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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
Teenagers play with things they don't understand and no one is happy.
The characters were relatively realistic teenagers (impulsive, annoying, selfish) and made one stupid decision after another. Everyone had some level of trauma (or barring that, some pretty high pressure laid on them) and everyone placed their own gain above others'.
Conceptually, there were things I liked about the book, and the game, and the way the story was structured. Some of it didn't really feel consistent. (For example, the point of view shifts.) The carrying force that kept me reading was the need to know how it would all end up, and I'm so disappointed that the author felt the need to tack on Chapter 102. So. Fucking. Dumb.
Alas, you can't always have great books, sometimes you have to make do with mediocre.
The characters were relatively realistic teenagers (impulsive, annoying, selfish) and made one stupid decision after another. Everyone had some level of trauma (or barring that, some pretty high pressure laid on them) and everyone placed their own gain above others'.
Conceptually, there were things I liked about the book, and the game, and the way the story was structured. Some of it didn't really feel consistent. (For example, the point of view shifts.) The carrying force that kept me reading was the need to know how it would all end up, and I'm so disappointed that the author felt the need to tack on Chapter 102. So. Fucking. Dumb.
Alas, you can't always have great books, sometimes you have to make do with mediocre.
The God Game is about a group of high school kids who get invited to play ‘The God Game’, an AI that sets them missions. If they win, they get amazing prizes, but if they lose...
The concept is well executed, and as a big fan of Black Mirror, Stranger Things and Ready Player One, this book has elements of them all. The tension mounts as the characters are drawn into the game and the consequences get higher.
You definitely don’t need to be a sci-fi fan to enjoy this.
The concept is well executed, and as a big fan of Black Mirror, Stranger Things and Ready Player One, this book has elements of them all. The tension mounts as the characters are drawn into the game and the consequences get higher.
You definitely don’t need to be a sci-fi fan to enjoy this.
Phew, The God Game was a wild ride.
I fluctuated a lot during this book between loving it and hating it, hence the middle of the road didn’t love it nor hate it three star rating.
The God Game centers around a group of high school kids, coders, who get sucked into a virtual reality game that starts off innocent but turns dangerous and deadly.
The concept of this book was fabulous and I loved the virtual reality setting and the computer’s mind-blowing twists and tricks. It fascinated me and I had to keep turning pages to see what happened next. It’s what I loved about this book!
What I didn’t love? The characters. I didn’t like any of them. I’m not sure why, I can’t say I can pinpoint an exact reason, but I just could not relate to a single one of them. This book was told from multiple perspectives, so there was a lot of jumping around, but that’s not what hindered my ability to connect with anyone.
Overall this book was a good read. While frustrating at parts and making me hate high school drama all over again even though I’m in my adult life, this book was captivating and dangerously alluring.
TW: Murder, Mind Control, Suicide, Bullying, Mental and Physical Abuse, Loss of a Loved One, Infidelity, Satanic Practices (loosely tied).
I fluctuated a lot during this book between loving it and hating it, hence the middle of the road didn’t love it nor hate it three star rating.
The God Game centers around a group of high school kids, coders, who get sucked into a virtual reality game that starts off innocent but turns dangerous and deadly.
The concept of this book was fabulous and I loved the virtual reality setting and the computer’s mind-blowing twists and tricks. It fascinated me and I had to keep turning pages to see what happened next. It’s what I loved about this book!
What I didn’t love? The characters. I didn’t like any of them. I’m not sure why, I can’t say I can pinpoint an exact reason, but I just could not relate to a single one of them. This book was told from multiple perspectives, so there was a lot of jumping around, but that’s not what hindered my ability to connect with anyone.
Overall this book was a good read. While frustrating at parts and making me hate high school drama all over again even though I’m in my adult life, this book was captivating and dangerously alluring.
TW: Murder, Mind Control, Suicide, Bullying, Mental and Physical Abuse, Loss of a Loved One, Infidelity, Satanic Practices (loosely tied).
While there were some things about this book that could have been better, I had to round my 3.5 stars up to 4 because I could not put it down. It grabs you at the very beginning and takes you on quite a ride. Some aspects of this book do seem familiar to other books I have read, but the plot was unique enough to keep me reading. I only wish the characters were developed more. I never really cared that much about what happened to any of the main characters.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Here’s what this book is about:”You are invited!
Come inside and play with GOD.
Bring your friends!
It’s fun!
But remember the rules. Win and ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.™ Lose, you die!
