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ashylibrarian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? No
3.5
I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer meets Unfriended in a game-based horror novel of cheats, lies, and deception.
This book did not always feel 100% realistic, but it was a wild journey, and I did have fun (most of the time) while reading it.
There were plenty of times that I was super annoyed with Crystal (the MC) becuase she was being so completely reckless and not picking up on what An0nym0us1 was getting her to do. But Diana Urban did a stellar job creating scenes that kept me coming back and wanting to find out what happens next.
I will likely recommend this title in the future, though it may not be my first grab.
This book did not always feel 100% realistic, but it was a wild journey, and I did have fun (most of the time) while reading it.
There were plenty of times that I was super annoyed with Crystal (the MC) becuase she was being so completely reckless and not picking up on what An0nym0us1 was getting her to do. But Diana Urban did a stellar job creating scenes that kept me coming back and wanting to find out what happens next.
I will likely recommend this title in the future, though it may not be my first grab.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Toxic friendship, Death, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Alcoholism, Confinement, and Torture
Minor: Racism, Eating disorder, and Car accident
gssll_lpz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Stalking, Domestic abuse, and Racism
Minor: Eating disorder and Fire/Fire injury
looseleafellie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This YA thriller follows esports aficionado Crystal Donovan, who must complete challenges set by a mysterious app to save her sister from a kidnapper. But when the app starts directing her to hurt — and even kill — her friends, Crystal must outwit the culprit and bring them to justice!
This book grabbed hold of me and would not let go! I was on the edge of my seat wondering what the killer would make Crystal do next, and how it would end in disastrous consequences. I felt like few places toward the middle weren’t as focused on the actual game as I would have liked, but overall I was hooked.
I did sort of guess the culprit by about the 50% mark, but there was another big twist regarding the killer’s identity that I didn’t see coming, so I was still shocked by the reveal! The plot also leans into making the main character — and the reader — question reality given that the killer covers their tracks so well, which I TOTALLY loved!
Overall, if you’re looking for a cracking YA thriller that plays tricks on your mind, keep an eye out for this one when it releases on February 1st!
Thanks to Wednesday Books for the ARC!
CWs: Kidnapping, murder of a friend, child death, grief, domestic abuse, cyberbullying, doxxing, stalking, panic attacks, gaslighting, suicide, and mentions of eating disorders and racism.
This book grabbed hold of me and would not let go! I was on the edge of my seat wondering what the killer would make Crystal do next, and how it would end in disastrous consequences. I felt like few places toward the middle weren’t as focused on the actual game as I would have liked, but overall I was hooked.
I did sort of guess the culprit by about the 50% mark, but there was another big twist regarding the killer’s identity that I didn’t see coming, so I was still shocked by the reveal! The plot also leans into making the main character — and the reader — question reality given that the killer covers their tracks so well, which I TOTALLY loved!
Overall, if you’re looking for a cracking YA thriller that plays tricks on your mind, keep an eye out for this one when it releases on February 1st!
Thanks to Wednesday Books for the ARC!
CWs: Kidnapping, murder of a friend, child death, grief, domestic abuse, cyberbullying, doxxing, stalking, panic attacks, gaslighting, suicide, and mentions of eating disorders and racism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Stalking
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Suicide
Minor: Eating disorder and Racism
I tagged this for suicide becausekayaj's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
These Deadly Games is one of the most addicting, well-plotted thrillers I’ve ever read. It’s unique in its presentation, the characters are likable, and I found myself genuinely surprised by the ending. Diana Urban’s debut wasn’t bad but it is her sophomore novel that showcases her brilliant writing abilities to their full extent.
Crystal is an interesting main character. She’s clever and cares deeply for her little sister. On the other hand, this entire book is driven solely by her desperation to get her sister back. That means that we as readers don’t always agree with her decisions. However, I thought that both Crystal and this book were so well-written I actually couldn’t help but consider what would happen if I were in this situation. Would I make the same choices? And I mean sure, some of the things she does go a little bit too easily for her but that’s okay. I love how she and her whole friend group bonded over a video game. I love how we had gamer girls doing gamer things and no one was shaming them for it. And it’s a relatively diverse cast as well! There were a few moments where some racist remarks are made that are quickly shut down since Crystal’s best friend, Akira, is half-Japanese. Little moments like that really helped to flesh out the group that we don’t get a perspective from.
