This book was so good. It kept me on my toes so to speak. I did not see the end coming. I am hoping there will be a part two.

As other reviewers have indicated, this is a great book. Kept me guessing til the very end. Highly recommend not only as a YA mystery/thriller but as a way teenagers of this generation think, at least a good segment of them. Would definitely read more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

In reviewing These Deadly Games, I'd like to give the book five out of five stars for the combination of writing style, how relatable it is in showing the weirdness of being a teen, and for the storyline itself.
Full detailed review on The Isles Frontier.

Diana Urban has hit the ball out of the park with this book. I loved it from the first to the last page. These Deadly Games is a book that has everything young adult readers love: romance, friendenemies, gaming, mystery, backstabbing, secrets, and plot twist. To me, it would be the perfect book to hook a reluctant reader. There are many personalities in this book that young readers can relate too. To be honest, I read it in one night: cover to cover.

I think it would be great for a book club. It offers all sorts of topics for group discussion:
Trust
When is gaming or technology too much?
Friendship
When is it ok to do the wrong thing if it helps in the end?

I believe anyone who reads this book will love it.

“All Your Twisted Secrets” was one of my favourite books of 2020, so my excitement for Diana Urban’s second book, “These Deadly Games” was VERY real, and I was honoured, grateful, and excited to receive an e-ARC of the book from Wednesday Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“These Deadly Games” follows our main character Crystal. Crystal is obsessed with the game MortalDusk, and along with her friends Akira. Matty, Randall, Dylan and Zoey, she is a part of one of Vermont’s top e-sports teams. But when Crystal’s younger sister Caelyn is held hostage by someone calling themselves An0nym0us1 she’s forced to play a game unlike any she’s ever played before—with her sister’s life hanging in the balance.

Well, Diana Urban has done it again! This was the very definition of a page-turner, full of jaw-dropping twists, heart-stopping tension, and ever-increasing stakes. I honestly couldn’t tear my eyes from the pages once I started reading it.

Crystal was a great character, and it was very easy to feel for her, as she made impossible, morally questionable choices in an effort to save her sister, while trying to decipher the mystery of who exactly An0nym0us1 is and why they have it out for her, her family, and her friends.

This is honestly a near-perfect YA thriller and I can confidently say that Diana Urban has cemented her place amongst the top YA thriller authors with this book. If you’re a fan of the books of Karen M. McManus, I definitely recommend the books of Diana Urban as well!

“These Deadly Games” is scheduled for publication on February 1, 2022 for Wednesday Books. Special thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read it early.

This was a fun fast paced book. It doesn't stand out to me but it was still one I enjoyed reading - especially loved how the main character was worried she was going crazy. That trope can be over done but it was well done in this one.

THESE DEADLY GAMES was a tense YA gaming-centered thriller. I am so glad to see YA titles that are truly thrillers instead of the dystopian reads the market has been flooded with lately. I was afraid some of the terminology would be over my head since I'm not a gamer (and definitely not a young adult) but this book was engaging and easy to read.

Crystal and her friends are serious gamers, and they've been dedicating a lot of time to getting ready for a tournament with a hefty cash prize--each player has a reason for needing the money; for Crystal, it's to help her mom pay the mortgage that her double shifts just don't cover. Then Crystal receives a text from an unknown number, and she watches in horror as a video with her little sister in obvious distress plays, and then this message: 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?

Crystal races against the clock to perform a bizarre series of tasks, each one with a more sinister consequence than the next. Is her anonymous attacker just another gamer trying to knock her out of the competition at any cost, or is this someone from her past with a serious grudge?

As with any thriller, reality must be suspended at times, but I have to say, the scenarios that the author created could actually happen with alarming ease. THESE DEADLY GAMES publishes February 1, 2022. Many thanks to the author for allowing me to be a part of her Street Team and to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

An engaging page-turner!

I'm a little surprised by how much I ended up liking this one, given that the writing has some of that slightly-cheesy YA quality that sometimes ruins YA books for me. It worked here, though--the language felt like genuine teenagers, without being too over-the-top.

I thought the mystery aspect was done well, and it kept me eager to read more. There was one very obvious clue that it took the main character forever to pick up on, even though she kept dancing around it, but overall I was surprised by many of the twists and really enjoyed the story.

