book review you're invited

• ADMIN AREA MY BOOKSHELF MY DASHBOARD MY PROFILE SIGN OUT SIGN IN

YOU'RE INVITED

by Amanda Jayatissa ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 9, 2022

Crazy Rich Asians meets Gone Girl with a mostly all-female cast.

When a Sri Lankan woman now living in LA learns that her former best friend is marrying her ex-boyfriend, she will do anything to stop the wedding.

Amaya Bloom exercises complete control over her life while also looking to number symbolism to guide most of her actions and decisions. When she learns, via Instagram, that her former best friend, Kaavindi Fonseka, a glamorous influencer who runs a successful charity, is engaged to marry Amaya’s ex-boyfriend Matthew Spencer, and when an invitation to the wedding arrives, this could be Amaya’s chance to bury the hatchet—literally. For Amaya will fly back to Sri Lanka to attend the days of wedding festivities with a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C in hand, determined not to let Kaavi and Spencer tie the knot. The novel actually begins on the day of the ceremony, when it seems like Kaavi has been attacked in her hotel room and is now missing. Jayatissa then provides Amaya’s story, beginning at that same time but also flashing back to three months earlier, when the engagement is announced. Then it does the same for Kaavi, interspersing various “interview transcripts” from friends and family members as Kaavi’s disappearance is investigated. The twists, after they are revealed, may feel a little familiar to readers of thrillers, but the pacing is expert; in the moment, each is surprising and creates a need to recalibrate what is known about these characters. In addition to offering unapologetically strong, vividly imperfect female characters, the novel offers commentary on social privilege in Sri Lanka and on the gaudy, illusion-filled world of social media influencers.

Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-593-33512-3

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Berkley

Review Posted Online: July 7, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2022

SUSPENSE | THRILLER | SUSPENSE | PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE

Share your opinion of this book

More by Amanda Jayatissa

BOOK REVIEW

by Amanda Jayatissa

HOME IS WHERE THE BODIES ARE

by Jeneva Rose ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 30, 2024

Answers are hard to come by in this twisting tale designed to trick and delight.

Three siblings on very different paths learn that their family home may be haunted by secrets.

Eldest daughter Beth is alone with her fading mother as she takes her final breath and says something about Beth’s long-departed brother and sister, who may not have disappeared forever. Beth is still reeling from the loss of her mother when her estranged siblings show up. Michael, the youngest, hasn’t been home since their father’s disappearance seven years ago. In the meantime, he’s outgrown his siblings, trading his share of the family troubles for a high-paying job in San Jose. Nicole, the middle child, has been overpowered by addiction and prioritized tuning out reality over any sense of responsibility, much to Beth’s disgust. Though their mother’s death marks an ending for the family, it’s also a beginning, as the three siblings realize when they find a disturbing videotape among their parents’ belongings. The video, from 1999, sheds suspicion on their father’s disappearance, linking it to a long-unsolved neighborhood mystery. Was it just a series of unfortunate circumstances that broke the family apart, or does something more sinister underlie the sadness they’ve all found in life? In chapters that rotate among the family’s first-person narratives, the siblings take turns digging up stories and secrets in their search for solace.

Pub Date: April 30, 2024

ISBN: 9798212182843

Page Count: 270

Publisher: Blackstone

Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024

SUSPENSE | THRILLER | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP | SUSPENSE | GENERAL & DOMESTIC THRILLER | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE

More by Jeneva Rose

by Jeneva Rose

A CONSPIRACY OF BONES

by Kathy Reichs ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 17, 2020

Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival.

Another sweltering month in Charlotte, another boatload of mysteries past and present for overworked, overstressed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan.

A week after the night she chases but fails to catch a mysterious trespasser outside her town house, some unknown party texts Tempe four images of a corpse that looks as if it’s been chewed by wild hogs, because it has been. Showboat Medical Examiner Margot Heavner makes it clear that, breaking with her department’s earlier practice ( The Bone Collection , 2016, etc.), she has no intention of calling in Tempe as a consultant and promptly identifies the faceless body herself as that of a young Asian man. Nettled by several errors in Heavner’s analysis, and even more by her willingness to share the gory details at a press conference, Tempe launches her own investigation, which is not so much off the books as against the books. Heavner isn’t exactly mollified when Tempe, aided by retired police detective Skinny Slidell and a host of experts, puts a name to the dead man. But the hints of other crimes Tempe’s identification uncovers, particularly crimes against children, spur her on to redouble her efforts despite the new M.E.’s splenetic outbursts. Before he died, it seems, Felix Vodyanov was linked to a passenger ferry that sank in 1994, an even earlier U.S. government project to research biological agents that could control human behavior, the hinky spiritual retreat Sparkling Waters, the dark web site DeepUnder, and the disappearances of at least four schoolchildren, two of whom have also turned up dead. And why on earth was Vodyanov carrying Tempe’s own contact information? The mounting evidence of ever more and ever worse skulduggery will pull Tempe deeper and deeper down what even she sees as a rabbit hole before she confronts a ringleader implicated in “Drugs. Fraud. Breaking and entering. Arson. Kidnapping. How does attempted murder sound?”

Pub Date: March 17, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-9821-3888-2

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Scribner

Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2020

GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | MYSTERY & DETECTIVE | SUSPENSE | THRILLER | DETECTIVES & PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS | SUSPENSE | GENERAL & DOMESTIC THRILLER

More by Kathy Reichs

by Kathy Reichs

• Discover Books Fiction Thriller & Suspense Mystery & Detective Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Nonfiction Biography & Memoir Teens & Young Adult Children's
• News & Features Bestsellers Book Lists Profiles Perspectives Awards Seen & Heard Book to Screen Kirkus TV videos In the News
• Kirkus Prize Winners & Finalists About the Kirkus Prize Kirkus Prize Judges
• Magazine Current Issue All Issues Manage My Subscription Subscribe
• Writers’ Center Hire a Professional Book Editor Get Your Book Reviewed Advertise Your Book Launch a Pro Connect Author Page Learn About The Book Industry
• More Kirkus Diversity Collections Kirkus Pro Connect My Account/Login
• About Kirkus History Our Team Contest FAQ Press Center Info For Publishers
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Reprints, Permission & Excerpting Policy

© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Popular in this Genre

Hey there, book lover.

We’re glad you found a book that interests you!

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

• Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Contact us: 1-800-316-9361 or email [email protected].

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.

Book Review: You’re Invited by Amanda Jayatissa

By doreen sheridan.

Amaya Bloom has problems. Once a brash young woman ready to take on the world, nowadays she’s content to run a small spice shop in California and quietly stalk her former best friend on social media. Kaavi Fonseka seems to have everything Amaya once thought was within her reach, too: a glamorous life of wealth and influence, documenting her award-winning charitable efforts as well as her skincare routine and fashion tips for her legions of adoring fans worldwide. But most of all, Kaavi has a loving, tight-knit family that Amaya desperately misses, though it’s been five years since Amaya last had contact with any of them:

Things change as you grow. As you understand the world for what it is. That we overcompensate in our memories because we didn’t know any better at the time.    That was how I was expecting things to be with Kaavi and the Fonsekas.   I had hoped that it was all in my head. That I’d put them on some sort of pedestal because I’d missed them so much. That I had been looking at my past through glasses that were so rose-tinted that everything was just fluorescent pink at this point. But with Kaavi, it was the opposite. In our time apart, I’d withered away to less, and she’d blossomed to be more.