Anyways, this was a thrill ride from start to finish. Despite the fact that the title of this book is literally These Deadly Games, I wasn’t quite expecting just how dark it got. Some of what Anynomous1 told Crystal to do seemed innocent at first, and I couldn’t predict how terrible the endgame would be. This book is non-stop in its pace. Every time it seems like we get a breather, something new comes up and BAM! Back on that bullet train of death-defying games. My mind was theorizing whenever it got a chance but I still didn’t totally guess the ending.
Speaking of the ending…WOW. My heart was racing. There were so many twists and turns that even if I half-guessed one thing, it never played out the way I expected it to. I’m unsure if there’s going to be a sequel though? The last line especially felt a little bit open-ended. While there were a few moments throughout the story that had me rolling my eyes (y’all already know my thoughts on teenagers in thrillers) this is one of the most well-plotted books I’ve ever read. At this point, Diana Urban is on my list of favorite mystery/thriller authors, joining the ranks of Holly Jackson…and that’s it. That’s my list. It’s clearly very prestigious so if nothing else convinces you to read this book I hope that does.
So that’s it! Again, I hate going into too much detail with thrillers but I really don’t have anything bad to say about this one. A few cliche YA thriller moments couldn’t overcome the unique plot and perfect pace of These Deadly Games. Overall, I’d give this 5/5 stars. Thank you so much Wednesday Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Crystal is an interesting main character. She’s clever and cares deeply for her little sister. On the other hand, this entire book is driven solely by her desperation to get her sister back. That means that we as readers don’t always agree with her decisions. However, I thought that both Crystal and this book were so well-written I actually couldn’t help but consider what would happen if I were in this situation. Would I make the same choices? And I mean sure, some of the things she does go a little bit too easily for her but that’s okay. I love how she and her whole friend group bonded over a video game. I love how we had gamer girls doing gamer things and no one was shaming them for it. And it’s a relatively diverse cast as well! There were a few moments where some racist remarks are made that are quickly shut down since Crystal’s best friend, Akira, is half-Japanese. Little moments like that really helped to flesh out the group that we don’t get a perspective from.
Anyways, this was a thrill ride from start to finish. Despite the fact that the title of this book is literally These Deadly Games, I wasn’t quite expecting just how dark it got. Some of what Anynomous1 told Crystal to do seemed innocent at first, and I couldn’t predict how terrible the endgame would be. This book is non-stop in its pace. Every time it seems like we get a breather, something new comes up and BAM! Back on that bullet train of death-defying games. My mind was theorizing whenever it got a chance but I still didn’t totally guess the ending.
Speaking of the ending…WOW. My heart was racing. There were so many twists and turns that even if I half-guessed one thing, it never played out the way I expected it to. I’m unsure if there’s going to be a sequel though? The last line especially felt a little bit open-ended. While there were a few moments throughout the story that had me rolling my eyes (y’all already know my thoughts on teenagers in thrillers) this is one of the most well-plotted books I’ve ever read. At this point, Diana Urban is on my list of favorite mystery/thriller authors, joining the ranks of Holly Jackson…and that’s it. That’s my list. It’s clearly very prestigious so if nothing else convinces you to read this book I hope that does.
