raventheclaw19's review
adventurous
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It’s slow-paced as hell but I really didn’t mind it. It was slow (only three/four challenges and it took a third of the book just to get to challenge one), but I couldn’t stop reading.
The characters were written so well and it’s bizarre. They’re all so over-the-top, but I actually liked it (which is weird because usually I abhor overdramatic YA characters).
The ending was a little wacky, but I was expecting it to be. And honestly, I was expecting worse so I can’t complain.
Kann does a great job talking about parasocial relationships and social media. She notes in her acknowledgements that she did a lot of research and it shows.
I would’ve liked a little more direct representation on the LGBTQ+ end, but I liked that it was open-ended. Let’s be real tho, Luna was ace, Nicole was bi, and Stella was GAY AS SHIT. And who knows where everyone else falls?
All in all, I really enjoyed the book. Stella is my favorite.
The characters were written so well and it’s bizarre. They’re all so over-the-top, but I actually liked it (which is weird because usually I abhor overdramatic YA characters).
The ending was a little wacky, but I was expecting it to be. And honestly, I was expecting worse so I can’t complain.
Kann does a great job talking about parasocial relationships and social media. She notes in her acknowledgements that she did a lot of research and it shows.
I would’ve liked a little more direct representation on the LGBTQ+ end, but I liked that it was open-ended. Let’s be real tho, Luna was ace, Nicole was bi, and Stella was GAY AS SHIT. And who knows where everyone else falls?
All in all, I really enjoyed the book. Stella is my favorite.
agirlsnightbookbash's review against another edition
5.0
4.5.
This one took a bit to get going. I really didn't want to follow some of the characters but at the half way point it took a turn for the best and I was absolutely sucked in.
Taking place over the span of one weekend, we find a group of 6 kids/young adults in a billionaire's mansion playing a game to win a million dollars. The home is filled with themed rooms, chaotic games, and luxuries beyond most of their wildest dreams. Run by Jewel, a narcissist born into money then built her own empire, the game is also full of betrayal and danger. No one knows what is true or what's part of the game. The players must decide whether to work together or face the Cruelest Jewel alone.
This book is tense, inventive, and fun. There is a lot going on and it gets confusing sometimes. The characters are well developed and have growth in the three day period. I felt connected to them and invested in their success.
*I started it on audio but it was too hard to keep up with the clues so I had to wait for a physical copy. The narrator is excellent but the riddle aspect was too hard to follow without text copy.
This one took a bit to get going. I really didn't want to follow some of the characters but at the half way point it took a turn for the best and I was absolutely sucked in.
Taking place over the span of one weekend, we find a group of 6 kids/young adults in a billionaire's mansion playing a game to win a million dollars. The home is filled with themed rooms, chaotic games, and luxuries beyond most of their wildest dreams. Run by Jewel, a narcissist born into money then built her own empire, the game is also full of betrayal and danger. No one knows what is true or what's part of the game. The players must decide whether to work together or face the Cruelest Jewel alone.
This book is tense, inventive, and fun. There is a lot going on and it gets confusing sometimes. The characters are well developed and have growth in the three day period. I felt connected to them and invested in their success.
Spoiler
A combination of [b:Followers|42171136|Followers|Megan Angelo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563832754l/42171136._SY75_.jpg|62327973] and [b:Charlie and the Chocolate Factory|6310|Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket, #1)|Roald Dahl|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1309211401l/6310._SY75_.jpg|2765786] The Marvelous will keep you guessing at every turn*I started it on audio but it was too hard to keep up with the clues so I had to wait for a physical copy. The narrator is excellent but the riddle aspect was too hard to follow without text copy.
stagedoormerch's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jenyakohnson's review against another edition
representation: one of the main characters is a sapphic black woman 🤎🏳️🌈
i’m not really good with mysteries and riddles which is 90% of the book so my head kinda hurt. it wasn’t a good time for me but if you like combing through clues maybe you’ll enjoy it. i also listened to it via audiobook and i don’t think that helped with my comprehension. whoops
i’m not really good with mysteries and riddles which is 90% of the book so my head kinda hurt. it wasn’t a good time for me but if you like combing through clues maybe you’ll enjoy it. i also listened to it via audiobook and i don’t think that helped with my comprehension. whoops
skswiha's review against another edition
4.0
This is definitely more of a 3.5 stars for me, I liked the characters and the actual writing a lot, but the plot didn't totally click for me, and the ending felt a bit underwhelming, but it definitely wasn't a bad book, I enjoyed reading it!
caffeinated_teacher's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
gellyreads's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I struggled to keep focused throughout this novel. The POV switches were hard for me. I wish I had physically read this. Otherwise, I found this to be pretty fun, and I enjoyed the characters.
channelelle's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to really like this book. Like I started with high hopes and as I progressed I really considered not finishing but I very rarely not finish books so I powered through. It started off strong with the backstory of the characters coming into the game and the first day of the game but as it progressed it was becoming very lackluster and felt very rushed. Like it was sooooo much detail into the first day from everyone’s perspective and then it just fizzled and then the build up to the endgame left me like how did we get here? I felt it was so much missing from the story and often felt like I had skipped pages of details when I hadn’t.