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eviejayne 's review for:
The God Game
by Danny Tobey
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Win and All Your Dreams Come True™! ;)
This cyber sci-fi thriller revolves around a group of five high school geeks – the Vindicators. The tech-savvy teens are experts at code and pulling trivial stunts. That is until Charlie and Peter receive an invitation they can’t refuse. They receive an invitation to play the G.O.D. Game. If they play and win, all their dreams come true. But if they die in the game, they die in real life... What begins as some harmless fun soon warps into something more sinister. As the virtual reality interposes itself onto real life, will they be able to escape?
I was immediately intrigued by the premise of The God Game, and, from the outset, it was incredibly immersive. It felt like a Stranger Things and Black Mirror collaboration with the scare-factor amped up a notch.
As the story progresses, we gain an insight into the characters’ innermost thoughts and fears, their dreams of getting into Harvard, and the secrets regarding the problems they’re enduring at home. They see the game as a chance for all of their dreams to come true. However, the missions, lies and promised rewards crescendo until the game becomes a prime source of their paranoia. Did my Dad really text me that or was it the game? The group dynamic crumbles as the players become mere pawns to the manipulative, omniscient AI. Just like Big Brother, it knows all and sees all. There is no off button. There is no way out. Despite its hefty length, I raced through this like it was a novella to see how, or if, they escaped.
The tech and religious jargon were difficult for me to follow along at times and I thought the quick POV switches were sometimes jarring. Nonetheless, this is an entertaining, original and engrossing story that any fans of Black Mirror will enjoy.
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2020: A book with a robot, cyborg or AI character
Thank you, Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
This cyber sci-fi thriller revolves around a group of five high school geeks – the Vindicators. The tech-savvy teens are experts at code and pulling trivial stunts. That is until Charlie and Peter receive an invitation they can’t refuse. They receive an invitation to play the G.O.D. Game. If they play and win, all their dreams come true. But if they die in the game, they die in real life... What begins as some harmless fun soon warps into something more sinister. As the virtual reality interposes itself onto real life, will they be able to escape?
I was immediately intrigued by the premise of The God Game, and, from the outset, it was incredibly immersive. It felt like a Stranger Things and Black Mirror collaboration with the scare-factor amped up a notch.
As the story progresses, we gain an insight into the characters’ innermost thoughts and fears, their dreams of getting into Harvard, and the secrets regarding the problems they’re enduring at home. They see the game as a chance for all of their dreams to come true. However, the missions, lies and promised rewards crescendo until the game becomes a prime source of their paranoia. Did my Dad really text me that or was it the game? The group dynamic crumbles as the players become mere pawns to the manipulative, omniscient AI. Just like Big Brother, it knows all and sees all. There is no off button. There is no way out. Despite its hefty length, I raced through this like it was a novella to see how, or if, they escaped.
The tech and religious jargon were difficult for me to follow along at times and I thought the quick POV switches were sometimes jarring. Nonetheless, this is an entertaining, original and engrossing story that any fans of Black Mirror will enjoy.
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2020: A book with a robot, cyborg or AI character
Thank you, Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!