Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

35 reviews

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review

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dark emotional tense medium-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? Yes

4.25

This book is marketed as Ace of Spades meets Squid Game meets The Bachelor, and I can’t think of a better way to describe this novel. We follow Adina Walker, a black teen who loses her scholarship to her dream Ivy League school, and the deadly competition she joins as a last ditch effort to reclaim her planned future.

Based on the book's description, I knew I would like this book, and I was right. It’s fast-paced, bloody, with an exploration of class and race directly woven throughout. The book’s ending absolutely blew me away and had me gasping, speeding through and wishing for a good resolution. I also really enjoyed the exploration of friendship, both toxic and supportive. My only complaint was that at times the writing seemed a bit repetitive, going over the same issues without giving much further insight into Adina as a character.

Overall, I liked this one, and I think you will too if you enjoy:
  • Survival/competition shows like The Hunger Games and Alice in Borderland
  • Plot-based storylines that keep you turning the pages to figure out what happens next
  • Tackling systemic discrimination and entrenched privileges 

Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster Canada and Netgalley for providing us with an advanced reader copy of this engaging YA thriller.
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tbrplaylist's review

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challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

The best way to describe Joelle Wellington’s dark, satirical and utterly addictive debut is to imagine The Hunger Games and Squid Game having a love child with The Selection—with uber rich Mean Girl style contestants who’ll do literally anything to win. 

It’s brutal, bloody and diabolically back-stabby and I was utterly hooked! (though I do suggest checking the TWs before hand.) 

The writing was incredible, and the pacing superb (it’s one of the best paced books I’ve read all year, in fact.) But the exploration into themes such as privilege, racism and class is what really intrigued me, as it show us (in a rather dark, satirical kind of way) just how easily extreme wealth (and the power that comes with it) can create an environment where only the less empathetic, narcissistic or most entitled can survive.

Adina, is thankfully far from any of those things which was why I loved her soo much. She’s driven, determined and not afraid to tell people what she thinks—especially when they hurt the people she lives most. But she’s also deeply compassionate, which becomes her biggest dilemma when she realises what the competition entails (and what she’ll have to do) in order to survive. 

The constant racism and open contempt Adina is forced to endure from the other contestants (and adults) was soo rage inducing, but it did highlight just how common such experiences are for People of colour, but women of colour especially. 

In fact rage, and female rage in particular plays quite a large role in the narrative. With every female character (from the morally grey to the outright sociopathic) bearing some form of anger towards the society (and male governed system) they so desperately want to fit into. 

I also wanted to mention that though there’s a hint of romance, it does mainly centre around Adina’s personal journey and efforts in fighting back and dismantling such a barbaric and oppressive system—so do bear this in mind if you’re looking for something a little more romance based. 

Overall, this was a plot twisty, and unputdownable read that had me second guessing literally everyone. Fans of YA Thrillers, OG Gossip Girl, Ace of Spades or the Final Girl trope definitely need to add this to your TBRs this summer! 

Also, a huge thank you to Tandem Collective UK and Penguin UK for the proof (and for including me on the TikTok Readalong, it was soo much fun.)
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kimee_reads's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was my first time reading an ARC copy of a book, and I'm so glad it was this one. This book was absolutely amazing. Every second was captivating and well written. The plot was exciting and well executed. There were so many times where I had to take a moment to process what had happened. Every detail was well thought out. The book had great character and plot development. Everything about this book was fantastic!
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taryn_g's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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