With those words, Charlie and his friends enter the God Game, a video game run by underground hackers and controlled by a mysterious AI that believes it’s God. Through their phone screens and high-tech glasses, the teens’ realities blur with a virtual world of creeping vines, smoldering torches, runes, glyphs, gods, and mythical creatures. When they accomplish a mission, the game rewards them with expensive tech, revenge on high-school tormentors, and cash flowing from ATMs. Slaying a hydra and drawing a bloody pentagram as payment to a Greek god seem harmless at first. Fun even.”
I won a physical ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway in 2020 but I decided to listen to this book on audio. This book was interesting and fun. I like when books have games in them. I wanted to keep listening so I could find out what happens next but I wouldn’t listen to this book again. The parts of the book that I liked were when the characters were playing the game but I didn’t like the characters that much and I never felt connected to any of them.
Come inside and play with GOD.
Bring your friends!
It’s fun!
But remember the rules. Win and ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.™ Lose, you die!
With those words, Charlie and his friends enter the God Game, a video game run by underground hackers and controlled by a mysterious AI that believes it’s God. Through their phone screens and high-tech glasses, the teens’ realities blur with a virtual world of creeping vines, smoldering torches, runes, glyphs, gods, and mythical creatures. When they accomplish a mission, the game rewards them with expensive tech, revenge on high-school tormentors, and cash flowing from ATMs. Slaying a hydra and drawing a bloody pentagram as payment to a Greek god seem harmless at first. Fun even.”
I won a physical ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway in 2020 but I decided to listen to this book on audio. This book was interesting and fun. I like when books have games in them. I wanted to keep listening so I could find out what happens next but I wouldn’t listen to this book again. The parts of the book that I liked were when the characters were playing the game but I didn’t like the characters that much and I never felt connected to any of them.
I am not a science person. I am not a math person. I am not a computer person. I very rarely read science fiction because I struggle with even the most basic scientific theories, although I am pretty good at the Scientific Method. This book was, for me, a fascinating take on the use of technology, specifically AI intelligence. It works on the premise that an AI gaming system has been overloaded with laws, moral systems and religious texts to create it’s own neural network. Within the game, good actions get you points and bad actions lead to real life consequences. 5 high school kids, Peter, Charlie, Vanhi, Kenny and Alex get caught up in this game, with the consequences of every action quickly begins to spin out of control. A lot of the coding and various technical terms went over my head. I was more stuck on the morality of the novel. Computers are built on the premise that they work like human brains with 100% of the ‘brain’ being used. Whose to say that technology won’t overwhelm us? Sure, they can mirror human activity but machines aren’t capable of emotion, like human beings. I found the idea that these kids were in high school difficult to compute. They just seemed way older than me. I also found the lack of adult supervision in all areas of their lives to be troubling. The story in general just seemed stilted. I think if you’re reading this book, go into it with the idea that it’s a commentary on technological usage and human morality, rather than an expansive world-building novel. I have to recommend the novel because it definitely challenged my thought process and the way I view things but that being said, the actual story could have used some work.
There were a lot of rave reviews about this one. I, unfortunately started it at the wrong time of the year. I began it right around Thanksgiving and didn't finish it until after Christmas. Being only able to read it in small bites did not do this book justice. It was a good book, but I wonder if I would have been able to consume it differently I would have rated it as a great book. 3.5 stars for me.
**I was sent an ARC of this from the publisher for review these thoughts are not influenced by this**
I enjoyed the video game /A.R. aspect that was brought into the game. I felt the characters were developed well I knew who each was I can't say that I personally connected to any of them, I will say that when I recall my high school experience I can picture each type of these characters in my high school that would fit into their descriptions. I enjoyed the religious aspect that was brought into the book and learning different parts of world religions and how they tied it into the game. The world building inside the game was great, when returing to the real world most of it took place in a high school so there wasn't much needed in describing the world. If you like mystery/thrillers and teens questioning their morals I would recommend checking it out for sure
I enjoyed the video game /A.R. aspect that was brought into the game. I felt the characters were developed well I knew who each was I can't say that I personally connected to any of them, I will say that when I recall my high school experience I can picture each type of these characters in my high school that would fit into their descriptions. I enjoyed the religious aspect that was brought into the book and learning different parts of world religions and how they tied it into the game. The world building inside the game was great, when returing to the real world most of it took place in a high school so there wasn't much needed in describing the world. If you like mystery/thrillers and teens questioning their morals I would recommend checking it out for sure