This was definitely a super fast paced read! It was fun but there was something missing for me. It was a really fun concept but I feel that some plot points could've been more developed. Still worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC

I have mixed feelings about this book. It feels very unique, with a murder mystery taking place in the real world and also a video game world. The premise was super cool, but it was predictable at some points. The final reveal of the antagonist and her relationship to the victim and protagonist was pretty much told to the reader, yet the main character didn't figure it out until way later. I appreciate the foreshadowing to avoid plot holes, but I also wish that I couldn't figure it out that easily.

I wasn't very invested in the characters. Only the main character had any depth, and that was primarily through her backstory, not the current plot.

This was a hard ass review to write. I have so many feelings about this book. I loved it so much and I’ve already put this on a list to use this for our ToB book list for 2025…..

Ok so first things first. The teens are going to EAT THIS UP! There’s gaming, there’s romance, there’s fighting, there’s some schmurder! And a dog! That sounds like a weird ass mix, but it really worked so well together. I don’t want to say anything else because spoilers, but there is so much happening in this book and I was sucked into it and I wanted to read it every chance I got.

The rep in this was something serious too. There’s family diversity because Lordt, there’s racial/ethnic diversity because the MC was Chinese, and there’s 2slgbtq+ diversity because its sapphic. And the MC is also unhoused and living in a restaurant. There’s so much rep in this book and tho I am none of the things listed, I am saying it was ok rep until I hear different. Also the author is also Chinese, so it is own voices in that aspect.

The writing style was so cool! Idk how Yu got us to help her solve the mystery in the real world and the world of her game! And I really enjoyed seeing the papers with the threats that her friends got too. I was glad we got to see it all. I also liked the way she went back and forth in time to explain what happened. it really did help to tell the story.

I do wish there was a bit more to the ending. it was this whole buildup and the end conflict is so short lol I wanted so much more for it. Whoever edited this did it a bit of a disservice. Idk I wanted so much more. And Idk if that’s a me thing and I’m just being dramatic, or if it was actually ok. Whatever the reason, I wanted more.

The main character grew on me. When i first started this book I’m not gonna lie, she was annoying lol I felt like we didn’t know anything about her and we weren’t getting to know her. And the little glimpses we get from the past was like scraps. But as we got more and more into the story, it began to make so much more sense. Usually I don’t like books where I don’t know anything about the characters, but this one just worked for me.

So if nothing else, I hope y’all read this one! The gaming, the mystery, the everything was just so good! So y’all go get it! I need someone to talk to about this! This book was so good! Read it and get back to me lol

It’s Only a Game is an engaging read that offers plenty for active gamers to enjoy, with its numerous video game references and immersive gaming elements. As an active gamer myself this was something I really enjoyed about and made it easier for me to connect with with because of that; however, I do feel like this will be something that isolates non gamers from the story. The story is fast paced overall, but sometimes moves so fast it feels as though someone is missing/ not developed properly. The real shining star though is the diverse cast and representation featured among the characters.. Overall, it's an entertaining read but just felt like it was missing something.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows a group of gamers who meet up in real life and meet the creator of their favorite game. Things quickly go wrong when they are forced into a real life game that is do or die and their families are threatened.

I liked this book! It was a fast paced thriller that was full of action. I liked how quick paced this was and it kept me engaged. I thought the characters were pretty well developed and easy to connect to. I liked all of the twists and turns throughout.

I will say that I am not a gamer so some of the lingo went over my head. I think gamers will understand this one a bit more than me. However, it didn't take away from my experience too much because I still enjoyed it.

It's Only a Game was a highly anticipated read for me this summer. Asian-authored YA thriller with LGBTQIA+ character rep? Sign me up! And there was a lot that I really enjoyed about this one.

What I liked:
- The book was certainly a page turner. I moved through this one quickly, and I often read longer than I intended to see what would happen on the next page.
- The overall premise of the book was intriguing, and I personally enjoyed the video game element. For readers who do *not* enjoy references to video games, just know that there are a decent number of technical video game descriptions throughout the book.
- This book is marketed for a YA audience, and even though there are references to mature topics (murder, physical and emotional abuse by a parent, and fire/fire injury), I think that it would still be appropriate for some older middle grade students. I can think of a few students of mine who would really love it. (This would be a great read for the students who want something more mature like The Hunger Games but are perhaps not yet developmentally mature enough for thematically heavier YA or adult books.)

What didn't quite work for me:
- There were certain aspects of the book that I think could have been more fully developed. I felt like some plot points were rushed or quickly resolved, and they could have benefitted from greater attention. (I won't elaborate here so as to avoid spoilers.)
- At times, the writing was a little clunky and the dialogue was a little awkward. The writing style certainly didn't ruin my reading experience, but it also sometimes distracted from the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy.

I was approved for this ARC after it had come out and I read it through the library, haha. I enjoyed this, it was fast-paced and twisty. I enjoyed the game aspect, that's something I have really been loving especially in YA mystery/thrillers. This wasn't a knock-your-socks off kind of book--the reveal was a little eh, and the mystery just sort of showed up out of the blue, but I loved the different representation in this story and it was overall a fun read!

This was a fast paced murder mystery with the twist of revolving around a video game. I liked the modern take and that the characters were mostly strangers who had bonded over playing together.

The mystery sort of hit out of nowhere and I enjoyed the clues and missions the characters had to complete to stay safe. I did think the reveal was a bit lackluster and easy to see coming though.

I enjoyed the cultural representation, as well as having several LGBTQ+ characters.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for the copy.

Thank you go NetGalley for this early copy!

This wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t great. I enjoyed the queer representation and the friend group, but the writing was quite distracting. I understand this is YA but the writing was very juvenile. I also really didn’t like the back and forth in time lines!

Also, hated all the gamer talk. There were lengthy scenes of them playing the video game which I found so boring! I want to see stuff happening IRL—if I wanted to watch a video game I’d go on YouTube.

I loved this book! The twists kept me guessing and the pacing made this a perfect read for my current mood. There was at least one twist where I suspected but it was way more complicated then I thought! I gasped out loud and had to keep going haha loved it!

I’m not a gamer but I actually really enjoyed the gaming aspects of the book and I was trying to figure out the motivation/murder mystery aspect of this story all throughout! Loved how the author brought in aspects of her Chinese heritage into the book. It’s always refreshing to see representation done well in books. Would highly recommend for thriller and mystery fans. ❤️

As usual, I was intrigued by this book because of the cover and title. I knew there was a game involved, which I didn't mind. That made things interesting and fun. I like that there were diverse characters and queer rep. This was a face-paced read told in a dual timeline with a good murder mystery storyline.

Although it is a good murder mystery told in a dual timeline, I found it hard to follow. It jumps from past to present sprinkling in Marina's past, while you follow along with what is happening in the present. I usually don't have a problem with this format, but it was a little confusing at times. Maybe it was the writing style or the pacing that threw me off. I'm not sure. I also found that it was lacking the thrilling part. The plot was displaying that it was meant t0 be high stacks, but the characters weren't. The characters acted like they weren't threatened or in danger. Speaking of characters, I didn't care for any of them. This was pitched to have the found family trope, but I just didn't feel that. I believe it's because I felt the side characters were underdeveloped and flat. It's also because I just didn't feel that type of connection between them. It just wasn't believable.

Overall, I would still recommend this to select readers. However, maybe it just wasn't for me.

This book was AMAZING.

I love the suspense, the somewhat meta nature of the stakes that we had to go through and even the twisted plot twists that had me absolutely hooked!! I will definitely be reading more from this author!

I really got to enjoy this book. I been into books such as these lately and it all felt like such a rollecoaster. The design of the cover was also absolutely beautiful! While it did have me hooked in some parts, there were a few that fell flat and hard to follow along but overall I would really recommend.

Although I am not a gamer, I initially wanted to read this because many of my students are gamers, and I did enjoy Ready Player One, so I wanted to see if this would be a good fit for my classroom library. I do think this is a book that many of my students will enjoy. I personally almost DNF around 40%. The characters are fun, but it felt slow moving. It really bothered me how much the protagonist was keeping from everyone, and how slowly we were getting information about her past. It picked up around the 50% mark (around the 3rd mission). The pacing picked up, and so did the violence. I was happy to see that this book did not shy away from that! It wasn’t anything too over the top- I think it sticks to being YA in that sense, but I liked the intensity and thrills.
Having a first person narrator means we learn the truth as Marina does, and this is where it gets a little confusing. There are multiple theories/versions regarding what actually happened in the past. It’s hard to keep everything straight and figure out what the truth actually is. They do make it clear at the end, but it is pretty confusing up to that point because of all the different versions that were told/that Marina believed at one point.
I know this is something that will confuse my upper middle school students, but I think the writing style lends itself more to middle school than to high school (despite the characters being high school aged).
Overall, I found this to be a quick, engaging, and overall fun read.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was so twisty, fast-paced and fun; I read it in one sitting. I truly couldn’t put it down. I adored the friend group in this book, and of course Slate. I also really loved the gaming aspect to this book. It was such a fun and unique way to explore a mystery. I can’t recommend this one enough!!

