The Right Move by Liz Tomforde

Published 2023 · 464 pages · 144,258 words · about 8 hours at an average pace · Romance

How hard is The Right Move to read?

The Right Move scores 33 out of 100 for difficulty on ReadingRate, making it moderately challenging. The score is a weighted composite of nine measures: four of how hard the prose is to parse, five of how hard the meaning is to extract.

Vocabulary: 28 out of 100
The language is contemporary and straightforward, relying on common vernacular and dialogue. There are no archaic or technical terms that would challenge the average reader. This is comparable to the vocabulary found in *Beach Read*.
Sentence structure: 32 out of 100
Sentences are generally short and declarative, making the text easy to follow. While there are some longer sentences, they do not contain complex embedded clauses or convoluted grammatical structures. The syntax is similar to that of *1984*.
Abstraction: 40 out of 100
The narrative focuses on concrete events and character interactions, with limited philosophical or theoretical digressions. While there are some reflections on personal growth and relationships, the story remains grounded in the characters' experiences. This is similar to the abstraction level in *Atomic Habits*.
Information density: 38 out of 100
The text is primarily plot-driven, with a focus on dialogue and character development. While there are some descriptions and internal monologues, the overall density of concepts per page is relatively low. This is comparable to the information density in *The Housemaid*.
Narrative indirection: 30 out of 100
The narrative is fairly direct, with characters expressing their thoughts and feelings openly. While there is some room for interpretation, the reader is not required to infer significant meaning beyond what is explicitly stated. This is similar to the direct expression found in *Are You There God?*.
Symbolic density: 35 out of 100
The text contains some symbolic elements, such as the basketball court representing Ryan's dedication and the messy apartment representing Indy's chaotic life. However, these symbols are not heavily emphasized or deeply explored, and the narrative remains largely focused on literal events. This is similar to the symbolic density in *1984*.
Ironic distance: 30 out of 100
The narrative maintains a relatively close emotional distance, with the reader invited to sympathize with the characters' struggles and triumphs. While there are moments of humor and sarcasm, the overall tone is sincere and earnest. This is similar to the ironic distance in *It Ends with Us*.
Resolution withholding: 30 out of 100
While the excerpt does not reveal the ultimate resolution of the story, it suggests a trajectory towards a conventional romantic conclusion. The conflicts and misunderstandings between the main characters hint at a potential for resolution and a happy ending. This is similar to the resolution withholding in *Beach Read*.
Structural complexity: 35 out of 100
The narrative follows a straightforward chronological structure, with alternating points of view between the two main characters. There are no significant timeline jumps, unreliable narrators, or formal experiments that would complicate the reading experience. This is similar to the structural complexity in *1984*.

How The Right Move is regarded

The Right Move holds a literary regard score of 70 out of 100, weighing its place in the canon, its critical reception, its influence on other writers, and the standing of its author. Regard is measured separately from difficulty: a demanding book is not necessarily an admired one.

Where The Right Move sits in Northrop Frye's Anatomy of Criticism

Placed by a full reading of the text (269 passages), not from reputation. Each verdict quotes the passage that earned it. On the axis from myth to irony, The Right Move scores 62 out of 100. A second mythos, romance, pulls at it with a weight of 0.15. About the map of stories.

Mode: Low Mimetic
Ryan Shay was the number one draft pick out of North Carolina—a team who won back-to-back national championships under him.
Symbol: Formal
Four plates, four sets of silverware, four bowls. Organized to the point of insanity.
Mythos: Normal Comedy iii (comedy iii)
Shay, you may have been lying to convince me you were someone else, but you became that man regardless.
Genre: Novel + Romance
Yes, moving in with my best friend’s brother sounds like a plot pulled straight from one of my favorite romance novels.

Where the story of The Right Move takes place

  • Chicago, one NBA and NHL season, October to April (2023 to 2024), the main setting
  • Chicago suburbs and United Center, four years on (2027 to 2028)

5 things that are true of The Right Move, with the passage for each

  1. Ryan first sets Indy's rent at five hundred dollars a month, plus another five hundred she must put in savings.

    How do you feel about five hundred bucks a month?

  2. Ryan tells Indy he is celibate in the middle of their kitchen flirtation.

    I’m celibate, that’s why.

  3. The pregnancy test Ryan finds under the entryway bench belongs to his twin sister Stevie.

    That’s my test.

  4. Ryan secretly paid for Indy's fertility treatments back in December, before the supposed insurance change.

    Looks like it was back in mid-December.

  5. Ryan buys a house with Indy's name on the deed in January.

    I bought us this house back in January.

Scenes in The Right Move that Frye would name

24 sightings of Frye's terms in the text. The strongest:

Alazon, untitled
Mr. Morgan, this is Indy…my girlfriend. Ryan fabricates an identity and a relationship to impress his GM, the book's central impostor device.
Cognitio, untitled
My wife, she knew you two were full of shit as soon as she saw you at the fall banquet together. The comic recognition: the deception is revealed and forgiven and the society reconciles.
Senex iratus, untitled
I don’t dislike you, Shay, but I also don’t think you’re cut out to lead this team. GM Ron Morgan is the withholding authority figure who blocks Ryan's wish.
Anagnorisis, untitled
That’s my test. Ryan learns the pregnancy test is Stevie's and recognizes the wound he has just inflicted on Indy.
Anagnorisis, untitled
Not by insurance. Personal credit card paid for the whole thing months ago. Indy discovers that Ryan secretly paid for her fertility treatments, which reveals the depth of his commitment.
Alazon, untitled
Actually, sir. I did meet someone. The lie that launches the comic plot.

Books that share these scenes with The Right Move

About the author

Liz Tomforde