I received a free advance digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Working on getting through the rest of the advanced books I received.
This book is probably one of my favorite ones I’ve read so far this year! The characters were diverse and interesting. I loved the use of video games in the storyline and the different challenges they all faced. I didn’t see the ending coming or the lead up to it. Trigger warning there is physical abuse, murder, stalking, and talk of self harm.

This was such a fun YA mystery/thriller! It kept me engaged throughout the book, I didn't want to put it down!

The set-up was perfect for me, as someone who enjoys gaming. The premise of having to play along with this game to solve the mystery was so fun, and I really enjoyed the descriptions of the the game itself! Besides the threat of misfortune, it really reminded me of playing games with my own friends, it was done really well.

The characters were enjoyable. The main character Marina, had so many secrets that were fun to puzzle out throughout the book. The chapters alternated between the present day mystery and her past, and I enjoyed being told her story piecemeal in that way. The other characters were loveable, and I really rooted for their friendship and the blossoming romance.

The mystery itself was fun to figure out. I liked the mix of real-world investigating that they did along with the puzzle solving within the game. I got most of it figured out by the end, but I think for the most part I was making connections at the same time as the main character, so to me it felt perfectly paced.

Overall, this was a thrilling, enjoyable mystery and I'll be watching for future books from this author!

It’s Only a Game was a fantastic and fast-paced YA debut thriller that has great characters and a plot that keeps you guessing throughout.

Marina was a brilliant protagonist – smart, driven and determined to survive. She’s been dealt an awful hand in life and escapes into the world of gaming, creating a community around her. This core friendship group comes offline as they get involved in a high stakes mystery that is unnerving and starts to blur the lines between game and reality and past and present. I really enjoyed this group and how distinctive their personalities were – it was fun seeing how they matched up with their gaming style and preferred characters. It creates this cosy little group that only contrasts further with the death and destruction around them. There is also a joyous relationship that forms (remaining secondary to the primary plot and character developement) that made my heart sing, even as I willed for these emotional idiots to just realise their feelings already. Throughout this, Marina feels a heavy sense of dread as she has to deceive her friends to keep her past out of bounds and her current secrets from catching up with her. In particular, Marina is homeless and isolated from her family – relying on the kindness of two adorable restaurant owners. Her scenes with them for me were the beating heart of the book. It delves a lot into the family we can make for ourselves, which can be a tough journey and so there are some necessary sparks of light woven into the narrative.

Also, I have to talk about how amazing the gaming aspect of the book was. The mystery unfolds both in and out of game – meaning Yu has to create some imaginative gameplay sequences that keep the tension up, develop characters and provide some shocking surprises. These sequences were magnificent, feeling so fleshed out and vividly imagined. I would play these games in a heartbeat and you could see why they’d capture the imaginations of so many. Within the gaming theme, Yu also tackles the rampant bigotry that can be a part of some gaming cultures and how invasive this is. We also see this cross over into the real world, with exploration of phenomenon like swatting and doxxing explored as the dangerous and potentially deadly moves they are.

It’s Only a Game is a fast-paced and utterly thrilling YA debut thriller. Yu has got some real shocks up her sleeve in this clever, gaming infused tale.

“The world was out of focus, like water spilled over an ink portrait. ”
Here are reasons to read the Thriller book:

Game Group - Marina and her gaming group love to play the video game Darkitect
Invitation - and one day they get an invitation to tour the headquarters of the video game company
Death - While they are there, they witness the head company die
Game - thus begins a game that is as real to them in life as it is in the game

This book surprised me a lot and will probably end up being one of my favs this month. It is fast paced, and the mystery with all it’s twists really kept my interest. You don’t really understand the underlying connections of everything until you are almost to the reveal and as such, the ending is so satisfying. This book is perfect for anyone who is a fan of Ready Player One.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I typically do not love thrillers, but Yu crafted this one excellently. The ending was predictable, but unpredictable at the same time. This will be going on my bookshelf permanently!

This was so much darker than I thought it would be and I loved it!
Marina, an unhoused teenager with more secrets than truths has the opportunity to have a guided tour of the creator of her favorite game. A personal tour with the three people who make up her online friend group. They play online but have never met in person until this tour. After the tour, the CEO is murdered and the group is blackmailed into doing unsavory research lest they be framed for the crime.
The character depth was so good, I felt like I was right there with them piecing the clues together. The mystery was also incredibly intricate, poignant, and intriguing. Once I started, I could not stop!

This story is about 4 gamer friends who get the opportunity to tour the headquarters where their favorite game was developed. During their tour, the CEO is murdered and they are forced to play secret levels of the game to save their loved ones. One friend, Marina, quickly discovers that this game might unveil some secrets she's worked hard to keep.

