I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
While similar to Ready Player One, The God Game happens simultaneously between the online game and real life. After Peter and Charlie receive invites to the mysterious online game run by an intellegent AI that calls itself G.O.D. they bring their group of friends into the game as well. Based on a point system, doing good in real life earns Goldz, doing bad earns Blaxx. Too many Blaxx and you die. Challenged with seemingly harmless pranks, the team become more immersed in the game, but soon the challenges aren't so harmless and the team want out of the game. But only G.O.D. decides when the game is over.
I'm not a gamer, so I wasn't sure if I would like this book. I'm glad I gave it a try. Although the technical aspects of the coding left me a little lost, the story itself was exciting and different. I couldn't believe some of the tasks this so-called god was forcing them to do by blackmailing them. Thanks for inviting me to review this exciting book!

The GOD Game is well written and has an exceptional storyline. This is quite a page turner of a novel. I found myself really enjoying this book even though this is not one of my favorite genres. It’s incredible when you realize that we might not be too far off from this becoming a reality. My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is such a smart and psychotic book! It reeled me in from the very beginning and I think I finished it in three days. I don't think I have ever read a book where I love and hate all the characters simultaneously before - and I truly mean that. They all have redeeming qualities, and yet what they do in the face of blackmail (and some even without it) is deplorable.

I truly enjoyed reading this novel, because I love thinking philosophically and this one definitely makes the reader do just that.

My only issue: I think this is YA - though it doesn't always seem like it. I understood the concepts for the most part (other than all the coding stuff that will never make sense to me), but I do not think a teenager would understand all the religion/philosophy/mathematical concepts in the story.

I am hoping this will turn into a series - or at least a part two, though I have no idea how Tobey could add to or elevate all the craziness that happened in The God Game.

A group of five high school students, self proclaimed The Vindicators, stumble upon a dark web game called The God Game. Choosing not to heed the game’s warning - “Win and all your dreams come true. Lose and you die!” - the kids decide to play.

The group is instantly fascinated by the game’s incredible advanced technological features and sophisticated coding. Earning Goldz for a job well done allows them to buy more powers and access new “levels.” But quickly, they also begin to accumulate Blaxx- points that bring harm. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to earning Blaxx and the kids feel tested at every turn.

Soon, the game begins to have real life consequences. With their mental and physical health attacked, their futures in jeopardy, and their families threatened, is there a way out of the game that doesn’t end in death?

Overall I found this book fairly mediocre. The premise was really interesting to me though it’s not a genre I typically read. The author did a great job developing the characters and building a deeper story, however, I didn’t feel overly connected with the plot and I had a hard time staying focused.

I received a digital galley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the chance to read and review! I also was lucky to win a copy of the physical ARC from Goodreads!

THE GOD GAME by Danny Tobey follows five teens who receive a mysterious invitation to play with G.O.D. Along with the invitation is a warning. If they win, all their dreams will come true, but to lose is to die! Each teen is facing a lot of difficulties in life whether it be grief, abuse, relationship issues and worries about the future. Given these real life issues, the allure of the game is too much to resist. Soon they’re welcomed into the G.O.D. Game, a fully immersive experience through the VR glasses they put on.

The game overlays reality with the game’s reality, jumping into their lives through their phones and their computers. At the helm is an AI which believes that it is God, working off a sense of morality fed by religious texts of all sorts. The AI is very powerful, able to cut off communication, mimic and manipulate. The game is much larger than any of the teens originally anticipated.

I really enjoyed THE GOD GAME and it had me hooked very early on. The way the game and reality intertwined added drama and kept me wanting to read more. Knowing that the entity calling itself God was able to integrate itself into almost any technology added an element of suspense knowing how much technology is part of everything we do.

The POV switches back and forth between the five teens as they work together and apart to explore the game’s reaches. Each has their own concerns and different ways that the game is manipulating them with promises of success or failure. I thought the author did a good job of making each character very distinct. There were times that the rapid fire change of POV between characters felt a little too fast for me, but for the most part I thought it really worked well.

