I was a bit torn on this one, the actual game and situations/dilemmas was intriguing and suspenseful, but the high school setting was not all that appealing to me. I wasn't expecting this to be so high school centric and it read a lot more YA than I wanted, to the point that all the adults were either absent and/or completely inept. Still the writing and concept were quite good and I would read more by this author no question.

This is a book that I mostly really liked.

The game itself was fascinating. While I wouldn’t touch it with a 10 foot pole, I could definitely see how others would play it.

The book gives you a mixture of action and some fascinating ethical considerations. And I don’t think the author stretched it in terms of what people would be willing do to in order to make their dreams come true.

My only real issue is that the characters read really young. I had to keep reminding myself that these were seniors in high school – they read more 13-14 years old. I kept expecting them to take off on bicycles or get excited about pubic hair or something.

Other than that, though, it was a good, fast read.

I’d definitely check the author out again in the future!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

The God Game by Danny Tobey

With notables such as the deceased Stephen Hawking and the very much alive Elon Musk worried about artificial intelligence, perhaps we all should be worried. This book clearly shows the dangers of a fictional AI.
The game is the AI’s proving ground or testing facility of the myriad sources of information available on line or programmed in by who ever created the initial AI. Its origins are not explored.
A group of high school computer nerds are drawn into the AI’s game which is diabolical and inexplicable. They soon discover that more than a game or good time is involved.
This book should scare the bejabbers out of you. There is no telling when the Turing Test will be achieved but it will be soon.
I enjoyed the book but it is more thought provoking that I might wish.

I requested this because I wanted something that intrigued me and kept me guessing until the end. Thank you NetGalley for offering books that feed by book addiction lol.

While there were some things about this book that could have been better, I had to round my 3.5 stars up to 4 because I could not put it down. It grabs you at the very beginning and takes you on quite a ride. Some aspects of this book do seem familiar to other books I have read, but the plot was unique enough to keep me reading. I only wish the characters were developed more. I never really cared that much about what happened to any of them.

Take me somewhere new

The Gods have assembled before you in ritual they have designated a task.

Will you play the game or will you live a simple life?

Is your answer so clear cut or do you long for adventure? Is everything going perfect in your life or is there something you wish to change?

