!! MUST-READ!! Very relevant and reflective of what is happening right now

[divasilk · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“SLAY” is an amazing art piece! A young black queen who not only games but creates worlds, fosters community and brave space for those who don’t find it in their every day lives. She does not take on this success by herself but is encouraged and supported by other black queens. I love this! I wish for this created world.

Kiera is a revolutionary that takes up a very different mantle than what we’ve seen. She has a quiet resolve that doesn’t seek to be the voice or the face of a movement but seeks to provide a platform of expression and release. We need more characters like hers fight -isms in unexpected ways. Ways that won’t retraumatize readers but give them a release.

[Keri Perkins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book. A well written book that addresses racism, community and the gaming world. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. I will be recommending to the young adults at my library.

[Andrea Lowry · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Y'ALL THIS BOOK !!!
This is the best damn black history book i have ever read/heard. All tho I am only 13 years old but I read/heard 1 book a month. so if you do the math that is 156 books in my life. We are going to say that haft of those were black history books so that is 78 books. and this is
THE BEST BOOK out all of the them. my fav part of the book is the end.

[Keia Pannell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved every minute of this book. Black excellence on every page.

[Paloma Priester · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really like this one. This game should be real.

[Jalisa Brooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I started this book Thursday morning at 11 am. I am now just finishing this book Friday evening at 11:56 pm!! THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!!! End of story. Period. Get you a copy, you wont regret it. And have a nice day! No, but seriously, I am beyond impressed with the writing in this book, it kept me entertained the whole way through and the plot twist I DID NOT see coming (I usually can see it a mile away)! Mrs. Morris used real life events in this book that makes it more intriguing; and can we also talk about the fact that we have black girls using coding and engineering in this book to develop their own vr game... talk about black girl magic! HIGHLY recommend any and everyone pick up this book, you'll cry, smile, laugh, and get mad. That makes for a fantastic read!

[Sandy and Words · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this novel! It had a little bit of everything: social commentary, nerd girl, cool girl, strong black girl, smart black girl, confused black girl. The final chapter was a bit too tidy for me at the end. For me, that was its biggest weakness.

[melissa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love the strength and struggle displayed in this book. I really enjoyed how the author addressed social justice issues (race & gender roles). Overall great read.

[SHAKETTA FRANKLIN · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really great read with great messages in between that intertwines virtual reality!

[sjgirl-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Since I’m not a gamer initially I was a little concerned that the gaming aspects of this one would be a struggle for me but this did a fantastic job of explaining how these types of games work without it coming off as a confusing info-dump and most importantly the author through Kiera, Cicada, and other gamers POV’s really helped me understand how and why Slay meant so much to its players so even though gaming isn’t something I do, I became invested and appreciated its importance in these characters’ lives. I mentioned that there are a few different POV’s here which I know isn’t something all readers enjoy, but for the most part the story does stay with Kiera, only the occasional chapter is given over to other characters and those characters do very much add to the emotional impact rather than feel like they’re taking time away from Kiera. A tragedy that reverberates into the game created an almost thriller like atmosphere at times, it becomes very much a page-turner, but even more than that the depth of this really stood out to me. Whether it was secondary characters so fully realized that I could easily imagine any one of them taking center stage in their own story or the frank conversations about race that featured a range of opinions or how every single one of Kiera’s relationships with friends, with her family, and with her boyfriend, were realistically layered, often both loving and complicated, my favorite example of that came late in the book, a scene between Kiera and her sister in the car, there is so much they’re feeling in that moment, fear and frustration on her sister’s part, and the specter of race and how it hovers over everything making an already horrible situation feel like it could take an even worse turn all while Kiera’s reeling from a painful truth. I defy anyone to truly take in that scene and continue to paint all young adult novels with the same brush as if they’re all somehow less than, gems like this one dig in and offer as much complexity as any adult title.

[thereserose5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There's definitely some necessary suspension of disbelief around the ability of two teens to manage a video game as large as Slay, but the characters feel so real that it makes up for it. An exciting and heartwarming read!

