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reading_under_covers's review against another edition
4.5
Holy cow! This book was impossible to put down, absolutely bonkers, and had some fantastic characters to root for!
As a non-gamer, I still managed to get fully sucked into the game in this story and the twists and suspense kept me on my toes.
A fantastic thriller for YA fans!
Pub Date: July 9
Graphic: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Body horror, and Child abuse
vibingandy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was super hooked on this concept, video games and murder mysteries with some queer relationships? Sign me up! It was not as gripping as I was hoping it would be, seemingly going back and forth between super high stakes to really low stakes which made it hard to stay feeling invested. The intensity of what happened/happens to our MC Marina is something that I think doesn’t match the stakes and tone of the rest of the book. It felt like there were two completely different books being written at times. While I enjoyed the friend group, we didn’t get to know them very well outside of the required portions for the telling of the story. There was a lot of telling and not showing when it came to some of the relationships. I think my favorite relationship was between Marina and the restaurant owners, the affections they showed each other were so wonderful.
Definitely check out the trigger warnings, most of them come up middle towards end of the book. An interesting read all in all!
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Self harm, Abandonment, and Death of parent
Minor: Stalking, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Medical content
I will say if you get freaked out by cuts or bloodturtleofhades's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book!! It's so dang good. From the flashbacks to the present, the plot and characters thrive and expand into a gloriously thrilling tale of abuse and survival. Great for fans of The Hunger Games, There's Someone Inside Your House, and Monday's Not Coming. Be prepared for secrets, mystery, and MMORPGs!
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Torture, Stalking, Child death, Death, Grief, Blood, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, and Child abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping