A review by cdubiel
The God Game by Danny Tobey

4.0

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the preview copy! I was really excited about this one, as I'm totally into crazy games and AI stuff, and I was not disappointed. The story centers around a bunch of teens at a high school in Texas - they are hackers, calling themselves The Vindicators. They learn of this weird game that never ends, and the game is everywhere - in their phones, on their computers, on their webcams - and it always knows where they are and what they are doing. The game is controlled by a vast network of artificial intelligence, and it promises rewards if they do well - but if they fail, they will fail in real life, too, with extreme consequences. While the omniscient point of view can get a bit distracting, I understand why it's used - as the AI thinks it's God, the POV choice makes it seem as if the reader is also God, jumping around from head to head. This is a fast-paced, creepy novel, with lots of mythological, technical, and philosophical references to keep the reader thinking and guessing throughout.