This is a twisty-turny YA thriller that had me guessing almost until the last page. Gamers especially will enjoy “Darkitect” and all of the beautiful imagery described in the different levels that four friends have to beat—or else. If they don’t, the mysterious creator of said game levels has a a very specific threat for each of the four teenagers, and these are not tame or idle threats.

We go back and forth between Marina Chan’s earlier life and the present day, with clues and hints being dropped along the way. Marina, or “Night”, as she’s known in the game, has a lot of secrets to hide from her three new friends. As you read more and more about her childhood, you come to understand why she acts the way she does.

The four buddies only have 24 hours to beat each level, but some of the information needed must be obtained by dubious means.

Will they get caught? Is their mysterious foe actually going to harm those they love? And why them?? Find out this July!

I received an eARC from NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA (thanks!), and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

I don't know actually know how I feel about this book. On one hand, it was okay, but on the other hand, I just didn't like it. I requested this book for the mystery aspect, but it fell flat for me. This book didn't deliver. It was all over the place as it went from past to present, which ultimately confused me since it added more mystery to the equation that it was taking forever to wrap up. I just couldn't get past that. This wasn't as thrilling as I would have hoped.
Someone else may find this enjoyable, but I didn't.

i really tried to like this, but i couldnt. i knew this book was about gaming before i requested it and that didnt really bother me, but as i was reading it, i ended up not liking it mainly because of that. i think this book might be enjoyable for other people

This book was pretty good, good enough that I finished in one sitting I felt the plot was pretty predictable in some points but over all this was a good boom and I would recommend.

I must admit that it took me a bit to get into this, however it really picked up around 20% and at that point I couldn’t put it down!

Marina, an avid video game player, plays online almost every night with her 3 friends whom she’s never met irl. Marina finally gets to meet her online friends when they get to tour the gaming company that made their favorite game. However, the tour turns sour quickly when the CEO is murdered steps away from Marina. Now, her and her friends are being framed for murder unless they can beat the levels Cixi, a level designer, has built for them. Cixi clearly has an evil plan in the works that affects the groups real lives. If they can’t beat her levels, she threatens to ruin their lives. Marina is holding secrets of her own and has never been able to trust anyone. Can they put the pieces together and figure out who is after them and how Marina fits in before it’s too late?

This was fast paced and intriguing with a lot of different layers and variables. While a lot of this was far fetched, I loved how it all came together. I felt like it was well rounded and well executed.

I loved the characters in this as well. They each added something to the story and were loyal friends to Marina. I also liked the romance aspect. It definitely was subtle, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Overall, this was a fun story and definitely worth the read!

Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury YA for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"It's Only a Game" by Kelsea Yu is a gripping YA thriller that blends suspense and the found family troupe all centered around the allure of gaming into an adrenaline-fueled adventure. I do want to provide a trigger warning for domestic abuse (by a parental figure), and this abuse is described in detail in the book (involves blood).

From the outset, the reader is plunged into the action alongside protagonist Marina Chan and her three gamer friends as they find themselves embroiled in a sinister plot. The fast-paced narrative wastes no time in delivering thrills, keeping you hooked from the first page to the last. Yu's writing style expertly balances the real-world stakes with the immersive world-building of the video game, creating a captivating reading experience. This book also focuses on the found family troupe (through Marina’s gamer friends who she interacts with both in the game and in person). Plus, there is a husky (Marina’s dog) that is present throughout the book, which I absolutely loved. I love how she chose to adopt an older dog that had had a rough life prior to meeting Marina; when the dog was introduced, I was immediately sold on Marina’s character.

I really liked the diverse representation within the book through the inclusion of queer characters adding depth and authenticity to the story; there was also trans representation with one of the main characters. The relationship between Marina and her friends is at the heart of the story, showcasing the power of found family and the lengths one will go to protect those they love.

There is a lot of suspense throughout the book as the plot develops and there are different twists and turns as the book is told through past and present perspectives of Marina. I will say that I found the major couple of plot twists revealed towards the end of the book were a bit predictable. While I enjoyed the flashbacks centering around Marina and her mother from a year prior to the current time in the book, I think they revealed too much about Marina’s mother and those plot twists. There were times when Marina had no clue what was going on, but I, as the reader, thought some information was completely obvious. Despite this, I was still invested in the story, mainly due to the found family aspect as well as Marina’s character.

