So, The G.O.D. game is a really smart AI that claims to be all-knowing. I'm not sure if that I am the intended audience for this book since I am 37 years old, not a gamer, and know nothing about coding. I was extremely bored with the parts that talked about coding, but even so, I REALLY enjoyed this book!
There are 5 teenaged protagonists (4 boys, 1 girl) who belong to an informal school tech group called "The Vindicators." The group decides to join a game led by the aforementioned AI chatbot who claims to be God. The game begins to control them by doling out gifts and punishments. They are faced with moral dilemmas and real life consequences are dependent on their choices which have to do with things like: getting into college, love interests, parental death/divorce/neglect/ abuse, bullying and suicide. Each of these issues plays a part in the game. The book was suspenseful and easy to follow. I will read this author again for sure. Thanks, Net galley for the ARC!

This book was about an AI who has control over a group of high school seniors through a video game called G.O.D. If these kids do not obey all his rules, they have to pay the consequence. The group consists of four kids who have formed a great friendship but each one dealing with different personal problems the others are not aware of. When they accomplish a mission, the game rewards them with coins that can be used different ways such as, expensive tech, revenge on those that did them wrong and cash. They are enjoying it until it gets out of control. It was an enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s press and the author for the ARC.

What a whip-smart take on the genre this book is! Read it in an afternoon-impossible to put down. A combination of Cory Doctorow and creeping fear.

This was an extremely fun and engaging read. Basically, some high school students find themselves playing a video game that stretches into real life- think Pokemon Go on acid. As they go through their normal lives, looking through their phones or special game glasses shows them things the rest of the world can't see. Sometimes it's other creatures or landscapes, etc. It's all fun and games until their decisions in the game start affecting people not playing the game- then it becomes more or less about how the game is slowly taking over their lives and if there's anything to be done about that. I won't give any more away, but if you like your YA set in a slightly altered reality with a dash of morality play thrown in, you'd probably enjoy this.

"A technological thriller with an all-too-believable premise, award-winning author Danny Tobey's The God Game follows five teenagers obsessed with an online video game that connects them to their worst impulses and most dangerous desires.

They call themselves the Vindicators. Targeted by bullies and pressured by parents, these geeks and gamers rule the computer lab at Turner High School. Wealthy bad boy Peter makes and breaks rules. Vanhi is a punk bassist at odds with her heritage. Kenny's creativity is stifled by a religious home life. Insecure and temperamental, Alex is an outcast among the outcasts. And Charlie, the leader they all depend on, is reeling from the death of his mother, consumed with reckless fury.

They each receive an invitation to play The God Game. Created by dark-web coders and maintained by underground hackers, the video game is controlled by a mysterious artificial intelligence that believes it is God. Obey the almighty A.I. and be rewarded. Defiance is punished. Through their phone screens and high-tech glasses, Charlie and his friends see and interact with a fantasy world superimposed over reality. The quests they undertake on behalf of "God" seem harmless at first, but soon the tasks have them questioning and sacrificing their own morality.

High school tormentors get their comeuppance. Parents and teachers are exposed a hypocrites. And the Vindicators' behavior becomes more selfish and self-destructive as they compete against one another for prizes each believes will rescue them from their adolescent existence. But everything they do is being recorded. Hooded and masked thugs are stalking and attacking them. "God" threatens to expose their secrets if they attempt to quit the game. And losing the game means losing their lives.

You don't play the Game. The Game plays you...."

A far more deadly and riveting version of Ready Player One.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the free review copy. All opinions are my own. 

What an original, page-turning book this was. I was hooked right away into the world of teenagers, technology, and a game that claims that it is "God." I think that this book showed how invasive technology can be and what happens when gaming can be taken a bit too far. This also is not any ordinary game, it affects so much more than any of the players realize. 

I loved how morality was explored in this book. I think it made me reflect on the goodness of people and what will they really do when placed into tight situations. I think it also showed the vulnerability of people and their connection to technology well. I think that the characters personalities were well done in showing how each person reacts to these situations differently. I also thought that the ending was well done. I did not see it coming, yet it didn't feel unrealistic.

The God Game by Danny Tobey was one of my most highly anticipated January releases. While it didn't quite deliver to my expectations, it was still a good entertaining story with short chapters which keep the story moving right along. I liked getting to see just how far the developments of AI have come as well, but the rules of the world aren't quite clear enough for me as a whole. The author's brand of horror in terms of the AI worked for me (even though I've seen far too many horror movies to fall for a lot of the schemes). I think my primary issue was with the cast of characters. I wasn't all that interested in them at any point in the novel, but I was quite interested in figuring out the end game. You know when the G.O.D. Game straight up tells you that it thinks "killing feels good" right from the outset that that would be a big, old red flag. If you enjoyed Nerve, I have a feeling you may also like this novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced copy to review!

Charlie and his friends are invited to play a game with G.O.D which is controlled by hackers and mysterious artificial intelligence. Each characters’ high school life and personal life gets fully involved in the game and the games fully takes control of their lives with absolutely grave consequences. The game is completely whacky! They get blackmailed and are forced to do horrible things. Their morality is always questioned with each task in the game.

