I enjoyed this book, and didn't at the same time. The background of the gaming torney made no sense to me and I really didn't enjoy it from the beginning. The "big bad" was also easy to guess as well. I will say that I did enjoy all the different "tasks/dares/whatever you call them" and how they all interconnected. I still don't see why that many people needed to die but oh well.

This was still a good book, and maybe someone with who doesn't exclusively read YA Thrillers might not solve it as easy/fast. I will say parts of it still kept me on my toes and kept me reading. I will definitely read more of this author.

This book was absolutely full of suspense. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and could not predict which way the plot was headed. The premise of being pressured to enter a mysterious deadly game or something bad will happen was genius.

The world building in this book was slow and well thought out. I liked Urban’s writing style and the way her mind worked during this book especially. I wasn’t ever quite able to relax completely at any point ( so I would definitely count on reading it in one sitting).

The plot line of this book was well planned out. I did feel that the pacing was awkward at some points but Crys’s character development was well done. The chase to find the killer was especially well written . I applaud the amount of detail and emotion Urban was able to imbue in this book. I don’t often read suspense novels but this one definitely drew me in.

These Deadly Games is a quick read with a few twists but overall lacks originality with weak characters. This story reads like a CW-ish teen show which some may enjoy. For me, I did not care about the characters and the ending was predictable.

Two stars – for a young adult thriller, it was ok.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Diana Urban for the electronic ARC.
#NetGalley #TheseDeadlyGames

These Deadly Games is a high-stakes thriller perfect for YA readers. Absolutely adored this! It was an engaging YA mystery that kept me turning pages.

A young teenage gamer finds herself playing a high stake life or death game with an unknown opponent in These Deadly Games. Crystal is vying for a spot on a five person team of high school gamers hoping to win millions in a tournament. Her chances are good, and she desperately needs the money to help her mother pay the rent after her father walked out. When Crystal opens a menacing message on an app, her world collapses around her. The message says, "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." The "she" the message speaks of is Crystal's younger sister, shown bound and gagged in the picture accompanying the message. Crystal already felt guilty for ignoring her sister for her gaming friends, and now she’s been kidnapped. She has to save her sister . . . but she has to play in that tournament. What choice does Crystal have? What would you do?

The games start off seemingly innocent with small, apparently benign directives. But as the game progresses, the stakes are raised, becoming hostile and threatening in nature. Crystal begins to notice bad things happening to some of her friends with each game she plays. Coincidence? Or are they connected?

Urban does a brilliant job controlling the pace and sinister tone of These Dangerous Games starting with an ill-boding opening that is sure to grab readers attention immediately. I found the plot line to be unique and yet quite fitting in today's world of young, obsessed gamers with their own gaming language which can be difficult for non-gamers to follow. As the story unfolds, the stakes continue to ramp up in this plot driven novel increasing the tension through a few twists and turns. The characters are the weakest link in this story as they feel a bit underdeveloped and come across as unlikable in most instances. And yet, for the age group, I think they are actually portrayed quite accurately so kudos to the author for staying true to the age group and story. While the ending is a bit predictable, it in no way lessens the enjoyment of this psychological thriller. Intense and twisted with a highly malicious atmosphere, many readers will find it hard to put These Dangerous Games down. Highly recommended to fans of young adult suspense thrillers.

I love YA thrillers they are like comfort reads for me. This one actually ended up being pretty intense. It follows a group of gamer teens, one especially who is being secretly tormented by someone who has kidnapped her sister and is forcing her to obey their commands or their sister will die. Pretty intense right? It was a fairly long book, but it kept my attention and I was able to get through it quickly. The ending surprised me and I thought it had a strong ending. This is my second book by this author, and I enjoyed this one even more then the first. I also like how she thanked her cat in the thank you section and wrote in a cat who made quite a few appearances in this book as well.

Definitely recommended to fans of YA thrillers and YA readers who enjoy gaming they would enjoy the gaming references through out this book as well.

Thanks to Wednesday books for my copy!

Crystal games with her friends. They wanted to play the MortalDusk Crown gaming tournament. Crystal is desperate to win the gaming tournament to help her mother pay off the house. Crystal's younger sister is kidnapped.

The kidnapper makes Crystal do tasks that are meant to hurt and even kill her friends. Is it someone wanting her team out of the gaming tourney, or is it due to a terrible secret from her and her friends' past? A past that someone wants them to pay for? Crystal tries to discover who that is, and why, to save her sister and outwit the kidnapper.

If you enjoy mysteries and thrillers, especially with killers in them, love watching movies like Scream, and enjoy Young Adult books, then These Deadly Games will fit the bill for you. Even if you don’t care for video gaming, this novel will lure you in.

4 1/2 stars.