When Kaavi announces she’s getting married, Amaya is taken aback, then completely flips out after realizing the groom-to-be is Amaya’s own ex-boyfriend Matthew Spencer. Spencer, as he’s known, and Amaya had a bad break-up five years ago, an event that preceded the rupture in her own friendship with Kaavi. Seeing the two of them together now, loving and beautiful on all of Kaavi’s social media accounts, triggers something in Amaya. When she gets the invitation to Kaavi’s wedding in Colombo, Sri Lanka, she knows she has to do everything in her power to stop the wedding, even if the results could turn deadly.

There is so much I cannot say about this book because I do not want to spoil a single second of the reading experience for you. While several of the earlier plot twists seem telegraphed, Amanda Jayatissa is merely lulling jaded crime readers like myself into a false sense of complacency before delivering a series of knockout blows that had me gasping loudly, unable to put down the book till after I’d turned that last, memorable page.

And more than just being a devastatingly twisty thriller, the trenchant insight into being a modern woman—and even more specifically a modern woman navigating the tensions between the liberties taken for granted by Western culture and the more rigid expectations of a post-colonial Asian society—lent a greater depth and force to the badly behaved goings on of the characters here as they schemed and plotted their ways to their goals. Amaya, for example, hates her privilege but isn’t above using it when she must:

The panic on the security guard’s face made me feel like a real villain. I knew what I was doing. He knew what I was doing. I was playing my Colombo 07 Privilege Card. The card I hated everyone else in this town for playing. Where I would use my perfect westernized English and the wealth I had the luck of being born into to make someone else feel so small, so insignificant, so afraid of their status in life that they felt that they had no choice but to let me do what I wanted. Rich kids, the children of the politically connected, did it every day. Standing in lines, stopping for traffic cops, following procedure in public administration buildings wasn’t for them. For us.

As a Malaysian emigre who has firsthand experience with this kind of thing, reading this book made me feel like the living embodiment of the “I’m in this and I don’t (know if I) like it” meme. I was already deeply affected by Ms Jayatissa’s debut novel, My Sweet Girl . That was a head-rush of a thriller, a book that trapped its main character between the racism of her California home and the ghosts of her Sri Lankan upbringing. In her sophomore effort, the author brings her scarily sharp insight to bear on Sri Lankan society itself, skewering the pretentious and downright cruel without ever patronizing the culture or characters (though even as a self-possessed eldest child, I did think Tehani got the short end of the stick. The poor woman is trying her best, okay?!) 

Self-aware, suspenseful and scandalously witty, You’re Invited is one of my favorite reads this year so far. It’s the homicidal version of Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians , and deserves to be just as much of a blockbuster.

Learn More Or Order A Copy

Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt: Featured Excerpt

Complicity in friendship: a journey through suspense, cooking the books: a high tide murder by emily george, book review: you’d look better as a ghost by joanna wallace, doreen sheridan.

I hope you find this advice to be helpful. Please contact us if you require any additional assistance.

I’m going to read this. I’ll be sure to come back. thanks for sharing. and also This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. this is a very nice one and gives in-depth information. thanks for this nice article

This book is worth reading. Great work by the author. Congratulations.

Thanks for sharing such a good article.

That’s a great opinion.

There are many genres you have played but you may have missed a game that is worth a try, let’s experience it now!

Comments are closed.

The Book Dutchesses

Review | You’re Invited – Amanda Jayatissa

I downloaded this eARC on a whim to be honest, but as soon as I started it I was invested. So today I want to share my thoughts on this adult psychological thriller. Let’s jump in!

What could be worse than your ex-boyfriend marrying your childhood best friend? Getting accused of her murder… From the author of My Sweet Girl comes a dangerously addictive new thriller about a lavish Sri Lankan wedding celebration that not everyone will survive. When Amaya is invited to Kaavi’s over-the-top wedding in Sri Lanka, she is surprised and a little hurt to hear from her former best friend after so many years of radio silence. But when Amaya learns that the groom is her very own ex-boyfriend, she is consumed by a single thought: She must stop the wedding from happening, no matter the cost. But as the weeklong wedding celebrations begin and rumors about Amaya’s past begin to swirl, she can’t help but feel like she also has a target on her back. When Kaavi goes missing and is presumed dead, all evidence points to Amaya. However, nothing is as it seems as Jayatissa expertly unravels that each wedding guest has their own dark secret and agenda, and Amaya may not be the only one with a plan to keep the bride from getting her happily ever after…

Our main character in this psychological thriller is Amaya. And she just found out her ex-bestfriend is getting married to her ex-boyfriend. You can maybe imagine how she’s feeling. The book starts the morning of the wedding and it is clear something has happened and Amaya is involved. From that first chapter I was invested. I love dark and twisted thrillers and this was one of those for sure!

The book is set in Sri Lanka which made it pretty unique right away, I loved that we got a different setting. You can also tell that the author herself is from Sri Lanka. There was quite some commentary on Sri Lankan culture and traditions, which I found fascinating. It also reminded me a bit of Crazy Rich Asians in that regard.

“More like over her dead body. I mean, I could just kill that bitch.”

Amaya does not come off as a likeable person, just how I like my thriller main characters to be honest. She is obsessive, her thoughts scared me a bit at times, she self harms and is involved in BDSM. But there were also this little mentions of her past that made me question how she became the way we see her now. And are Spencer (the ex-boyfriend in question) and Kaavi (the ex-bestfriend) who they are portrayed to be. You mostly see Kaavi through her social media account and through Amaya’s eyes and that never gives an accurate portrayal of someone.

After that initial chapter we start three months before the wedding and we slowly make our way to the day off. In between chapters however we read investigator interview transcripts. And those definitely made me question what happened. I loved the twists and turns in this book. There were something I did see coming but others I was for sure surprised by. And isn’t that the best feeling? I also thought the ending was very satisfying and not what I was expecting.

“I’ll never be a victim.”

For me, at the core this book was about a -strained- friendship. There was quite some talk about the heartbreak that comes after breaking up with your best friend and I wish there were more books, movies or songs about that. Wherever you look you can find something about being heartbroken after a romantic breakup but we need meer about friend breakups!

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I couldn’t put it down and finished it so fast. It was a compelling psychological thriller with an interesting setting, good twists and an unique setting. I highly recommend this one!

Had you heard of this one? And have you read this previous book by this author? I’m definitely keeping a look out for her next work. Do you plan on picking this one up? Let me know in the comments!

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

• Bookreporter
• ReadingGroupGuides
• AuthorsOnTheWeb

The Book Report Network

Sign up for our newsletters!

Regular Features

Author spotlights, "bookreporter talks to" videos & podcasts, "bookaccino live: a lively talk about books", favorite monthly lists & picks, seasonal features, book festivals, sports features, bookshelves.

• Coming Soon

Newsletters

• Weekly Update
• On Sale This Week
• Summer Reading
• Spring Preview
• Winter Reading
• Holiday Cheer
• Fall Preview

Word of Mouth

Submitting a book for review, write the editor, you are here:, you're invited.

I had jumped at the opportunity to review Amanda Jayatissa’s debut novel, MY SWEET GIRL, because it sounded so unique. It offered exotic locations and characters I was not familiar with, along with an opportunity to escape into a different type of story. I had no idea that I was entering into one of the best reads of 2021, which ended up winning Best First Novel at this year’s International Thriller Awards. So you can imagine how excited I was to read her second novel.

I am pleased to report that YOU’RE INVITED is a worthy follow-up, a well-plotted mystery that will have readers puzzled right up until the final chapter.

"Jayatissa has immediately gained must-read status on my bookshelf, and I look forward to seeing what she has in store for us next."

Amaya is invited to the wedding of her childhood friend, Kaavi, in Sri Lanka. Kaavi just so happens to be marrying Amaya’s college sweetheart, Matthew Spencer. Amaya and Kaavi have not spoken in years, so you can imagine Amaya’s surprise when she receives a personal invitation from Kaavi and her family. She accepts and shows up with one thought in mind --- she must stop the wedding from happening. However, it turns out that Amaya’s motivation might not be mere jealousy but something else altogether.

