This was a book that seemed very interesting but I ultimately found to be overly convoluted and unsatisfying. My biggest issue with this book was that the games were described as being so powerful and mysterious, but we never actually got an explanation of what they _were_. I had a lot of trouble picturing what a Darkly game actually was and how it was possible it could hold so much power and influence. Because of this, I had trouble suspending disbelief for why people would go to such lengths to get one and this book did not work out for me. Thank you to the publisher for the gifted arc!

The first 10% of this book drew me in so quickly. I really liked Dia and her chaotic life and was so interested in her chance to intern at Darkly. Dia arrives to England and meets another group of teens from all over the world who are also there to intern, when they soon realize, they were there to solve a missing person mystery as well as a maybe murder. I really enjoyed the atmospheric and dark world building as well as most of the characters. I did find it a bit convoluted as there are MANY people to remember and keep track of. I also found the ending to have been wrapped up way too quickly with not enough expansion on Dia's future story. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley, Marissa Pessl, and Delacorte Press for gifting this digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Arcadia, aka Dia, is a young woman who is tired of the day to day working at her family’s store when she gets an exciting internship opportunity at Darkly, founded by famed game designer Louisiana Veda. After Louisiana’s mysterious death and the halt of production, her games are comparable to rare art and expensive collectibles and have since gained a cult following. As Dia and her fellow interns soon learn, there is a bunch of mystery behind Louisiana’s personal life, her creations, and why they were chosen.

I have never read a book by Pessl, but now I need to. She has a way with words and imagery. Overall, I thought the book was intriguing and full of mysteries with a great twist at the end. But there were times when I would get lost/bored or irritated by Dia’s character. I would still recommend reading and I am considering placing it in my “revisit” pile to read again one day.

This book hooked me from the moment Dia and the other seven arrived on the creepy island. They had no idea what they were getting into when they applied for an internship, although the question they were asked to answer on the application should have been a clue that things were a bit off.

Everything centers around this woman, Louisanna Veda. She invented 28 super interesting board games, and the descriptions had me itching to play them myself. Our group is tasked with finding out something, which involves exploring a town and a decrepit factory and diving deep into Veda's life. As the name suggests, it is a bit dark, suspenseful, and full of intrigue and backstabbing. All while uncovering something that, if accomplished, could lead to a whole new life.
As each new piece was revealed I was sucked deeper not only into the story but into Veda's life and I didn't want to put it down.

Darkly is an engaging and creative novel that will appeal to fans of immersive storytelling and board-game inspired mysteries. The use of documents and mixed media enhances the immersive experience. While its fast-paced plot and intricate world-building create an exciting mood, the book falls short in terms of character development and dialogue. Some twists feel a bit predictable, but it's still a unique format and thrilling adventure.

This is one to grab if you love game-based thrillers with eerie, immersive vibes, enjoy books like The Maze Runner or Jumanji but with a darker twist, are into mystery mind games, characters with hidden motives, and appreciate endings that leave room for interpretation

Arcadia "Dia" Gannon has always been obsessed with Darkly—a game company known for its haunting, obsessive creations. But after its founder, Louisiana Veda, died under mysterious circumstances, the company shut down, turning its games into priceless artifacts. So when Dia—who has never won anything—gets picked for an exclusive internship with six other teens, she’s shocked.

From the moment they arrive, everything feels off. There are hidden symbols, cryptic clues, and a growing sense that they weren’t chosen at random. As they dig deeper, they begin to question everything—including each other. And by the final act, nothing will be the same.

This book hooked me. Take The Umbrella Academy, mix it with Jumanji and The Maze Runner, but make it board game-based and slightly sinister—that’s *Darkly.* Some readers wanted more depth in the game mechanics, but personally? I loved that it wasn’t bogged down in endless detail or too niche-y. It's what made the book accessible and fun for me to read.

