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A review by nchinnici
The God Game by Danny Tobey
4.0
3.5, rounding up.
If you were invited to play a game in which, if you win, all your dreams come true? But if you lose, you die. Would you still play?
That’s the opening premise of The God Game. And Charlie and his friends decide they want to play. The missions they are tasked with start small and are fairly harmless, even if morally or ethically questionable. Over time, the choices they are presented with become more difficult to make.
As this story follows a group of five friends, the plot was complex, with several subplots that twisted together. In providing resolution for all of these subplots, it wound up being pretty long. It didn’t drag, though. With plenty of the action and intrigue, this was fast paced and compelling for most of the story. As it began to come to a close, I was disappointed in the way the ending appeared to be going until the final chapter brought a chilling conclusion that knocked me for a loop.
The God Game has a definite point of view, and certain moments were heavy handed. It deals with morality on multiple levels, from that of the individual to that of the crowd through examining the various relationships. And it makes some interesting points. However, they may have been stronger without some of the subplots, leaving more space to develop the core characters and their relationships further.
This book won’t be for everyone but there is certainly a market for it. The God Game reminded me of the 2016 movie Nerve and a strong comparison can be made to Black Mirror. It also has a cinematic quality, and I can easily see this being adapted for the screen. If this sounds like your kind of book, definitely give it a shot.
*Thanks to the publisher for providing an arc of this edition via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you were invited to play a game in which, if you win, all your dreams come true? But if you lose, you die. Would you still play?
That’s the opening premise of The God Game. And Charlie and his friends decide they want to play. The missions they are tasked with start small and are fairly harmless, even if morally or ethically questionable. Over time, the choices they are presented with become more difficult to make.
As this story follows a group of five friends, the plot was complex, with several subplots that twisted together. In providing resolution for all of these subplots, it wound up being pretty long. It didn’t drag, though. With plenty of the action and intrigue, this was fast paced and compelling for most of the story. As it began to come to a close, I was disappointed in the way the ending appeared to be going until the final chapter brought a chilling conclusion that knocked me for a loop.
The God Game has a definite point of view, and certain moments were heavy handed. It deals with morality on multiple levels, from that of the individual to that of the crowd through examining the various relationships. And it makes some interesting points. However, they may have been stronger without some of the subplots, leaving more space to develop the core characters and their relationships further.
This book won’t be for everyone but there is certainly a market for it. The God Game reminded me of the 2016 movie Nerve and a strong comparison can be made to Black Mirror. It also has a cinematic quality, and I can easily see this being adapted for the screen. If this sounds like your kind of book, definitely give it a shot.
*Thanks to the publisher for providing an arc of this edition via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.