The premise for this novel was interesting but the execution of it was very far-fetched. It felt like the book was supposed to be a more realistic science fiction but then quickly spiraled into a very non-realistic environment.

Interesting premise, 1st time reading this author.... paced well but a bit predictable.... looking forward to more, with high hopes! Thanks to Netgalley & St Martin’s Press for this ARC.

THE GOD GAME has suspense coupled with a smartly constructed narrative. It pushes the boundaries of what we are all willing to do for rewards and what are the consequences of playing the game. If you liked READY PLAYER ONE, then this will definitely be a book you will want to pick up.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this copy.

I originally received this book over a year ago and I knew I would love it - with one problem.  I would, one hundred percent love it in the right mood.  So I shuffled it away temporarily, and didn't realise how much time had passed (looking at you covid 19 and lockdown) until I picked it out again from my kindle library and wished, oh I wished so much I had picked it up much, much earlier.  The God Game was fantastic.  It was just the right amount of everything that I needed right now.  The God Game is so near perfect that the emotions I was looking for recently that I was resenting the pages before it finished, I did not want it to be over.  And trust me, this book is quite a bit longer than average.

Tobey's the God Game is a exercise in human emotion.  Throughout an omniscient third person pov, the God Game brings out the stories of human relationships, good and bad, and human motivation.  It asks the moral questions and tests the main characters moment by moment, page by page, sentence by sentence. 

The basic premise of the God Game is that our main characters enter a virtual game with an AI that takes on the persona of God.  In the first instance, it reminded me of Nerve, the movie with Emma Roberts (however, I've only seen the first half of that movie, I've yet to finish it, so I can't comment on any other similarities).  When I say similar, both involve a virtual game, both games require the main character to do some extreme things to be rewarded.  However, in the God Game, our main characters, members of their own little clique called the Vindicators, are faced with more than extreme challenges.  A warning about the game: <i>you die in the game, you die in real life</i>.  If "God" is happy, he'll reward the player a wish of his, regardless of what it is.  If "God" is unhappy, he punishes and punishments are always life threatening.  

What I loved about this book?
- The writing. It's written wonderfully.  Emotionally.  While also quite thrilling.  
- The diversity of the cast.
- The complexity of human emotion that despite the large cast, Tobey draws out quite well.
- The concept of the book. I like it even more for the ending. While some other super intelligent AI game related novels take the path of an all knowing AI, Tobey goes the other way.  The God Game is about humans, what they do, why they do it, and it's moral without being preachy.  So, Tobey brings the human-ness to the super intelligent AI narrative.
- The relationships.  Not only between lovers, but between parent and child, friends, and frenemies.  
- The moments.  There are several moments that I really loved, such as when Charlie eventually gives the bracelet to Mary.  In this moment, you just think, ah, so even when Charlie decided against it, when he did give it to her - as per 'God's' plan - she made her choice to do what she wanted.  Nothing bad happened because Charlie did what he had to do, because he wanted to, not because God wanted him to do it - even though he did.  Other moments I liked, were the Peter moments (I'll explain in a bit), the Kenny moments (he really lived up to his character), and the Charlie moments.  
- Charlie.  He's the main character, and I loved him.  More so, I loved how he was portrayed.  He might have seemed like a do-gooder, but he was just as flawed as those who thought of him as such.  He gave in at times, and stood firm at others.  He wasn't all good, but he grew throughout the book.  
- Peter.  He was an interesting character.  And I think the ending didn't do him the exact justice his character deserved.  
- Loved the Trump references.  You can, one hundred percent, tell when then book was written. There's no outright Trump bashing, but you can feel the tension in this book that's not just caused by an AI, but by the context in which it was set.  A world in which the President is Donald Trump whose rhetoric has divided rather than united. 

