Actual rating 2.5 stars. 
 I received this in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you to the author, Bella Forrest, and the publisher, Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, for this opportunity. 
 The Gender Game is set in a world where the community is divided on two sides of a river bordered by toxic wasteland. One side is a society dominated by men, and the other a society dominated by women. This seemed like a unique and exciting foundation for a novel, but, unfortunately, it fell through on the interpretation. 
 The protagonist, nineteen-year-old Violet Bates, lives under control of the matriarchy. Since the death of her mother and the apprehension of her younger brother, after her failed attempt to transport him over the river, Violet has lived in a series of detention centers due to ill behavior. Her second accidental murder sees her set on a secret mission by Queen Rina and Prince Alisatair to infiltrate the bordering lands, under the false pretenses of a marriage to one of their native males. 
 The patriarchal-ruled society treated women as objects, to be seen and not heard, to live predominately in the indoor sphere, and always escorted by their spouse when in any public place. This futuristic society seemed to have devolved a few hundred years and this could almost be a classic Gothic novel, in some parts, if not for the science-fiction elements. 
 The other society is hardly any better in their strict laws and harsh treatment of both of the sexes. I found it difficult to find a side to root for, for much of the text, when neither seemed to have any redeeming qualities. 
 I had assumed Violet would overthrow the patriarchy and make them reassess the female sex with her feisty independence. Instead, she just kissed some boys, fell in 'love', ruined her undercover mission and completely failed to grasp what the word 'covert' even meant. I found her an infuriating protagonist and she seemed to dislike and yet acquiesce to the sexism she was subjected to. 
 My main grievance with this novel is that, for a thrilling synopsis, it lacked all tension. I felt little apprehension for any of the characters and this distanced me from their plight. The last portion redeemed itself, somewhat, but, for me, it was a case of too little, too late.