The book’s structure is quite interesting. Scenes are written days prior to and following the wedding. Interspersed between these chapters are individual interviews between a local investigator in Sri Lanka and each of the attendees. The understanding is that the wedding never took place because something happened to Kaavi. The extent of this mishap is never fully told, which is all part of the genius plot that Jayatissa keeps close to the vest.

Each passing interview with a guest seems to uncover different secrets and resentments, providing numerous motives for various characters to have acted nefariously against the bride. Suddenly, falling back on blaming poor Amaya seems almost passe and far too easy a red herring to fall for. There are plenty of terrific plot twists and jaw-dropping revelations that will keep readers alert as their heads are spinning.

It is difficult to get into too much detail here without giving away a juicy tidbit that deserves to remain hidden and discovered. Jayatissa has immediately gained must-read status on my bookshelf, and I look forward to seeing what she has in store for us next.

Reviewed by Ray Palen on September 10, 2022

You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa

• Publication Date: August 9, 2022
• Genres: Fiction , Psychological Suspense , Psychological Thriller , Suspense , Thriller
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Berkley
• ISBN-10: 0593335120
• ISBN-13: 9780593335123

“You’re Invited” by Amanda Jayatissa

S et in a five Colombo beach resort in times more tranquil than Sri Lanka’s turbulent present, Amanda Jayatissa’s new novel, You’re Invited , begins when a young woman named Amaya notices dried blood under her fingernails and bruises on her knuckles just before her former best friend Kaavi weds Amaya’s ex-boyfriend, Spencer. Moments later, Amaya hears a knock on the door. Kaavi is missing and a search for her is underway. The mystery may appear solved before the story begins, but there are plenty and twists and turns to come. For the first two-thirds of the book, the chapters finish with an investigator’s interview with a member of the bride’s family or one of the guests. This structure gives voice to more than just the main characters and after each interview there seems to be another possible suspect in Kaavi’s disappearance.

 Amaya has a compulsive personality, always looking for numbers that will bring her good luck, whether it’s the time on a digital clock or a number on a room key. She also has a habit of imagining horrific endings for friends and acquaintances who say something to annoy her, even if these comments are not directed at her. But it’s the Colombo setting that gives this book extra flavor, starting with Amaya’s childhood home. Her British father had long returned to England and her Sri Lankan mother had passed away from cancer years earlier.

The house itself worked in layers. The outer ring was the veranda, which was dotted with large cane armchairs that were perfect for snoozing or reading. My mother never really used them, from what I can remember, and neither did I. The next ring was after you step inside the front door—the open corridor that led to our rooms… And finally, the last ring. The epicenter around which the house has been built. A spacious open courtyard sat right in the middle of the house, where a large Araliya tree spread its branches. When the flowers bloomed and the smell wafted through the house, it was like my mother hadn’t left at all.

Amaya and Kaavi were childhood friends in an exclusive neighborhood—Colombo 07—who both end up going to university in San Francisco. It’s in the Bay Area that Amaya meets Matthew Spencer—who goes by his surname—and the two date until they suddenly break up after graduation. She also has a falling out with Kaavi and the two go their separate ways. Now in her late twenties, Kaavi has become an Instagram influencer back in Colombo with her charity to help educate low-income Sri Lankan girls. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by Amaya, who out of envy has been stalking Kaavi on Instagram with fake accounts. Out of the blue, Kaavi invites Amaya to her wedding to the ex-boyfriend Spencer. Amaya is angry and curious enough to fly back to Colombo from California to see this wedding for herself.

The wedding was held at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, a real hotel with a history of more than 200 years; iIn the novel, it’s the same venue where Kaavi’s parents wed decades ago. Once Amaya was led out of her room while her room was searched for signs of Kaavi, she noticed hotel staff all around her that brought her back to another era.

There were security guards swarming everywhere I looked, as well as in-house guards. The security were in beige and brown, sticking out against the old portraits and colonial interior of the hotel, but the in-house guards were decked out in their postcolonial glory—white knee-length shorts, white knee-high socks, and wide-brimmed white safari hats. It was like stepping into a time capsule whenever I saw them.

The story is not told in chronological order and jumps around between the different days leading up to and after Kaavi’s disappearance. Several days before that, Amaya speaks with some of the aunties and they start making comments about Los Angeles, where Amaya now lives. One of the aunties starts in on the differences between Americans and the British.

“And you know, no matter what, I just can’t understand what those Americans are saying half the time. They are butchering the English language, I tell you. Absolutely butchering it.” Another round of laughter. Sri Lankan aunties have always been more protective of the queen’s English than the queen herself.

Jayatissa combines humor with local color for an engaging mystery in a place near and dear to her.

Susan Blumberg-Kason is the author of Good Chinese Wife: A Love Affair with China Gone Wrong .

Share this:.

• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Begin typing your search above and press return to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Get your first book for $5 with code PETALS at checkout.

Pick a book

• Current books
• Book of the Year
• How it works
• Virtual Book Tour
• Relationship status
• Give a gift
• Redeem a gift
• Group gifting

Get in touch

• Help center

Already a member? Sign in.

We’ll make this quick.

First, enter your email. Then choose your move.

By tapping "Pick a book now" or "Pick a book later", you agree to Book of the Month’s Terms of use and Privacy policy .

• Modern classics
• Famous authors
• Thriller books
• Historical fiction books
• Romance books
• Fantasy books
• Literary fiction books
• Mystery books
• Contemporary fiction books
• Horror books
• Legal thriller books
• Sci-fi books
• Young adult books
• Narrative nonfiction books
• Memoir books
• History books
• True crime books

Popular right now

• Ready or Not
• The Husbands
• Just for the Summer
• A Fate Inked in Blood
• Butcher & Blackbird
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Top Bookmoji

Search or browse

• May selections

Only on BOTM

BOTY Finalists

Blue Box Boutique

Debut authors

Repeat authors.

• Historical fiction

You're Invited

This is an early release that's only available to our members—the rest of the world has to wait to read it.

Excellent choice

Just enter your email to add this book to your box.

By tapping "Add to box", you agree to Book of the Month’s Terms of use and Privacy policy .

Welcome to the wedding from hell! We’ve got lost dresses, tabloids, private investigators, and an unexplained murder.

Good to know

Family drama

International

When Amaya is invited to Kaavi’s over-the-top wedding in Sri Lanka, she is surprised and a little hurt to hear from her former best friend after so many years of radio silence. But when Amaya learns that the groom is her very own ex-boyfriend, she is consumed by a single thought: She must stop the wedding from happening, no matter the cost.

But as the weeklong wedding celebrations begin and rumors about Amaya’s past begin to swirl, she can’t help but feel like she also has a target on her back. When Kaavi goes missing and is presumed dead, all evidence points to Amaya.

However, nothing is as it seems as Jayatissa expertly unravels that each wedding guest has their own dark secret and agenda, and Amaya may not be the only one with a plan to keep the bride from getting her happily ever after . . .

Content warning

Free sample, morning of the wedding.

I woke up with bruised knuckles and blood under my fingernails, more rested than I have been in years. I guess this is who I am now. The kind of person who would finally get a good night’s sleep after attacking someone else. The kind of woman who would fly halfway around the world to stop my ex–best friend from marrying my ex-boyfriend. If that’s one too many exes for you, well, it certainly is for me. But I’m also the kind of woman who does whatever it takes, so here I am.