So that’s it! Again, I hate going into too much detail with thrillers but I really don’t have anything bad to say about this one. A few cliche YA thriller moments couldn’t overcome the unique plot and perfect pace of These Deadly Games. Overall, I’d give this 5/5 stars. Thank you so much Wednesday Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Violence
These Deadly Games is one of the most addicting, well-plotted thrillers I’ve ever read. It’s unique in its presentation, the characters are likable, and I found myself genuinely surprised by the ending. Diana Urban’s debut wasn’t bad but it is her sophomore novel that showcases her brilliant writing abilities to their full extent. Crystal is an interesting main character. She’s clever and cares deeply for her little sister. On the other hand, this entire book is driven solely by her desperation to get her sister back. That means that we as readers don’t always agree with her decisions. However, I thought that both Crystal and this book were so well-written I actually couldn’t help but consider what would happen if I were in this situation. Would I make the same choices? And I mean sure, some of the things she does go a little bit too easily for her but that’s okay. I love how she and her whole friend group bonded over a video game. I love how we had gamer girls doing gamer things and no one was shaming them for it. And it’s a relatively diverse cast as well! There were a few moments where some racist remarks are made that are quickly shut down since Crystal’s best friend, Akira, is half-Japanese. Little moments like that really helped to flesh out the group that we don’t get a perspective from. Anyways, this was a thrill ride from start to finish. Despite the fact that the title of this book is literally These Deadly Games, I wasn’t quite expecting just how dark it got. Some of what Anynomous1 told Crystal to do seemed innocent at first, and I couldn’t predict how terrible the endgame would be. This book is non-stop in its pace. Every time it seems like we get a breather, something new comes up and BAM! Back on that bullet train of death-defying games. My mind was theorizing whenever it got a chance but I still didn’t totally guess the ending. Speaking of the ending…WOW. My heart was racing. There were so many twists and turns that even if I half-guessed one thing, it never played out the way I expected it to. I’m unsure if there’s going to be a sequel though? The last line especially felt a little bit open-ended. While there were a few moments throughout the story that had me rolling my eyes (y’all already know my thoughts on teenagers in thrillers) this is one of the most well-plotted books I’ve ever read. At this point, Diana Urban is on my list of favorite mystery/thriller authors, joining the ranks of Holly Jackson…and that’s it. That’s my list. It’s clearly very prestigious so if nothing else convinces you to read this book I hope that does. So that’s it! Again, I hate going into too much detail with thrillers but I really don’t have anything bad to say about this one. A few cliche YA thriller moments couldn’t overcome the unique plot and perfect pace of These Deadly Games. Overall, I’d give this 5/5 stars.vicktorea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
4.5
wtf man???
this was actually terrifying to read. The content itself wasn't gory or anything but the premise was actually terrifying and well-executed - i kept wondering to myself, what would my 16 year-old self do in this type of situation and the thought, together with the plot, had me at the edge of my seat!
This had me hooked from the first chapter, but after the 40% mark, i refused to put this down and couldn't stop until i finished (which turned out to be 12:30AM, and now I'm very tired this Tuesday morning on my commute to work but it was worth it!)!
This book also tackled a few side issues, which I appreciated. There are mentions of abusive parents, alcoholism, death of a friend, gaslighting, racism, and acknowledging privilege. All of these are brief (except the abusive parent, alcoholism and death of a friend which happen on page but aren't super explicit).
Something i enjoyed most about this book was that I didn't quite see the reveal coming until it happened; I saw the connection but still couldn't quite piece together who was behind it and then it all clicked into place. I love this about a mystery - when the pieces actually make sense and you're left like "oh, yeah! that does make sense!". Diana Urban truly delivered that in this mystery and I look forward to more of her future works!
Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review
this was actually terrifying to read. The content itself wasn't gory or anything but the premise was actually terrifying and well-executed - i kept wondering to myself, what would my 16 year-old self do in this type of situation and the thought, together with the plot, had me at the edge of my seat!
This had me hooked from the first chapter, but after the 40% mark, i refused to put this down and couldn't stop until i finished (which turned out to be 12:30AM, and now I'm very tired this Tuesday morning on my commute to work but it was worth it!)!
This book also tackled a few side issues, which I appreciated. There are mentions of abusive parents, alcoholism, death of a friend, gaslighting, racism, and acknowledging privilege. All of these are brief (except the abusive parent, alcoholism and death of a friend which happen on page but aren't super explicit).
Something i enjoyed most about this book was that I didn't quite see the reveal coming until it happened; I saw the connection but still couldn't quite piece together who was behind it and then it all clicked into place. I love this about a mystery - when the pieces actually make sense and you're left like "oh, yeah! that does make sense!". Diana Urban truly delivered that in this mystery and I look forward to more of her future works!
Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, and Murder
Minor: Physical abuse and Racism
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