Ooooooooo…. This was an interesting and edgy read. The plot gets a big ol’ 5, with the only drawback being some stretched reality about one character that just bugged me. Thus, the 4. But it’s a great story and a wonderful recommendation for my students, especially the gamers. Looking forward to adding it to the collection. 💜💜📚

I found this novel to be an interesting one! The characters are unique and the plot is intriguing, but it wasn't one of my favourites.

I must say that when the ball gets rolling in this novel, the action will keep you on the edge of your seat! I found myself surprised time and time again, practically chewing my nails down to the quick!

As much as it was an exciting ride, I really didn't enjoy the overuse of profanity. I found it overly excessive, especially for a young adult novel. This novel is definitely for an older, young adult audience.

A perfectly serviceable young adult mystery/thriller. Light on the character development and heavy on the action.

This was actually terrifying to read. The content itself wasn't gory or anything but the premise was actually terrifying and well-executed - I kept wondering to myself, what would my 16 year-old self do in this type of situation and the thought, together with the plot, had me at the edge of my seat!

This had me hooked from the first chapter, but after the 40% mark, I refused to put this down and couldn't stop until i finished (which turned out to be 12:30AM, and now I'm very tired this Tuesday morning on my commute to work but it was worth it!)!

This book also tackled a few side issues, which I appreciated. There are mentions of abusive parents, alcoholism, death of a friend, gaslighting, racism, and acknowledging privilege. All of these are brief (except the abusive parent, alcoholism and death of a friend which happen on page but aren't super explicit).

Something i enjoyed most about this book was that I didn't quite see the reveal coming until it happened; I saw the connection but still couldn't quite piece together who was behind it and then it all clicked into place. I love this about a mystery - when the pieces actually make sense and you're left like "oh, yeah! that does make sense!". Diana Urban truly delivered that in this mystery and I look forward to more of her future works!

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: alcoholic parent, abusive parent, mention of anorexia (recovered), murder, kidnapping
-
Crystal Donovan loves games. As an avid video game player and streamer, Crystal spends more time in a fictional world than she does the real world. She loves them. That is until she gets a text message telling her that her little sister was kidnapped and that they’ll kill her if she doesn’t play their game. The game didn’t seem terrible: steal a test and plant it in a locker, bake brownies, make a prank call. It didn’t make sense. Until her friends started getting hurt, one by one, because of this game— because of Crystal. The kidnapper knows what Crystal and her friends did five years ago— a secret that they never told another soul— and they’re going to make sure they pay for it.
-
WHAT A RIDE! I had *so much* fun with this one. I usually enjoy YA mystery thrillers, but I was seriously hooked on this one— HOOKED! I’ve been in the mood for Adult books lately, so I tentatively started this book with the idea that I could just come back to it when I was in a YA mood, but there was no way I was putting this down. I used every spare moment I had to read.
-
I loved these characters, their friend group’s video game streams seemed so fun. I don’t play video games or watch streams, but it was all very interesting to me. I loved their dynamic, and the cryptic hints dropped about what happened 5 years ago had me on the edge of my seat.
-
The “game” that Crystal is forced to play was immediately intriguing to me. My mind was racing trying to figure out the clues with her. It was intense and captivating the entire time. It gripped me the way Karen McManus’ novels grip me.
-
I do have mixed feelings about the ending. I liked it enough, but I didn’t love it. That’s normally how it goes with mystery thrillers, though; I often struggle with the endings.
-
I’m very excited to read Urban’s other novel, ALL YOUR TWISTED SECRETS, and whatever else publishes next.
-
4.5/5 stars, THESE DEADLY GAMES is available February 1, 2022.
-
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review, and for having me on their street team. ✨

Holy cow... I know this is YA but this was a whirl wind of a read, and a little dark in my opinion.

These Deadly Games is a YA (I would say 16+) Thriller that I received as an ARC through NetGalley. It comes out in February 2022.

Crystal is your typical high schooler. She has a great group of friends and they are really into video games, in fact they are some of the best in the state- but they have a very dark secret.