Balancing my teacup in one hand, I opened the sliding door that led out onto the small balcony attached to my room at the Mount Lavinia Hotel. It overlooked the expansive private beach, which was deserted.

Of course it was. It was too early in the day for anyone to be out there. Maybe later on, but then again, who knows how things will pan out? The wedding would definitely be canceled now. The guests would all shuffle home, dispirited and upset. Or maybe they wouldn’t. Maybe they would just be grateful for the all-expenses-paid weekend, and take advantage of the beautiful beach and open bar. They would definitely mull around, gossiping and curious about what transpired. Aunties would have their own theories, no doubt, and phones will light up with messages about what happened to the unfortunate bride, Kaavindi Fonseka. This is Colombo after all.

It flickered in my stomach then—the first flutter of nervousness. I knew I couldn’t keep it away for long. It had been a simple plan, of course. But like all simple plans, it could be quite complicated unless you teased everything out. Laid everything bare. And like all simple plans, it had the potential to go very, very wrong.

Create a free account!

Sign up to see book details, our quick takes, and more.

By tapping "Sign up", you agree to Book of the Month’s Terms of use and Privacy policy .

Why I love it

Andrea Bartz

Author, we were never here.

If you loved Crazy Rich Asians but wished there were a little blood spattered across its gilded halls and sparkling jewels, have I got the thriller for you. You’re Invited is a slick, twisted, and relentlessly juicy novel with a quick-witted protagonist you’ll simultaneously love and distrust.

At the start of the story, Amaya scores a coveted invitation: Her former best friend, Kaavi, is marrying none other than Amaya’s ex in the Sri Lankan wedding of the century. Amaya, estranged from Kaavi and still raging about their falling-out, can’t believe she made the invite list but decides to go in order to stop the troubling union.

Then, mere hours before she’s supposed to walk down the aisle, Kaavi disappears. Investigators are stumped, wedding guests are imprisoned in their hotel rooms, and Amaya—who wakes with blood beneath her knuckles—thrums with panic. Through a carefully paced rewind of the months leading up to the disappearance, along with interview transcripts with those who knew Kaavi (and Amaya) best, we begin to see that beneath this celebration’s lavish exterior, secrets, lies, and betrayals are all brewing.

I can’t get enough of thrillers with complex female friendships at the center, and You’re Invited is pitch-perfect in its patient untangling of Amaya and Kaavi’s sordid past. It’s also a perfect poolside read for anyone with a penchant for travel and a fascination with the lifestyles of the rich and famous—I could watch Kaavi’s glamorous family plan a South Asian, high-society wedding all day. With dizzying, hall-of-mirror twists and a cutting examination of privilege and power, You’re Invited is a bloodthirsty beach read you won’t be able to put down.

Member ratings (23,172)

Howell , MI

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5! I was super hesistant at first because I thought I was going to strongly dislike Amaya but I got sucked in! Just when I thought I had things figured out, I was thrown a curveball!!

Litchfield Park , AZ

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for this drama filled story. I was truly shocked by the ending. This story will have you questioning the people in your past life. The book can be slow but the twists will make up for it.

Sugar Land , TX

This book had most of my favorite thriller characteristics: Suspense ✅ Multiple PoV ✅ Plot twists ✅ Questioning if the narrator is sane ✅ Just enough clues to keep you guessing ✅ Unexpected ending ✅

Greenwood , IN

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars. Loved this book! There’s so many details that you don’t want to miss and you aren’t sure who you can trust. Kept me mostly guessing until the end! Love me a good mystery

Columbus , OH

The words that come to mind for this one are “neat” and “tight”. I love when thrillers really do tie up all the details of all the loose ends. Loved the story, the peek into Sri Lankan society, etc.

Book Review: You’re Invited | Amanda Jayatissa

I completely loved Amanda Jayatissa’s debut psychological thriller My Sweet Girl so I basically purchased her next novel You’re Invited without a second thought. The stories are different but bring Jayatissa’s same Sri Lankan roots and culture to the forefront of the mystery. This time, it revolves around high society, filthy rich Sri Lankan families and a wedding that could put even the most opulent American weddings to shame.

In You’re Invited , a woman finds out her former best friend is marrying her ex-boyfriend and decides to go to the wedding to resolve things. Can you imagine attending the wedding between your ex and your former best friend? That would be a hard no from me, but that partly what made this story so fascinating from the very first page!

About the Book | You’re Invited

Amaya Bloom finds comfort and peace in living her life in a very controlled way. She is a believer in the symbolism and power of certain numbers, and uses those to make decisions and guide her life forward.

When she receives an invitation to her former best friend Kaavi’s opulent and over-the-top wedding in Sri Lanka, she is surprised. Kaavi and Amaya haven’t spoken for many years, though Amaya has kept up with Kaavi through an anonymous social media account she uses to follow her. And Kaavi loves to share her glamorous life, so she doesn’t exactly make it difficult.

But the invitation is even stranger because not only are Kaavi and Amaya estranged, Kaavi is marrying Amaya’s ex-boyfriend Matthew Spencer. Amaya knows she must attend and stop the wedding from happening, no matter what it takes.

But as the week-long wedding festivities begin, rumors about Amaya swirl and she can’t help feeling like she has a target on her back. When Kaavi then goes missing, all evidence makes it seem as though Amaya is to blame.

But Amaya isn’t the only wedding guest with secrets… What happened to Kaavi and who is responsible?

Goodreads | Amazon | Author’s Site | Where to Purchase

Review | You’re Invited

Having read two books by Jayatissa, she has shown herself to be an expert at weaving together a past and present storyline that seem to exist on different stratospheres. In reading the current events of her books, and knowing what we do about the past of the characters, it’s almost impossible to piece together how exactly they got so far from where they started.

In her prior book, My Sweet Girl , this was done through the events at an orphanage in Sri Lanka and the adult life of the main character who is now wealthy, spoiled, and living in America and spiraling completely out of control.

In You’re Invited , the timelines don’t move nearly as far back, but the questions and mysteries about what is going on all lie in the decades leading up to the main storyline. How did Amaya and Kaavi’s friendship fall apart? When did Kaavi and Spencer get together? What happened the last time Amaya was in Colombo? So many questions!

Amaya is a character that readers may have a hard time understanding at first. She is clearly suffering anxiety and finds signs, symbols, and atypical treatments to manage it. Though the number symbolism helps her at times, at others it is debilitating. She is also obsessed with her former best friend—stalking her social media using fake accounts and commenting on everything she posts, while simultaneously spiraling about how fake her online persona is. She also seems to punish herself. And something clearly is unresolved from her past in relation so her family.

At the same time, she quickly turned from vapid and a bit unhinged to sympathetic and compelling in my eyes. She still seemed unwell, but it became the sort of situation where I started to see her strength in coming to this wedding, rather than as a crazy stalker who jumped at the chance to see Kaavi.

“No one seems to understand that real loss never eases; we just become more adept at carrying a weight that settles deeper in our chests, smiling through it, pretending like we are totally fine whenever someone mentions them.”

In both books I read by Jayatissa, I loved learning more about Sri Lankan culture. The entire extravagant wedding festivities were fascinating in this book! I also found it interesting to learn more about wealth in Colombo and the relationship between families and their servants, as well as the mix of tradition and modern opulence.

The twists were a real mind-bender! A lot goes on and everything was turned on it’s head. In the second half of the book we get Kaavi’s perspective on things, but I didn’t really understand exactly what had happened until the very final twisted chapter. An absolutely wild read!

Check out the book club guide from the author on her website!

Other Books You Might Like

The obvious recommendation if you liked this book–from the thrills and twists to the Sri Lankan culture–is to go back and read Jayatissa’s first book My Sweet Girl , which I absolutely loved! Another book that blended a dark mystery, family full of secrets, and traditional versus modern culture is Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh. That family is seriously twisted and it features another fragile lead who I was never quite sure was a reliable narrator.

If the idea of a story that tells the timeline pre- and post- an unexpected disappearance to help you piece together clues about what may have happened, I would recommend reading Wendy Walker’s The Night Before . If the social media stalking aspect intrigues you, Kathleen Barber’s Follow Me will deliver that salacious look at the potential dark side of oversharing on social media.

About the Author | Amanda Jayatissa

Amanda Jayatissa loves to read disturbing books with shocking plot twists, so it seemed logical to her that she should attempt to write disturbing books with shocking plot twists. When she isn’t recovering from a self-induced book hangover, she works tirelessly as the chief taste tester at the cookie shop she co-owns.

She grew up in Sri Lanka and has lived in the California bay area and British countryside, before relocating back to her sunny island, where she lives with her husband and two Tasmanian-devil-reincarnate huskies.

Share this post!

You May Also Like

Book Recommendation: The Fury | Alex Michaelides

Book Recommendation: Well Played | Jen DeLuca

Psychological Thriller Review: Good Girls Lie | J. T. Ellison

Let me know your thoughts cancel reply.

How did that book end? Book spoilers to jog your memory.

Amanda Jayatissa | You’re Invited

The Book: 

You’re Invited by Amanda Jayatissa Published August 9, 2022 by Berkley Books Date read: August 4, 2022

The Characters: 

Amaya Kaavi

Buy it on Bookshop.org | Amazon

The Plot (from Goodreads ):

When Amaya is invited to Kaavi’s over-the-top wedding in Sri Lanka, she is surprised and a little hurt to hear from her former best friend after so many years of radio silence. But when Amaya learns that the groom is her very own ex-boyfriend, she is consumed by a single thought: She must stop the wedding from happening, no matter the cost.

But as the weeklong wedding celebrations begin and rumors about Amaya’s past begin to swirl, she can’t help but feel like she also has a target on her back. When Kaavi goes missing and is presumed dead, all evidence points to Amaya.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Caroline (@howdidthatbookend)

Nadia (Kaavi’s youngest sister, adopted by her parents) was actually Amaya and Spencer’s daughter. Spencer was abusive and a pedophile, and Amaya gave Nadia up to get her away from him. Spencer didn’t know Nadia was his daughter.

Amaya needed to stop the wedding to keep Spencer away from Nadia (and to protect Kaavi from his abuse). Amaya and Kaavi had made a plan for Kaavi to escape. When Amaya went looking for Kaavi, she found her in a shed with Spencer. Amaya ended up shooting Spencer with Kaavi’s gun.

Kaavi’s mom had supplied the gun and helped Kaavi with the real plan. Amaya was their backup plan for a scapegoat.

The Review: 

Who wouldn’t want to travel halfway across the world to attend their ex-boyfriend’s wedding?

I chose You’re Invited as my BOTM pick after giving a five-star review to My Sweet Girl last year. I’m a big fan of thrillers where weddings go wrong, and this cover sold it for me!

My favorite part of You’re Invited , similar to My Sweet Girl , was reading about Sri Lankan customs. I especially liked how it was applied to wedding etiquette in this case–I learned a lot about this multi-day affair that sounds like a blast!

Amaya is certainly an imperfect main character, and some may find her hard to like at the beginning of the book. She is obsessed with her ex-best friend and her life revolves around stalking Kaavi on her various social media platforms. She self-harms, which is described but never addressed. Rest assured, though, that her actions begin to make sense as the story progresses!

This book starts off slow, but a whole bunch of twists unravel at once in the end. Amanda Jayatissa certainly has a lot of skill as an author, and I will certainly be picking her books up again in the future.

Follow me on Bloglovin’ !

We're trying to grow our mailing list. If you join us and stick around, you will automatically be entered into two giveaways as a token of our thanks. And that's just the start!

Thank you! Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

• Pingback: Wrap Up | August 2022 – Bookends

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

 Yes, add me to your mailing list

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

• Biggest New Books
• Non-Fiction
• All Categories
• First Readers Club Daily Giveaway
• How It Works

Get the Book Marks Bulletin

Email address:

• Categories Fiction Fantasy Graphic Novels Historical Horror Literary Literature in Translation Mystery, Crime, & Thriller Poetry Romance Speculative Story Collections Non-Fiction Art Biography Criticism Culture Essays Film & TV Graphic Nonfiction Health History Investigative Journalism Memoir Music Nature Politics Religion Science Social Sciences Sports Technology Travel True Crime

May 14, 2024

• Jacob Silverman revisits Computer Power and Human Reason
• A firsthand account of the The Gaza Solidarity Encampment at Columbia
• John McPhee muses on proofreading and Wordle

Case Studies

The Science of Connection & Trust

You're  Invited  

Regardless of what we want to accomplish, from growing your business, creating a great company culture, championing a social cause, or affecting your habits, we can’t do it alone. The people around you define your success (whatever that means for you) and they have the potential to change the course of your life.

That’s what You’re Invited is about: The most universal strategy for success is creating meaningful connections with those who can impact you, your life, and the things you care about. But how do you make those connections and build trust quickly? What do you do if you’re introverted, hate networking, or don't know anyone? 

In You’re Invited, Levy guides readers through the art and science of creating deep and meaningful connections with anyone, regardless of their stature or celebrity, and demonstrates how we develop influence, gain trust, and build community so that we can achieve what’s important to us.

An International Best Seller

English, Simplified & Complex Chinese, Czech , Japanese,  Korean, Russian, Turkish, Vietnamese

T he art and Scienc e of Connection , Trus t, and Belonging

Download chapter 1 of my new york times bestseller you're invited ..

Eric Maskin Nobel Laureate, Economics

From his research and long experience, Jon is a master of building connections between people and enriching their lives in the process.

Iliza Shlesinger Comedian, Actress, Author

Explained in these pages are the how and why connecting with fascinating strangers is so important.

Nathan Adrian 8x Olympic Medalist

That's what this book illustrates so beautifully, life is about the people we surround ourselves with. Now I am borderline obsessed with the connections I have in my own life...

Pickup a Copy Today

Activities for better connections.

These free games and activities will make your zoom meetings, happy hours, and gatherings more fun.

• Business, Finance & Law
• Reference & Education
• Business Life

Your Amazon Prime 30-day FREE trial includes:

Unlimited Premium Delivery is available to Amazon Prime members. To join, select "Yes, I want a free trial with FREE Premium Delivery on this order." above the Add to Basket button and confirm your Amazon Prime free trial sign-up.

Important:  Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, you will be charged £95/year for Prime (annual) membership or £8.99/month for Prime (monthly) membership.

Buy new: .savingPriceOverride { color:#CC0C39!important; font-weight: 300!important; } .reinventMobileHeaderPrice { font-weight: 400; } #apex_offerDisplay_mobile_feature_div .reinventPriceSavingsPercentageMargin, #apex_offerDisplay_mobile_feature_div .reinventPricePriceToPayMargin { margin-right: 4px; } -22% £17.08 £ 17 . 08 FREE delivery Friday, 17 May Dispatches from: Amazon Sold by: Amazon

Return this item for free.

Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. For a full refund with no deduction for return shipping, you can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition.

