Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

The plot was intriguing but ended up feeling a little cheesy and silly at times. Still a decent read.

I greatly enjoyed the thrill and excitement of this book! There was never a dull moment as the mystery and game just kept on getting more and more intense. I had suspicions about who the culprit might be but I still wasn't prepared when it was finally revealed. The plot and characters were very detailed and it was easy to get sucked into Crystal's paranoia and not know if she was actually being paranoid or if the events had happened. My only thing was that there were a lot of flashbacks/memories that were in the story, it felt like almost 1 per chapter but after a while of reading and really getting into the story it just added to the plot.

If you are looking for a face paced, cat and mouse thriller, this checks the boxes! Imagine your sister has been kidnapped and you are told you have 24 hours to win a game or she dies. If you tell ANYONE or try and get help, she will die. This is what happens to Crystal Donovan and the victim is none other than her little sister. Faced with an impossible choice, Crystal agrees to play the game. The game is twisted, sick and has deadly consequences. She begins to realize there is a pattern to each game — to harm her friends, one-by-one and she is the perpetrator. But how can she not do as she is told when her sisters very life is on the line?? As Crystal plays the game and makes choice after choice, she tries to uncover the truth to stop the game and save her sister. The story is filled with twists and turns; some predictable, while others caught me off guard. This was an engrossing, suspenseful, read that had me from the start. If you are a
thriller fan, you will enjoy this one!

This was my first book by this author and I will certainly be picking up more of her books in the near future.

Thank you to NetGalley + Wednesday Books for the ARC. The currently scheduled pub date is set for 2.1.2022.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I really enjoyed this book, the author does a great job at keeping you on the edge of your seat from the very first page. The characters all had unique personalities which made them easy to differentiate from each other. And the mystery in the book keeps you captivated. And Although I had figured out who the bad guy was fairly early in the story, the author does a great job at making you question who it was throughout the book.

This book!! Once I got into it, I did not want to put it down. This high-stakes mystery/psychological thriller follows Crystal, a video game enthusiast and one of six friends competing for five spots in a tournament with a life-changing prize. That becomes the least of her worries when she's sent a video of her kidnapped sister, used to blackmail her into a game much deadlier than the one's she's used to playing. There are so many things to love about this book. It's a twisty, turny adventure that will keep you guessing for sure. I really liked Crystal as a protagonist, and how as the book goes along it's hard to tell whether she's an unreliable narrator or a victim of some serious gaslighting. She has five best friends, and the story managed to make me interested in all of them, which can be challenging to do with so many characters. They are a flawed bunch, for sure, but also really intriguing. Throughout the novel are flashback scenes revealing another dark secret to keep readers even more on their toes. This story is well-written with moments that are gut-punching, heartwarming, and all-around frightening. And just a warning, you may never look at brownies the same way again.

My favorite part of this book was the overall suspense. This book had me on the literal edge of my seat wondering what would happen next – wondering what the kidnapper would ask Crystal to do next, wondering why after he gave her the instructions, and then wondering what the outcome of each “game” would be. This isn’t one of those books where no one really gets hurt. No, Diana Urban makes you care about these characters and then puts them through it in ways that none of them will get over anytime soon. And I can’t promise that everyone makes it out alive, either. This book is full of twists and turns, and watching the impact of them all is intense. But also so much fun!

DNFED at 23% I hate dnfing books but I knew I would hate this book so there was honestly no point in reading anymore. I was super disappointed because I loved the author's other book "All Your Twisted Secrets" but this one was just odd. It felt like a 30-year-old trying to incorporate new slang into their daily life but they're failing miserably. I went and looked to see what the big twist was and honestly I wasn't really surprised it was very predictable. I personally wouldn't recommend this book but everyone has different opinions so don't let my opinion be the deciding factor.

I loved this book! Fast paced, funny, and with interesting characters, it starts strong and stays strong to the very end. I liked the young characters (it's YA) and the exploration of the video gaming world of which I was unfamiliar. I'd most definitely recommend.

i couldn't finish this book. the concept is really interesting and the beginning is really good and fast-paced, yet when i put it down it was down for months. this could be a reflection more on me than the book, but regardless, it was not for me.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars

This book was wild start to finish! It really started at level 100 and just got crazier as the "games" got more and more sinister! I had no idea what the twist was going to be and it definitely did not disappoint. Sometimes some characters, such as Zoey could be quite unlikeable but overall I thought it was a really tense, suspenseful, and engaging storyline.

While the actual mystery/thriller of the book was decent, I didn't love how a lot of it revolved around video games. It's not that I don't like video games because I do I just didn't like the mashup between the mystery and the video game.

That being said the writing and overall story and characters in the book were pretty good and I would classify it along the lines of pretty Little liars or one of us is lying. I actually didn't see the major twists until right before they happened so that's another point for the author. Basically I would recommend this book to anyone who likes ya thrillers / mysteries.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

"Let’s play a game.
You have 24 hours to win. If you break my rules, she dies. If you call the police, she dies. If you tell your parents or anyone else, she dies.
Are you ready?" --- excerpt from These Deadly Games

The story pulls you in from the get-go. Main character Crystal and her 5 friends are top video gamers competing in a game called MortalDusk. Until Crystal becomes involved in a real-life deadly game where it becomes a matter of life and death. Toggling between the past and the present, These Deadly Games is a fun, thriller with a cast of great characters, secrets, and a timely setting.

