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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
If the length of time it took me to read this book doesn't tell you something then allow me to elaborate.
This book is so dry. It's extremely vague and irritating when you are trying to keep up with 12 characters that all have boring storylines. I found myself more than halfway through the book (months after I started it) and I realized I didn't care what happened or who won or what the hell earth key would do.
The characters were majorly underdeveloped so that nothing could possible surprise you about them because you didn't know them.
I can get past flat characters if the plot piques my interest, and I will admit that the concept caught my attention. But the actual book? I was dying to get through it so I could read other books. I rarely put books down without finishing them once I hit the halfway point so I struggled to make myself finish this one but it took forever because I just didn't care to read it.
It's dull. Maybe the online game is fun. Not sure. I never cared enough to spend more than 20 minutes trying to figure it out. But this book turned out to be exactly what it was designed for; a boring literary attempt at making a contest more interesting. It's a clue, yes. But it's a boring as hell clue.
Don't read this. It's been done before and you'll find yourself trapped reading a book that makes you cry from boredom.
This book is so dry. It's extremely vague and irritating when you are trying to keep up with 12 characters that all have boring storylines. I found myself more than halfway through the book (months after I started it) and I realized I didn't care what happened or who won or what the hell earth key would do.
The characters were majorly underdeveloped so that nothing could possible surprise you about them because you didn't know them.
I can get past flat characters if the plot piques my interest, and I will admit that the concept caught my attention. But the actual book? I was dying to get through it so I could read other books. I rarely put books down without finishing them once I hit the halfway point so I struggled to make myself finish this one but it took forever because I just didn't care to read it.
It's dull. Maybe the online game is fun. Not sure. I never cared enough to spend more than 20 minutes trying to figure it out. But this book turned out to be exactly what it was designed for; a boring literary attempt at making a contest more interesting. It's a clue, yes. But it's a boring as hell clue.
Don't read this. It's been done before and you'll find yourself trapped reading a book that makes you cry from boredom.
YA, sci-fi, fast paced, suspense
Yes, it does sound a lot like Hunger Games, only this is on a global scale, nobody else on the planet knows about it, these teens all somehow have access to unlimited cash for whatever they need, wherever they need it, and each has spent a secret life training to be infinitely clever players and killers.
I allowed myself to enjoy the read, and it was very compelling. Especially considering that it’s YA, the bad language could have easily been halved.
Yes, it does sound a lot like Hunger Games, only this is on a global scale, nobody else on the planet knows about it, these teens all somehow have access to unlimited cash for whatever they need, wherever they need it, and each has spent a secret life training to be infinitely clever players and killers.
I allowed myself to enjoy the read, and it was very compelling. Especially considering that it’s YA, the bad language could have easily been halved.
I read this to page 42 and for me, I felt that the author lacked passion. The plot is exciting, it made me want to read the book, but actually reading the book I found it boring. I was disappointed.
I have seen this book a lot whenever I go to bookstores and every time I do, I feel the strong urge to buy it, but for some reason, I never did. Until one night, midnight, in a sleepy haze, I decided to get it as an e-book. And I'm glad I did.
My initial thought when I read the summary was "Um, is this gonna be like The Hunger Games?", but after reading the book, I can honestly say that this was nothing like it. Let me also say that this book is definitely not for everyone. It's a bit too brutal for some people and the fact that there are so many characters and perspectives might not be enjoyable for some.
I was actually hoping that this book would be less objective of who it wanted the reader to want to win, if that made any sense. I wanted it to make you utterly confused as to who was gonna win, who you wanted to win, who deserved to win, so in that prospect the book failed. But, the book did not fail to make you sympathize with every single Player. It's like as soon as you got into their head, no matter how much you loathe them, you'll sympathize with them.
The plot of this book seems familiar, and yet strangely alien at the same time. It's a common story being rewritten and turned into something completely different. I did enjoy reading this book. I've been reading a lot of romance YA stuff that I didn't realize how much I actually missed stuff like this. The world building was great. The characters were amazing. The writing suited the story perfectly. Even though you could tell who was gonna win, there were still a lot of twists and surprises here, mainly with who dies and who doesn't. It was also able to capture the suddenness of death. How it could happen so quickly that you almost wouldn't register it, and then it hits you and you're left there standing, stunned at this sudden development. The ending of the book. Oh my God, the ending. I was a jumble of emotions, it was fantastically horrible and predictably surprising.
Despite the heavy plot, the book was surprisingly easy to read. The writing was simple, rather straight to the point. It was blunt, but had that subtlety and suspense to it that such a book needs. I was worried that because there would be 12 (maybe even 13) complex characters that you were supposed to relate to, this book would be a mess, I would be stressed out trying to find out who was who and what in the world was even happening, but that didn't happen. The writing was clean, I know every single one of the characters, and I could really connect to all of them. I know them all. I was actually rooting for one of the Players to win. Unfortunately, they didn't and they actually died which was a big blow, one that I certainly didn't expect.
The author was not afraid to kill off, or severely injure his characters. In fact, I get the feeling that he kinda likes doing so. That's not a bad thing though. I also love how even though there is a love triangle, that wasn't what the book revolved around, and it contributed to plot in some way. The characters are all strong, smart. They all have their special talents. They're all different although they're fighting for the same thing. All in all, this is a great book that isn't for everyone. If you want a unique book that is adventurous and challenging, but a bit brutal, give Endgame a try.
My initial thought when I read the summary was "Um, is this gonna be like The Hunger Games?", but after reading the book, I can honestly say that this was nothing like it. Let me also say that this book is definitely not for everyone. It's a bit too brutal for some people and the fact that there are so many characters and perspectives might not be enjoyable for some.