• Go to your orders and start the return
• Select the return method

Save with Used - Very Good .savingPriceOverride { color:#CC0C39!important; font-weight: 300!important; } .reinventMobileHeaderPrice { font-weight: 400; } #apex_offerDisplay_mobile_feature_div .reinventPriceSavingsPercentageMargin, #apex_offerDisplay_mobile_feature_div .reinventPricePriceToPayMargin { margin-right: 4px; } £7.06 £ 7 . 06 FREE delivery 22 - 23 May Dispatches from: Greener_Books Sold by: Greener_Books

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Follow the author

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

You're Invited: The Art and Science of Connection, Trust, and Belonging Hardcover – 10 Jun. 2021

Purchase options and add-ons

** A  New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USAToday  Bestseller **

Regardless of what you want to accomplish, from growing your business, creating a great company culture, championing a social cause, or affecting your habits, you can’t do it alone. The people around you define your success (whatever that means for you) and they have the potential to change the course of your life.

That’s what You’re Invited is about: The most universal strategy for success is creating meaningful connections with those who can impact you, your life, and the things you care about. But how do you make those connections and build trust quickly? What do you do if you’re introverted or hate networking? 

Behavioral scientist Jon Levy had no money, reputation or status, but was able to convince groups of Nobel Laureates, Olympians, celebrities, Fortune 500 executives, and even an occasional princess to not only give him advice, but cook him dinner, wash his dishes, sweep his floors, and then thank him for the experience. The goal of his gatherings, much like this book, was not networking, but to build meaningful and lasting relationships.    

This private community based around the dinner experience became known as “The Influencers”, named for the member’s success and industry influence. Since its inception more than a decade ago, The Influencers has grown into the largest private group of its kind worldwide, with a thriving community both in person and through digital experiences.

In You’re Invited, Levy guides readers through the art and science of creating deep and meaningful connections with anyone, regardless of their stature or celebrity, and demonstrates how we develop influence, gain trust, and build community so that we can impact our communities and achieve what’s important to us. 

• ISBN-10 0063030977
• ISBN-13 978-0063030978
• Publisher Harper Business
• Publication date 10 Jun. 2021
• Language English
• Dimensions 15.24 x 2.36 x 22.86 cm
• Print length 272 pages
• See all details

From the brand

Page to Screen

New releases

Coming soon

Page-turning fiction

Biographies

Cook up a storm

Perfect gifts

Self improvement

Swoon-worthy romance

Fiction from around the world

Fantastic Fantasy

Product description.

“I know firsthand that Jon Levy understands a lot about human behavior---he got me and a bunch of other busy professionals to cook him dinner. From his research and long experience, Jon is a master of building connections between people and enriching their lives in the process. This book explains, simply and engagingly, how he does it." — Eric Maskin, Nobel laureate and economist

"I had no idea what to expect as I walked into a strangers house with a bottle of wine. The beauty of the experience was in the simplicity of it all. It wasn't extravagant or pretentious, instead it was a group of strangers cooking together. By the end we were all chatting like old friends. That's what this book illustrates so beautifully, life is about the people we surround ourselves with. Now I am borderline obsessed with the connections I have in my own life along with the connections in others' lives that led them to where they are today."  — Nathan Adrian, 8 Time Olympic Medalist, Team USA

“Normally when a strange man invites me to dinner, I decline. But I, like all of my dinner mates that evening, was inspired by Jon's unslakable curiosity about humans and how we form bonds. It is in the pursuit of those answers that Jon is able to set the table scientifically, mentally and, of course, literally, for strangers to engage in thoughtful, meaningful and life altering conversations. Explained in these pages are the how and why connecting with fascinating strangers is so important. This book is as close as one can get to actually attending one of his extraordinary dinners.” — Iliza Shlesinger, comedian

“I grew up in a close community of cousins who built my confidence through love, humor and food. As an adult, I wasn’t pleased that twenty seven Greeks couldn’t come with me to Hollywood events and laugh at my jokes. Isolation is no fun. Making burritos at an Influencer’s dinner is. This book will make you as confident and good looking as your mother says you are.” — Nia Vardalos, actress and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding

"Jon and his dinners are focused on bringing people together under the umbrella of unique experiences to share a love of life and the spirit of connection." — Jesse Carmichael, Maroon 5 guitarist

About the Author

Jon Levy is a behavioral scientist best known for his work in influence, human connection, and decision-making. He specializes in applying the latest research to transform the ways companies approach marketing, sales, consumer engagement, and culture. His clients range from Fortune 500 brands to startups.

More than a decade ago, Jon founded The Influencers Dinner, a secret dining experience for industry leaders, from Nobel laureates, Olympians, celebrities, and executives to artists, musicians, and the Grammy-winning voice of the bark from “Who Let the Dogs Out.” Guests cook dinner together but can’t discuss their careers or give their last names. Once seated to eat, they reveal who they are. Over time, these dinners developed into a community. With thousands of members, The Influencers is the largest community of its type worldwide.

In his free time, Jon works on outrageous projects, among them spending a year traveling to all seven continents and attending the world’s greatest events (Grand Prix, Art Basel, Burning Man, Running of the Bulls, etc.), barely surviving to tell the tale. These adventures were chronicled in his first book, The 2 AM Principle: Discover the Science of Adventure.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Business (10 Jun. 2021)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0063030977
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063030978
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 2.36 x 22.86 cm
• 4,197 in Business Life (Books)

About the author

Jon Levy is a behavioral scientist and NY Times Best Selling author known for his work in influence, human connection, trust, and decision making. Jon specializes in applying the latest research to transform the ways companies approach marketing, sales, consumer engagement, and culture. His clients range from Fortune 500 brands, like Microsoft, Google, AB-InBev, and Samsung, to startups.

More than a decade ago, Levy founded The Influencers Dinner, a secret dining experience for industry leaders ranging from Nobel laureates, Olympians, celebrities, and executives, to artists, musicians, and even the Grammy winning voice of the bark from “Who Let the Dogs Out.” Guests cook dinner together but can’t discuss their careers or give their last names. Once seated to eat, they reveal who they are. Over time, these dinners developed into a community. With thousands of members, Influencers is the largest community of its type worldwide.

Jon’s second book, You’re Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence, was released to critical acclaim quickly rising as an international best seller. In it, Levy demonstrates the importance of trust, and community to accomplishing what is most important to us.

In his free time, Jon works on outrageous projects. Among them spending a year traveling to all 7 continents, or to the world's greatest events (Grand Prix, Art Basel, Burning Man, Running of the Bulls, etc.) and barely surviving to tell the tale. These Adventures were chronicled in his first book: The 2 AM Principle: Discover the Science of Adventure

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings, help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from United Kingdom

Top reviews from other countries.

• UK Modern Slavery Statement
• Sustainability
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell on Amazon Business
• Sell on Amazon Handmade
• Sell on Amazon Launchpad
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect and build your brand
• Associates Programme
• Fulfilment by Amazon
• Seller Fulfilled Prime
• Advertise Your Products
• Independently Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Make Money with Us
• Instalments by Barclays
• Amazon Platinum Mastercard
• Amazon Classic Mastercard
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Payment Methods Help
• Shop with Points
• Top Up Your Account
• Top Up Your Account in Store
• COVID-19 and Amazon
• Track Packages or View Orders
• Delivery Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Amazon Mobile App
• Customer Service
• Accessibility
• Conditions of Use & Sale
• Privacy Notice
• Cookies Notice
• Interest-Based Ads Notice

May 14, 2024

Your Life Is Ruled by Games You Don’t Even Know You’re Playing

Our overreliance on the simplicity of game logic explains why capitalism got out of control

By Carmen Maria Machado

Olena Ruban/Getty Images

Playing with Reality: How Games Have Shaped Our World by Kelly Clancy. Riverhead, 2024 ($30)

When was the last time you played a game? Maybe you beat a friend at chess, or played Sushi Go! with your kids, or recently lost hours of your life to Baldur’s Gate 3 (raises hand). But even if you can’t remember, the fact is, you probably played a game today. Have you felt the languorous tug of swiping or scrolling through videos or dating profiles? Counted your steps? Been subject to the forces of the economy or the government? Applied for a loan? Used the Internet? Worked for a company? Experienced desire, motivation, pleasure?