Overall this was a fun ride throughout. The ending wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it had a fun twist that left me feeling satisfied. I definitely recommend adding THE GOD GAME to your TBR. This one will be out on January 7, 2020!

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I know I start 99.9% of my reviews off like this, but the blurb caught my attention. I have read plenty of books that use gaming a part of their main plotline. I have also read plenty of books where a game is using people for its agenda. So, what was different about this blurb that caught my eye? It was the shiver of suspense that I got from reading it. I needed to know what the GOD game was and how it was played. I will say that this book did deliver on that shiver of suspense, and it added a massive dollop of thriller also.

The God Game’s plotline is super fast. The whole book takes place within a couple of weeks of Charlie and Peter starting the game. It was so fast that I did end up having to reread some chapters because I missed things. Usually, I would be annoyed by that. But in this case, I wasn’t.

The plot for The God Game centers around Charlie and his group of coding friends, “The Vindicators.” Charlie and Peter discover The G.O.D. Game on the dark web. Charlie initially didn’t want to play the game, but Peter talked him into doing it. The G.O.D. Game is augmented reality and to play, The Vindicators got special glasses to play. The game was fun at first. Well, if you call breaking into the school and painting bloody pentagrams first. Since this was a morality based game, each good action was rewarded to Goldz or different prizes. But, each adverse action was rewarded with Blaxx. Get enough Blaxx and terrible things happen. The Vindicators soon find out that there is no getting out of The G.O.D. Game. But Charlie isn’t deterred. He and his friends (well minus Peter) are determined to quit the game. Even if that means someone dies.

There is so much that I want to say about this book. But doing so will end up with me giving away major spoilers. And it’s driving me nuts!! I will say that the author did a fantastic job of keeping me glued to my Kindle. I started reading this at breakfast (after dropping my six-year-old at school), and I was finished by 11 am. It was that good.

The God Game by Danny Tobey was a dark and twisted look via a virtual world that becomes reality. Charlie and his technology loving friends (The Vindicators) find their way to the G.O.D. Game. It appears to involve an AI-based character named God. Things seem innocent and fun enough, as they opt in, but things quickly go in a very different direction. The game knows the Vindicators darkest secrets and deepest desires. In the name of the game and in exchange for real life outcomes, the games puts challenges in front of players with high risk and a potential high reward. This book is full of all the ethical dilemmas as each character has to decide how they're going to play the game. What is worth doing if there's a personal reward? Is it worth hurting someone else for the gain of you, especially if they never know? Y'all this had the best and darkest dystopian and Black Mirror-esque vibes. There was so much happening as each character made choices in the game that had some real outcomes. I was captivated by this one throughout. This is a book that raises real questions about how we engage with technology, what we're willing to do to get ahead, as well as how we're willing to ignore consequences. This kept me reading late into the night (and during the day) as I had to what was going to happen in the game next. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the early look at this January 2020 release. This is one that you're going to want to say yes to, so you can go through all the twisty thrills in this game. Also, selfishly I need people to read it because I want to talk about all the drama and all that went down.

Again, thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. I liked the idea of the story. A computer game designed to be The God Game knowing all the answers and manipulating the players. Young kids in school hooked to play along. Unfortunately, all of a sudden the story turned into a dark and scary fantasy world. Though well written I couldn't care less of the book's characters. Do they get into Harvard? Do they hook up with the prettiest girl? Why interested in the parent's background? I finished the book out of curiosity how it would end. But I doubt I might recommend it to friends and family members. You might disagree after reading it yourself. Good luck

While the internet is typically okayish, The God Game shows us just how crazy things can get when you suddenly end up somewhere you don't want to be. Fast-paced, nerve-wrecking, and even a little bananas, The God Game is freaking awesome. While I'm not one who knows the ins and outs of the dark web, it is a bit fascinating how quickly a situation can go badly when it comes to complete strangers online. Or even AI. Then throw in some teenagers, a crush, and some bad mojo and you've got yourself quite the book.

The God Game was a fun read and I will definitely be looking for more by the author.

Publishes 1.7.2020.