I was actually hoping that this book would be less objective of who it wanted the reader to want to win, if that made any sense. I wanted it to make you utterly confused as to who was gonna win, who you wanted to win, who deserved to win, so in that prospect the book failed. But, the book did not fail to make you sympathize with every single Player. It's like as soon as you got into their head, no matter how much you loathe them, you'll sympathize with them.
The plot of this book seems familiar, and yet strangely alien at the same time. It's a common story being rewritten and turned into something completely different. I did enjoy reading this book. I've been reading a lot of romance YA stuff that I didn't realize how much I actually missed stuff like this. The world building was great. The characters were amazing. The writing suited the story perfectly. Even though you could tell who was gonna win, there were still a lot of twists and surprises here, mainly with who dies and who doesn't. It was also able to capture the suddenness of death. How it could happen so quickly that you almost wouldn't register it, and then it hits you and you're left there standing, stunned at this sudden development. The ending of the book. Oh my God, the ending. I was a jumble of emotions, it was fantastically horrible and predictably surprising.
Despite the heavy plot, the book was surprisingly easy to read. The writing was simple, rather straight to the point. It was blunt, but had that subtlety and suspense to it that such a book needs. I was worried that because there would be 12 (maybe even 13) complex characters that you were supposed to relate to, this book would be a mess, I would be stressed out trying to find out who was who and what in the world was even happening, but that didn't happen. The writing was clean, I know every single one of the characters, and I could really connect to all of them. I know them all. I was actually rooting for one of the Players to win. Unfortunately, they didn't and they actually died which was a big blow, one that I certainly didn't expect.
The author was not afraid to kill off, or severely injure his characters. In fact, I get the feeling that he kinda likes doing so. That's not a bad thing though. I also love how even though there is a love triangle, that wasn't what the book revolved around, and it contributed to plot in some way. The characters are all strong, smart. They all have their special talents. They're all different although they're fighting for the same thing. All in all, this is a great book that isn't for everyone. If you want a unique book that is adventurous and challenging, but a bit brutal, give Endgame a try.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
2.5 ⭐ CW: Violence, natural disasters, graphic deaths, descriptions of blood and gore, descriptions of childbirth, torture, child abuse
The Calling by James Fry and Nils Johnson-Shelton is the first book of the Endgame series. This was like a more brutal Hunger Games mixed with a scavenger hunt.
In this world there is a phenomenon called Endgame that only certain people with the right lineage know about. These lines train their children from infancy to become a weapon in mind and body. In this world the gods who made us are real, and they are aliens. All the wonders of the world, Stonehenge, Giza Pyramids, Machu Picchu , etc. Were all made possible because of these aliens.
We follow 12 Players as they are called for Endgame. Only one may win, but no one knows why Endgame happens. They just know they need to win the keys for their line to survive.
Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of this. That trope is overdone and I'm just not feeling the whole aliens-built-the-pyramids bullshit. This was very plot heavy without enough character development or exploration, which leads me to the next problem of there being way too many characters povs.
On top of the reasoning around Endgame being vague and ambiguous, there are too many characters to really feel for any of them. We get such a shallow picture of these people, that it makes the tragic prices feel unearned and empty.
The good news is it had a pretty diverse cast since the Players were from all over the world. We even see some disability rep in the form of a mute girl and boy who has physical tics and a stutter. I did find the story line of Sarah's boyfriend inserting himself where he didn't belong fitting to the story. It felt forced and awkward, and the pay off didn't really hit like it should have. It could just be the demiro in me again, but I just don't buy the "true love" crap Christopher is spinning to hide his selfishness and borderline obsession.
Needless to say, I won't be finishing this series.
The Calling by James Fry and Nils Johnson-Shelton is the first book of the Endgame series. This was like a more brutal Hunger Games mixed with a scavenger hunt.
In this world there is a phenomenon called Endgame that only certain people with the right lineage know about. These lines train their children from infancy to become a weapon in mind and body. In this world the gods who made us are real, and they are aliens. All the wonders of the world, Stonehenge, Giza Pyramids, Machu Picchu , etc. Were all made possible because of these aliens.
We follow 12 Players as they are called for Endgame. Only one may win, but no one knows why Endgame happens. They just know they need to win the keys for their line to survive.
Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of this. That trope is overdone and I'm just not feeling the whole aliens-built-the-pyramids bullshit. This was very plot heavy without enough character development or exploration, which leads me to the next problem of there being way too many characters povs.
On top of the reasoning around Endgame being vague and ambiguous, there are too many characters to really feel for any of them. We get such a shallow picture of these people, that it makes the tragic prices feel unearned and empty.
The good news is it had a pretty diverse cast since the Players were from all over the world. We even see some disability rep in the form of a mute girl and boy who has physical tics and a stutter. I did find the story line of Sarah's boyfriend inserting himself where he didn't belong fitting to the story. It felt forced and awkward, and the pay off didn't really hit like it should have. It could just be the demiro in me again, but I just don't buy the "true love" crap Christopher is spinning to hide his selfishness and borderline obsession.
Needless to say, I won't be finishing this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Violence
I started off REALLY loving this book but it kind of went a bit downhill after the beginning. The whole Christopher/Sarah bit was incredibly annoying and cue a MAJOR eye roll at the love triangle. Why must authors spoil a good story by inserting the dreaded love triangle?! I was also a bit disappointed because I expected more killing but everyone ended teaming up. The idea was incredibly interesting and had so much potential but it was a bit long and drawn out. It really could have been a bit shorter and quicker to the punch. It also gave me serious Illuminae vibes but it was nowhere near as electric and captivating.