When I say this story was gripping, I mean it gripped me harder than a new born baby with a pacifier! This story was the perfect mix of mystery, action, and thriller. Everytime I thought I had something figured out, I was thrown a curve ball. This was, hands down, the most thrilling YA story I've read in a very long time! I'm literally on a book high! Lol

YA thriller isn't my usual genre, but I picked this one up because it sounded intriguing. It is SO good! It's a wild ride, and I had a ton of fun reading it.

Marina and her friends play an online RPG together. One night their IRL lives and their gaming personas collide as they're forced to solve a mystery ... or else. We readers know from the beginning that Marina has a fraught past, which is doled out in small flashback scenes. I'll say I had some of the mystery figured out, but I didn't get it all.

Highly recommended, especially if you like YA thrillers. But honestly, even if you don't naturally gravitate toward them (like me!) you will have a great time. The book really is non-stop action, even if a lot of that action takes place online.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) Marina has a dark past that she has moved far away from. In this new life, with a new name, she has friends and people that feel like family. Her favorite hobby is to game, so when her gaming team is offered the chance to tour the greatest online game company, they just can’t resist. The tour turns horrible when someone is murdered and they are being framed unless they follow the killer’s game.

Right off, the story starts with the mystery of the murder and they are tasked with the game. Since they are great gamers they are confident but wary. The tasks are almost impossible to finish but their lives, the lives of their families or even family businesses are being threatened. This put such an extra spin on the mystery because so much more was weighing on the win.

There isn’t much backstory on the characters except for the end with Marina. They were likeable but without a lot of depth. The story was full of twisted family members, a loyal dog and many secrets. Some of the mystery felt very unrealistic but ultimately, the game and their trials were highly entertaining and it had a great twist with a dash of evil thrown in at the end.

Those who love YA thrillers, found family or the gaming community will love this one!

Thank you to Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for the copy!

After having read Bound Feet, I was excited to see that Kelsea Yu was coming out with a new book this year! It’s Only a Game is a YA thriller that pulls you in immediately with its rich characters and complex plot. Yu managed to create a mysterious main character, Marina Chan, without frustrating me as a reader. It felt as if everything hidden had its reasons, and I was absolutely along for the ride!
As a self-professed devourer of books, I truly did devour this one. I finished the vast majority of it on a plane ride and was a bit annoyed at myself for it, because I couldn’t scream at anyone who had read the book as well! It was a smooth and exciting read that consistently demanded I continue on to find out what happens next and who’s keeping what secrets, and what’s going to unfold when they come out. And when those secrets came out, Yu handled them excellently, without playing into unrealistic tropes or glossing over those that were unfair to keep. And, in what I’m finding to be classic Kelsea Yu fashion, I thought I had the mystery figured, but she absolutely got me.
I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a smart, fast-paced thriller that’ll keep the wool over your eyes all the way until the end. It’s an excellent read for YA and adult audiences alike (though certainly appropriate for YA) – Yu is fantastic at creating books with broad appeal!

It's Only a Game by Kelsea Yu is a gripping thriller that seamlessly blends elements of mystery and suspense with the world of online gaming. The protagonist, Marina Chan, is a compelling character whose fear of her past being uncovered drives the narrative forward. Yu expertly portrays Marina's internal struggle as she navigates the challenges of maintaining her false identity while being thrust into the public eye by the invitation to tour her favorite game company. This premise sets the stage for a tense and exhilarating story that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

The plot takes a dark turn when the creator of the game is murdered, and Marina and her friends are framed for the crime. This twist transforms the tour into a high-stakes game of survival, where they must complete dangerous tasks to clear their names. Yu masterfully builds suspense as the group is forced to lie, trespass, and steal, pushing their moral boundaries and testing their loyalty to one another. The author’s ability to create a palpable sense of urgency and danger makes this novel a page-turner.

Yu’s storytelling is both engaging and thought-provoking, exploring themes of identity, trust, and resilience. Marina's journey is not just about evading her past but also about discovering her true self and the strength she never knew she possessed. The intricate plot, well-developed characters, and fast-paced action make It's Only a Game an exciting read for fans of thrillers and gaming alike. Kelsea Yu has crafted a novel that is as entertaining as it is profound, leaving readers eagerly anticipating her next work.

Now this was pure genius! I never read a book like this before. My first thought once I read the rules of the game was that this is giving Saw vibes. I knew it was going to keep my attention. This story was exhilarating, gripping, and kept me wondering about who killed Ethan and why?! The killer planned on framing Marina and her friends she met online playing a game called Darkitect unless they won 4 rounds of levels created by Cixi. But who is Cixi and why now?

