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cebadgley's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Classism, Alcohol, and Bullying
muckl3t83's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Preposterous plot but a fun read anyway.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Blood, Gun violence, Death, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Animal cruelty, Grief, and Physical abuse
Minor: Alcohol
kendal_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Bullying, Gun violence, and Classism
Minor: Alcohol and Vomit
booknerderika's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
4.0
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, Vomit, Death, Classism, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm and Animal cruelty
boba_n_books's review against another edition
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Sexism, Misogyny, Classism, Gaslighting, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Racism, Gun violence, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol and Vomit
teeclecticreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Gosh this was good! When I finally got to read the book without distractions I ended up finishing it in one whole day. It was giving me serious Squid Games/Hunger Games meets Bridgerton vibes. I must admit that the pacing was too slow in the beginning and there was a lot of talking in riddles until we got to the action. Adina was also annoying me a lot with all the terrible decisions she was making, but I enjoyed her determination to succeed. The juiciness of the plot and the ending made up for all of that though. I just love that it also highlighted a serious issue that minority groups, especially black people, face where we try to work twice as hard in a world with an uneven playing field just to get a chance at making a better life for ourselves. Definitely a fav read of the year so far.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Infidelity, Violence, Cursing, Gore, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Blood, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
sophiesometimesreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
WHAT DID I JUST READ?!?!
I binged this over two days and now I am NOT OKAY. Everyone read this book right now.
This book was an absolutely wild ride. It was the sort of book that, maybe if I had the desire to put it down and think about it, that I may have seen a few things coming, but I was just so invested and the pace was so quick that I flew through this and was shocked by some of the things that happened at the end!
I don't want to give much away, as it is best to go into this knowing very little about it, I think. I will say that some of the reasons for people being there and doing things were a little weak, but whilst I was reading I didn't even care about that because I was so entertained and engrossed so I've given it a 4.75 stars.
This book may not be for everyone, but it was for me, and Adina will be living rent-free in my mind for a while to come.
I binged this over two days and now I am NOT OKAY. Everyone read this book right now.
This book was an absolutely wild ride. It was the sort of book that, maybe if I had the desire to put it down and think about it, that I may have seen a few things coming, but I was just so invested and the pace was so quick that I flew through this and was shocked by some of the things that happened at the end!
I don't want to give much away, as it is best to go into this knowing very little about it, I think. I will say that some of the reasons for people being there and doing things were a little weak, but whilst I was reading I didn't even care about that because I was so entertained and engrossed so I've given it a 4.75 stars.
This book may not be for everyone, but it was for me, and Adina will be living rent-free in my mind for a while to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Classism, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Vomit
triple_m's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Almost DNF’ed at the out of nowhere kissing in the woods in the beginning but I’m glad I stuck with it. The book really picked up when the games actually began (I mean, obviously, haha).
One thing I loved about this book was that I was unable to predict the ending. The stakes were high and the odds for a good ending felt very unlikely. Does she win the games? Will she survive? Will she somehow get out of it? Those questions really kept me engaged and excited to read how it would end.
I could’ve done without any romantic subplot but it wasn’t horrible.
One thing I loved about this book was that I was unable to predict the ending. The stakes were high and the odds for a good ending felt very unlikely. Does she win the games? Will she survive? Will she somehow get out of it? Those questions really kept me engaged and excited to read how it would end.
I could’ve done without any romantic subplot but it wasn’t horrible.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Racism, Blood, Classism, Misogyny, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Alcohol
sahramahtab's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Racism, Classism, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Confinement, and Toxic relationship
bookb1itch's review
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Racism, Alcohol, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders