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.

This is the first time I've ever read a thriller revolving around video games and I am here for it! I thought the dialogue was a bit cheesy but the writing made up for it.

This is a perfect thriller for anyone who likes a fast-paced read with a side of gaming and a healthy dose of South Park references.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

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.

In this novel, a high school girl is sent a message, a video of her sister having been kidnapped. To save her she must play games that end up slowly hurting her friends one by one. One of them gets a stolen test in his locker, one eats brownies he's allergic to, etc. I certainly didn't know who the bad guy was or see that ending coming. However, it wasn't a perfect read for me. I found a lot of things that I wished were different and the main character seemed overly suspicious of everyone and everything, even going so far as to actually listen when the kidnapper says not to tell the police or her mom or check with her sister's school to see if she's actually missing... A lot of pain and death could have been avoided if the main character wasn't an idiot.... but then I guess there wouldn't be a book either.

These Deadly Games was such a fast-paced book that kept me on the edge of my seat and had me questioning a few times that it was YA since it was dark at times. The twists were great and I couldn’t put this down because I needed to know what was going on.

These Deadly Games Review!

That you so much Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for this gifted copy, in exchange for an honest review!

One of my absolute favorite “twisted games” horror movies is 13 Sins. These Deadly Games reminded me A LOT of 13 Sins (just a YA version). So if you liked that movie, definitely give this a try! These Deadly Games was a 4.25/5⭐️. I loved this one, it was thrilling and I was on the edge of my seat. The characters were very frustrating at times, like in most horror movies, so I am somewhat used to the feeling. 😄 I did feel like the ending was very rushed and unrealistic, but I am very excited to read the next book, whenever that comes out!!

Synopsis: When Crystal receives a picture of her little sister tied up and gagged from an anonymous messaging app, she is willing to do anything. The anonymous kidnapper tells her she needs to play the game if she wants her sister to live. The game starts out with very odd tasks, like making brownies and phoning a prank calls. She soon realizes that each little task she does leads to bigger consequences, even murder.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Wednesday books for providing my with a copy of These Deadly Games in exchange for an honest review, This review will contain spoilers.

I think I went into this book with too high expectations. As a lover of the horror/thriller movie genre, I was expecting something new and amazing from this book. I had to keep reminding myself that this book was YA and not going to be super dark and twisted. A big basis of the book also revolves around this certain video gamer. As someone who doesn't video game myself, it was hard to keep up the the pages of characters playing the game or the MC only thinking about the game when her sister gets kidnapped. To me, personally, I found it quite boring reading about constant video game talk instead of the actual plot of the book.

That being said, I was still quite impressed with the amount of death/ attempted death in this book. I was not expecting as much and my little dark heart was very happy!

What I'm most conflicted is about the ending, therefore resulting in my rating. At the end of These Deadly Games, we find out Crystal's sister was never actually kidnapped. That was incredibly anticlimactic and kind of ruined the book for me. I was really looking forward to seeing Crystal kick some ass to get her sister back. What I did enjoy about the ending was the fact that Andrew somehow survives. The whole thing makes no sense to me as in how he could've but it very much reminded me of Silence of the Lambs when Hannibal Lecter is free, and the audience is always left wondering if they're safe.

THESE DEADLY GAMES had a great concept, unfortunately, it wasn’t for me though. It definitely felt a little younger than I’m used to in YA and the plot and ending felt too similar to other books I’ve read. If you’re a fan of YA though, I definitely think you should give this a shot!

This book was very entertaining. I don't think there was a single time when I was bored or wanting it to move forward. Action packed and interesting. The only part I wasn't crazy about was the whole "game" concept, I kept hoping we would move on from the video game plot.