[perkykeri · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was an excellent read.
It was well written and addressed racism, community and the gaming world.
I'm looking forward to reading more from this author and I will suggest this book to the young adults at my library.

[sarah220-732610 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really liked the premise and the characters were well developed and interesting. The pacing felt a little slow for much of the book (a lot of explanation, and worrying from the narrator). Also, having a window into the video game design world, it's hard for me to believe that a teenager and a college student (across the world from each other) could reasonably build a VR MMORPG. It did have a solid, suspenseful ending.

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

By day, Keira is an excellent student at an exclusive school where she is one of just a couple African-American students. Privately, Keira is Emerald, founder of an online game community called SLAY that celebrates black excellence. When a teenager is killed in real life about a controversy inside the game, Keira is torn about how she should respond. Is she is in legal trouble? Should she reveal her identity? After a new player enters SLAY who trolls Emerald, she is forced to take action. A compelling read with strong characters. The teaser I read described it as Ready Player One meets The Hate U Give.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It took a while to get into "Slay" but I am so glad I persisted with it. Not only was it an action-packed read but it was also a wonderful testament to being Black. Kiera was a fabulous protagonist - strong, intelligent and brave, and proud of who she was.The sisterly bond between Kiera and her younger sister, Steph, was touching and I also loved Kiera's relationship with Cicada, who was a moderator of Slay. Despite having never met face-t0-face, there was a lovely friendship between the two young women.It was refreshing to have such inspiring female leads in the story. The males, on the other hand, especially Malcolm and Watt, were rather pathetic. Malcolm's attitude annoyed me from the start and I never thought he was worthy of Kiera.At first, I found the gaming aspect of "Slay" confusing, having never played video games before, but I was soon intrigued by the world of Slay that Kiera had created. The virtual duel between Emerald and Dred had me on the edge of my seat along with half a million Slayers. It was nail-biting.Overall, "Slay" exceeded my expectations and was a fabulous read.

[rdwhitenack · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book! Really excited to have something to pair along side Ready Player One. Main character is a female black teen game developer. I think many will relate to her or be interested in her character. Black culture is at the forefront here, which is also great. Fast read and very entertaining.

[jnwelch_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

SLAY by Brittney Morris is a young adult book featuring a "blacks-only" massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) created by high schooler Kiera. Having repeatedly experienced racism in popular MMORGs, she wanted to create a safe space that would both celebrate black culture and give blacks an exciting game of their own. After a player is murdered, the game gets accused of exclusionary racism, and her masked identity becomes the subject of fervent media interest. She has not let anyone, including her parents and judgmental boyfriend, know she's the developer and gamemaster. She wants to protect her beloved online community and her own privacy, but both are under threat.This was both an engaging read, with appealing game battles, and thought-provoking as to common problems experienced by black high schoolers in majority white situations. Even Kiera's close white friends thoughtlessly expect her to be "the voice of her people", and have trouble realizing there are as many different perspectives within the black community as in the white. There are some cardboard characters (including, unfortunately, her parents), but the book's strengths lie in showing diverse black perspectives and the fallacies even well-meaning whites fall prey to. This is a good one for thoughtful young videogamers, methinks, but even old farts can enjoy the story and the thoughts provoked.

[hccpsk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you’re willing to suspend reality to believe that a high school student programmed and manages an online, VR, dueling game played by hundreds of thousands of people around the world without her parents, sister or best friends knowledge then Slay may be the book for you. Kiera is that extraordinary character-- a social-justice-warrior-black student at a mostly white school dealing with college applications, tutoring her friends, dealing with a domineering boyfriend...oh, yeah, and running her extremely popular video game, Slay. Brittney Morris has done a really great job integrating a strong black identity theme into the book, and I loved the sprinkling of chapters voiced by other players, but at times her narrative gets waylaid by unnecessary (and dare I say...ridiculous?) plot points. Slay is an interesting first novel by an excellent author with a lot of important things to say that make it worth the time even with the missteps.