Endgame by Melinda Salisbury
Description:
“Bestselling YA author Melinda Salisbury delivers a hair-raising thriller as Ruby, Freya and Ivy team up to take down the Ash Tree Foundation once and for all.
Ruby, Freya and Ivy are all survivors of the Ash Tree Foundation, an organisation that claimed to help teenagers deal with technology addiction but which was a front for a dangerously addictive augmented-reality platform, Novo Reality.
Novo Reality was the brainchild of tech-baroness Dagmar Nilsson, who disappeared without trace when the Foundation was busted. But now, a year later, just as the girls are all preparing to start a new chapter of their lives, it becomes clear that Dagmar is continuing with her aim of world domination.
Can the three friends draw her out of hiding and shut down the Foundation for good, or will Dagmar’s dream of controlling the world finally come true?
Because the Endgame is coming, and someone is going down …
Particularly suitable for readers aged 11+ with a reading age of 8.”
My review:
I am giving this book a rating of 4 out of 5.
**Please note: I am not the intended audience for this book!**
I read this book as one of several dyslexia-friendly titles that I hope will improve my own writing skills, since my ambition is to write a series of dyslexia-friendly YA novels myself. Therefore, I want to make certain upfront that I’m not the type of reader this book was written for (i.e. readers aged 11+ years with a reading age of around 8 years).
Nonetheless, I genuinely enjoyed this book! I believe the intro section that clearly explained the storyline of previous novels in this series is a great accessibility feature, and meant this book could be read as a standalone story. However, I would recommend younger readers enjoy the series in it’s entirety in order for them to get to know the characters properly.
I found the characters believable in terms of their behaviour and capabilities. Additionally, the relationships Ivy (POV protagonist) and her friends have with their parents are very well written.
While this is a shorter read, I still found it possible to connect with the protagonist’s plight – especially since she was the narrator of this story.
Settings are nicely described, and the author uses sensory details to pull the reader in.
The reason I’m giving this book 4 out of 5 instead of 5 out of 5 is because I found some of the language to be a little above what I’ve known dyslexic readers, or those with a lower reading age, to find accessible; though that is based on my experience working with some amazing students at a high school a few years ago, so there’s every chance my opinion on this is clouded a little by my own experiences, so perhaps check the book is suitable for the young person in your life before handing it to them! I also found the ending to be quite rushed, which could have the potential to disappoint a few readers.
All in all, however, I think that – overall – this book is a brilliant read for younger people with dyslexia and/or a lower reading age, and I highly recommend it.
Read in: May 2026
Format: Paperback
I’m including the date and format in which I experienced this story for transparency, since whatever is going on in the world (and a reader’s private life) at the time of reading, along with a book’s reading format, can impact an individual’s enjoyment of a story.
Disclaimer: I purchased this book. All opinions expressed in this review are mine and have not been influenced by the author or publisher in any way. This book review does not contain affiliate links.