4/5 Stars

This book was enticing, exciting, interesting, mesmerizing, and truly, truly scary! Every parent and middle school child that is hooked on computers and gaming should read this! What starts out to be fun can so quickly become addictive. I don’t know what Mr. Tobey had in mind while writing this but we could all learn a lesson: if we are worried about addictive behavior on the screens, we should be! This is surely fiction but it struck me so many times as close...to close...to behaviors I see in those close to me!

Enter a high school in Austin and five misfit techy kids of varying sorts who call themselves The Vindicators. Two of them, Peter and Charlie, discover an underground augmented reality game called The God Game. Attracted by the enticing premise you see above, they convince the rest of the group to join in on the fun, thinking it'll be a fun and unique video game. Simple enough. They hold their phones in front of their faces and see an intricate, medieval-type gamespace imposed on their reality: torches illuminating secret passageways, little gremlins and elves giving them hints, lots of ancient wisdom from every religious tradition. You can do good things (or things that the Game tells you to do, like delivering mysterious packages) and earn Goldz to redeem for amazing mods or real-life gifts. If you do something that the Game deems bad, you are marked down with Blaxx.

The Vindicators have fun with it - and they believe it's just a game.

But soon enough, the Vindicators start to realize that the Game is much more powerful than they think. It's omniscient and omnipotent, just like God...or, it is God. With one simple choice in gamespace, the players can destroy people in real life. With a few thousand Goldz, they can Make All Their Dreams Come True™ and receive gifts beyond their wildest dreams: college admissions, wealth, success, intelligence, test answers. Oh, and one more thing. You can only quit the Game in one way, and dying in the Game means dying in real life.

Tobey not only devises a fantastic, inventive concept, but executes it to perfection. You get to know each of the five Vindicators so well, their secrets, their weaknesses, their shameful desires. The Game takes you along for a ride, funny and cruel and adrenaline-pumping, giving you a sick pleasure in the decisions it forces the characters to make and making you grateful you're not playing. I'm impressed at what a complicated mindgame Tobey spins out, keeping the thrill and tension throughout. He integrates coding paradoxes, religious philosophy, complex family relationships, and more with ease; although the book is 400+ pages, it zips by.

Suffice it to say I've never read a book like this, and I'll find something this crazy and well-done again. I'm not typically a reader of this genre, but this book is addicting and fast-paced like nothing I've seen before. I can't recommend it enough - do yourself a favor and pick up this book!

This is talented author. There are already many reviews for this so I'll recommend it to sci-fi fans (with a touch of fantasy). It's a pretty wild ride.

I really appreciate the copy for review!

This is a very quick read that sucked me in and didn't let up. The comparisons with Ready Player One are inevitable, but this impressive YA novel is much darker, deeper and intelligent. Charlie and his friends start playing an addictive computer game run by an AI who claims to be God. He may have a point, since he seems to know impossible secrets about everybody, and controls many different and separate events. At first, everything is fun - small pranks and virtual battles. "God" starts asking them for favors that seem unusual but not nefarious. In exchange, they get huge rewards. Little by little, things get darker but so imperceptibly that the kids don't notice until they're being boiled alive. The characters don't know what's coming next and eventually can't even tell what's real and what's a product of the game. Throughout the fun, there are small philosophical insights about human nature and our belief systems. As much as I suffered for the characters, I enjoyed reading about their plight.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/St. Martin's Press!

This is a bizarre tale of what happens when artificial intelligence - or is it? - plays God and gets some gullible and potentially deranged young men, aided and encouraged by that other avatar of the tech age, social media, to let their freak flags and sociopathy fly. It's hard to put down but you'll feel much better when you do.

This was a fun and relatively quick read. There are similarities to an episode of Black Mirror, in a good way - if you're a fan of episodes like "Shut Up and Dance" (S03E03), then you will definitely like this book. That being said, the book was very dark (again, like an episode of Black Mirror), and a lot of the takeaways were about the bleakness of the human condition.

The author clearly did a lot of research into the technology involved, which painted the picture very well. The characters could have been fleshed out a bit more - a good foundation was laid in the beginning, but development of most of the characters (beyond Charlie) was lacking once the real meat of the story began to kick in.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of dark, edgy, fast-paced fiction.

