I tried hard to read this but could not keep up with it. It was not the book for me. I was possibly reading it at the wrong time but regardless, I could not get into it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for providing me with a copy of Scott Kershaw’s novel, The Game, in exchange for an honest review.

A group of strangers from different parts of the world are shocked when the person they love the most has been kidnapped. To save their loved one, they are sent instructions via text, which involve immediately traveling to the United Kingdom and meeting at a remote countryside inn. At this inn, the strangers all meet and must work together to play a “game” created by the kidnappers, all have the knowledge that there can only be one winner. Desperate and filled with distrusted, the strangers are uncertain if they should truly work together or if one among them might actually be involved in the crime.

The Game gets off to a strong start as short chapters ping-pong between the main characters and their reactions to the kidnappings. Mothers lose their children, a man’s best friend is taken, and another man finds that his fiancé has been snatched. The loved ones of those who have been kidnapped, each have their own secrets and guilt. One mother spends time playing online bingo and is neglectful, and another is an addict. It is not clear why they are being targeted, but they all feel certain level of guilt.

The first half of the story is compelling and fast-paced. I wasn’t quite certain where the story was headed, but I couldn’t put it down. The story is creepy and unsettling, as the kidnappers always seemed to be watching and were quite vicious in their actions. It reminded me of a much less intense version of one of my favorite film franchises, Saw. The Game was not brutal like the Saw films, but the themes of the guilty getting their comeuppance was a big part of both stories.

Although the pacing is quick, The Game is uneven in its acts. There is a lot, more than half the book, dedicated to the build-up to when the characters meet in at the Inn. Even though I was intrigued, I found my interest waning by the middle of the story. I did not anticipate the ending, including the reveal of the kidnapper, so this was certainly a surprise, but I also didn’t feel satisfied by the ending. It went a direction that was unexpected, which is a obviously a positive with a good mystery novel, but on the flip-side it felt disconnected from the overarching vibe. The kidnapper had a clear and strong motive for doling out the punishment, but the entire concept of this elaborate “game” didn’t fit with the character. I believed in their need for retribution, but not the methodology. It almost felt like two different novels stitched together. Also note that the final reveal with the kidnapper’s motives includes some very heavy and sensitive issues. It was surprising.

This all said, The Game was a fun weekend read. I recommend it to those who like mysteries that have a sinister quality. I can’t put this in the horror category, but it has a touch of that genre. I can imagine The Game being turned into a film.

Five ordinary people, living in completely different parts of the world, one day receive the same message: The person you love most is in danger. Some of them don’t believe it at first, others’ first instinct is to seek help. But all of them quickly learn that the message isn’t a joke - to save their loved ones, the five strangers have to play a game. And there can only be one winner.

I wish I could give this book two ratings. The first one, based on the premise, the thrilling plot, the way this book kept me up at night just for ‘one more chapter’, would be very high. The second one, based on the ending alone, would be much, much lower.
I was so impressed with the first part of this book that I really thought that I found my new favorite thriller. Unfortunately, I had so many issues with the ending that it completely ruined my experience. Without spoiling it, I can say that it just didn’t make any sense. The reasoning behind the whole setup was absolutely unbelievable and I didn’t like that the author decided to basically give up on one of the most important rules of the Game - it felt like a cop out and like the mastermind behind it didn’t plan the whole thing right, despite somehow being able to know very tiny details about the players. I also didn’t like that some of the characters read very stereotypical - the one Black man was increasingly more aggressive, the women were constantly abused emotionally or physically.

TLDR: The Game started out very strong and exciting, but the ending was frustrating and clumsily constructed. An interesting idea, but lacking in the execution.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.

This book was so fun to read! You're following five characters playing this dangerous life or death game and each has their own story and secrets. I really enjoyed reading this and think it would be perfect to turn into a movie. It was thrilling and keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the ending was totally unexpected.

However, I wasn't able to connect with some of the characters and that sometime made reading from their perspective a little boring and slow, and that's why I rated this 3.5 stars.

Overall, this was a very entertaining and fun book to read with lots of twits and turns that will keep you guessing up until the end. It's definitely worth the read if you like thriller books that are based on twisted games and following different POVs.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ugh, talk about a psychological thriller that will have you holding your breath....

