This was a book that was hard to put down. With an eye catching cover and a storyline filled with action and unease, I was hooked.

Five high school friends, kind of the nerdy outcasts, get caught up in this game that no one really understands. It's the GOD game, and at one point it's call G.O.D. . At times, it seems like a really smart, all knowing (evil) AI, other points it almost sounds like talking to a teenager. And the group of friends start keeping secrets from one another, when they should be banding together.

You know those books that leave you feeling unsettled and uncomfortable? This is one. No clear good guy, no clear happy ending, and it definitely had twists and mean surprises. I haven't read anything like it before.

Five friends decide to accept an invitation to play the G.O.D. game. The game is amazing, and they are completely enthralled as they see an entirely different world through their phones, and later through special glasses, called Aztecs, where they can see the world of the game, overlaid over the real world they live in. Initially, it is all kinds of fun, but then, they are asked to do particular things -- nothing major at first, things like delivering a package. All harmless. Well, maybe not.... but they do not know what the game is leading to. They do not know how quickly they can get wound up in the game, or what they may be willing to do, to keep themselves safe.

I devoured this book in 5 days, reading it every chance I had, as I was completely caught up in the story. The characters were interesting... the plot was gripping, and I was able to suspend my disbelief in favor of the next page of the story, the next piece of the action, wanting to know where it all led. It led to places I did not expect, to a conclusion that was unexpected. Tobey's The God Game is was extremely creative... unlike any other book I have read thus far.

If you life Y.A., have enjoyed books like Ready Player One, have an interest in technology, gaming or the choices people make under the most wild circumstances.... then this book is for you. Just make sure you clear the next few days, as you won't be able to put it down.

Thank you Net Galley and the publishers for the advanced reading copy. I really wanted to love this book. The idea behind it is brilliant. A bunch of teens begin playing a computer game run by hackers and A.I. that thinks its God. The game and real life blend is twisted ways. For example you get enough good points and suddenly an A.T.M spits money at you. However if you get enough bad points you could be physically attacked. The then game starts asking you to do shady things, even dangerous things. It was an interesting book, perhaps I am just too old to really enjoy it. There was a lot of hacking and coding vocabulary that I just don't understand. To a person who loves coding and computers this would be a great read. The pace was fast and kept me turning the pages.

When Charlie gets an invitation to the G.O.D. Game, his friend Peter accepts for him. And soon their little band of misfits and computer hackers are all playing. 

At first, things seem all right. G.O.D. is saying all the right things. But from the beginning, Charlie is suspicious and not really wanting to play along. When the game begins commanding they do bad things, they all want out, except one. But remember the only way out is death. But does it have to be their own death?

At first, I thought this was going to be like the television show, God Friended Me. It was not. It's not like Stranger Things, or any other show it's currently being compared to.

There were some good undercurrents going on. The AI believed it was God. The chaos with the Trump controversy. Can one person make the entire world bend to his will? Are we only in it for ourselves? Under the story, there were good pieces you could pick out underscoring our lack of compassion and lack of any moral compass. If the AI got all of its knowledge from watching us, we are in for a sad state of affairs.

I think this would be better as a YA book. It wasn't my favorite.

NetGalley/ January 7th, 2020 by St. Martin's Press

The God Game
By Danny Tobey

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Danny Tobey for an ARC copy of this extraordinary book that keeps you intrigued throughout the entire book.

The God Game is an action packed novel mixed of several genres. It brings a group of friends that are tech savvy and “computer geeks” into the world of the dark web by the way of a game presented as harmless and no repercussions. But it is exactly the opposite of that. The GOD Game is a masterful game that thinks and makes choices and decisions on its own. It manipulates, kills and gets whoever is within its grasp to do things they never would have thought to do or done on their own. Each person that is now controlled by the GOD game must follow the rules and instructions or face the consequences; some good, some bad. Some fatal!

The group of friends known as the “The Vindicators” experience more than they bargained for and desperately searching for a way out and to protect their family and loved ones. But is getting out even a possibility; unless your dead?

