I have read everything Ali Hazelwood has published and loved every word. This sample definitely has her wry wit, humor, and pop culture references, but it's a bit of a stray from her usual basis in the STEM world. Like many of Hazelwood's main characters, Mallory is struggling - with family, life trauma, and finances. But Mallory seems sharper than most of the author's other protagonists. I also don't play chess or know really anything about the game but I'm hoping Hazelwood's writing and character development will pull me in more when I read the rest of the book. All of her other books have been worth it, despite being set in scientific worlds I don't really understand.