The Game, is the type of book that if you do not already suffer from anxiety, you will. This is an action packed book that will have you biting away at your fingers and begging for Mercy.

The storyline is completely unique and gave me "Saw" vibes, but yet completely different. A group of people are forced into playing "a game" , if they choose not to play one of their siblings will be killed off ( see I told you, this book is insane!!!) .

I found it hard to believe that this is Scott Kershaw's debut novel as the characters were well developed and the plot was executed with precision . This is not a book for the faint of heart but if you are into psychological thrillers as much as I am you are going to be obsessed!

Out May 31, dont wait! You do not want to miss this one !

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper 360, and Mr. Kershaw for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

The premise of this story sounded really suspenseful, and I have to admit that the first few chapters were electrifying. We are introduced at warp speed to a handful of people who, at first glance, seem to be roundly off-putting and unsympathetic characters but whom it's easy to root for nonetheless. Each of the five has a loved one stolen from them and is contacted by an untraceable number that if they want to get their loved one back, they must play "The Game", with instructions following.

Because the story moves from character to character so quickly, the plot pacing is kept at pulse-pounding speed, although some of the character depth is sacrificed. Frankly I felt that each of the five was sort of hard to like, and I only wanted any of them to succeed so that their respective stolen loved ones would survive.

I don't really want to get into the plot too much as it would be easy to spoil things. I did have a theory about what was going on and why. I am really, really terrible at guessing these sorts of things and I was definitely incorrect this time. I have to say, though, I wish my theory had been correct. I would probably have preferred it to the ending.

The reason I think I didn't enjoy this book more - because it was an exhilarating ride, to be sure - is that I kept feeling very sorry for the trauma (mental, physical, emotional, psychological) inflicted on the innocent individuals taken to punish the "game players". Particularly the two young children, neither of whom I frankly doubt, in real life, would recover from this to be functional, healthy adults. That marred my enjoyment of the book a lot. I guess I'm too soft-hearted for this sort of story.

I would recommend this book to readers who like a suspenseful story that moves at a breakneck pace and who can handle fairly dark content.

Five strangers with nothing in common find themselves in absolute terror. All have had a child, fiancée, or best friend go missing. A text tells them there is only one way to save their loved one. They must play—and win—The Game…

This book is such an adrenaline-filled rush that I barely had time to focus on the unlikeness of the plot. Just like the show it resembles, Squid Game, be prepared to enter an alternate reality. However, it is hard not to picture yourself stuck playing The Game to save your loved ones too. If you want a thrilling ride, don’t miss reading this book. 4 stars!

Thanks to Harper 360 and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper 360 for this ARC of The Game by Scott Kershaw.

Across the globe, five strangers receive a horrifying message.

THE PERSON YOU LOVE MOST IS IN DANGER.

To save them, each must play The Game – a sinister unknown entity that has a single rule: there can only be one winner.

IF YOU LOSE, YOUR LOVED ONE WILL DIE.

Like several other people have said this was very SAW like in the way it was setup. This was about all I knew going into it. The chapters jump from player to player and you get time to learn more about them. It starts off strong and is a fast paced thriller that kept me entertained the whole time. It takes a while to get to figure out how the "players" lives are tied together and it didn't disappoint.

I highly recommend this book. Considering this is a debut novel from Scott Kershaw, I look forward to other books to come.

Wow 😯 This book is crazy. It’s the story of 5 people, located all over the world that are pulled together to play The Game. Each is assigned a player number and given directions to follow if they want to save the person they love the most. It took a little bit for the book to take off, but I could tell that once it did that the story would be wild. I was right…I never saw anything in the ending coming. My head is still spinning!

Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC of this book! I loved it and can’t wait to recommend it in my bookstore!

Loved loved the premise of the book and even the blurb had me pretty excited but it did fall a little short for me. It could possibly be that I had my expectations super high going into it?!

I was invested immediately and loved learning about each “player”. The pace is great in the beginning and the end. The middle, however, was such a drag and repetitive.

I wish the timeline hadn’t jumped around all over the place because it left me confused during several moments. The ending and twist was clever!

Fast paced thriller that does it's job.