The group of friends is getting ready to compete in an esports tournament to win money that Crystal needs to ensure that her mom is able to keep the house since their dad left them. She seems to be obsessed with playing games-which may be to her advantage.

When she takes her sister to school the day of a field trip everything changes. She receives a message from an Anonymous sender asking her to play a game but theres a little twist. If she refuses, or tells the police- her sister dies.

This book had a a few plot twist that I was not expecting at all. It was really well written and I was "sitting on the edge of my seat" for about half of the book trying to figure out what was going to happen. It somewhat reminds me of Saw but with a very interesting twist.

This book is different than any other thrillers that I have read so far due to the game aspect and all of the little details that were put into this story.

I have just finished reading These Deadly Games by Diana Urban.

This book reads like a video game! This book is best suited for young adults. Crystal Donovan wants to win the Mortal Dusk Crown with large monetary stakes at hand, A cat and mouse storyline that is fast paced with some twists and turns at the end.

Thank you to Goodreads, Author Diana Urban and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy to read and review.

#NetGalley

YA with an edge! This book will grab you from Chapter 1.!
Crystal is. high school aged Esports player who is vying for a spot on a championship team with her friends when she suddenly receives a cryptic message on her phone:

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.

Her middle school sister has been kidnapped and Crystal needs to follow the clues she receives on her cell phone to save her. Crystal is pulled in multiple directions as she tries to determine who is messaging her and why while she tries to stay ahead of the demands to save her sister.

Not for the faint hearted, this fast paced novel is a bit gory and dark. But if you like REAL YA Thrillers, have an interest in Esports or just dark games this is the book for you. Thank you to #NetGalley and #Wednesdaybooks for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

What starts out as a regular day for Crystal Donovan soon becomes a nightmare. Soon after dropping her sister off, she receives a text from a strange app on her phone showing a picture of her sister bound and gagged. The messenger tells Crystal she must play a game if she ever wants to see her sister again. The games start out fairly easy, but Crystal soon realizes that these games are meant o hurt or kill her friends one at a time.

Crystal is running out of time to figure out who has kidnapped her sister and to save her friends. Does this have something to do with the upcoming game tournament she and her friends have coming up? Maybe an opponent? Or is this related to something she and her friends lied about 5 years ago? She needs to figure it out before its too late!

This story kept me on the edge of my seat! Highly recommend this thriller!

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

These Deadly Games was nothing short of an absolutely gripping thriller. I really enjoyed the “game” aspect of this book, and thought the characters all possessed good depth and all of the secrets and twists were great. There was never a slow moment, and I felt like I could see the creepy stalking aspect in my minds eye which is super disturbing. I saw some of them coming but even still, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment. I binged this in 1 sitting and I couldn’t tear myself away!

Thank you to NetGalley & Wednesday books for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

These Deadly Games by Diana Urban is suspenseful, shocking, and pulls on your heart strings with a high stakes twisty story line. This young adult psychological thriller with a game trope is a standalone novel and the first book that I have read by this author. What a first sentence! Then a reader’s emotions settle when they realize what’s going on. But the calm doesn’t last long.

Sixteen-year-old Crystal Donovan gets a message on her phone during class wanting her to play a game. If she breaks the rules or tells anyone, her younger sister will die. Each task is meant to hurt someone important in her life. Will she play? Is it someone trying to take her team out of the upcoming state-wide gaming tournament? Or is something else motivating the kidnapper?

Crystal was not always a sympathetic protagonist, but she was under tremendous pressure that affected her relatability. She’s a character that causes readers to feel a lot of emotions and she can be irritating at times and evoke empathy at other times. Other than her sister Caelyn who was likable, the other characters didn’t have a lot of depth and were somewhat unlikeable.

There are several twists to the story, some predictable, while others are surprising. However, the earliest couple of tasks that Crystal needed to complete felt like they were solved too easily. While the writing brought to life the situation, I couldn’t tell that this was set in Vermont. It seems everyone has secrets. How do they play into the story? Who can be trusted? Who is the kidnapper?
The author drew me into the story immediately. There’s terror, chills, intrigue and cunning. In addition to this, other themes abound. These include anorexia, domestic abuse, friendship, gaming, guilt, grief, blackmail, panic attacks, fear, terrible mistakes and much more.