So I really thought this book sounded amazing. What turned me off from the very beginning was the constant attack on Donald Trump. I understand that everyone has their own opinions, but there is no need to force the fact that you think he is a joke as president. Ultimately, that is what I couldn't get out of my head. I tried to ignore that and get into the story, but I really couldn't get past it.

I loved the idea that this game was playing the role of God and giving the kids different tasks. It was clear for the beginning that this was more of an evil type of game.

I got about 30% of the way through and I just didn't care anymore. There were too many different story lines and the only one I really wanted to read was Charlie and Mary. I stopped reading at about 30%.

I am giving this 3 stars even though I didn't finish the story because I liked the writing and I think the premise is awesome. It was the push on political views and the satire behind that, that I really couldn't get over.

I doubt that anyone who is not a gamer or not familiar with artificial intelligence will enjoy this book. I am not a fan of either, but I know that gaming is quite addictive. The characters in this book are interesting and well drawn. If the book was shorter, it's over 400 pages it might have kept me interested. Not a book I would recommend to anyone who is not a gamer.

This book is about a group of friends playing the G.O.D. Game, a video game run by underground hackers and controlled by a mysterious AI that believes it’s God. Things escalate and what started as a harmless game turns into a dangerous reality.

I really enjoyed this book! It was such a quick read, I got sucked in very easily. It was fast paced and entertaining the whole time. I could definitely see this being a Black Mirror episode, or even a TV series of it's own. The concept was very interesting and frighteningly plausible - it felt like this could totally happen in our reality. Also the writing was great, I could visualize everything that was happening in great detail. The author's imagination was captured perfectly in the writing. There were some tech/science things that went over my head, but it wasn't anything that was necessary to understand the story and what was happening.

Five friends, who see themselves as outcasts from the rest of their peers. They form a friendship and call themselves the Vindicators.

Charlie is a brilliant student, who has lost his way following the death of his mother. His loss has become anger, where he's let everything go. There is a disconnect with his father.

Peter is the newest comer having transferred from another school. Peter is a risk taker, with a father, who is rarely present.

Vanhi is the sole female in the group, who has dreams of going to Harvard. She is a whiz at coding, her secret could cost her getting into Harvard.

Kenny comes from a religious family, who have high expectations of him. Following his older brother taking a less than desired career choice, his parents put more pressure on Kenny.

Alex started out as the odd one, who always had a made up story to tell. As he got older, his attention seeking went a different route. He's become more aloof with the other members and not everyone is happy with him as a member of the Vindicators.

Each member has something they keep about themselves hidden from the others.

Peter and Charlie are hanging out in Charlie's room on the computer. Peter is pushing Charlie to respond to a game program chatbox. Back and forth questions and answers. Peter testing waters, grabbed the keyboard and typed in a not very nice message. There was no reply.

Then, Charlie got a text the next day with a message and a request. The Vindicators lives are about to change. Every action has a reaction, in this case, good deeds earned Goldz, and bad deeds earned Blaxx.

We live in a world of AI where robots and game avatars appear so real and lifelike. Reading this wasn't a far stretch to imagine an AI game testing players' limits. This was a fascinating, engrossing read. I think, this would make a wonderful movie.

I received an ARC from NetGalley via St. Martin's Press and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.

4.5 Stars!

I really liked this book. It kept me turning the pages from the first chapter to the last as the story pulled me deeper into the virtual world of the G.O.D. game. The protagonists, all high school seniors, are dealing with real-life issues at home and in their personal lives and worrying about their futures with little guidance or support from the adults around them. Their typical teen emotional instability, angst, and lack of support paves the way for dangerous influences as "God" in the form of AI takes the lead.

Regarding the story structure, there was a lot of head-hopping, with sudden POV switches that confused me at times, and I very much disliked the derogatory political references that were unnecessary and would ultimately date the book. Otherwise, the plot-driven God Game story line is creative, fresh, and interesting. I have already recommended the novel to friends.

Thank you, NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.