Release: February 1st 2022
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: NetGalley
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N
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“A propulsive mystery with high stakes and devious, masterful twists that will leave you guessing until the very last page. Diana Urban’s latest had my jaw on the floor.” —Jessica Goodman, bestselling author of They Wish They Were Us
Let’s play a game.
You have 24 hours to win. If you break my rules, she dies. OR If you call the police, she dies. If you tell your parents or anyone else, she dies.
Are you ready?
When Crystal Donavan gets a message on a mysterious app with a picture of her little sister gagged and bound, she agrees to play the kidnapper’s game. At first, they make her complete bizarre tasks: steal a test and stuff it in a locker, bake brownies, make a prank call.
But then Crystal realizes that each task is meant to hurt—and kill—her friends, one by one. But if she refuses to play, the kidnapper will kill her sister. Is someone trying to take her team out of the running for a gaming tournament? Or have they uncovered a secret from their past, and wants them to pay for what they did…
Author of All Your Twisted Secrets, Diana Urban’s explosive sophomore novel, These Deadly Games, is a must-read, propulsive YA thriller with deadly stakes. Also, it has stunning twists, and a shocking ending you’ll never forget. It is perfect for fans of I Know What You Did Last Summer and One of Us Is Lying.
About the Author:
Diana Urban is an author of dark, twisty thrillers, including All Your Twisted Secrets (HarperTeen) and These Deadly Games (Wednesday Books, 2022). When she’s not torturing fictional characters, she works in digital marketing for startups. She lives with her husband and cat in Boston and enjoys reading, playing video games, fawning over cute animals, and looking at the beach from a safe distance. Connect with her on Instagram or Twitter, or find her book recs at BookBub.
These Deadly Games Review:
“These Deadly Games” had me at the edge of my seat, and I could not put this book down!
The author did a great job in setting up the suspense with the twists and turns. While the story starts harmlessly, Crystal’s world turns upside down when Zoey goes missing. As the plot progresses, we see how dire the situation is, as Crystal has to unscramble clues and complete a set of tasks to save her sister’s life. The author takes the story in a twisted direction which you don’t see coming. It was like reading a young adult version of “Speed” where Crystal is Keanu Reeves. The author had me unnerved, even in the small moments like when Crystal hides the answer keys. Even the supporting characters like Akira, Matty, Randall, and Brady add nicely to the plot, where you feel each of them is hiding something.
Moreover, I liked how the author toggled the story between the past and the present. We get to see the incidents that happened five years earlier, which could be why Crystal is in a dilemma now. There are many suspenseful moments in the story that made it memorable, like when Crystal sees the disturbing video of Caelyn when she sees someone standing outside her window or when the SWAT team arrives. Moreover, there are quick a few shocking deaths that I did not expect the story to have, and that just made it more thrilling to read. The author also ends the story nicely, which has the potential for a possible sequel.
Overall, “These Deadly Games” is a gripping young adult mystery thriller to pick up and read, and I highly recommend it.
