alexabookish's review
2.0
2.5 stars. i was definitely intrigued for the first little bit, but then i figured out what the twist was going to be. i predicted it so early, and the motive is one that i’ve seen so many times before. it’s just been overdone, which is why i was able to predict it so early. and one part that i didn’t predict was just kinda absurd and no one would really predict that.
kassia_skor97's review
5.0
This book kept me HOOKED right up until the end!! I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of the book, and the fear Crystal felt for her sister Caelyn is the fear only someone who has a sibling would know. Knowing Andrew didn’t die at the end leaves the book open for a sequel, so hoping there’s a second book coming! Crazy how one little secret from years ago can lead to revenge being taken.
pandasbookshelf's review
4.0
These Deadly Games is a YA mystery suspense novel perfect for fans of Karen M McManus.
After reading All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban and loving it, I didn't hesitate to pre-order this one. While in my opinion, not as a good as that one, this book offers up a twisty, tense and suspenseful young adult mystery featuring romance, friendships, and a unique premise.
When Crystal receives a message alerting her to the fact that someone has kidnapped her younger sister and if she doesn't do as they ask, they will kill her. What follows is a twist filled, cat and mouse story as Crystal investigates and tries to find the truth before it's too late.
The story was well paced and easy to read. I was able to finish it in one sitting. I enjoyed the changing POV and different characters. It had a bit of everything in it. I liked that it was a complex plot but it wasn't gory or graphic and would therefore appeal to a very wide audience. While I am certainly not a young adult, I still enjoyed this one immensely.
After reading All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban and loving it, I didn't hesitate to pre-order this one. While in my opinion, not as a good as that one, this book offers up a twisty, tense and suspenseful young adult mystery featuring romance, friendships, and a unique premise.
When Crystal receives a message alerting her to the fact that someone has kidnapped her younger sister and if she doesn't do as they ask, they will kill her. What follows is a twist filled, cat and mouse story as Crystal investigates and tries to find the truth before it's too late.
The story was well paced and easy to read. I was able to finish it in one sitting. I enjoyed the changing POV and different characters. It had a bit of everything in it. I liked that it was a complex plot but it wasn't gory or graphic and would therefore appeal to a very wide audience. While I am certainly not a young adult, I still enjoyed this one immensely.
imaginaryreality's review
fast-paced
3.0
It had me hooked enough to need to know how it ended. Probably somewhat predictable if you really pay attention. Fake kidnapping, accidental purposeful deaths through text playing a game, revenge.
aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5
I really enjoyed this! I was flipping between who the main culprit behind Anonymous1 was, and I was right on one of my guesses. It kept me engaged and wanting to know what would happen next. I will def check out more from this author (I think this is the second book the author has published so I will be checking out their first one). The ending was satisfying enough for me.
I read this while also listening to the audiobook and the narrator, Kate Rudd, was fantastic.
I read this while also listening to the audiobook and the narrator, Kate Rudd, was fantastic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Blood, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail
agiali's review against another edition
3.0
☼ 229/ 100
Diana Urban's books are always so fun as they always keep me guessing toward the end. This one follows a friend group built on the love for this video game that they play and stream and they're all trying to get a certain amount of kills in order to enter a life-changing eSports tournament. However, all of this changes when Crystal, our main character receives a message showing her 13-year-old younger sister Caelyn is bound and gagged and Crystal has 24 hours to play the captor's games or her sister dies. Each game gets more and more sinister and slowly Crystal realizes they're putting her friends' lives at stake. Is someone getting her back for their secretive past? Or is someone trying to sabotage their chances of winning the tournament?
Fun and silly goofy as always! I read my first Diana Urban book this year and both are 3-star reads for me. They're just great palette cleansers that are so fun and thrilling! I definitely prefer this one to the other book I read of hers, All Your Twisted Secrets as this one was truly page-turning and I had no idea where it was going. I read this so quickly and loved all of the flawed characters but some of them FRUSTRATED me!!
The way this book ends is also incredibly satisfying even though Urban leaves it in a way where you'll never fully know what happens. The ending did kind of come together in a way where it was in Crystal's favor, which is classic YA as most in that age range have to be a happily ever after, but I still really enjoyed this!
Diana Urban's books are always so fun as they always keep me guessing toward the end. This one follows a friend group built on the love for this video game that they play and stream and they're all trying to get a certain amount of kills in order to enter a life-changing eSports tournament. However, all of this changes when Crystal, our main character receives a message showing her 13-year-old younger sister Caelyn is bound and gagged and Crystal has 24 hours to play the captor's games or her sister dies. Each game gets more and more sinister and slowly Crystal realizes they're putting her friends' lives at stake. Is someone getting her back for their secretive past? Or is someone trying to sabotage their chances of winning the tournament?
Fun and silly goofy as always! I read my first Diana Urban book this year and both are 3-star reads for me. They're just great palette cleansers that are so fun and thrilling! I definitely prefer this one to the other book I read of hers, All Your Twisted Secrets as this one was truly page-turning and I had no idea where it was going. I read this so quickly and loved all of the flawed characters but some of them FRUSTRATED me!!
The way this book ends is also incredibly satisfying even though Urban leaves it in a way where you'll never fully know what happens. The ending did kind of come together in a way where it was in Crystal's favor, which is classic YA as most in that age range have to be a happily ever after, but I still really enjoyed this!
bookclubwithakindle's review
4.0
LOVED this! Probably my favorite of hers so far! High school gamers get caught in a game that they have to win to survive. So many twists and turns!
melbsreads's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Trigger warnings: death of a friend, anaphylaxis, murder, physical violence, explosion, kidnapping, death of a child (in the past), panic attacks, domestic violence, alcoholism
In hindsight I perhaps shouldn't have read Lying in the Deep and this back to back, because there are a lot of similarities in the storytelling and elements of the plot. As a result, I read this one significantly slower, and I think my enjoyment suffered as a result.
Still, it's an action packed and pretty compelling story and there were twists that I didn't see coming, so overall we'll call it a win. I will say that the
In hindsight I perhaps shouldn't have read Lying in the Deep and this back to back, because there are a lot of similarities in the storytelling and elements of the plot. As a result, I read this one significantly slower, and I think my enjoyment suffered as a result.
Still, it's an action packed and pretty compelling story and there were twists that I didn't see coming, so overall we'll call it a win. I will say that the