D̷̙̞̟̦̖̠̟̻͕̊̀̇͝ơ̴̢͎̱̺̬̱͎̲͖̤̠͓͐͛̽ ̴̯̝͓̗̊͜͜y̵̨̨̛̭̌͆́̊̓̔̑̃̚͝ợ̷̱͌̀̄̍̌̆̄̀̈́͑̉̔u̸̙̦͙̘̻͖̔́̈́̐͑̍͌̈́̓͊̀̃͊ ̴͉͕̠͕̗̫̖͖̟͙̜̫̥̈́̈́̇̂̇́́̄̂̀͗̀̈́͘͜͝l̷̡̡̜͇͙̪̥̻̤͓̬̆͆͋o̵̺͕͍̿̿͜͝ņ̸͙̬̓̾͝g̶̟͙̙͕̫̀͛ ̴̯̖̖͛̀͊͐̿͗f̸̢̨̛̪̤̺̰̜̝̲̿͆̀͆̅̓͂̌̈̃̄ͅở̸̢͈̩͙͇͔̬̲̹̫͇̰͙̅̈̐̏͒̑̊̐͝ŕ̸̲͔̼͍̮̏̿̎͐̀̓̂͗̂̓͝ ̷̫͚̱̝͚̻̰̺̮͍̘̖̱͋̒́́̊͑̇̏̚e̶̢͚̘͔͉̩͙̥̫͎̪̠̙͆̏̀́̾̽́̓̈́̓̓͂̿̕͝x̷̰̣̮̼̬͚̜̳̟̂̂̉͂̑ͅç̷̓̓̃i̴̧̠̯̞̜͆͒͌́͂̈́̊ͅť̵͎̜̩͔̮̟̪͙͔̜͉͎̰̩̾̌̓̿͒ẽ̸̡̧̡̡̡̨͇̗̠͈̬̗͖̹͎̋͝m̸̛̙̩̼̦̹̰͔͓̹̝͐́̇̂̒̆͒̆̂͂̊͝e̷̛̝͊̊̕n̸̛̘̲̙̮͂̿̔̓̉̿̀̈́̀́̚̚͝t̵̨͇̝͇̟̣̂̽͜͜?̸͓͉̘́̊̈́́̈́̊̅̌̕͘ͅ ̶̢͇̞̪̞͈̻͚̰͚̼͕̦̻̈́̈́̓̋̽͑̒̑́͛͘͠ͅÁ̴̰͕͖̮̹̰͔̖͛́͌̇̀́͠ͅr̸̡̗̭̾̎̉́̾̅͝è̸̹̳̣͎̭̱̯̺̞̀̍̈̒̄͒̍̽͜ ̶̦͔͖͉̗͍́̄̽͂͛̐̓̑͛̿͘̕̕͘͝y̶̢̖̳̯̌̀̿̄̽͊̈́͐̽̎o̷̧͚͇͍̮̗͕̿̾̿̀͌͌͐̀̈̇̈́̕͝ů̸̧̪̞̫̞̹̞̖̫̫̠̰͈̽̎̓̏̐̄͑͋͝ ̷̛̼̥̪͎͖̼͙̬̝̮̩̝̬̙͒́͂̂̕͝͝ͅş̸̢͕͕̳̬͈̱͍͉̤̻̏̂̓̕͜e̵͙̿̄͂̌͒̇̒̿͝͝͠e̸̡̢͎͇͈̥̤̲̽̒̊͆̐̕ͅk̶̢̮͉̦̺̻͉͕̥͉̹͉̮̤̫͛͊̔͗̃͝͠į̴̣̘́̈́̆̉͊͆͆̐̎n̸̨̛̫̺̳͆̎̀̌̅͛̈́̃̚g̸̦͑̈̇̄͌̓͆̆͘ ̷̢͇͇̟͍̃͋̉̔͊͘a̶̢͙̓͌͛̃̂́̇̏̉͝ ̵̢̣̠͕̹̲̩̀ȓ̷̦̓͂̄̋͂͐̚u̶̦͇̝̥̮̫̞̮̓̅̋̀͘͠s̸̢̢̺̗͔͎̩̻̥̠̲̐̽̃̌̀̐͐̀̍́͌͜h̵͈̩̳̦͖̣̮͎̼̞̲̼͕̻̒̒̊͆̈́͝ͅ?̸͙̰̼̌͛͆̇̏͗͌̀̓͋̚

Y/N

Is there an end?

Is leave possible?

Welcome to The God Game.

Five teens, not quite outcasts yet not in the popular crowd, make up a group of misfit gamers, coders, Vindicators.

They mainly get together and do fly by pranks nothing too extreme even when one of their members grows more and more reckless. That all shifts when The Vindicators are introduced to the GOD Game and they slip into the deepest recesses of the dark web and beyond even that.

The God is an AI that grants gold but can easily blacken and taint your soul if you displease it. If you win, you win and if you lose…

The game is fun at first as all games start out but as the lines blur and reality slinks away The Vindicators realize that its not only their lives at stake but the people they love as well.

Well, this was an AMAZING MINDFUCK.

From the very beginning I was hooked and knew I was going to enjoy myself thoroughly.

I’m a huge video game player so this entire premise was like sweet sweet candy to me. Although, I do NOT think I would personally play this game myself because I’ve read way too many horror books to know how this turns out.

And just how did it turn out???

*Chuckles darkly* Say, have you heard of the chaos emeralds?

Our top 5 characters are a well rounded bunch of teenage angst but god, do I love them all. You honestly do feel for each and every character and it’s unfair that they’re going through so much because they are so young but unfortunately this world is old, cruel, and unrelenting. It doesn’t give a shit and it never will. These are just facts. The protagonist, Charlie, I was with him all of the way and that’s super rare with a main character because most of the time I want to beat their asses with the decisions they make. But Charlie was cool as hell and I understood him completely. He was smart, wanted to save his friends, and just too good for this wicked world.

There was a lot of diversity among the characters too which as always was great to see. Vanhi owns my heart and soul forever and always.

Do any of you remember the anime .hack//sign? It’s super weird and surreal but basically a virus occurs and a bunch of users are trapped in The World which is a video game. The God Game reminded me a lot of that with that creepy/gamer aesthetic. I’m also reminded of the Persona Games and Oxenfree tbh!

