Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Their Vicious Games

This was intense. Vicious doesn't even begin to describe the games or the people. I immediately got "Ace of Spades" vibes and then it got weird with the whole Bachelor-ish situation. I was on edge through so much of this and didn't trust anyone. I'm glad that there was an epilogue and we were able to see what happened after, but this story was just shocking overall and I needed a few days to process before I posted a review.

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ems_rxlibrary's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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boba_n_books's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

Squid Games meets The Bachelor? Sign me up! ... To read about. Not to compete in. This fast-paced young adult thriller takes "eat the rich" to a whole new level.

Adina is a Black teenager who was about to secure her future through her scholarship to Yale. Her plans are ruined once an incident at school causes her to lose that well-earned scholarship. The only way to get it back is to enter the Finish--a competition where young women prove themselves worthy of being a part of the wealthy Remington family through three different events. It is not long before Adina and the other girls in the Finish realize that the stakes are higher than money and power. It's life or death. The younger Remington boys say they're trying to change the system, but are they? Being one of the only girls who didn't grow up in the rich world the Remingtons live in, Adina realizes she has to either change herself or change the Finish to survive.

Though the characters may seem superficial at first, each one has their own motivations and moments of reckoning. Wellington's commentary on race and class and what people will do to achieve and maintain power is fascinating. She certainly doesn't attempt to make the reader comfortable, and there are many times I had to remind myself that I wanted Adina to get out and not to conform to the Remington way.

This novel challenges social structures and typical tropes, and it was just a damn good book with a satisfying ending.

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voicenextdoor's review

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dark medium-paced

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

3.75

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iconicavocado's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated

4.5

(Read via audiobook)

Book 📖: 4.5/5 stars
Audiobook 🎙️: ⭐⭐⭐

Wow! One of the best young adult books I've read in a while. Incredible main character and story that touched on so many themes (racism, classism, patriarchy, power, family dynamics). This is Hunger Games meets Saltburn in an incredible way!

The only gripe with the story is that it takes 35% in until things get going which I just feel like that's a little too slow. Also if you read the audiobook it can get confusing who is talking because the narrator doesn't differentiate too much with character voices. There's a good handful of characters so I would get confused about who entered the scene and who was speaking next.

Highly recommend if you're into thriller, societal dystopian books (like The Hunger Games).

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