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing . By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

Games have developed a contemporary, ahistorical reputation for triviality—a way people lose themselves instead of understanding themselves. But as Kelly Clancy explains in Playing with Reality , games are not only not unserious but also an essential tool for growth, learning and survival, as well as a way of understanding our own bodies, history and future. She argues that games—with their mix of play, choices, tactics, goals and rewards—touch on every single natural and artificial aspect of our lives. They can reflect biological impulses, evolutionary strategies, social structures, military operations, and the way we have historically conceptualized morality, fairness and God. The game is not something you can choose to play or not; it’s a shadow in the Plato’s cave you didn’t even realize you were living in.

Clancy weaves a clear-eyed account of games from ancient history—they predate written language, she tells us—to the modern world of computers and the Internet. She explores the role of dopamine in learning, the essential value of randomness and chance, and the addictive qualities of maybes and surprises. She covers multiple tangles between humans and computers on the battlefields of Go, checkers and chess; unpacks the long and disturbing history of war games; and dispatches the thorny question of artificial intelligence—especially large language models such as ChatGPT—with ruthless efficiency. (It is dangerous, she concludes, to “[treat] language like a game without meaning.”)

Clancy carefully puts these historical moments and developments in context. This approach is particularly pleasurable when it takes the form of deep dives into specific games. There’s Kriegsspiel, a war game beloved by 19th- and 20th-­century leaders (including Adolf Hitler), whose influence lives on in Dungeons and Dragons, Settlers of Catan and Risk; SimCity, whose sandbox structure became the darling of radical libertarians seeking to strip resources from the government; and Snakes and Ladders, which is based on a 13th-century Indian game, Moksha Patam, meant to elucidate ideas about karma and fate.

But no sooner does Clancy establish games’ ubiquitous power than she demon­­strates how overreliance on the simplicity of game logic has destroyed empires, expedited war crimes, undermined education, aided unfettered capitalism and—at least once—brought the world to the brink of nuclear disaster. Capitalism is perhaps the best example of this simplifying logic gone awry. Technology and gamified work promised to free us from labor but instead generate more, with rewards not for workers but for shareholders. And yet this unrestrained, amoral growth possesses a kind of logic familiar to anyone who has played Monopoly—even if that same person, in their real life, struggles to support themselves.

Our knack for adapting to a game’s rules—even when they deviate significantly from our values or experience—illustrates one of games’ most simultaneously charming and sinister qualities: the ease with which we can use games as a proxy to divorce ourselves from the things they stand in for. Clancy is, rightfully, pessimistic about this faculty and how what­ever strengths it lends us seem to be outweighed by its potential for disaster. “Game theorists sought universal solutions in abstract mathematics, and the world is worse off for our leaders’ faith in their technocratic solutions,” she argues. And those who seek to win at any cost—so-called maximizers who view life as a zero-sum game—are already among us.

This discussion may make the reader feel slightly cornered. Is there any way to escape the most damaging philosophies that have emerged from games’ omnipresence? Is anything in our lives untouched by the push and pull of these models?

Clancy is not trying to fix these problems. Hers is a descriptive, not prescriptive, project. But it’s one that contextualizes and clarifies the upshot of losing perspective. “Games have always been about discovering who we are,” she writes. At the end of the book, the question remains: In the many kinds of games we join in, what kind of player will you choose to be?

Screen Rant

You’re cordially invited trailer: will ferrell & reese witherspoon feud over double-booked weddings.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Will Ferrell's Best Movies, Ranked

Jenna ortega's controversial 2024 thriller with 29% rt score climbs netflix's us top 10 chart, jason statham's next movie could become the franchise tom cruise's jack reacher failed to be.

• Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell star in You're Cordially Invited , a comedy centered on two double-booked weddings.
• The first trailer showcases the comedic duo's dynamic, with Witherspoon stepping out of her customary romantic lead role.
• Directed by Nicholas Stoller, the film also features up-and-coming talent like Geraldine Viswanathan.

The new trailer for You’re Cordially Invited gives a look at a feud over double-booked weddings. The upcoming movie stars Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell, and will be a comedy about a woman planning her sister’s wedding only to discover that she and another person are double-booked for their destination wedding. The two families decide to share the venue, only for chaos and hilarity to ensue. In addition to Witherspoon and Ferrell, You’re Cordially Invited features a leading cast including Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, Wesley Mann, Jimmy Tatro, Celia Weston, and Leanne Morgan.

Now, Amazon MGM has released the trailer for You’re Cordially Invited .

The trailer begins with Witherspoon and Ferrell kindly walking into a fancy hotel. When Witherspoon wants to check in for her sister’s wedding, the huge catch is revealed — Ferrell’s daughter’s wedding is also this weekend, and the hotel has double booked the weddings. Both parties vehemently want their weddings to succeed, leading to friction between the characters, and the trailer quickly devolves into chaos, including a wedding party falling into a lake and Ferrell wrestling with a crocodile.

You're Cordially Invited will release on Prime Video on January 30, 2025.

You're Cordially Invited Has Assembled A Team With Strong Comedy Bonafides

In this short trailer for You’re Cordially Invited , the comedic dynamic between Ferrell and Witherspoon is already on display. Both actors are masters of comedy, with Witherspoon specifically working heavily in rom-coms. This time, she shifts away from the romantic lead role, instead acting as a bridezilla-by-proxy standing up for her sister’s big day. The trailer alone makes this out to be a comedic dynamic between her and Ferrell, making for an exciting upcoming comedy.

Funnyman Will Ferrell got his start on Saturday Night Live, but his transition to feature films turned him into a bona fide movie star.

In addition to these seasoned stars, You’re Cordially Invited also features some up-and-coming actors. The most notable of these actors is Viswanathan, who is known for her recent work in Ethan Coen’s Drive-Away Dolls . Viswanathan is a notable rising star, for after You’re Cordially Invited , she will go on to star in Marvel’s Thunderbolts* . In addition to these roles, she has also had parts in the TV series Miracle Workers as well as the films Blockers, The Beanie Bubble, and Cat Person .

You’re Cordially Invited is also directed by Nicholas Stoller, who most recently helmed the raunchy rom-com Bros , showing his strength in the genre. The director is most known for his breakout film Forgetting Sarah Marshall , which he directed back in 2008. He has also directed Get Him to the Greek and Neighbors . Between the veteran talents and newer stars, You’re Cordially Invited is well set-up to be a great upcoming comedy.

Source: Amazon MGM

• Movie Trailers

‘You’re Cordially Invited’ Trailer: Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell Wage Wedding Warfare in Prime Video’s R-Rated Comedy

By Michaela Zee

Michaela Zee

• Sarah Paulson Calls Out Actor Who Emailed Her Six Pages of Notes After Watching Her: It Was ‘Outrageous’ and ‘I Hope I See You Never’ 10 hours ago
• Phoebe Dynevor in Talks to Star in Untitled Shark Thriller at Sony, Tommy Wirkola to Direct 11 hours ago
• ‘The Cleaning Lady’ Renewed for Season 4 at Fox 2 days ago

Amazon MGM Studios has released the trailer for the comedy film “You’re Cordially Invited,” starring Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell .

Per the official logline, “A woman (Witherspoon) planning her sister’s (Meredith Hagner) perfect wedding and the father (Ferrell) of a young bride-to-be (Geraldine Viswanathan) find out that they are double booked for their destination wedding at a remote resort on an island off the Georgia coast. When both parties decide to share the small venue, chaos ensues and disaster awaits.”

