Reviews with content warning for Classism - Their Vicious Games

Joelle Wellington's 'Their Vicious Games' is a gripping page-turner that kept me hooked from start to finish. The suspenseful plot, coupled with the uncertainty surrounding the main character's fate, made it an intense read. The narrative's exploration of racism, misogyny, and classism adds depth to the story, creating a brutally beautiful portrayal of societal issues. Despite the challenges, the satisfying sliver of justice in the end provides a poignant closure.

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bookb1itch's review

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A nice twist on the Hunger Games idea. Because this was even more removed from my personal world, though, I feel it was slightly less disturbing than HG. Sure, the classism and racism are nauseating, but I feel more inclined to let younger readers read this than I expected to, perhaps because it feels a little like a cautionary tale: Everything has a price! My major criticism of this debut is that at times it is simply badly written, and this detracts from the clever narrative.

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jaz_gets_literary's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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thirdeyeangel23's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

If Squid Games and Knives Out had a baby, it would be this book. Their Vicious Games may be one of the most suspenseful and insidious novels I’ve read to date. Adina had a promising future after graduating high school until a conflict with the school’s “it” girl drained her prospects and saw her Yale acceptance revoked. As a last ditch effort to reclaim her future, Adina secures a spot in a top secret game held by one of the town’s most prestigious families in order to gain their favor. But when the game is put into play, Adina realizes just how devilish these people’s games really are. This story is gripping in a way that chilled me to the bone while also pulling on every stitch of hope I had for the main character. The commentary on class, race, misogyny, and privilege throughout was poignant in a way that many fail to get just right. This book gave me heart palpitations, but it was so good I’d do it all over again.

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lindsayerin's review

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

3.5 ⭐ CW: violence, blood, murder, gun violence, abuse, racism, classism

Their Vicious Games is a YA thriller that is like Squid Games meets The Bachelor with a dark academia feel. This is not the typical genre I read, but I needed a short break from fantasy, and this made for an enjoyable diversion. The lower rating is only because the middle was a bit slow for me.

We follow Adina Walker, one of the only Black and scholarship students at prestigious (and white) Edgewater Academy in upper crust New England. Very Waspy. We start with learning that Adina is graduating, but all the colleges she applied to revoked her admission, including her dream school Yale, due to her losing control one time. She is determined to get back her acceptance to Yale and get back what's hers, so she convinces rich popular guy Pierce Remington IV to get her into his family's rumored game called The Finish. Little does she know what she is getting into.

The Finish is a game for the brightest young women selected by the influential Remington family. The winner of the games gains access to wealth and opportunity through the Remingtons, but this year is different, because the Remington heir (Pierce) is 18 and looking for a wife. Yes, it's just as ick as it sounds. We see a lot of mind games and intrigue from all of the girls, themes on the problems with wealth and privilege, themes on blatant misogyny with the idea that women should have to prove themselves worthy of such a husband 🤮.

We also see the fall out of the weight of expectation thrust upon young women in high society, and the price of ambition. This was a brutal book, but fascinating. The dynamics between all the characters were really interesting and varied. Adina and her roommate Saint were the only girls of color in The Finish, and I love that they stuck together through the whole thing instead of being potted against each other. I wish the pacing had been a bit stronger in the middle, and I think we should have seen Pierce's monstrous side leak out a bit earlier, but I do appreciate that the author didn't absolve the older brother, Graham, who let his privilege blind him.

I think this would make for a fantastic series that would keep you in your toes!

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