Yu's ability to balance the intensity of the thriller elements with moments of heartwarming friendship and character development is commendable. The cast of characters is endearing and relatable, making it easy for readers to become invested in their fates as all the characters experience some development, and you, as the reader, quickly become attached to them all (especially the dog). I will say that some of the video game aspects lost me a bit. It may be because I’m not really a gamer, so I had some difficult imagining some of the video game scenes being described, especially since some gamer terminology is used throughout. I thought the game might work better mentally (in my head) if it were a VR game rather than a desktop game.

Overall, "It's Only a Game" is a thrilling read that will appeal to fans of YA suspense novels. I think this book would do well in high/middle school classrooms/libraries, especially when trying to engage students who enjoy playing or watching video games. With its engaging plot, diverse representation, and memorable characters, it's a book that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I definitely can’t wait to read more from Yu.

AHHHH what a book!!

Marina is running from her past, and meets a group of fellow gamers in person for the first time. They're almost instantly thrown into a real-life game with dire consequences for each of them should they fail. There were twists and turns throughout this book that kept me guessing, and an ending I did NOT see coming. Marina was an incredible protagonist whose side I was on the entire time.

So excited for the world to get this incredible thriller in their hands!!!

Thank you to Netgallery and Bloomsbury Ya for an early release copy of It’s Only A Game by Kelsea Yu, this book will be available for purchase on July ninth of 2024.

It’s Only A Game was a quick read for me! The story is interesting and doesn’t take long at all for the thrilling/suspense element to kick in. It really kept me entertained throughout the story, the plot was really hooked me, the twist were well thought out, and I really liked our characters.

This story also uses queer rep which was a pleasant surprise! Our main character likes girls, plus we get some transgender rep as well! I liked the relationship between the Marina and Syl I really wished we got some more scenes between them but the ending we got definitely was heading in the right direction.

(Side note: It’s just a game is dialogue heavy)

This is a fun YA thriller that is easy to read. I was so into the story I finished it in a day! Definitely recommend!

Thrown in to the action and fast-paced plot immediately in It’s Only a Game by Kelsea Yu. We follow Marina Chan and her 3 gamer friends as they try to solve a murder and prevent being blackmailed, all by solving various levels of the killer’s video game. But we also know Marina has a secret past and different name that she’s running from. Through flashback chapters between the current timeline, we slowly find out why and what it may have to do with the murder she and her friends are being framed for.

The action starts from page one and never breaks, as you get more information and intrigue on every page. It’s a great writing style to keep the reader engaged, plus you get not only the characters’ real world but really creative additional world building through the video game.

There’s some pretty clear giveaways in the plot about midway so the twist and ending are easy to figure out from there. I still had a good time with it after, but I would have enjoyed it more if I didn’t see everything coming so early on. (I do read quite a few YA and adult thrillers but I don’t consider myself particularly adept at figuring out the plot early.)

If you enjoy the YA thriller genre, I think you will enjoy this as well. It hooks you from the beginning and you’ll be invested to finish in one sitting.

TW for abuse by parental figure

Absolutely could not put it down. This book has everything I want in a thriller and the clever worldbuilding inside the videogame aspect was an added bonus as a fantasy lover! I've never actually played a video game but that didn't hamper my enjoyment in the slightest. Really wonderful read and I can't wait to see what this author does next!

Thank you Bloomsbury and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. An exciting read! Mariana has been running from her past, no one knows who she really is. Not even the three friends she met playing Darkitect, who’ve not only been her teammates but are her closest friends, apart from her dog Slate. Now she’s meeting Dread, Rock, and Sly for the first time in person. They get to take a tour of Apocalypta Games the company that owns Darkitect. Everything is amazing, that is until their tour guide ends up dead. To make matters worse they are forced into playing 4 rounds of Darkitect, with Cixi, a private citizen creator of the game. They have to pass each round or Cixi will destroy the lives of people they love. And worst of all if they don’t pass them within a certain time, Cixi, will frame them for murder. Now they’re in a race against time to save themselves and their families, all while also trying to figure out who Cixi is. But for Mariana, Cixi, seems to be taking a special interest in her, could their predicament have something to do with her past? Can they solve the rounds in time? Will her friends still be her friends when they find out she’s been lying to them? Told both through the present and in flashes of Mariana’s past this book was a thrill ride that I couldn’t put down! I was worried the game references might make it a little hard to understand but Kelsea Yu does an excellent job writing the information in a way that non-gamers will have no trouble following! But also if you’re a gamer it’ll add to the excitement! Mariana is an extremely likable mc that you will root for! And as you discover more of her past get angrier and angrier for! A queer thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Highly recommend!