Quite fast paced. At times, believability was strained and it was predictable but overall I think the speed/pacing made up for that. Very YA feeling (as it should be).

This wasn't my favourite book as I didn't even finish it. The plot was predictable and so were the characters.

I really enjoy a good cat and mouse type of mystery game and this book fit the bill. I enjoyed reading this novel and was always wondering what was going to happen next. An enjoyable read that I would recommend.

I read lot of YA that tends to feel elevated. This is a true YA book and you are aware of it at all times. It was a fun and quick read so I’m giving three solid stars. I did enjoy this second book of the author more than her debut and would recommend it to the right audience.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a wild ride. The execution was okay but I kept screaming at the main character to call the police. There were several moments where none of it felt feasible or real and it took me out of the story, but overall it was a solid thriller and I think the intended YA audience will really enjoy it. I'll definitely recommend it to my teacher friends for their suspense loving kids and their class libraries.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest, personal review. This was a good cat and mouse, suspense style story. Crystal Donovan and her friends are trying to earn spots to a gaming tournament which has a cash prize that she wants to win to help her family. After dropping off her sister, who isattending a class trip, she begins to receive ominous texts with a video of her sister, kidnapped! The games begin and it's a race against time to complete the tasks in order to save her. Although the book was a bit slow at times, it was worth the read just to see how it ended and who was behind it all. Did I mention there was a previous mystery incident from t years ago that involves these friends?

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for gifting me an e-copy!
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“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. If you don’t respond to my messages within a minute, she dies. If you lose or forfeit, she dies.”

This is the message 16-year old Crystal gets on a normal school day about her sister being held captive. Each sadistic “game” involves taking down her friends one-by-one with no resolution to what’s coming in the end or who’ll take the last fall. Crystal belongs to a clique of gamer friends who are getting to compete in a national gaming tournament with some serious money to win. Each player has a stake on the win so when Crystal gets this message, she not only has to follow instructions but also decipher who’s the perpetrator before it’s too late.

I generally don’t navigate towards YA thrillers (I like YA horror though) but this was an absolute wild ride! I couldn’t stop turning the pages and had to know what was coming for each friend and also who was the unstable genius behind those instructions. The book was a full 5 stars for me until the end happened which had me knock down a star. I still highly recommend this book if you want to enjoy a fast-paced story! I generally also tend to think that any story with gaming automatically has some sci-fi in it. But this book was 100% a certified, lean YA thriller!

Crystal and her friends are looking forward to their being on the team to win the video game MortalDusk. If they win they can hopefully continue to win the “big” prize of three million dollars. She wants her share of the prize to help her mom pay off the mortgage on their home. Her dad has left them due to problems at home. Even though her mom is a surgical nurse, money is tight. Games have always been Crystal’s way to deal with the worse reality she lives. Crystal gets strange messages about playing a game that is “real life.” When sent a picture of her little sister Caelyn tied up in a basement instead of being on her weekend trip, Crystal agrees to play the game Anonymous1 so her sister doesn’t die. At first the pranks don’t seem so bad, until she realizes that the pranks affect her friends that are also part of the team for the video game competition. As Crystal realizes this, she tries to figure out who is Anonymous1 is. Crystal realizes that her friends versus her sister life is in jeopardy, she must try to save her friends as well as save her sister. She must save her sister’s life. Will she be able to do this?

The novel is a fast paced young adult thriller mystery. It had me guessing who was Anonymous1’s identity. I liked how the novel kept me trying to guess who was making Crystal play this deadly game. Watching how Crystal ‘s attitude about Anonymous1’s game is fascinating. There are so many twists and turns that I didn’t want to stop reading it. The author has written an excellent book that makes me want to read the next book that she writes.

Crystal Donavan is a gamer. A major gamer. She and her group of 5 friends are obsessed with the game Mortal Dusk, and are determined to qualify for a tournament with a huge payout. This tournament is all she can think about, and anything distracting is just a nuisance.

Until the ultimate distraction: a message on her cell phone. A video of her little sister Caelyn, bound and gagged. Her kidnapper wants to play the ultimate game. Play, or your sister dies. And each seemingly innocuous task paints a bigger picture. The kidnapper doesn't just want Crystal to suffer. They're going after her entire team.

This is definitely a YA thriller.

That's not to say it's a BAD thriller. But YA has the ignominious stereotype of being "less than" the more adult counter parts. And this one feels like it's on the bottom of the YA half of the spectrum. As in, we're dancing in Christopher Pike territory, not Courtney Summers.

And Christopher Pike clearly has his place in YA thrillers, even if he hasn't been well known since I was in high school back in the dark days, before accessible internet and when mobile phones were the size of a brick.

But I digress.

