THe impossible game

How do you win a game where the rules keep changing and you don’t even know how to play?

Jamie has always hated football. He is clumsy, self-conscious, and more familiar with embarrassment than victory. But when a mis-kicked ball vanishes into the clouds and returns transformed, Jamie finds himself pulled into a world that plays by a very different set of rules.

This is the Impossible Game.

In a reality that bends, adapts, and responds to who he is, not how well he scores Jamie must face challenges that test more than skill. From invisible paths and shifting mazes to battling his own shadow and unlocking doors with courage instead of keys, the game demands one thing above all: that he stops trying to be someone else.

Joined by other players, each with their own story and strength Jamie begins to understand that the game is not about football, or winning, or even escaping. It is about becoming. Learning to move through fear. And finding your way by playing your way.

The Impossible Game is a fast-paced, emotionally rich story for readers aged 9–13. It’s part adventure, part metaphor and every bit a reflection of what it feels like to grow up in a world that often doesn’t fit.

“An adventure for the ones who usually get left on the bench.”
This isn’t a sports story. It’s a story about feeling out of place and then finding your own way through the chaos. My son read it in two sittings and said, ‘It’s like the game knew me.’ That’s not something I hear often.
Miriam L., parent and former PE teacher

“Exactly what school libraries need more of.”
The Impossible Game speaks straight to the children who never feel like the ‘main character’ in life. It’s fun, fast, and clever but also quietly emotional. A powerful tool for any classroom discussion on self-worth and resilience.
Ben T., Year 6 teacher, UK

“What if you didn’t need to win to be enough?”
That’s the question this book holds in every chapter. It never preaches. It just shows a character learning how to exist on his own terms. One of the most quietly empowering middle grade stories I’ve read in years.
Siân R., Parent

“Starts like a game, ends like a life lesson.”
Our 10-year-old picked this because of the cover. We ended up reading it together. It’s packed with strange worlds and exciting trials, but the real hook is emotional, facing yourself, choosing your path, and realising you don’t have to be the best to belong.
David E., dad of two

1       Failure is part of the journey, not the end of it.
Jamie doesn’t win by becoming “good” at sport. He succeeds by learning to try again, to trust, and to grow from each fall.

2 .    Being different is not a flaw.
The game rewards creative thinking, emotional intelligence, and individuality. What makes Jamie “bad” at football makes him perfect for the Impossible Game.
 

3.      Real confidence comes from participation, not perfection.
The story dismantles the idea that you have to be the best to belong. Being willing to play is enough.
 

4.      Trusting your instincts matters.
Many of the game’s challenges are solved by feeling rather than thinking, by intuition, rhythm, and inner knowing.
 

5.      Friendship is built through shared challenge.
The relationships that form in the game show how true teamwork means recognising and valuing different strengths.
 

6.      Life is its own game, and you write the rules.
The final message is simple but profound: you do not need to be the best, you just need to play. And your way of playing is the right way.