Things that could have been better (but honestly, having just finished this, my mind is blown and I still can't get over all the things I loved that the things that did bother me are so minute in comparison):
- It's a long book, so it feels a little windy.  Any other time, there's a chance I might have felt it was too long, too draggy.  But right now, I was glad it was long, glad that it kept going, because the pacing and tenseness that had me all wound up kept me reading, so much that I felt lost without it as soon as I read the last page.
- Alex Dinh.  Look, I think he was written well, and his descent was really sad, and I felt for his plight a lot.  But I do have one nitpicky thing about him.  And it's that I wished that the one chapter that was told from his father's perspective should have delved in a little more as to the deep motivations of why he's so hard on Alex, rather than the usual he has worked all his life (I felt the flashes of an immigrant story here, one as a child of an immigrant, I can understand a lot) and hopes better for his child.  This would have rounded out Alex's story, his pain, and the complexity of such narratives are.
- Vanhi.  I thought as a character of diverse origin (Indian and lesbian), she was another great addition.  But again, there was a little bit more to the backstory than Vanhi just wanting to get into Harvard or wanting to keep her parent happy.
- Which brings me to the minor coincidence that our most diverse characters seemed to be making more devastating choices than some of our cast.  Don't get me wrong, they all made good and bad choices.  But some just seemed more extreme than others.  Well, even more extreme than the most extreme.  Nonetheless, these few points, don't change how much I loved The God Game.

<b>Overall</b>
I enjoyed the writing and plot of this so much, I'm now going to read Tobey's other book.  Fingers crossed it's just as good.

What a captivating read! Very twilight-zone-esque if I do say so myself! It’s an addictive read that is also jaw-dropping. It makes you squirm. It’s an inside look at what artificial intelligence can do to us. I feel like this is more real than we may think possible, which makes it the slightest bit terrifying. It’s a great read for something out of your comfort zone. As a christian, I think I would’ve enjoyed it way more if there weren’t so many God or bible references…I get the idea but it just left me a bit uncomfortable.

This was interesting and really well written.

A group of high school seniors start playing a computer game facilitated by an AI that thinks it's God. It has a lot of moral dilemmas and ethics scenarios. The author also adds some political views and opinions on social situations (like racism and homophobia) which plague our society.

At times it made me think of an advanced version of Pokémon Go, but exchange the cute cartoons for humans and mythical and biblical characters.

If you like sci-fi novels set around video games, I definitely recommend that you give this a try.

This is not my typical genre so I had concerns, but went in with an open mind. I'm so glad that I did! It was fast paced and full of action. I enjoyed the characters and the story line. So many nights I would try and put it down, but couldn't! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

It was... fine. I've read other stories similar to this one, but usually with adults at the center, and it was a bit weird to read about it happening with teenagers. A lot of really serious, dark things are happening in this, and it's hard to get too invested in some of the characters. There are a lot of religious allusions, which is to be expected from the title. Overall, not bad, just not as intriguing as I would've liked it to be.

The God Game is not a book that I would normally pick for myself to read. I did read it though and thought it was interesting. I didn't 'enjoy' the book much, but I can see where some people would like this one a lot. It wasn't badly written or anything, just not really one for me.

https://thebigwhitedog.wixsite.com/mysite

 In this book, a group of misfit teens is introduced to an elite, invitation-only game with God as the dungeon master. The game starts innocent enough, each player gains points they can use to buy tools in the game by doing good deeds or accomplishing tasks. Things quickly take a dark turn when tasks become more difficult or have a heavy moral or physical consequence. When the darkness begins to get between their friendships and leaks into their everyday lives, they discover that they can't quit playing the game without serious life-changing consequences. The game begins to play one against the other, pushing each player to the brink of life and death... will one of them cross the line... will one pay the ultimate price to free the others ….

      Read the book to find out!

In this day and age, when computers run most things in our daily lives, it isn't hard for me to imagine this scenario actually happening in real life. A person or people with the right skills and the inclination could cause chaos in the lives around them.

   I found The God Game to be a well-written book. The characters had depth and brought to the light some issues faced by many kids these days. Each of their stories raises different emotions in me, Alex broke my heart. Tim made me furious. Peter annoyed the hell out of me and I really just wanted to hug Charlie.

   The one part of the book that I really didn't like or find necessary was the very end. Firstly because to me it implied that he won and in my mind, he shouldn't have. ( I do understand the concept explain there) It just seemed wrong to me. plus the way he won seemed a little far fetched to me. 

   The God Game is creative and emotional. It was both real and fantasy. I enjoyed reading it.

Unfortunately, I didn't vibe well with this story at all. I think the author suffered from trying too hard to relate to modern teens, and ended up writing teen dialogue that felt way too forced and unrealistic. The diversity of the characters also felt a little forced and ungenuine, and I overall just didn't get along well with the writing style. I do think this book has a fantastic premise, and I think a lot of readers will get along really well with this story. I just unfortunately wasn't one of those readers.

I really enjoyed this book, and I totally recommend it. I really liked the writing style. Sadly, at times the plot did drag a bit but for the most part I really enjoy it.