This heartfelt and quirky young adult fantasy debut follows a young outcast on a journey of transformation . . .

I haven't had a YA thriller hook me in a while, so this was a great surprise. A fast-paced thriller/mystery with an added layer of in-game puzzle solving makes this book feel similar to Slay crossed with Love 020.

I will say that this book takes on a lot, but it does it well, overall. We have the foundational thriller - someone dies and now our MCs have to race against the clock to solve the mystery and save the people and things they care about. Then, we have the gaming elements superimposed over the real world mystery. Adding in Marina's secret past, a dash of romance, and nods to Chinese history and Asian culture (particularly filiel piety and Asian guilt culture), this story held my attention right from the start.

I really love books that mix with video games, and Kelsea Yu did it in a way that felt organic and necessary to the story. I liked how the video game aspects built on the secrets, the mystery, and the character development - it was an essential part of the story and was fleshed out so well!

Additionally, I enjoyed our MCs - all four had distinct personalities and lives and the way they became friends through life and video games felt so true to life.

All in all, a twisty thriller of a book that had me flying through the pages! I'm so excited for more people to pick this one up.

Rep: Chinese lesbian MC, queer SC, Trans SC
TW: gaslighting, injury detail, murder, blood, stalking, mutilation, child abuse, gun violence, kidnapping, drugging, fire/fire injury; mentions transphobia, death of a child, death, animal abuse, suicidal ideation

Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Bloomsbury YA via Colored Pages Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think I was the target audience for this book. I stupidly didn't read the description. I only looked at the pretty cover, which is very misleading, and had a clear expectation of this book. I don't like video games, and the last thing I wanted to do was read a book that started with a bunch of characters playing video games. If I wanted that, I'd suffer through watching my husband scream at a screen during GTA or Overwatch. This could truly be a great book for video game lovers, but I'm just not that.

I was so excited to read this book and it did not disappoint!! You know when a book is so good that you genuinely cannot stop thinking about it?? Well this book did exactly that for me!!

I loved the writing style and the plot. The plot was SO unique and had me HOOKED!!

I liked the characters, they were all relatable in some ways and were just a lot of fun to read about.

I loved the unique concept of an interactive game with levels made by players and how that plays into the plot. I’m not gonna say anything else about the actual plot since I don’t wanna spoil anything but OMG!

I absolutely cannot wait to read more books by Kelsea Yu!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books | Bloomsbury YA for the ARC copy they provided.

It’s Only a Game has the power to pull you in and make you want to stay. That is the first thing I need to note about this book. I immediately felt at home with the characters and in the setting. I wanted to build a nest in the story and just linger, even after the last word.

Despite being a thrillride from beginning to end, It’s Only a Game has the absolute best of found family and warmth, and once you experience that, you don’t want to leave. I can’t praise that sense of security hidden in these pages enough. Kelsea Yu did a marvelous job crafting a book that is at once homey and intensely gripping. I loved every moment of this read.

What else can I say about It’s Only a Game? The queer representation made my heart happy, and the sweet fur baby made me want to cuddle an animal that doesn’t even exist, while the main character’s backstory remains at once identifiable and terrifying.

All of that said, there is still the fact I learned more tidbits of game mechanics and interplay then what was already in my mental store, and enjoyed feeling like I was stepping into the world of Darkitect with the characters. Every part of It’s Only a Game fascinated and drew me in and drew me back. I had to take several breaks reading this book, due to life being life, but even during those pauses in mt read, I kept thinking about this book and wondering how it would end. I might be a bit late to the review party, given It’s Only a Game came out several days ago, but I don’t regret a single moment I spent reading this book.

I highly recommend for anyone who needs to see themself in a character gathering the courage to just be themself and be brave. I’m looking forward to whatever Kelsea Yu comes out with next.