Popular on Variety

“I’m gonna kick your ass, and it’s gonna be embarassing,” Witherspoon replies, “because you’re big and I’m little.”

Along with Witherspoon and Ferrell, the cast includes Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, Jimmy Tatro, Stony Blyden, Leanne Morgan, Rory Scovel, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Ramona Young, Jack McBrayer and Celia Weston.

“You’re Cordially Invited” is written and directed by Nicholas Stoller. Producers include Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum via Gloria Sanchez; Stoller and Conor Welch via Stoller Global Solutions; Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter via Hello Sunshine. EPs are Ashley Strumwasser via Hello Sunshine; Alex Brown via Gloria Sanchez; and Brendan O’Brien.

“You’re Cordially Invited” will launch globally Jan. 30, 2025, on Prime Video. Watch the full trailer below.

More From Our Brands

Chris stapleton takes ‘loving you on my mind’ higher with the war and treaty, jennifer hudson, car of the week: this concours-ready 1965 ferrari could fetch $2 million at auction, sporticast 346: paul rabil talks media, pll, youth lacrosse, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, rings of power: sauron is a master of disguise in first season 2 trailer — get the release date, verify it's you, please log in.

Noem acknowledges removing Kim Jong Un claim from book, continues to defend dog killing

The possible vice-presidential candidate has drawn scrutiny over multiple passages of her book, “No Going Back,” that is set for release Tuesday.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi L. Noem (R) on Sunday acknowledged that she was removing a claim that she met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un from her forthcoming book and continued to defend her decision to kill a dog.

The biographical book, “No Going Back,” is set to be released Tuesday and has caused controversy on multiple fronts as Noem positions herself as a possible running mate for former president Donald Trump .

Noem’s office said Friday it was working to correct some errors ahead of publication, including a passage claiming that Kim, a reclusive dictator, was one of the world leaders she met with as a member of the House Armed Services Committee from 2013 to 2015.

“As soon as this was brought to my attention, I certainly made some changes and looked at this passage,” Noem said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “I’ve met with many, many world leaders. I’ve traveled around the world. As soon as it was brought to my attention, we went forward and made some edits.”

Noem did not directly say whether she ever met with Kim. She emphasized she has met with “many” world leaders and said she would not discuss specific meetings.

Noem, a farmer and rancher, was already under scrutiny for the dog-killing anecdote, in which she describes shooting and killing her 14-month-old wirehair pointer, Cricket, because the dog was “untrainable” and aggressive. After the excerpt came out late last month, Noem drew a wave of scorn from Democrats and other political figures, including President Biden’s reelection campaign.

Noem suggested Sunday she did not regret sharing the story, saying the book is “filled with vulnerable, painful moments in my life, filled with times where I’ve made very difficult decisions.”

“As a mom, I made a choice between protecting my children and protecting them from a dangerous animal that was killing livestock and attacking people,” Noem said.

The host, Margaret Brennan, pressed Noem further by saying that her book describes how “you’d make sure Joe Biden’s dog was nowhere on the grounds. ‘Commander, say hello to Cricket,’” alluding that Biden’s family dog, Commander, should face the same fate as Cricket.

Commander has bitten Secret Service agents about 24 times, according to records released earlier this year , and was sent away from the White House last year .

“Joe Biden’s dog has attacked 24 Secret Service people,” Noem said. “So how many people is enough people to be attacked and dangerously hurt before you make a decision on a dog?”

Asked if she was suggesting Commander should be shot, too, Noem replied “that the president should be accountable to” answer that question.

The uproar over the dog-killing story has fueled speculation that Noem’s chances of being Trump’s running mate have dwindled. She was among several possible vice-presidential candidates whom Trump hosted at a fundraising retreat this weekend in Florida .

The book’s initial reviews include one from Trump that calls it a “winner.”

Asked if Trump mentioned the response to her book, Noem responded: “Oh, he certainly knows about this book, and I appreciate his endorsement of it.”

• Business & Money
• Marketing & Sales

Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Amazon Prime includes:

Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.

• Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
• Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
• Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
• A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
• Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
• Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access

Important:  Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.

Return this item for free

Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges

• Go to your orders and start the return
• Select the return method

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Follow the author

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

You're Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence Audio CD – Unabridged, May 11, 2021

Purchase options and add-ons.

MP3 CD Format

Everyone reads success books, but few succeed. Why? Jon Levy, behavioral scientist and founder of the private community of Nobel Laureates, celebrities, and executives called “The Influencers,” decided to find the answer. You’re Invited reveals the surprising formula that you too can use to create exceptional levels of success.   Want to grow your influence and develop deep and meaningful relationships with the people who could have the biggest impact on your goals, habits, aspirations, and causes?

Behavioral scientist, Jon Levy, achieved the seemingly impossible. Having no money, reputation or status, he got groups made of Nobel laureates, Olympians, celebrities, Fortune 100 executives, Hall of Fame athletes, and even an occasional Princess to not only give him advice, but cook him dinner, wash his dishes, sweep his floors, and then thank him for the experience. Thus began the private community called, “The Influencers.” With thousands of members, The Influencers is the largest private group of its kind worldwide. 

In You're Invited you'll apply the secrets Jon discovered to accelerate your own ability to connect with influential people, build deep trust with everyone you meet, grow a thriving remarkable community, and achieve all you desire, while actually enjoying the process.

Through his research and community, Jon realized influence doesn't need to depend on wealth, family, or extroversion, but instead comes from characteristics anyone can master: You’re Invited is about the stories and science behind successful organizations and people, and the specific steps you can use to start applying these principles, today.

• Print length 1 pages
• Language English
• Publisher HarperCollins B and Blackstone Publishing
• Publication date May 11, 2021
• Dimensions 5.3 x 7.5 inches
• ISBN-10 1665077255
• ISBN-13 978-1665077255
• See all details

What do customers buy after viewing this item?

Editorial Reviews

"From his research and long experience, Jon is a master of building connections between people and enriching their lives in the process. This book explains, simply and engagingly, how he does it."

"This book will make you as confident and good looking as your mother says you are."

About the Author

Product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins B and Blackstone Publishing; Unabridged edition (May 11, 2021)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Audio CD ‏ : ‎ 1 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1665077255
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1665077255
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.92 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.3 x 7.5 inches

About the author

Jon Levy is a behavioral scientist and NY Times Best Selling author known for his work in influence, human connection, trust, and decision making. Jon specializes in applying the latest research to transform the ways companies approach marketing, sales, consumer engagement, and culture. His clients range from Fortune 500 brands, like Microsoft, Google, AB-InBev, and Samsung, to startups.

More than a decade ago, Levy founded The Influencers Dinner, a secret dining experience for industry leaders ranging from Nobel laureates, Olympians, celebrities, and executives, to artists, musicians, and even the Grammy winning voice of the bark from “Who Let the Dogs Out.” Guests cook dinner together but can’t discuss their careers or give their last names. Once seated to eat, they reveal who they are. Over time, these dinners developed into a community. With thousands of members, Influencers is the largest community of its type worldwide.

Jon’s second book, You’re Invited: The Art and Science of Cultivating Influence, was released to critical acclaim quickly rising as an international best seller. In it, Levy demonstrates the importance of trust, and community to accomplishing what is most important to us.

In his free time, Jon works on outrageous projects. Among them spending a year traveling to all 7 continents, or to the world's greatest events (Grand Prix, Art Basel, Burning Man, Running of the Bulls, etc.) and barely surviving to tell the tale. These Adventures were chronicled in his first book: The 2 AM Principle: Discover the Science of Adventure

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Reviews with images

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Become an Amazon Hub Partner
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices