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)

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!