This was an entertaining read for me! I felt it was unpredictable and kept me engatged throughout the entire story. I went in thinking it would be more of an intense thriller but it is more of a Satire, which I do not typically go for. But I felt this was a fun wild read!

Genre: YA Thriller

Format: Audio

4.25🌟 - I enjoyed it!

The Selection meets the Bachelor meets The Hunger Games meets Ace of Spades meets The Inheritance Games in this entertaining and dark YA thriller. This was such a fun and fast-paced plot with depth drawing attention to larger themes to academia, racism, social class, and privilege.

There were some fun twists, and this was overall a poignant and entertaining read!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a finished copy!

Their Vicious Games was thrilling debut that managed to be engaging with the brutality of the Finish and I liked the social commentary aling with it. It was clear who the bad guys were but we would be on the edge pf our seats to see how far wil lthey really go. The story pace faltered a bit in the middle but it picked up in the last quarter of the book. While the ending was unexpected, it did leave me satisfied at how everything turned out.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I wasn't really sure what to expect but I'm glad I took a chance on this book.

I’m not sure what I was expecting going into this book, but I love watching the downfall of rich white people.

I love stories that are "competition/game" style and this one was no exception. I was absolutely hooked and captivated by the writing and the plot. What a thrill!

I enjoyed this one. I kept me guessing and I did not expect the ending at all! This would be a good one for anyone wanting a YA thriller

The beauty of this covered had me wanting to read this book.

The first sentence pulled me in and I was hooked.
--WHEN MY MOM PULLS ME close in my cap and gown and whispers into my ear, "I'm so proud of you, Adina," that's when I know-I've lost.--

I'm not one to give away a story, but you have to read this book. You will not be disappointed especially if you love reading thriller/horror novels.

Great story line and character development. The ending was worth it all.

I would love to see this made in a movie or TV series.

Unfortunately I was having a difficult time getting into this book. I think this is more due to my personal reading tastes changing as I am losing interest in young adult titles, though I appreciate the publisher for granting me access to an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

@jowellington you ATE THE GIRLS UP WITH THIS ONE 👏🏾🖤 I mean, how do you come out swinging with a 5⭐️ read like this that had me fully 100% captivated from the second I started reading. I’m gonna keep this spoiler free which means I can’t say too much so let’s just jump straight into ⁣
⁣
𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:⁣
⁣
• first things first, s/o to my girl @iyanagoestothelibrary for posting the most interactive and interesting stories about books that make you seriously drop everything to read. This was the case when she had me cracking up at her commentary on this one 😂💖
⁣
• second of all I WILL WHOOP ESMES ASS! Idc, how the whole book you had me ready to square up. Like not once did I feel bad/ think of she’s a great person 😂⁣
⁣
• “𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙛 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝.” * story of my life⁣
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• This is the book of my dreams, like a black final girl YESSSSSS 🖤 I will say that Penthesilea was my overall
•
• favorite though. Something about a totally unapologetic, unhinged, badass that makes me obsessed.⁣
⁣
• Saint and Adina’s friendship was so sweet and special and I didn’t see it coming but I loved every second 🫶🏾✨⁣
⁣
• The little queer moments were 🥹 I need a whole book about Hawthorne at this point.⁣
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• THE CHEESE SLID OFF THE FUCKING CRACKER BY LIKE 60% AND IM TYPING IN ALL CAPS BC I WAS STRESSED 😰⁣
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• “𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.”⁣
* damn man 😔💔⁣
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Overall yall, I wish I could say more but I don’t wanna ruin it so yeah RUN and read this. I promise you won’t regret it.⁣
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And thank you @simonteen for sending me the arc I read and this finished copy. Y’all the 🐐

I really enjoyed this thriller. It was a Bachelorette meet the Hunger Games situation. I think teens will really enjoy this fast-paced novel.

💎BOOK REVIEW💎

Their Vicious Games - Joelle Wellington
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️

“A Black teen desperate to regain her Ivy League acceptance enters an elite competition only to discover the stakes aren’t just high, they’re deadly, in this searing thriller that’s Ace of Spades meets Squid Game with a sprinkling of The Bachelor.”

After losing her Yale scholarship for an out-of-character moment of violence, Adina is feeling helpless and like she’s wasted all of her hard work. Enter The Finish, a secretive, elite competition hosted by the wealthiest family in town to give a local girl all the connections and money she would need to get ahead. Adina has heard the rumors about how successful the winners are and sees this as her only way out. Only she doesn’t know just how dangerous and deadly the competition is going to get!

I was immediately pulled into the story and loved the no holds barred ruthlessness of the competition. I loved the backstory of how each girl found herself there, willing to gain OR LOSE, everything. This is an over the top thriller and I was here for it.

Recommend if you like:
- YA thrillers
- Strong friendships
- Deadly competition
- Dark satire
- Eat the rich vibes

Thank you to @simonteen and @netgalley for my copy!

I gave up at the 65% mark. There were so many plot holes in the book. How they kept what was really going on so quiet for so long is anyone's guess. Also, why? What was the motive? The main character comes from an upper middle class family. Her parents have excellent jobs as teachers in an elite private school. They aren't poor. Yet all she does is complain. Not for me.

This book.... WOW!

Just wow!

It was so intense, riveting, and I highlighted so many amazing quotes.

The story was gut wrenching, powerful, and so thrilling. Every new chapter was a surprise and I am just in awe of how crazy this book was.

All of the characters had such a deeply flawed and powerful story that no one (welllll.... Except 3rd and 4th) was truly the villain. Everyone had a perspective and a story and a reason to do the things they did and I just loved it.

This book was gold and I can’t wait to see what else this author has in store because SIGN ME UP!

This book was so great. I loved the satire. It reminded me so much of Get Out. I was horrified by most of the characters but I understood what the author was trying to do here.

Their Vicious Games was so good I started pitching it to anyone that sounded halfway interested in a recommendation aligned with it.

2.5 Stars.

Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with this book. The synopsis promises Ace of Spades, Squid Games and The Bachelor and to me, this mix of story elements should not have been combined for this particular book.

My biggest issue I would say is the romance featured in this story. So Adina is (sort of) stuck between two brothers, the Perfect Second Son who is the prize at the end of the games, who Adina doesn't actually like and the Disappointment of a First Son whom Adina randomly starts having feelings for. The thing is, I didn't believe the romance for a second, it came out of nowhere and there was no real build-up or romantic tension between Adina and Graham (the second son) and since Pierce was really a means to an end for Adina, I see no reason to criticise the writing of their relationship.

The author has stated that this book is supposed to be a Satire but I still reserve the right to be annoyed at how often Adina mentions that she's from Suburbia and how terrible that is.

I also feel that the book was very slow to start and that did nothing to help the book, it just made the story drag.

3.5 stars

This book, to me, felt a little unbalanced. Once the games began, I was all in and rode that momentum all the way to the finish. Brutal, unflinching, human. I’m here for it.

What didn’t work for me was the beginning, the setup. Adina didn’t blossom until the games, which is fine (even, perhaps, expected from the main character) but the problem is that neither did anyone else. There was little to no effort spent on making the other characters feel human - even if they’re terrible and ruthless, we needed to see that kernel of humanity pop into savagery. We are told, not shown, about all of Adina’s relationships to other people. The only bond that truly fit was with Saint (whom I loved dearly, but she also didn’t feel like a person except in the briefest flashes).

There’s so much room for depth in a story like this and I feel like we simply didn’t get it. Though I will definitely be keeping an eye on this author in the future.