The major downside here is that I feel like the author wrote an interesting, well-constructed friend group, but we are limited to only Crystal's perspective. I wanted more from the other characters, and I think it would have taken this novel to the next level for me. There's also a major moment that gets lost in everything else that is happening. It's not necessarily forgotten or overlooked, but there is just not enough page time for the characters to fully deal with the ramifications of this event, and it ends up not packing the emotional punch that it should.

Overall though, I really liked this book, and I would read more from this author, particularly if she wrote a sequel! I want more from this friend group.

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Crystal could not believe what was going on. She receives a mysterious app with instructions on what to do or her sister will be killed. This book was very intense and kept my interest.

Sixteen-year-old Crystal and her friends are excited about the upcoming MortalDusk Tournament. Their team has been doing well in the online game, and each need to win the $250,000 state prize money. Representing the state at the Tournament would earn them the chance to earn three million dollars! Unfortunately only five players are allowed on the team, and there are six of them. Crystal is planning to be one of the players, but MortalDusk is quickly forgotten when her younger sister gets kidnapped.

Messages from a mysterious app start appearing on her phone warning her Caelyn will die if she called the police, told anyone or failed to follow directions. Unfortunately, soon after she followed the first set of directions, one of her friends died. Crystal realized the kidnapper was planning for her to kill her friends, but how could she avoid following the directions if it meant Caelyn would die? Thus begins a tale of jealousy, betrayal, suspense, fear, and death, told through flashbacks and the present time, as Crystal’s friends start to get eliminated in the kidnapper’s sick “game.”

“These deadly games” held me in thrall as I tried to figure out who was behind the kidnapping. The author did a great job distracting readers and twisting back upon herself through the tangled web of lies and deceit that had been laid five years earlier. By the time all was revealed, I was completely in shock. Well-done Diana. Very well done.

Highly recommended for ages 16 and older.

I received a digital advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Books like this are hard to talk about without giving anything away. That said, secrets, it always comes back to old secrets. The pace is fast, the esports component is fun and current. If you like this type of fiction you will enjoy this one, but read when you have time because you won't want to put it down in the middle.

Somehow I was lucky enough to receive an eARC (Thank you NetGalley & Diana Urbana team!) of These Deadly Games & when I say Crys had me screaming, at her, during this book, I’m not joking. The only reason it took me a week to read, apparently I needed to to my adult things. Ha!

Crys is OBSESSED with MortalDusk & when a tournament comes up, that could save her family home, she knows she must spend every free moment to make it. That is until she finds herself playing a new game, twisted & deadly that will connect her past & present in a way she never saw coming…nor did I! 24 hours to save the one person she vowed to never let anything happen to, but at what cost to her friendships?

I am crossing my fingers we find out what is in store for Crys, after These Deadly Games.

I’ve read similar stories several times, but These Deadly Games still managed to do a thing or two differently. It was a good book, although the MC spun from one theory to another without really thinking any of them through. I suppose if I were in a similar situation, I might do the the same thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

This story is about games. Do you want to play? 6 high school friends stream a popular video game online called Mortal Dusk and are gearing up for a big tournament, when one of them, Crystal, gets a strange message on her phone. Her sister has been kidnapped and she has to play the kidnappers games to save her. Each task seems simple, but she soon realizes that her entire friend group is being targeted. Is it to get them out of playing in the Mortal Dusk tournament or is it because of a secret they all promised to keep 5 years ago?

This book was a roller coaster of emotions. Diana Urban wrote in such a way that made my heart race as I was reading. I felt the urgency that was in the tone of the story. I also felt very emotional reading about what happened “5 years ago”. I thought the book was well thought out, cleverly written, as well as delightfully twisted. I am someone who always figures out the bad guy right away, and this was no exception. However, even though early on I knew who the bad guy was an their motive, I still enjoyed reading the book!

Diana Urban DOES IT AGAIN. What an incredible, propulsive book. I was sucked in and couldn't put it down. The characters are ones that you resonate with and want to cheer on, even if they're doing questionable things. I can usually guess the twists and turns but Urban did so good that I was guessing until the very end. Great sophomore novel!

