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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I loved the concept of this book but it was so poorly executed I just could not get into it.
The characters were bland and forgettable and the plot was so slow and just dragged on. So much happened but at the same time, nothing happened in it.
The characters were bland and forgettable and the plot was so slow and just dragged on. So much happened but at the same time, nothing happened in it.
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is about a group of friends playing the G.O.D. Game, a video game run by underground hackers and controlled by a mysterious AI that believes it’s God. Things escalate and what started as a harmless game turns into a dangerous reality.
I really enjoyed this book! It was such a quick read, I got sucked in very easily. It was fast paced and entertaining the whole time. I could definitely see this being a Black Mirror episode, or even a TV series of it's own. The concept was very interesting and frighteningly plausible - it felt like this could totally happen in our reality. Also the writing was great, I could visualize everything that was happening in great detail. The author's imagination was captured perfectly in the writing. There were some tech/science things that went over my head, but it wasn't anything that was necessary to understand the story and what was happening.
I really enjoyed this book! It was such a quick read, I got sucked in very easily. It was fast paced and entertaining the whole time. I could definitely see this being a Black Mirror episode, or even a TV series of it's own. The concept was very interesting and frighteningly plausible - it felt like this could totally happen in our reality. Also the writing was great, I could visualize everything that was happening in great detail. The author's imagination was captured perfectly in the writing. There were some tech/science things that went over my head, but it wasn't anything that was necessary to understand the story and what was happening.
Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the preview copy! I was really excited about this one, as I'm totally into crazy games and AI stuff, and I was not disappointed. The story centers around a bunch of teens at a high school in Texas - they are hackers, calling themselves The Vindicators. They learn of this weird game that never ends, and the game is everywhere - in their phones, on their computers, on their webcams - and it always knows where they are and what they are doing. The game is controlled by a vast network of artificial intelligence, and it promises rewards if they do well - but if they fail, they will fail in real life, too, with extreme consequences. While the omniscient point of view can get a bit distracting, I understand why it's used - as the AI thinks it's God, the POV choice makes it seem as if the reader is also God, jumping around from head to head. This is a fast-paced, creepy novel, with lots of mythological, technical, and philosophical references to keep the reader thinking and guessing throughout.
“You are invited! Come inside and play with G.O.D. Bring your friends! It’s Fun! But remember the rules. Win and All Your Dreams Come True. Lose, You Die!”
The Vindicators a group of 5 high school students, Charlie, Peter, Alex, Kenny, Vanhi.
Just your average computer club until one day everything changes. The met G.O.D. Who gave them an invitation they couldn’t refuse. Play the game and all your dreams come true! Lose , You die! They think it’s just a hoax until things start looking up for them, more money and free stuff, however at what cost? When things start going bad can Charlie help the Vindicators make things right and leave the game...without dying in the process. I think Tobey did a good job of merging sci-fi with reality. If you are looking for a good thriller with a mix of lit rpg this book is for you. I loved the blending of the game with the real world and how they earned “Goldz or Blaxx” depending on if you were in G.O.D.s favor or not. I also liked that we were able to read from the point of view of all the main characters and even learn about those close to them, even their teachers. I loved how many twits and turns their were worth this book and was always reading on waiting for the next twist. The ending of the book left me wanting more and kind of hoping that a certain character would get his own novella in the future.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
The Vindicators a group of 5 high school students, Charlie, Peter, Alex, Kenny, Vanhi.
Just your average computer club until one day everything changes. The met G.O.D. Who gave them an invitation they couldn’t refuse. Play the game and all your dreams come true! Lose , You die! They think it’s just a hoax until things start looking up for them, more money and free stuff, however at what cost? When things start going bad can Charlie help the Vindicators make things right and leave the game...without dying in the process. I think Tobey did a good job of merging sci-fi with reality. If you are looking for a good thriller with a mix of lit rpg this book is for you. I loved the blending of the game with the real world and how they earned “Goldz or Blaxx” depending on if you were in G.O.D.s favor or not. I also liked that we were able to read from the point of view of all the main characters and even learn about those close to them, even their teachers. I loved how many twits and turns their were worth this book and was always reading on waiting for the next twist. The ending of the book left me wanting more and kind of hoping that a certain character would get his own novella in the future.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
God Game is an interesting take on Artificial Intelligence. The characters were real and not always predictable. I thought it was interesting and posed a lot of ethical questions that the characters had to answer through their choices. The ending was not at all what I expected, but that made it even more interesting. 4 stars
I received an advance copy through the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received an advance copy through the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
just holy shit???? i need this to be made into a tv show asap
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Physical abuse
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Toxic friendship
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was such a clever premise, but unfortunately wasn’t executed well. The characters were cliche and I found them hard to keep track of because they didn’t really seem to have any development or distinct personalities. In a nutshell, I didn’t care at all about what happened to them, whether they died in the game, got into Harvard or whatever it may be.
I kept feeling like I was missing something. I think it was okay too long with too much high school drama and not enough focus on the actual game or what it meant or how it came to be.
I kept feeling like I was missing something. I think it was okay too long with too much high school drama and not enough focus on the actual game or what it meant or how it came to be.
"The God Game" by Danny Tobey comes out January 7, 2020. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.
"The God Game" follows 5 friends as they join an AI experience. What begins as a game, quickly turns into a struggle for their lives. Each member of their group, "the Vindicators," takes a risk for a big life moment to go their way, but by taking the risk they owe the game something. Often these tasks end up being on the violent side to appease a god mixed from all religions and tending to take on blood thirsty traits. As the tasks get riskier and the game has more dirt on them, they want a way out... but there's only one way out of the game...
This book is extremely interesting from a plot standpoint. Artificial intelligence directing a risky game always seems like a good idea. Until the AI begins to believe it is actually God. And then proceeds to ruin your life. Ideally this narrative creates a quick read because "what will happen next?!"
I, however, was not a huge fan of the book. It's a little more intense than I was comfortable with. I don't feel like I would have picked this book out on my own. My main interest was all the hype for it on #bookstagram. I wish the characters would have had bigger motivations and plot lines I felt should be larger were dropped.
Overall, I wanted to like this book, but I can only give it 3/5 stars.
"The God Game" follows 5 friends as they join an AI experience. What begins as a game, quickly turns into a struggle for their lives. Each member of their group, "the Vindicators," takes a risk for a big life moment to go their way, but by taking the risk they owe the game something. Often these tasks end up being on the violent side to appease a god mixed from all religions and tending to take on blood thirsty traits. As the tasks get riskier and the game has more dirt on them, they want a way out... but there's only one way out of the game...
This book is extremely interesting from a plot standpoint. Artificial intelligence directing a risky game always seems like a good idea. Until the AI begins to believe it is actually God. And then proceeds to ruin your life. Ideally this narrative creates a quick read because "what will happen next?!"
I, however, was not a huge fan of the book. It's a little more intense than I was comfortable with. I don't feel like I would have picked this book out on my own. My main interest was all the hype for it on #bookstagram. I wish the characters would have had bigger motivations and plot lines I felt should be larger were dropped.
Overall, I wanted to like this book, but I can only give it 3/5 stars.
This was not quite what I expected, yet a fantastic book! I kept wondering how I would react in a situation like that. I definitely had the Ready Player One vibe while reading this book. It also reminded me of the movie War Games with Matthew Broderick. As far as technology has come, it seems possible that an artificial intelligence could take over more of our world than we think is possible.