Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
I was really enjoying this book for the first half. Despite it being about teens (I rarely read books with teenage protagonists anymore), I was interested in the characters and their struggles. The writing was fast-paced, yet enjoyable, and I was very intrigued by the mystery of the God Game. I wanted to know what the heck was going on.
Then things slowly started going downhill. The story just got more and more dark, more and more depressing. It seemed like the only thing keeping the story progressing was the author trying to find more terrible things for people to do to one another. I stopped caring about the characters, not because of the transformations they were going through, but because there were so many awful things being done to them and by them, that I just started to feel a sense of numbness and disconnect towards them and their perils.
There’s a lot of social and moral commentary in here, with plenty of references to our current political and social environment, which I can appreciate. There are observations made in the book that I completely agree with. However, the book ends on such a depressing note, it makes you feel a sense of hopelessness about the future. Like no matter how hard you try to be good, or how hard you try to right your wrongs, it will never be enough and life will just continue to tear you apart. Maybe this makes me sound naive, but that’s not a mindset I’m looking acquire.
The sci-fi aspects of the book were fun and I loved the coding references. I also really liked the tie-ins to philosophy. If you’re interested in philosophy, this could be a really great read for you. However, if you’re looking for a story to lift your spirits a bit, or a nice fun-time romp, I would probably suggest not picking this one up.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the review copy.
Then things slowly started going downhill. The story just got more and more dark, more and more depressing. It seemed like the only thing keeping the story progressing was the author trying to find more terrible things for people to do to one another. I stopped caring about the characters, not because of the transformations they were going through, but because there were so many awful things being done to them and by them, that I just started to feel a sense of numbness and disconnect towards them and their perils.
There’s a lot of social and moral commentary in here, with plenty of references to our current political and social environment, which I can appreciate. There are observations made in the book that I completely agree with. However, the book ends on such a depressing note, it makes you feel a sense of hopelessness about the future. Like no matter how hard you try to be good, or how hard you try to right your wrongs, it will never be enough and life will just continue to tear you apart. Maybe this makes me sound naive, but that’s not a mindset I’m looking acquire.
The sci-fi aspects of the book were fun and I loved the coding references. I also really liked the tie-ins to philosophy. If you’re interested in philosophy, this could be a really great read for you. However, if you’re looking for a story to lift your spirits a bit, or a nice fun-time romp, I would probably suggest not picking this one up.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the review copy.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
While similar to Ready Player One, The God Game happens simultaneously between the online game and real life. After Peter and Charlie receive invites to the mysterious online game run by an intellegent AI that calls itself G.O.D. they bring their group of friends into the game as well. Based on a point system, doing good in real life earns Goldz, doing bad earns Blaxx. Too many Blaxx and you die. Challenged with seemingly harmless pranks, the team become more immersed in the game, but soon the challenges aren't so harmless and the team want out of the game. But only G.O.D. decides when the game is over.
I'm not a gamer, so I wasn't sure if I would like this book. I'm glad I gave it a try. Although the technical aspects of the coding left me a little lost, the story itself was exciting and different. I couldn't believe some of the tasks this so-called god was forcing them to do by blackmailing them. Thanks for inviting me to review this exciting book!
While similar to Ready Player One, The God Game happens simultaneously between the online game and real life. After Peter and Charlie receive invites to the mysterious online game run by an intellegent AI that calls itself G.O.D. they bring their group of friends into the game as well. Based on a point system, doing good in real life earns Goldz, doing bad earns Blaxx. Too many Blaxx and you die. Challenged with seemingly harmless pranks, the team become more immersed in the game, but soon the challenges aren't so harmless and the team want out of the game. But only G.O.D. decides when the game is over.
I'm not a gamer, so I wasn't sure if I would like this book. I'm glad I gave it a try. Although the technical aspects of the coding left me a little lost, the story itself was exciting and different. I couldn't believe some of the tasks this so-called god was forcing them to do by blackmailing them. Thanks for inviting me to review this exciting book!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An interesting and well written book, gripping and full of twists and turns.
It's fascinating, creepy at times, and it keeps you hooked.
I liked the idea of a God chatbot, the group of characters that are well thought and fleshed out.
The plot is well crafted and interesting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It's fascinating, creepy at times, and it keeps you hooked.
I liked the idea of a God chatbot, the group of characters that are well thought and fleshed out.
The plot is well crafted and interesting.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Last year, I got an email from St. Martin Press asking if people were interested in being part of a blog tour for a new sci-fi book coming out. I had recently started up my blog and I’d always thought being part of a blog tour would be an exciting opportunity. Then I noticed that the book was being compared to Ready Player One and I couldn’t sign up fast enough! Ready Player One is one of my all time favorites and I’ve been looking for something that could compare for awhile! So I want to say a hearty THANK YOU to St. Martin’s Press, Netgalley, and the author for sending me a free book in exchange for an honest review and for letting me be a part of this tour!