I love video games and I love the escapism it provides me but I also love the option of leaving the game when I want to on my terms. Free will.

I think overall my favorite part of this book is the mythology and Gods we encounter. The imagery they bring up is cool is hell. The chapter names alone brought a shiver down my spine. I mean how fucking cool is:

The Catacomb of Veils

Picture me in the darkness scribbling on the walls and muttering that. Hardcore as hell.

This book has it all. Romance, fire, many headed Gods, betrayal, lust, wicked car chase, hardcore geeks.

Each chapter had me enthralled and the last chapter is one of my favorite endings in a long time. There are some tough subjects to read such as death, suicide, abuse and bully so do be prepared if you would like to read this book 🙂

After reading this I’m reminded of why I don’t answer texts and phone calls of people I don’t know. I’m too nice to be swept into a game of life and death. My anxiety can’t handle that.

Why is there war?
A pause, then:
Because killing feels good.
To whom?
Another pause.
To me.

While the God Game by Danny Tobey is well written it just didn't appeal to me. While teens will probably enjoy this story of the consequences of poor choices, it just made me sad and hard to make it to the end. However I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
While similar to Ready Player One, The God Game happens simultaneously between the online game and real life. After Peter and Charlie receive invites to the mysterious online game run by an intellegent AI that calls itself G.O.D. they bring their group of friends into the game as well. Based on a point system, doing good in real life earns Goldz, doing bad earns Blaxx. Too many Blaxx and you die. Challenged with seemingly harmless pranks, the team become more immersed in the game, but soon the challenges aren't so harmless and the team want out of the game. But only G.O.D. decides when the game is over.
I'm not a gamer, so I wasn't sure if I would like this book. I'm glad I gave it a try. Although the technical aspects of the coding left me a little lost, the story itself was exciting and different. I couldn't believe some of the tasks this so-called god was forcing them to do by blackmailing them. Thanks for inviting me to review this exciting book!

The GOD Game is well written and has an exceptional storyline. This is quite a page turner of a novel. I found myself really enjoying this book even though this is not one of my favorite genres. It’s incredible when you realize that we might not be too far off from this becoming a reality. My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is such a smart and psychotic book! It reeled me in from the very beginning and I think I finished it in three days. I don't think I have ever read a book where I love and hate all the characters simultaneously before - and I truly mean that. They all have redeeming qualities, and yet what they do in the face of blackmail (and some even without it) is deplorable.

I truly enjoyed reading this novel, because I love thinking philosophically and this one definitely makes the reader do just that.

My only issue: I think this is YA - though it doesn't always seem like it. I understood the concepts for the most part (other than all the coding stuff that will never make sense to me), but I do not think a teenager would understand all the religion/philosophy/mathematical concepts in the story.

I am hoping this will turn into a series - or at least a part two, though I have no idea how Tobey could add to or elevate all the craziness that happened in The God Game.

A group of five high school students, self proclaimed The Vindicators, stumble upon a dark web game called The God Game. Choosing not to heed the game’s warning - “Win and all your dreams come true. Lose and you die!” - the kids decide to play.

The group is instantly fascinated by the game’s incredible advanced technological features and sophisticated coding. Earning Goldz for a job well done allows them to buy more powers and access new “levels.” But quickly, they also begin to accumulate Blaxx- points that bring harm. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to earning Blaxx and the kids feel tested at every turn.

Soon, the game begins to have real life consequences. With their mental and physical health attacked, their futures in jeopardy, and their families threatened, is there a way out of the game that doesn’t end in death?

Overall I found this book fairly mediocre. The premise was really interesting to me though it’s not a genre I typically read. The author did a great job developing the characters and building a deeper story, however, I didn’t feel overly connected with the plot and I had a hard time staying focused.

I received a digital galley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the chance to read and review! I also was lucky to win a copy of the physical ARC from Goodreads!

THE GOD GAME by Danny Tobey follows five teens who receive a mysterious invitation to play with G.O.D. Along with the invitation is a warning. If they win, all their dreams will come true, but to lose is to die! Each teen is facing a lot of difficulties in life whether it be grief, abuse, relationship issues and worries about the future. Given these real life issues, the allure of the game is too much to resist. Soon they’re welcomed into the G.O.D. Game, a fully immersive experience through the VR glasses they put on.