The book focuses on seemingly unrelated set of people who have a loved one taken away from them and are forced to play a dangerous game to free them.

The book alternates between various PoV of the players and keeps the tension high. You kind of know how such stories will play out but that does not take away from the reveal.

All in all, good fun!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper 360 for this ARC of The Game by Scott Kershaw. This was a very original book.. 5 People in a game to get the ones they love back alive, how far are you willing to go for the one you love the most? Let's have a film about this.

I can see the appeal of this title and why some readers liked it so much. I didn't connect with it, but then I had hesitations when I chose it. So, it's probably my fault for choosing. The book has a plot that is compelling at times, and some unlikable characters. I knew there would be some twists. I think this will work for those that like these kinds of stories that start of with very mysterious circumstances.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

I would like to thank the publisher for an ARC of this book. I really enjoyed this book. At first, it started out slow. I have to admit I was sometimes confused about the different stories of the characters. We follow five players and hear their perspective of The Game. We also get perspectives of other people. I would have to sometimes remember who was who. However, the ending. Wow!! This threw me for a loop. I never would have guessed the ending. I was thinking that something else was going on. I think this would be best not to know anything about this book. Just go in and play the game.

This was the most decent twisty, OMG thriller I have read in a long time. Five strangers all forced to play a love one will suffer and die. I like how as reader I really got a sense of how each characters was playing, many having their own secrets and the sense of panic each had throughout this book. Once I really got into this book, I could not put this down. I like how the book concluded and it was not predictable at all.

A highly recommended thriller beach read. I am definitely getting this on the publishing or soon after. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future if it is as good as this book was.

Thanks to Netgalley, Scott Kershaw and Harper 360 HQ for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/31/22

QUICK TAKE (**SPOILERS**): not sure why the male author thought this was a story that needed to be told, or that he was the person that should be telling it, but here we are. If you were looking for THE book that will hopefully deter thriller/suspense authors (in particular male authors) from using sexual assault against women as a story driver and catalyst for lazy plot twists, look no further.

This had the potential to be a 5 star read, but the ending. So disappointing.
Short chapters, multiple povs and a great plot. What more do u need? But the ending of the book ruined the entire thing for me:(

In the first 2/3 of the book it was a SLOW SLOW SLOW burn but suddenly last third everything sped up, I got confused and it was hard to keep track of everything going on.

Also I thought we would get more fast paced action packed scenes but for about half the book all we got was them trying to figure out how to get to the location.

I liked some of the twists we got but not all. Overall I think everyone should read this book coz I liked the message it was trying to portray but I wasn't a big fan of the way it was executed.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc:)

Five people in different countries and different circumstances are notified that they have had a loved one kidnapped. The only way to PR their safety is to play The GAME. Following mysterious clues the five are brought together and sent on a mission to find a 6th player. Through a series of backstories we meet each player and choose who to root for.
I could not put this book down! I love the intricacies of the game and the plot. I think the one dimensional cover leads you to think this may be a flat or cookie cutter book. The Game is not that! I guarantee you will not guess the ending. If you like killer thrillers, game-based play and dying for a mystery that you can't solve - The Game is for you! #NetGalley #TheGame #ScottKershaw
#Harper360

Five players all pulled into some sick game taking one of their loved ones hostage to force them to play but there can only be one winner. The big question looms throughout the tense story of who is behind the whole thing. I didn't connect with all five characters but most of them. This story got a bit slow in the !Middle but the ending was quite a twist.

Oh em gee!! 🤯 This book had me hooked from the very beginning. I sacrificed sleep to read this book. It was tense and addicting! It is told from 6 vastly different POVs. It comes together at the end so there are no major unanswered questions. The first 3/4 of the book is so fantastic it makes the last 1/4 seem just good. Which really that last 1/4 is far from good it's great. Does that make sense? I didn't guess a single twist or turn. I could have never guessed the ending. Absolutely must read!!

I'm still floored this is his debut novel! I can't wait for his next book!!

Read this book if:
🎮 you like books where you can't figure out the whole story until the end
🎮 you love a story to mess with your mind
🎮 you love fast paced thrillers
🎮 you love a book that you can't put down and blows your mind!
🎮 you trust my recommendations 😆