PROS: Fast-paced, thrilling, with an entertaining premise, there will definitely be buzz about this book.
CONS: For me, I thought the story required a wee bit of suspension of disbelief. Also, I'm not great at figuring out who did it, but you will likely predict early on who it is (which may be purposeful on the part of the author...not sure). I also thought it was a little bit over the top.

I was attracted to this book after having read YA thrillers such as One of Us is Lying and They Wish They Were Us but set in the gaming/streaming industry. Overall, it was a wild ride and can definitely be described as a one-sitting kind of book. You'll be so engrossed that you'll keep turning the pages!

Thank you Net Galley and Wednesday Books for the advanced e-copy of the book!

3.5 stars: This felt like Pretty Little Liars meets teenage video gamers. While the twists and turns of figuring out who Anonymous1 felt a bit obvious, I chalked this up to reading more like a Y.A. Thriller book, rather than adult fiction. Despite this, I enjoyed following Crystal along her journey to kill her friends or save her younger sister. The conclusion was rewarding and I'd recommend if you're looking for time with teenage sleuths.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this arc!
Wow. A YA thriller/mystery with a constant theme of video games and a South Park reference… say less.
This book had me on the edge of my seat. I could not put it down. I’ve read a lot of mystery/thriller books, and this story kept me guessing. Every time I thought I knew where it was going, I was wrong.

This was my first time reading this author and I was surprised and enthralled. I cannot wait to read the next book she comes out with.

I liked the idea of the main character having to play a game to save her sister. Unfortunately, I thought the dialogue was cheesy and cringeworthy and it made it impossible for me to care about the characters or story.

Ya girl loves a good game. This was explained very well and I was able to feel like I was in the story with the characters. I loved this so much and wish I could re-read it again for the first time.

Wow! This book was a wild ride. My heart beat rapidly with each new “challenge” that the main character, Crystal, had to commit. If you liked Slay and you’re a huge fan of video games and life or death scenarios, you’ll love this book!

Pub date: Feb 1, 2022
Genre: YA, thriller

In one sentence: When Crystal's little sister is kidnapped, she'll do anything to get her back - but why does the kidnapper want to target her video game team?

When I read the description, I knew I had to read this book - YA thrillers are a favorite subgenre of mine! The central plot was compelling - the kidnapper really puts Crystal through the ringer. I was on the edge of my seat in the first half of the book, but the plot slowed down a bit towards the end. I think the book would have benefited from some tighter editing - it came in a little long at 416 pages. That being said, I still enjoyed the read a lot, and I did not guess either of the major twists!

If you like dark YA books like One of Us Is Lying and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, this is a fun one to pick up!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Posted to Goodreads Oct 13, to be posted to Instagram closer to pub date.

These Deadly Games by Diana Urban made me want to drop everything to read because it was so intense. I stayed up way too late last night reading this book.

The basic premise is that 16-year-old Crystal's younger sister is kidnapped and is being held hostage by an anonymous person. She must complete bizarre tasks within a specified timeframe or they will kill her sister. Crystal soon realizes the tasks are meant to hurt her closest friends, but she's willing to do anything to save her sister.

My younger sister is my best friend in the world, so reading this book was honestly like reading my worst nightmare. It was terrifying, full of nail-biting suspense and dread at what the outcome would be. If you like YA thrillers, you must read this book! It's one of my favorite books of 2021 so far.

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Diana Urban for the free eBook ARC in exchange for leaving an honest review!

For me, I found the ending to be relatively predicable and I had a hard time creating connections to the characters. In terms of YA thriller/mysteries, I think this is very age appropriate. One of my larger complaints however surrounds the usage of out of date terms that try to give the impression of hip teens which just comes off as forced.

These Deadly Games is a chilling and fast-paced thriller! I was hooked from the opening line. Crystal and her friends are focused on preparing for a tournament of MortalDusk, a multiplayer fantasy video game. The competition between them is fierce, since the tournament prize would change all of their lives. When Crystal begins to receive texts instructing her to play a game or risk her younger sister’s life, she assumes she’s being pranked. Then the anonymous texter offers proof. Crystal has no choice but to play with all the skills she’s learned from MortalDusk. The game starts out simple, yet soon has devastating consequences for Crystal’s friends. Crystal is forced to make horrifying choices as she attempts to determine the identity of the kidnapper and beat them at their own game.

Crystal and her friends are a tight-knit group, with relationships and long-held secrets creating conflict. I would have enjoyed a little more character development for certain characters. Crystal was not always the most likable heroine, though she is under extreme pressure. I loved how she was fiercely protective of her younger sister and willing to do anything for her. These Deadly Games was gripping and well-paced. I was able to guess some of the twists, but this made it no less enjoyable. Other twists completely took me by surprise! Urban is unafraid to take readers on a truly dark and deadly journey, making it impossible to put These Deadly Games down.

I enjoyed These Deadly Games and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers, video games, and dangerous stakes. These Deadly Games releases February 1, 2022. Thank you to Diana Urban, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

For the publisher: My review will be posted on the publication date and I will publish it on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble etc.