The game overlays reality with the game’s reality, jumping into their lives through their phones and their computers. At the helm is an AI which believes that it is God, working off a sense of morality fed by religious texts of all sorts. The AI is very powerful, able to cut off communication, mimic and manipulate. The game is much larger than any of the teens originally anticipated.

I really enjoyed THE GOD GAME and it had me hooked very early on. The way the game and reality intertwined added drama and kept me wanting to read more. Knowing that the entity calling itself God was able to integrate itself into almost any technology added an element of suspense knowing how much technology is part of everything we do.

The POV switches back and forth between the five teens as they work together and apart to explore the game’s reaches. Each has their own concerns and different ways that the game is manipulating them with promises of success or failure. I thought the author did a good job of making each character very distinct. There were times that the rapid fire change of POV between characters felt a little too fast for me, but for the most part I thought it really worked well.

Overall this was a fun ride throughout. The ending wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it had a fun twist that left me feeling satisfied. I definitely recommend adding THE GOD GAME to your TBR. This one will be out on January 7, 2020!

Links will be provided once posted to Instagram and my blog.

I know I start 99.9% of my reviews off like this, but the blurb caught my attention. I have read plenty of books that use gaming a part of their main plotline. I have also read plenty of books where a game is using people for its agenda. So, what was different about this blurb that caught my eye? It was the shiver of suspense that I got from reading it. I needed to know what the GOD game was and how it was played. I will say that this book did deliver on that shiver of suspense, and it added a massive dollop of thriller also.

The God Game’s plotline is super fast. The whole book takes place within a couple of weeks of Charlie and Peter starting the game. It was so fast that I did end up having to reread some chapters because I missed things. Usually, I would be annoyed by that. But in this case, I wasn’t.

The plot for The God Game centers around Charlie and his group of coding friends, “The Vindicators.” Charlie and Peter discover The G.O.D. Game on the dark web. Charlie initially didn’t want to play the game, but Peter talked him into doing it. The G.O.D. Game is augmented reality and to play, The Vindicators got special glasses to play. The game was fun at first. Well, if you call breaking into the school and painting bloody pentagrams first. Since this was a morality based game, each good action was rewarded to Goldz or different prizes. But, each adverse action was rewarded with Blaxx. Get enough Blaxx and terrible things happen. The Vindicators soon find out that there is no getting out of The G.O.D. Game. But Charlie isn’t deterred. He and his friends (well minus Peter) are determined to quit the game. Even if that means someone dies.

There is so much that I want to say about this book. But doing so will end up with me giving away major spoilers. And it’s driving me nuts!! I will say that the author did a fantastic job of keeping me glued to my Kindle. I started reading this at breakfast (after dropping my six-year-old at school), and I was finished by 11 am. It was that good.

The God Game by Danny Tobey was a dark and twisted look via a virtual world that becomes reality. Charlie and his technology loving friends (The Vindicators) find their way to the G.O.D. Game. It appears to involve an AI-based character named God. Things seem innocent and fun enough, as they opt in, but things quickly go in a very different direction. The game knows the Vindicators darkest secrets and deepest desires. In the name of the game and in exchange for real life outcomes, the games puts challenges in front of players with high risk and a potential high reward. This book is full of all the ethical dilemmas as each character has to decide how they're going to play the game. What is worth doing if there's a personal reward? Is it worth hurting someone else for the gain of you, especially if they never know? Y'all this had the best and darkest dystopian and Black Mirror-esque vibes. There was so much happening as each character made choices in the game that had some real outcomes. I was captivated by this one throughout. This is a book that raises real questions about how we engage with technology, what we're willing to do to get ahead, as well as how we're willing to ignore consequences. This kept me reading late into the night (and during the day) as I had to what was going to happen in the game next. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the early look at this January 2020 release. This is one that you're going to want to say yes to, so you can go through all the twisty thrills in this game. Also, selfishly I need people to read it because I want to talk about all the drama and all that went down.

