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A review by booksbytheglass
These Deadly Games by Diana Urban
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
*let’s play a game*
if that doesn’t immediately trigger you, you’ve been watching the wrong movies (jk lol).
when crystal receives a text from a mysterious app she certainly did not put on her phone, she did not expect to see her sister gagged and kidnapped. in order to save her sister’s life, she must play the psychopath’s game. the instructions seem harmless enough - until crystal realizes that the consequences have bigger implications than she initially thought. can crystal save her sister while simultaneously figure out who her kidnapper is? or will she be forced to play the game?
there were so many things I loved about this book:
- books about serious gamers
- important messages about general house safety
- a lovable diverse group of friends (and their names!! I’ve always loved the name crystal but now I’m obsessed with akira!!!)
- the mind twisting ways the game ended up playing out
however, the ending seemed a bit of a letdown. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting - a happy ending?? definitely not, but still. maybe I was just putting myself in crystal’s shoes too much, because I would not have made half the decisions that she did.
either way, I found the ending a bit rushed to tie up everything with a tight bow, when I think I would have actually preferred a bit more ambiguous ending. (who am I right?)
overall, I loved this one so much more than diana’s debut last year - and I cannot wait to read what she has in store next!!!!
rating: 3.75 stars
wine pairing: piedmont moscato
if that doesn’t immediately trigger you, you’ve been watching the wrong movies (jk lol).
when crystal receives a text from a mysterious app she certainly did not put on her phone, she did not expect to see her sister gagged and kidnapped. in order to save her sister’s life, she must play the psychopath’s game. the instructions seem harmless enough - until crystal realizes that the consequences have bigger implications than she initially thought. can crystal save her sister while simultaneously figure out who her kidnapper is? or will she be forced to play the game?
there were so many things I loved about this book:
- books about serious gamers
- important messages about general house safety
- a lovable diverse group of friends (and their names!! I’ve always loved the name crystal but now I’m obsessed with akira!!!)
- the mind twisting ways the game ended up playing out
however, the ending seemed a bit of a letdown. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting - a happy ending?? definitely not, but still. maybe I was just putting myself in crystal’s shoes too much, because I would not have made half the decisions that she did.
either way, I found the ending a bit rushed to tie up everything with a tight bow, when I think I would have actually preferred a bit more ambiguous ending. (who am I right?)
overall, I loved this one so much more than diana’s debut last year - and I cannot wait to read what she has in store next!!!!
rating: 3.75 stars
wine pairing: piedmont moscato
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death