This game dug into Marina’s mysterious past and hidden family secrets as well as threatening to destroy the other players lives. If you’re a gamer you would appreciate this book a lot just like I did. I think it’s every gamers dream to be part of their favorite video game and experience DLCs before anyone else, but not when it comes real life consequences. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would love to read others like it!

Marina has a past that she would like to keep hidden. She's been able to build a new life which includes a very close knit online gaming community but she still has many secrets that she's keeping from them. When the group is invited to a tour of their favorite game company, it feels like a dream come true. Until a murder and threats to frame them make everything become a living nightmare. Marina has to find the culprit before her past catches up to her present.

Hoo boy! What a rollercoaster....or online gaming adventure ride of a book this was to read! There are so many twists and turns in this book that I felt like I was in an online maze trying desperately to figure how to get out. The core group of characters is great. They work well together and sincerely want to help each other figure out what happened.

This is a very fast paced novel with sort of a dual timeline. The reader learns more about Marina's past and how it is connected to everything going on in the present. In addition to all the suspense and action, there is also Asian American culture weaved in and how it affects the overall plot. Also there is queer representation as well.

Even if you're not a gamer, don't worry. This story will still draw you in and you will get hooked. Fans of unique and diverse thrillers will enjoy this one!

First of all, this book is epitome of YA thrillers and why I love the genre so much. The twists and turns in this book are unhinged in the best way. Every time I thought I picked up a thread, it would get ripped apart and something else thrown at me. It was fast-paced, fun, and centered around gaming which was super fun to read about. The friend group was super fun as well, and I think that's important when it comes to characters.

Definitely one of the best thrillers in the YA genre.

Big thank you to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for the e-arc of this book!

It's Only a Game by Kelsea Yu was a killer YA thriller!
I was so eager to jump straight into this book and I’m here to say it did not disappoint!
This is a compulsive, addictive and fast-paced read with a well-crafted plot with interesting and engaging cast of characters.
I can’t thank Bloomsbury YA enough t for this eARC!

Thank You NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

What a twisted tale. One that highlights the path life could take vs what it does take. Life is a game, now are you willing to play it? This book is twisted, dark, and lovely and one that teens are just going to love. I like having the back story laid out slowly throughout the book. It ties everything together so nicely.
Thank you so much to Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books, Blomsbury YA and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

A girl with a dark past finds herself being confronted with it when she and her friends are trapped in a deadly game... and if she doesn't beat it they'll be framed for murder. Marina Chan is on the run from her old life, a life that haunts her every waking moment and has left both mental and physical scars on her. She's managed to carve out some semblance of happiness and when her and her online gaming friends are offered a tour from their favorite game company, she can't resist accepting... even if it means putting her fake identity at risk. Yet things only take a turn for the worse when the creator of the game is murdered during their tour and the killer threatens to frame Marina and her friends unless they find a way to beat all four rounds of the game.... and this game will require them to steal, trespass, lie and worst of all.... the killer seems to be targeting Marina specifically. The longer the game goes on the more Marina's secrets begin to reveal themselves... and the killer might be someone closer than she could have ever imagined. This was definitely an interesting read, the book starts off one way, goes another, and then everything hits the fan in the last third of the book. The entire reveal and motivation behind the killer was definitely something. It's a bit of "All the Girls I've Been" vibe and features a wide cast of characters as well. I think if you are a YA reader who looks mysteries with that unfold between past and present and involve a complicated protagonist, I think this would be a book to add to your tbr.

Release Date: July 9,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books | Bloomsbury YA for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

3.5 stars rounded up. This book didn't grab me right away. I thought it was interesting enough to keep me reading, but I wasn't really invested in until the last third. Then I couldn't put it down.

I'm not a gamer, so that aspect of the story didn't do much for me. It didn't take away from my overall enjoyment though. I liked the characters and the suspense. The ending wasn't really a surprise, but it was pretty intense. All in all, I'd say this was an entertaining, fast-paced YA thriller. I'm looking forward to seeing what the author does next.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Immediate 5/5 stars. This books was so fun and different than so many other books I’ve read. It’s a YA book with younger characters, but the plot was fast paced and full of action which didn’t make it feel too young for me! I will definitely be buying a hardcopy of this book on release day! Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the opportunity to read this eARC!

This was a fun YA thriller with lots of twists and turns. Granted, a lot of the plot was pretty predictable, however, it was still enjoyable. While there is death, there were times that the stakes just didn’t feel as high as they should have been. The issues tended to get resolved quicker than I’d like. Overall, this was an enjoyable read.