Again, thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. I liked the idea of the story. A computer game designed to be The God Game knowing all the answers and manipulating the players. Young kids in school hooked to play along. Unfortunately, all of a sudden the story turned into a dark and scary fantasy world. Though well written I couldn't care less of the book's characters. Do they get into Harvard? Do they hook up with the prettiest girl? Why interested in the parent's background? I finished the book out of curiosity how it would end. But I doubt I might recommend it to friends and family members. You might disagree after reading it yourself. Good luck

While the internet is typically okayish, The God Game shows us just how crazy things can get when you suddenly end up somewhere you don't want to be. Fast-paced, nerve-wrecking, and even a little bananas, The God Game is freaking awesome. While I'm not one who knows the ins and outs of the dark web, it is a bit fascinating how quickly a situation can go badly when it comes to complete strangers online. Or even AI. Then throw in some teenagers, a crush, and some bad mojo and you've got yourself quite the book.

The God Game was a fun read and I will definitely be looking for more by the author.

Publishes 1.7.2020.

4/5 Stars

This book was enticing, exciting, interesting, mesmerizing, and truly, truly scary! Every parent and middle school child that is hooked on computers and gaming should read this! What starts out to be fun can so quickly become addictive. I don’t know what Mr. Tobey had in mind while writing this but we could all learn a lesson: if we are worried about addictive behavior on the screens, we should be! This is surely fiction but it struck me so many times as close...to close...to behaviors I see in those close to me!

Enter a high school in Austin and five misfit techy kids of varying sorts who call themselves The Vindicators. Two of them, Peter and Charlie, discover an underground augmented reality game called The God Game. Attracted by the enticing premise you see above, they convince the rest of the group to join in on the fun, thinking it'll be a fun and unique video game. Simple enough. They hold their phones in front of their faces and see an intricate, medieval-type gamespace imposed on their reality: torches illuminating secret passageways, little gremlins and elves giving them hints, lots of ancient wisdom from every religious tradition. You can do good things (or things that the Game tells you to do, like delivering mysterious packages) and earn Goldz to redeem for amazing mods or real-life gifts. If you do something that the Game deems bad, you are marked down with Blaxx.

The Vindicators have fun with it - and they believe it's just a game.

But soon enough, the Vindicators start to realize that the Game is much more powerful than they think. It's omniscient and omnipotent, just like God...or, it is God. With one simple choice in gamespace, the players can destroy people in real life. With a few thousand Goldz, they can Make All Their Dreams Come True™ and receive gifts beyond their wildest dreams: college admissions, wealth, success, intelligence, test answers. Oh, and one more thing. You can only quit the Game in one way, and dying in the Game means dying in real life.

Tobey not only devises a fantastic, inventive concept, but executes it to perfection. You get to know each of the five Vindicators so well, their secrets, their weaknesses, their shameful desires. The Game takes you along for a ride, funny and cruel and adrenaline-pumping, giving you a sick pleasure in the decisions it forces the characters to make and making you grateful you're not playing. I'm impressed at what a complicated mindgame Tobey spins out, keeping the thrill and tension throughout. He integrates coding paradoxes, religious philosophy, complex family relationships, and more with ease; although the book is 400+ pages, it zips by.

Suffice it to say I've never read a book like this, and I'll find something this crazy and well-done again. I'm not typically a reader of this genre, but this book is addicting and fast-paced like nothing I've seen before. I can't recommend it enough - do yourself a favor and pick up this book!

This is talented author. There are already many reviews for this so I'll recommend it to sci-fi fans (with a touch of fantasy). It's a pretty wild ride.

I really appreciate the copy for review!

This is a very quick read that sucked me in and didn't let up. The comparisons with Ready Player One are inevitable, but this impressive YA novel is much darker, deeper and intelligent. Charlie and his friends start playing an addictive computer game run by an AI who claims to be God. He may have a point, since he seems to know impossible secrets about everybody, and controls many different and separate events. At first, everything is fun - small pranks and virtual battles. "God" starts asking them for favors that seem unusual but not nefarious. In exchange, they get huge rewards. Little by little, things get darker but so imperceptibly that the kids don't notice until they're being boiled alive. The characters don't know what's coming next and eventually can't even tell what's real and what's a product of the game. Throughout the fun, there are small philosophical insights about human nature and our belief systems. As much as I suffered for the characters, I enjoyed reading about their plight.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/St. Martin's Press!