Overall, this book was creative, intense, impactful, fast-paced, and thought-provoking. The suspense, action, and twists kept me glued to the book. Readers that enjoy psychological thrillers and gaming will likely enjoy this novel.

St. Martin’s Press – Wednesday Books and Diana Urban provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for February 1, 2022.

Thrilling and definitely kept me interested. Not my favorite book but definitely would love to try this author again! Her writing voice gives you enough details to feel like you are right there. Add in that, for me, this plot was fresh and it was an overall win.

Wow this book was emotional. As each task grew harder I myself struggled along with her. Of course I’d want to save my sister but people are hurting and dying along the way. This is the type of suspense that I love. The questions they form in your head and make you race through the pages for answers. Absolutely thrilling.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this YA psychological thriller Crystal receives a message from an anonymous source who says she has 24 hours to play a game by their rules, or they will kill her little sister. When she realizes that playing the game means possibly killing her friends, she must figure out a way to beat the kidnapper at their own game, before she loses everything.

This book is fast paced cat-mouse game thriller. I did like all the gaming references. I liked that the author included that Crystal was obsessed with winning the gaming tournament to better her family life which set up the perfect plot that she’d do anything in the anonymous deadly game to save her sister.

I did find the characters to be a little unlikable. I think they were meant to be morally grey but I did struggle connecting with them. They were supposed to all be friends but it felt like they mostly didn’t care for each other and just used each other to further their own lives.

Overall I would still recommend this book. It was an intriguing fast paced thriller with lots of twists and turns. Fans of gaming and reading will love this mashup.

This is another one I could not read. It would possibly be of interest to people who do a lot of online gaming, but for this reader, who avoids online activities, the story was too complicated, and there were too many people to keep track of. It might have been easier if there had been better character development.

What would you do, what would you sacrifice to save your family? How much are you willing to risk to win the game?

Crystal Donovan has one goal, win the MortalDusk tournament and use the money to help her family. Too bad someone has very different plans for her. When Crystal’s sister is kidnapped she is forced to play a dangerous game. While she lives to win every game, this one comes at much too high a cost. Forced to endanger her closest friends Crystal is racing against time and an anonymous threat to save her sister. Never knowing the lengths you will go to for family, the only option is to win, no matter what it takes.

Diana Urban hits the gas and doesn’t let up. Going full throttle from the start These Deadly Games is a wild ride, and a quick, entertaining read. Part thriller, part mystery this book is sure to be a huge hit with fans of One of Us Is Lying and Karen M. McManus’ novels in general.

The strength of this book lies in its fast pacing, and adventure. The online world Urban created with MortalDusk and Fishman was fun and added an extra level to the world building that helped character development and establishing the stakes. I also enjoyed the balance between present day and flashbacks, as well as the slight psychology thriller tone it tool on at times. However there was a small lack in consistency in writing, that I noticed. Some parts of the story felt very young and some of the dialogue, especially Randall’s, sometimes took me out of the dark, dramatic tone the book took when it came to Crystal’s actions and her anonymous villain’s very real threats. If the writing style had been a little more consistent either way it probably would have been easier to be immersed in the story.

This is 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for review purposes. I have a deep love for YA thriller/mystery books, but unfortunately while enjoyable this one wasn’t overly memorable for me. But I will definitely read the sequel if there is one. Ultimately I think that this book could be a huge hit for a slightly younger demographic than me!

(Will be adding a link to a blog post in February 2022 when the book is published)

The Quick Cut: A teen girl finds herself forced to hurt her friends by an anonymous person who has kidnapped her sister.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing the ARC for an honest review.

It can be difficult to find your way in life and to find friends, but that's only more complex as a teenager. You want to fit in, but also be accepted for who you are. So when forced to choose between friends and family, who will you pick? For Crystal, that is a very real question when someone kidnaps her sister.

