This book was amazing! I'm a huge fan of Ali Hazelwood, and this one was absolutely no exception. For a YA book it was really good - I'm always surprised when authors switch ages because it's not always done well, but this one absolutely was. I really liked all of the characters, especially Oz, and the discussion about Mallory's "emotional support sandwich" in the car made me laugh SO HARD. Also, I only know the very basics of chess - my now ex husband taught me and I remember the bare minimum now - but you really don't need to know anything at all about chess in order to enjoy this book. I found that it was much more about the characters, and less about the game. I'm sure if you know how to play you'd get even more enjoyment out of the book, but even knowing nothing I gave it five stars. I loved reading about Mallory's relationships with her mom, siblings, and eventually Nolan. Overall an excellent book that you should definitely read!