Dia was an easy character to root for—an old soul with something to prove. And the twists? Let’s just say the last third of this book had my jaw on the floor. Some reviewers wanted a tidy ending, but for me, that open-ended uncertainty made it real. She's a teenager that embarking on life's journey and so many things are still unwritten for her. Life isn’t neatly wrapped up, and neither is Dia’s story. If you’re looking for a YA thriller that does something different, pick this one up.

Seven teenagers with internships to Darkly. An intense thriller that will appeal to YA readers. A mystery with acdeadly board game. Didn’t want to put it down.

I tried to get through this book multiple times. I started from the beginning and got as far as 35% through the final time I picked it up. I love the concept for this book, but I just can’t find the desire to continue reading it.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

A book about mysterious and tragic board games? Sign me up!

This book has many of the spooky tropes we've come to love, beginning with a group of strangers stuck on an island. The author is clever enough to make these well-known themes stand out in her novel, though. There are many fun twists and games to solve, and I overall had a lot of fun with this.

There was perhaps too much going on in the name of being clever, and I felt at times some clues and games where unnecessary. I also found myself wanting for more character development. Poe was incredibly grating, Dia was a bit more manic pixie dreamgirl than I care for, and I wish we had spent more time getting to truly know some of the other young adults taking part.

A fun read though!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House children’s for the ARC of this book. I’d really rate this a 2.5, because I did enjoy the setting and characters, but this is an instance where I felt rounding down was more accurate.

The story was pretty fast paced and intriguing, but also, really unbelievable. Yes it’s YA, but to think a company is going to have 17 year olds try and solve a decades old mystery is farfetched. On top of that, Dia’s schoolmate Choke (which what kind of nickname is that? There isn’t even an explanation for it. His real name is Hubert), ends up getting an internship at the law firm that hired Dia and the other teens. That’s just some random coincidence. It’s a law firm in England and they are from Michigan.

The mystery was interesting and the setting and characters, but the discovery Dia makes in her family shop at the very end just felt like too much.

Also, the romance felt unnecessary and forced. There was no reason for it.

Extremely interesting and unique story!

Dia Gannon is applying for an internship at Darkly, once a game making enterprise, now lies dormant after the owner died thirty-nine years ago. Dia is suspicious of the internship announcement because there’s no hidden clue, message or riddle, which is nothing like the owner Louisiana Veda who did everything mysteriously.
Dia receives a letter announcing that she is one of the seven internship winners that have been chosen from across the globe and will be flying to London for the summer to complete the internship with the others. Dia meets Poe, the 17yo French winner, on the flight to London; Poe has a Darkly game inside a briefcase cuffed to his wrist. They meet the five other interns when they arrive at the boat that will take them to the Louisiana Veda factory near Thornwood, England. Dia feels deceptive vibes and she’s worried about what she’s gotten herself into.

Likes/dislikes: I was immediately immersed in the story due to the voice of the main character, Dia. Dia is quirky, smart, and tough. The book was extremely interesting and unique and I couldn’t stop reading once I started.
Mature content: G for kissing.
Language: R for 16 swears and 2 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death by shooting.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity is mixed with characters from around the world.

I’ve been a huge fan of Marisha Pessl’s writing going all the way back to Special Topics in Calamity Physics, and Neverworld Wake is one of my most favorite books ever. So needless to say that I’ve been greatly anticipating getting my hands on a copy of Darkly. It’s like if The Inheritance Games and Neverworld Wake had a baby. Arcadia “Dia” is obsessed with Louisiana Veda, the legendary game designer who mysterious disappeared years ago. When the company that Louisiana founded, Darkly, announces an exclusive internship, Dia applies, thinking she’ll never hear anything from them, and resigns herself to a quiet life of running her eccentric mother’s antique shop. So no one is more shocked then her when she hears that she is one of the chosen ones. Not knowing what to expect, she flies halfway across the world, thinking she will be working in an office, doing some kind of clerical work. Only, it’s not a London office she ends up at - it’s a secluded remote island that houses the former factory of Darkly, and is tasked with locating a young boy who went missing playing Valkyrie, one of Louisiana’s last and darkest games. With shifting alliances, buried secrets, and immersive gameplay, the interns are dropped time and time again into the game, desperately trying to find clues not just to the boy’s whereabouts but also Louisiana’s mysterious disappearance. With a great talent for world-building and layers upon layers of detail and intrigue, Darkly is one of the most engaging books I’ve read.

3.5 rounded up.

The foundation of the renowned and revered Darkly creator Louisiana Veda has advertised for an exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime internship opportunity. The application is simple:

What would you kill for?

Ordinary high schooler Dia Gannon finds herself as one of the lucky 7 interns selected for this incredible opportunity. Or so she thinks. When they arrive for their internship at the Darkly property, the interns are tasked with finding out what happened to a local student that has disappeared while allegedly playing the newest, unreleased Darkly game that was stolen 35 years prior. As the students take on this task, their investigation leads them through twists and turns as challenging and unique as the Darkly games themselves. They quickly begin to uncover more than they even knew possible - but can they survive the game?

Overall I really enjoyed the premise of this book and it was okay. But it could have had stronger execution. You didn’t really get a lot of depth on the side characters which limited the level of investment I had in the story and for what happened to this characters. There were some good twists and turns that kept the story engaging - some of which were pretty predictable but a couple that caught me by surprise. I really loved the premise of the Darkly games and would love to see it played out in a movie format but again with the lack of investment in the characters the game experience didn’t feel as high stakes and I believe it was intended. But honestly my biggest issue with the whole story was literally the last chapter. No spoilers - but I wasn’t even bothered much by the revelation but rather the response and literal ending considering the character growth and development throughout.

All in all it was a quick read kept me engaged, and I enjoyed it enough to definitely check out more by this author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Pessl is an author I have really enjoyed in the past, especially Night Film which was a real brain bender of novel. Pessl has shifted to YA in her last couple of books, which isn’t normally my bag, and this has some real YAish stuff in it, with our heroine being stuck between two handsome and mysterious boys. The conceit of this book was pretty cool though, with the protagonist Acardia being plucked out of nowhere to try to help solve a mystery involving a famous reclusive board game designer. I was into the idea of a board game designer who made impossible and complex bespoke games, becoming a legendary cult figure, I found myself relatively uninvested in the characters though, but stayed interest in the book because of the imagination Pessl put into the building of the world.

I absolutely loved this. It was a little bit The Westing Game, but the puzzles were so much darker and scarier. I don't know that I could say no to a Darkly game, so if you never see me again...

I absolutely enjoyed this book. I thought Marisha Pessl did an excellent job with the plotting and writing of the novel. It was an adventurous tension filled book with a game theme that you never really know what to expect. I admit I was hooked from the beginning, and I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read more from this author. I definitely recommend this book to other readers.

Thank you Net Galley ARC, Random House Children's/ Delacorte Press, and Marisha Pessl

To date, Marisha Pessl's stories are dark, odd, and fascinating. Her latest, DARKLY, is all of that taken up ten notches. With its mystery within a mystery and use of "found" original documents, Ms. Pessl takes you on a journey that is at times dangerous and insane if you stop to think about what is happening. Yet, DARKLY is every bit as addicting as Louisana Veda's games.

DARKLY is the epitome of a story that makes you question everything you think you know. Its ending is open and leaves several questions unanswered. Despite that frustration, you soon realize it is the perfect ending to the novel. As the story itself plays with the idea of reality, and the character around whom the entire story revolves is as much an enigma as anything you will find, the open ending and unanswered questions are a continuation of that theme.

DARKLY takes the idea that we can never really know someone and uses it to the extreme. To that mix, Ms. Pessl tosses in a seemingly deserted island with one way off or on, adds a dash of a derelict factory, stirs in the gloomiest of weather, and layers on a mysterious internship. She tops it all with a seriously disturbing game within a game. The result is the perfect gothic mystery.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this e-arc! I’m excited to look into more work from this author in the future.

A darkly suspenseful sleight of hand. It whisks you away into a mysterious game, not knowing what’s real and what’s not, on a moody island that cuts a tense scene. And ends on twist the crashes open the neat ending.