Crystal and her group of friends are gamers preparing for a tournament of a Mortal Kombat style game. The tournament has a huge cash prize for the winners that Crystal and all of her friends could use for various reasons.

We are barely introduced to the characters before the mystery starts. Crystal gets an anonymous video message showing her sister - who is supposed to be on a weekend class field trip - kidnapped and telling her she must play this game or her sister will be killed. Crystal is then forced to complete an increasingly dangerous and potentially deadly series of tasks to keep her sister safe. We also get flashbacks throughout the book to a tragic accident involving Crystal and her friends that took place 5 years earlier.

This entire genre (YA mysteries/thrillers) struggles with explaining its characters decision not to tell an adult or any authority figure - especially in a book like this where one phone call would have solved everything. Crystal's choices did not strike me as believable even taking into account the duress she was under.

But I could have overlooked that and gone alone for the ride if the characters had been more compelling. None of Crystal's friends seem to have any discernible personality. They only exist to support or antagonize her. We are told constantly about how "witty" one character is for making comments like, "munching on nothing burgers." I guess that could be explained away by a teenage girl thinking her crush is far cuter/funnier than he really is. But the dialogue is awkward throughout and the attempts to include words like "shade" and "tea" were cringeworthy.

The mystery aspect is also disappointing as it's pretty obvious from the start who is sending Crystal the messages.

I received a copy of this e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Crystal is obsessed with video games and she’s good, like really good. Good enough that her and her friends have a chance at some serious prize money at a huge competition. Then her sister is taken and her priorities shift. Her friends and even Crystal herself are hiding secrets and one might have just come back to bite them all in the as*.

These Deadly Games was a fast-paced thriller that really left no room for character development but instead is all plot. I really couldn’t tell you anything about Crystal or her friends beyond that I have no idea why they’re friends because no one seems to like each other. There’s some major blackmailing, kidnapping and even death. I was so into this book though and sped read it just to see who the heck was behind it all.

Take the title seriously. Obviously I knew this was going to be a book about a girl completing tasks to save her sister, but it seemed kinda low stakes at first. Steal a test, bake some brownies, make a prank phone call. It all seemed so simple at first, but that changes fast as the games get more deadly. We know something happened in the past, just not what or how/if it even connects to what’s happening now.

I was immediately suspicious of some possible suspects but it seemed too easy. Glad to say I was initially wrong but the dots are easy to connect the deeper into the book you get. The plot kept me enthralled and I was trying to figure out who was behind everything up until the very final pages. These Deadly Games is a very dark book that had me at the edge of my seat and unable to sleep after.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and were not affected by the free copy.

I've been really into mystery/thrillers lately, so when I read the blurb for this one, I knew I had to read it! Crystal gets a message through a mysterious app on her phone that contains a video of her little sister, gagged and bound. She must play every gamethe kidnapper directs her to, or they'll kill her. If she calls the police, they'll kill her. If she tells anyone, you guessed it, they'll kill her. The games start off pretty innocuous, steal a test, bake brownie, but without realizing it, they have dire consequences.

Crystal is part of a gaming group preparing to participate in the Mortal Dusk game tournament.
There was enough video games talk that it will appeal to gamers, with lots of drama action to keep them going.

This was a pretty solid YA thriller, with lots of secrets and a cat-and-mouse chase. Most of the characters I didn't care for, not because of poor writing or anything, but because of the secrets hidden in their past (especially Zoey-hated her). I personally though the big reveal was too obvious, but it was solid. Even though it didn't keep me guessing, there was still enough of a plot line that I was really excited to finish the book. Definitely will be recommending to the mystery/thriller genre lovers.

If you enjoy YA thrillers with secrets and cat and mouse chases then you should definitely read These Deadly Games. Who knew a group of 16 year olds could have such secrets. But this group sure does. This is one of those books that you will want to settle in to your comfy chair and then hold on for the ride that it takes you on. It had me questioning each of the characters as to who the culprit might be and I will say that I figured it out but then the ending hits you with one more secret revealed and a set up maybe for a sequel? Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books for the ARC!!!

I really enjoyed the twists and turns in this story. The plot had me hooked and kept me guessing throughout - I couldn't put this one down!