This book had me scared, grossed out, cheering on the little guy and crying for some of the backstories. It is scary to think that something like this could exist with the advancements with AI & technology that we have thus far achieved. Put in the wrong hands and spread worldwide as a game as it’s cover, the potential of something destructive and horrifying as “The God Game” can be a reality. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This book, about an online monster masquerading as a game, is highly disturbing. Do yourself a favor and skip it.

Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of The God Game.

I usually don't read books that feature A.I. or similar themes but this premise really intrigued me so I was excited when my request was approved.

When a group of misfit computer geeks begin to engage in a computer game headed by a powerful A.I. named G.O.D, Charles and his BFFs soon realize that when you play with G.O.D. there is no turning back.

I really liked the diverse cast of characters, Charlie and his friends are young, smart people; hormonal, angsty, troubled teens with real issues and difficult backgrounds I could relate to and sympathize with.

Most of the technical jargon went right over my head, but I was pulled into the disturbing game, the role playing Charlie and his friends quickly became immersed in, as well as the power and omnipotence playing such a game makes you feel.

The God Game isn't just a novel about the perils of artificial intelligence; its also about people, regardless of your age, gender or identity, seeking comfort in a world that is sometimes much more seductive and engaging than reality, a world that is a safe haven from the troubles at home, problems at school, bullying, distant parents, abusive partners, financial woes and sorrow and grief.

It is about the desire to be in control of one's life, to not want to be scared.

But, a game is not real life, and real life has serious, sometimes, consequences, when you stray beyond the boundaries of right and wrong.

The God Game is a frightening look at A.I., but also into the frailties of the human species; how quickly we can lose control and forget what it's like to be human, and how being human is not a bad thing.

This was one of the most frightening books I have read recently. A group of teenagers receive an invitation from “God” to play a game. There is a chance that the game will give them many rewards, but it soon turns dark and intense. This will make a great movie!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. was one of the most frightening books I have read recently. A group of teenagers receive an invitation from “God” to play a game. There is a chance that the game will give them many rewards, but it soon turns dark and intense. This will make a great movie!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A gripping tale of grand proportions! Containing realistically flawed, relatable characters found in a life altering scenario with the right amount of intensity to create a wonderfully dark story. It left me wanting more. Danny Tobey has kept me awake night after night and I loved it! Rarely has a new novel surprised me as this particular gem. Looking forward to seeing more from this author.

There is a lot of promise here, despite the idea that some game could upend the lives of a group of teens by making their dreams (or nightmares) come true isn't all that new. Clearly there's someone in the group who is more involved than we're led to believe and all the kids will be greatly changed by what happens in the game. It's the 0-to-60 speed of things that is disappointing, that rather than slowly draw the kids in the game starts to make the serious demands almost immediately. There's also a lot of stereotyping here that is disappointing, like the fact that these kids are misfits, or the really good looking transfer student is hiding Dark Secrets. Yawn.

eARC provided by publisher.

It wasn’t the best example of the fantasy genre but surprisingly this book hooked me from the beginning, glued to my fingers, captured my mind even it’s quite mash up of Stranger Things concept waltz with some Black Mirror episodes and finally doing Macarena dance with “Ready Player One” and takes a bow after the powerful performance accompanied by “Nerve” (Emma Roberts and brother Franco teamed up for deadly truth or dare concept) There are also some vibes of “Ready Player One” hid inside that you easily catch.

So when you see all those references you want to dive in without thinking. This kind of fast paced, full of action and entertaining books interestingly relaxes my mind and make me feel like I’m a part of team to fight against the obstacles for achieving my goals. It’s better than wasting my time by competing at play station tournaments (I had a husband spent his last weekend with his friends sleepless/ bath-less/ proper food-less on the couch like a statue, only his fingers for moving, eyes glued on the screen, playing Fifa 18! So I know if they read my review about the games, they’ll come after me! I am not afraid of you sleepless, game addict zombies!!!)

Let’s get back to the plot. Story starts with Charlie and his gang’s invitation to play a game with “God”( We don’t know it is a sign of inferiority complex or they are playing games with Morgan Freeman) on the computer. It seems like their God stalking their daily moves and commands them to pull some pranks on students and teachers in exchange cash rewards. But the challenges become compelling, confusing and finally their friendship seems to be broken because the tasks they get start to turn them against each other.

