Age: 29
male
Benny Emmanuel Mendoza Yirene, known as Benny Emmanuel, was born on December 17, 1996, in Veracruz, by decision of his parents, although they brought him to live in Mexico City when he was almost one year old. Although neither of his parents is professionally engaged in acting, they were always fans of the art: his mother sings and his father acted in some school plays. Benny instead decided to make a career out of this art. Benny tends to work with characters who are real, who have real problems, who are complex, multifaceted human beings. One of Benny's wishes is to participate in a film that will last in the history of Mexican cinema no matter how many generations and new proposals pass over it.
In this clever and swoonworthy YA debut from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis, life’s moving pieces bring rival chess players together in a match for the heart. Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays; after the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning Bad Boy of chess. Nolan’s loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone. What’s even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory’s victory opens the door to sorely needed cash-prizes and despite everything, she can’t help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist.... As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren’t only on the board, the spotlight is brighter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce (-ly attractive. And intelligent…and infuriating…)