Crystal is a part of a six person team for a video game. They have a chance to win a tournament and make life changing money when she is sent a startling, anonymous message: do as I say or your sister is dead. At first, the demands are small and seemingly harmless, but it becomes clear soon enough that they are made to harm her teammates. Who is behind the kidnapping? How can she keep everyone safe and get her sister back?

This book starts out fast and really keeps going. I love a thriller with some true stakes, but this one takes it to another level by messing with your mind. Just when you think you know what's happening, the picture becomes clear and it's something else. It's exciting to have a story that makes you wonder what could be the true finish.

Crystal is a teenager with a family she cares about and a group of friends who understand her. She has a tribe and people who understand her on a deep level. She also has a dark secret eating her alive. Seeing her try to deal with the consequences without hurting anyone in her life gets intriguing at times, even if I can't say I would make the same choices as her.

My only issue with this book is the ending. It gets overly complicated when it would have made a better impact being simpler. Beyond that, it was a book with an exciting story and a consistent pacing - which is an underrated talent in my mind.

A thrilling story with a complicated ending.

My rating: 4 out of 5

A few weeks ago, I was invited to read an ARC version of Diana Urban's upcoming novel "These Deadly Games" via her publishing/marketing team as well as through NetGalley. Thank fuck, I finally found time to read it (before it expired from my account and I lost this amazing opportunity--as well as a fantastic mystery).

["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?

When Crystal Donavan gets a message on a mysterious app with a video of her little sister gagged and bound, she agrees to play the kidnapper’s game. At first, they make her complete bizarre tasks: steal a test and stuff it in a locker, bake brownies, make a prank call.

But then Crystal realizes each task is meant to hurt—and kill—her friends, one by one. But if she refuses to play, the kidnapper will kill her sister. Is someone trying to take her team out of the running for a gaming tournament? Or have they uncovered a secret from their past, and wants them to pay for what they did…

As Crystal makes the impossible choices between her friends and her sister, she must uncover the truth and find a way to outplay the kidnapper… before it’s too late."]
Holy. Fucking. Shiiiiiiiiiit.

This book was fire. Literal fire. I couldn't put it down (I read this masterpiece in one fucking sitting). It was super page turning and the thriller factor was high as fuck. As was the gas-lighting factor. Crystal was gas-lit soooooo fuuuuuucking well that I was starting to question everything too. Like hell. Very, very, VERY intense.

As soon as this book comes out in February, you need to read it. I'm not kidding. (Or go onto NetGalley and request an ARC and read it now).

Trigger Warnings: blackmail, kidnapping, murder, death, violence, poisoning, gas-lighting, mental health, panic attacks, anorexia, swatting, theft, lying, revenge, knives, blood, etc

#thesedeadlygames #dianaurban #allyourtwistedsecrets #netgalley #arc #thriller #yathriller #murdermystery #yamurdermystery #books #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

4.5 Stars
From the start I was immediately sucked in to all the crazy psychological antics and drama. The author did a phenomenal job creating this crazy world and all the drama/death this small group of Vermont friends are about to go through. They always say the past comes back to bite you whn you least expect it and these kids are about to learn this the hard way. From kidnappings to explosions this book had it all. I was honestly so far off in guessing the villain, at times even suspecting the heroines own ‘kidnapped’ sister. I will say I was often thrown by many of the books twists and turns. The way things played out, while farfetched and a bit outlandish culminated in a really thrilling read. I didn’t expect it to be so bloody or as deadly as it was 😳 The end also has this very ominous and partially incomplete feel but then again I think it works really well given the context of the entire book. Really great read. If not for that pesky necessity known as sleep I probably would have read this in one sitting.

These Deadly Games is a solid 4.5/5! I loved the fast moving plot and it kept me reading (I ended up reading this in a day). Another thing that Urban does so well compared to her debut novel is foreshadowing and flashbacks. The switch between the past and present kept the reader on their toes searching for clues. Overall, I strongly recommend that every thriller and mystery fan to check this out! These Deadly Games will be published on February 1st, 2022. This twisty thriller should be on every YA fans' list for 2022 releases.
Happy reading!