Holy &*#%, this was a WILD ride! It was blurbed as a page-turner and it did not disappoint!
We start this story following a teenager named Charlie. Charlie’s mom has recently died of cancer, his dad has completely checked out, and he has completely checked out of school, going from top of his class to very near the bottom. The one thing that brings him any kind of solace these days is hanging out with his friends in the Tech Room doing “nerdy” things, like building robots and coding. One day, Charlie is introduced to an AI that calls itself God, which leads to an invite to a very interesting game…
Let me just say that this book did not have me sold at the very beginning. It had a slow start establishing who our main characters were and the entire premise of the G.O.D game. But, once the game aspect of the book really kicked in, I was absolutely HOOKED! The pacing afterwards was just spot on. It was high octane and engaging enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. And the game itself! Oh, I absolutely loved how the game was woven into the story. The details were magnificent, the science kept me thinking, and the action wasn’t too over-the-top. It was real and intense and terrifying at times and I LOVED IT!
The characters were a little less to my liking, though they definitely got better as the story progressed. They all felt like they were lacking depth, at first. Charlie was a kid who lost his mom and lost his way and… that was it. He was someone I’d seen in a million after school specials and I just wasn’t feeling it. As I got deeper into the story, however, and saw how Charlie grappled with some serious questions about morality, he started gaining depth and I found myself enjoying his character a lot more. The same holds true for his core group of friends. They all grew into far more interesting characters than they had been at the beginning of this book.
They were all terrible, but that’s neither here nor there. And, honestly, who wasn’t when they were a teenager?
I will say that the perspective shifts sometimes threw me off and the word choices were not always the best, but, in the end, this was an incredibly enjoyable read that I had a hard time putting down. Did it live up to the Ready Player One comparison? In a way, yes. The game aspect of this story definitely kicked in some memories of the Oasis from RPO. Beyond that, it had a very different feel, but this book definitely stands on it’s own two feet, as well.
Final thoughts: This was an amazing sci-fi adventure that had a bit of a slow start but was a gripping story once the game really got rolling. If you’re looking for a fast-paced thrill ride with morally grey characters, you can’t go wrong with this book!
Holy &*#%, this was a WILD ride! It was blurbed as a page-turner and it did not disappoint!
We start this story following a teenager named Charlie. Charlie’s mom has recently died of cancer, his dad has completely checked out, and he has completely checked out of school, going from top of his class to very near the bottom. The one thing that brings him any kind of solace these days is hanging out with his friends in the Tech Room doing “nerdy” things, like building robots and coding. One day, Charlie is introduced to an AI that calls itself God, which leads to an invite to a very interesting game…
Let me just say that this book did not have me sold at the very beginning. It had a slow start establishing who our main characters were and the entire premise of the G.O.D game. But, once the game aspect of the book really kicked in, I was absolutely HOOKED! The pacing afterwards was just spot on. It was high octane and engaging enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. And the game itself! Oh, I absolutely loved how the game was woven into the story. The details were magnificent, the science kept me thinking, and the action wasn’t too over-the-top. It was real and intense and terrifying at times and I LOVED IT!
The characters were a little less to my liking, though they definitely got better as the story progressed. They all felt like they were lacking depth, at first. Charlie was a kid who lost his mom and lost his way and… that was it. He was someone I’d seen in a million after school specials and I just wasn’t feeling it. As I got deeper into the story, however, and saw how Charlie grappled with some serious questions about morality, he started gaining depth and I found myself enjoying his character a lot more. The same holds true for his core group of friends. They all grew into far more interesting characters than they had been at the beginning of this book.
They were all terrible, but that’s neither here nor there. And, honestly, who wasn’t when they were a teenager?
I will say that the perspective shifts sometimes threw me off and the word choices were not always the best, but, in the end, this was an incredibly enjoyable read that I had a hard time putting down. Did it live up to the Ready Player One comparison? In a way, yes. The game aspect of this story definitely kicked in some memories of the Oasis from RPO. Beyond that, it had a very different feel, but this book definitely stands on it’s own two feet, as well.
Final thoughts: This was an amazing sci-fi adventure that had a bit of a slow start but was a gripping story once the game really got rolling. If you’re looking for a fast-paced thrill ride with morally grey characters, you can’t go wrong with this book!
I really liked the premise of this book and got sucked in fast!
There's a new augmented reality (AR) game that's going around and the stakes are high. The game is called the G.O.D. Game and is being controlled by an artificial intelligence (AI) that the players aren't sure about. Is it really God, or something more nefarious? A particular group of friends begin playing the game and as their reality begins to blur with the virtual world, so do the consequences of their actions within the game.
Actions are rewarded with either gold or blaxx and the players quickly figure out that "good" actions earn the gold and "bad" actions earn the blaxx, but just what exactly are blaxx? And by whose definition are we judging things as "good" and "bad"?
Soon the players are manipulated into actions that have sometimes wanted and unwanted consequences. When they experience unwanted consequences they are left to figure out how to reverse or lessen the negative consequences. Things become violent rather quickly and the stakes get higher and higher as they progress through the game.
I had a hard time deciding if there really were some supernatural elements going on, or if they were just getting caught up in the AR with the AI. With so many random players being "controlled/manipulated" by the AI, it's hard to imagine that there was anything supernatural really happening, but there were some things that there didn't seem to be any other real explanation for.
This book seemed very scary in the sense that some of the players were manipulated into what could be considered by some as some rather triggering things. TWs behind the spoiler:
I've been watching the new TV show, Evil, and there are some similar aspects between that show and this book... anyway, it's definitely worth a read if you are into this type of storyline!
I received a copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest opinion.
There's a new augmented reality (AR) game that's going around and the stakes are high. The game is called the G.O.D. Game and is being controlled by an artificial intelligence (AI) that the players aren't sure about. Is it really God, or something more nefarious? A particular group of friends begin playing the game and as their reality begins to blur with the virtual world, so do the consequences of their actions within the game.
Actions are rewarded with either gold or blaxx and the players quickly figure out that "good" actions earn the gold and "bad" actions earn the blaxx, but just what exactly are blaxx? And by whose definition are we judging things as "good" and "bad"?
Soon the players are manipulated into actions that have sometimes wanted and unwanted consequences. When they experience unwanted consequences they are left to figure out how to reverse or lessen the negative consequences. Things become violent rather quickly and the stakes get higher and higher as they progress through the game.
I had a hard time deciding if there really were some supernatural elements going on, or if they were just getting caught up in the AR with the AI. With so many random players being "controlled/manipulated" by the AI, it's hard to imagine that there was anything supernatural really happening, but there were some things that there didn't seem to be any other real explanation for.
This book seemed very scary in the sense that some of the players were manipulated into what could be considered by some as some rather triggering things. TWs behind the spoiler:
Spoiler
One player was nearly beaten to death. Another was knifed and on the brink of death. At once point other players had to decide whether to have one player beaten (possibly to death) in order to save the other player who had been knifed. One teen was suicidal. There was an attempt to blow up the school.I've been watching the new TV show, Evil, and there are some similar aspects between that show and this book... anyway, it's definitely worth a read if you are into this type of storyline!
I received a copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for my honest opinion.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Wow, this book was a spectacularly crafted, non-stop ride, though I'm taking away a star for casual sexism. I have no patience any more for token female representation in YA. Thankfully, the only girl was gay, though the main protagonist did have a crush on her at a time in the past, which would have ticked off another stereotype. She was also absent for much of the final denouement.
The plot, the concept of the God Game, the pacing, etc., were brilliant, even though some of the philosophy was lost on me. As a writer on tech, particularly cyber security, the premise of an all-seeing, all-knowing "intelligence" was quite fascinating to me.
(Review copy from NetGalley)
The plot, the concept of the God Game, the pacing, etc., were brilliant, even though some of the philosophy was lost on me. As a writer on tech, particularly cyber security, the premise of an all-seeing, all-knowing "intelligence" was quite fascinating to me.
(Review copy from NetGalley)
I was offered an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A few months ago this book was popping up constantly on a bookish Facebook group I'm on, and everyone was raving about it so when I saw it on NetGalley I snapped it up. I ended up wildly disappointed. I didn't like the characters, I found it really hard imagining what was happening, and the code talk made me want to fall asleep.
That being said there was something that compelled me to keep reading on to the end, and I wanted to know how it all ended. I also really grew to like Alex in the end, although I still strongly disliked the other characters.
A few months ago this book was popping up constantly on a bookish Facebook group I'm on, and everyone was raving about it so when I saw it on NetGalley I snapped it up. I ended up wildly disappointed. I didn't like the characters, I found it really hard imagining what was happening, and the code talk made me want to fall asleep.
That being said there was something that compelled me to keep reading on to the end, and I wanted to know how it all ended. I also really grew to like Alex in the end, although I still strongly disliked the other characters.
I received an Advanced Readers copy of this book. I have to say that I was extremely excited to receive this and actually looked forward to reading. Once I started, it went fast for me, which I appreciated that fact. I understand that this book is based in a high school about high school students, but the language was even way too much for me. I'm not a prude by any means, but it just got to be way too much. The storyline was just OK. Would I recommend this others? I would have to say that it's not very likely.