This book is less stand alone YA, and more gateway YA. The pacing and realism are off quite a bit, and while the story is enjoyable, you do get taken out of the moment regularly. The red herrings are extremely clunky.

Though I will say, while I did figure out whodunnit pretty quickly, the twisty bits were a welcome surprise, and that is always a plus with any thrillers, no matter the genre.

Great for someone just getting into the world of suspense and thrillers, but maybe not for someone who's already dived into the pool.

Imagine receiving an image of your sister and the kidnapper forcing you to complete forbidden tasks for the next 24 hours to ensure her safety. This book does just that. If you are looking for a book that will keep you are on the edge of your seat, look no further.

The gamer aspect in the beginning wasn't my favorite (I'm not a gamer so I didn't understand everything), but that being said, I enjoy this book and the wild ride it took me on.

I really liked the mystery of figuring out who was behind everything in this book. I had many theories and as the book progressed I was able to whittle them down and figure it out a bot before the reveal. I loved this because I hate when I know what happens from the start in thrillers. The guessing game was strong in These Deadly Games and even if you do figure it out before the reveal, there's still loads of things you find out after.

The whole premise of The Gamemaker "making" Crystal do these horrible things to her friends was scary. However, you sympathize with her because she's doing them to save her sister. It really messes with you as a reader too, because you try to put yourself in her shoes. Even though Crystal does these things to her friends, the friendships between the characters are heavily featured and I enjoyed the development of them throughout the book.

It's a fast paced thriller that keeps you guessing. TW: Domestic Abuse

Diana Urban does not hold back her punches with her newest mystery/thriller, These Deadly Games.

Crystal Donovan’s life comes to a crashing halt when she receives a video from an unknown person showing her younger sister gagged, bound, and crying. The unknown offender leaves Crystal with the instructions to play a series of games… or her sister dies. Helpless to the whims of the kidnapper, Crystal is forced to play game after game, from eating brownies to stealing a test answer key.

But when the kidnapper begins to target Crystal’s friends and the games grow more and more malicious, Crystal learns that she must quickly uncover who is behind these games before they make her choose between her sister and her friends once and for all.

These Deadly Games starts off innocently enough, with the biggest drama in Crystal’s life being who among her friend group is going to compete in a gaming tournament where there is a large cash prize for the winner.

But after the first chapter concludes, we are almost instantly treated with the horrific start to the true and sinister game of this story. Both Crystal and the reader are left breathless with the terrifying turn of events that happens when she receives the video of her sister gagged and bound. Moreover, once the games begin, the pace becomes brutal with how much suspense and fear is packed into Crystal’s thoughts as she struggles to solve puzzles, play games, and even hurt her friends in her quest to save her sister.

This is especially clear when it’s revealed that Crystal is being watched all the time. The kidnapper sends her messages about her whereabouts, such as knowing when she enters her room, who she is speaking to, and when she deviates from the kidnapper’s instructions.

There are a lot of red herrings that Urban introduces to lead her readers down several wrong paths when it comes to uncovering the kidnapper. It truly does make it so that the reader is forced to keep track of these potential leads, scouring the pages for clues.

I would strongly advise readers to look up potential trigger warnings for this novel, as there are descriptions of child kidnapping, child harm, and domestic abuse depicted in These Deadly Games.

Urban should be praised for her ability to ensnare her audience, keeping us suspended in stasis of terror while we devour the story. She does a great job in leaving behind breadcrumbs of the identity of the kidnapper, making for a second-read that is just as thrilling as the first.

Unfortunately, while the biggest twist of the novel did catch me off guard, I found myself a little peeved that These Deadly Games had a teenager be the antagonist of the story. This is not because I don’t think teenagers cannot be antagonists, but because I find it incredibly hard to believe that a teenager–even an adult eighteen year old –had the ability to do everything that the kidnapper does during the story.

Dylan–or Andrew, as we come to find out–is only eighteen, yet we are to be expected to believe that he could hack into multiple devices and computers in a variety of different locations, all for the sake of tormenting Crystal.

It just seems improbable that he would know exactly what she was doing, unless he managed to hack not only into her phone, but also security systems, camera, tablets, other people’s computers and devices, and more. There is no way one teenage boy would be able to do all of that, even if they were an experienced hacker. Otherwise, anyone with that kind of talent did not belong in a standard high school.

Moreover, his escape from sure death at the end was also incredibly improbable, to the point where I was taken out of the novel because it was so baffling. I am unsure if Urban plans on continuing this story in a sequel, but I felt that this could have been an excellent standalone without this minor twist.

Regardless of both these elements, These Deadly Games was a fun read. Provided that readers take care to look up the trigger warnings, it was a compelling mystery/thriller that will horrify and shock you.