Let's start with a disclaimer: 
This is NOT a teen/YA book like Ready Player One. It is an 'adult' science fiction read, I would liken it to Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. 

Plot & Characters
Sadly The God Game was not as good as I had hoped for (although I had high expectations); but still a solid read. Featuring lots of teenage angst and crazy decisions. If you're not ready to be annoyed by typical teen behavior (think book 5 of Harry Potter but times 10) then you may not want to delve into this one. The characters are so well written that they feel very genuine and make decisions just like I would have as a teen (and might still as an adult). Bullying has a huge presence throughout. There are also abusive parents that play a factor. 
The 'game' itself is cleverly disguised. In actual fact (and you will realize this quickly) it is just a series of moral dilemmas. Many of them are extreme; but the outcome of if you'd choose to be moral or not, sacrifice yourself for the good of others, or protect your family or friends no matter the cost all remains. We make decisions like this everyday. They don't always lead to immediate death or dismemberment; but they are contributing to overall outcomes. I think there is a good reminder in The God Game that Danny Tobey wants us to remember in the end: every decision we make leads somewhere. Choice is freewill, and there is always a choice. It might not be a choice between two (or more) things we want to do; but it is still a choice. 

Philosophical
Ultimately this is a philosophy story. Asking questions like: what is a god? who is a god? and how can they even exist? 
To be a god does it only require someone to worship you or think you are a god? Or is there some sort of omniscient presence required? Now bend your mind for a second, what if someone, or an AI, with unlimited Internet access was manipulating you in such a way that you were both terrified and intrigued. Because let's face it there is a large aspect of almost every religion and god in the world that expects (or relies) on us being terrified of them. 

Overall
This is nothing like Ready Play One in my opinion. Not only is it written for adults; but the overarching concepts and plot are far more complex. While both books are sci-fi and both feature teenage characters; the reality is that this is not enough to make them comparable. So for those concerned it will be like Ready Player One, rest assured it is not. 
Definitely worth a read even if only to enjoy Tobey's fast paced writing and admire the intricate tasks that he comes up with for our teens to engage in. 

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I wasn't able to read the book but will be featuring it in a series called "I Wish I'd Read That". Text below:

I love a good technothriller that builds on everyday society to create a story that borders reality and dystopia. The God Game sounds especially fast-paced, incorporating a group of gamers who get wrapped up in a dark, twisted video game with deep dystopia, apocalypse vibes. I'd love to hear more about this book from those of you who were able to red it! I'm especially intrigued by a good AI overlord as well, and I'm still bummed that this book didn't make it's way into my January. I'd love to hear more about how the story plays out, so let me know what you thought about it in the comments! Read more about the author and book below, or purchase a copy for yourself. And of course, a big thank you to St. Martin's Press for the free review copy!

The God Game is not my usual kind of read (not a gamer at all!) but I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I've been diving more into sci-fi and this was another one that I think will appeal to a broader audience with the addition of the thriller/mystery aspects.  The writing is stellar and the characters really drew me in. While at times, the plot dragged for me, I cared about the characters and outcome throughout.  

Recommend for people that enjoy Black Crouch and similar authors!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and its interesting premise. What is ethical? How do you justify your decisions and choices? Great book for teens struggling with moral dilemmas and how they may impact the future. Highly recommend!

I started this book and then I realized that it wasn't the right book for my frame of mind. I hope to someday come back to it and try it again. Thank you for this copy.

If you liked Ready Player One, then this book will be right up your alley!  I’m not a huge reader of science fiction and don't consider myself a gamer, but I actually enjoyed this book.  It was a fascinating read for me and is a good example of how I need to branch out of my reading comfort zone.

Charlie and his friends are seniors in high school. They call themselves the "Vindicators" and are not the most popular kids in school.  They get invited to play The God Game.  It's a mysterious underground type video game where they communicate with AI who goes by the name, God.  There are high risks, for high rewards in this game.  It can make your real-life wishes could come true, but if you mess up, you could wind up dead. 

I was hooked from the beginning with the whole God thing and what that was all about.  It had me wanting to find out more.  I truly had no idea what the end game was and what direction the story was going to go.  There are quite a few moral decisions the players faced and watching everything play out is because everything was so unpredictable.

Thank NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars – Fun read!

The God Game was a fascinating technological thriller that asks some really big questions. What would you do if you could play God? Perfect for fans of a Neal Stephenson.