Finally everything gets out of their control. They became jealous, paranoid, and find their loyalties, priorities getting tested.

So this marvelous, entertaining, heart throbbing page turner gave me so much fun and I want more. I felt like I still had some place to taste more sweets of game world.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press to share this wild and exciting ride /ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review.

At a high school in Austin a group of teens who call themselves "the Vindicators" begin to join in an online game with an A.I. who calls themselves God. Promising great riches and rewards but also severe punishment for losing the group thinks it is a harmless game until they find themselves locked into a very powerful and deadly game with some frightening repercussions. GOD has control over all their devices, virtual reality glasses, social media and it seems over any online systems. The worst part is that the game is only over when GOD says it is over. This scary A.I. plays with our emotions and greatest fears preying on adrenaline-seeking teens. Take a group of super stressed out, highly driven teens and give them an opportunity to exert control on their environment then sit back and wait for the chaos to ensue and you have THE GOD GAME. Intense thriller/science fiction that hits a little too close to reality to make you comfortable. This will appeal to teens and adults who enjoy borderline futuristic, creepy thrillers that make you think. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

I really enjoyed the fast paced nature of this book and how it really tied into technological advancement to create a suspenseful and dynamic story. When a group of friends discover an AI game, the possibilities for their futures make enmesh them into something that they cannot easily find a way out of. The book covers what the game is like and doing for each player. It seems enticing until they found out that this game is whole lot bigger than they ever thought possible. The sheer creativity of this book was astounding and I absolutely loved this one. I will be recommending this book and author to others.

Excellent cyber thriller where high school misfits join an online game that spills over into the real world. Great characters, fast paced, and intriguing moral dilemmas. Highly recommended

The God Game was an intriguing and captivating work. The world and characters were well developed, and the story unfolded at a good pace, upping the tension throughout. The book had an interesting premise, particularly in light of every-growing IT abilities and the fact that the idea of something like this happening could be a possibility in the future. I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish, waiting to see how things would play out, and I found the ending satisfying. This is a solid 4.5-star read for me, which I will round up to 5 stars for the rating.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

The God Game by author Danny Tobey is a fast paced thriller with sci-fi tendencies! Great book with a great plot line! I would absolutely recommend this book!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an intriguing look into the world of artificial intelligence and how it's proliferating in our society. Set in a high school (my favorite setting), the novel follows Charlie and his band of misfit "Vindicators" as they are invited to play a game with "God" on their computers. Of course they are awestruck as the game seems to know things about them that no one else can; and it appears to be able to follow them on their phones and in real life as well. So when it begins to offer them "challenges" which are really just pranks on fellow students or teachers, they readily agree as they are promised rewards that they can cash in for...well, they aren't sure just what. But as a high school student, wouldn't you have been game??? But the pranks become more challenging and begin to turn them against each other as they question each other's motives and loyalties. Secrets. lies, jealousies, revenge motives, crushes, family issues...yes, all the crazy high school drama that we all experienced...but with the added influence of social media and all of its scary and sinister influence! This is a novel you won't be able to easily put down, so get ready for a thrill ride (and maybe turn your phone off while you read this)!

The God Game by Danny Tobey, I tried to like this one but it had a lot of unnecessary foul language. I can see that others will like it though. Thank you for giving me a chance with this book.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the preview copy! I was really excited about this one, as I'm totally into crazy games and AI stuff, and I was not disappointed. The story centers around a bunch of teens at a high school in Texas - they are hackers, calling themselves The Vindicators. They learn of this weird game that never ends, and the game is everywhere - in their phones, on their computers, on their webcams - and it always knows where they are and what they are doing. The game is controlled by a vast network of artificial intelligence, and it promises rewards if they do well - but if they fail, they will fail in real life, too, with extreme consequences. While the omniscient point of view can get a bit distracting, I understand why it's used - as the AI thinks it's God, the POV choice makes it seem as if the reader is also God, jumping around from head to head. This is a fast-paced, creepy novel, with lots of mythological, technical, and philosophical references to keep the reader thinking and guessing throughout.