It’s a game where you get rewarded for doing things it asks and if not even death as punishment. The G.O.D game seems to have knowledge of every little thing in their lives and uses it to make the kids do various tasks from simple harmless ones to ones with terrible consequences. Also they are oblivious to the knowledge that it is possible that pretty much everyone might be playing as there are mysterious people around them all the time. Also how far will they go to win? To keep their secrets buried? At one point, Charlie and his friends decide they should quit the game some way but will the game let them quit??

It was really interesting and I did not expect to like this one initially. Even if I could predict the ending, it was interesting and kept my curiosity right till the last chapter. The last chapter could have been different but thankfully it doesn’t ruin it. It might not be for everyone but it was a fun read. It does involve a little info on computer language, gaming info and dark web related stuff but it was fine for me, but might be off-putting for some readers as it might seem too technical.

It kept up its intrigue level as I definitely needed to know how the game plays out further and troubles these kids at each level. Each kid has his/her own personal issues that get intermingled and they don’t make great decisions all the time as expected. Small chapters and quick pace helped me race through it.

It’s a really twisted sci-fi thriller and it was refreshing for me to take a break from the domestic thrillers around.

What an awesome and fast paced book this was!! I wasn't sure at first, but the more I read, the more I liked it! Some parts I had to go back and reread, but overall this book was addictive!!

I'm a big fan of scifi fantasy when it comes to stories such as Ready Player One, Warcross and Otherworld. The God Game is a similar concept, only this game is a secret.

The Vindicators are a group of teens who stumble across an augmented reality game played via phone, computer or tech glasses named 'Aziteks'. They can earn goldz for good deeds in exchange for various life benefits but they earn blaxx for bad deeds resulting in perilous events.

Sounds simple, except only God can decide what constitutes good and bad. And God must be obeyed...

The characters amount to the usual stereotypes I've come to expect in groups of students. I don't often fault this as they are true of my own life experience, however they are a little predictable. Each have their own woes and obstacles to overcome, some more important than others.

I found The God Game to be more plot driven as the time period covered didn't demand much character development.

The story was a fun ride. Reading it was much like playing the game myself and with so many questions, (What is in the packages? Who created the game?) I had to keep turning the pages! The stakes ramp up faster and faster as we reach the final showdown against 'God'.

If you liked Ready Player One and have an appreciation for dark thrillers, then The God Game should be right up your alley.

Filled with moral conundrums, a diverse list of teenage characters, and an AI that truly believes it’s God, this thought-provoking story looks at internet culture, evangelicalism, and the often harsh, black and white thinking that has divided so much of the United States.

The God Game also asks readers to consider many moral scenarios that are much more complicated than they appear on the surface. For example, if a white male teen is offered something that he hasn’t earned at the expense of a much harder working female teen of color, should the female take the opportunity to level the playing field through unfair means?

There were a few concepts brought up that sadly weren’t given a chance to be fully explored. Aside from that, this was a solid and entertaining read.

This book isn't my normal type of read, but I was intrigued by the premise and had to give it a go. And I'm glad I did. It was filled with action and was fast paced with characters that appealed to me.

It is a more Young Adult to older teen book as the characters are in high school looking to "play a game" with their lives. The main characters are teens that have been through a lot in the short lives. They call themselves the Vindicators . They were a group of "freaks and geeks" if you will. And I say that with high regards. They were the smart kids. The kids headed to Harvard. The kids that the popular "cheerleaders and jocks" looked down upon. But those kids had the power. The power to play a game and mess with everyone's lives, including their own. But how far would God take this game and how far would the kids let God go?

I'm glad I gave the book a chance and would recommend this book to someone that likes a bit of sci fi set in high school. It had a little Stranger Things vibes to it but set in much more modern times. The book was relevant to current matters and what kids probably go through in their cliques. I liked seeing Charlie and his friends work together, but also question themselves and their lives individually. These kids had a lot at stake as well as so much emotional turmoil in their day to day life.
A fun and entertaining book to read!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

The God Game is one of the most exciting, bizzarre and engaging book. Everything starts with the God game, a peculiar game that attracts Charlie and his friends, Peter, Vanhi, Alex and Kenny. Intrigued by the ad they decided to play it. The rules are simple. Do good and you get Goldz and good things will happen in your life. But if you do bad or try to disobey the game, you get Blaxx and more Blaxx mean you could get killed in the game and if you die in it, you die in the real life. Skeptical and intrigued, Charlie and his friends starts doing quests, using virtual reality, around school and outside, doing missions, getting Goldz and getting more and more involved into a game that controls everything around them, from phones, to cameras, to pcs.. While trying to understand the game and what it could want with them, each of them struggles with their own lives and problems.

I loved a lot of things in this book. The game itself is creepy, engaging, scary and pushed its players to do things they wouldn't usually do. It was creepy thinking about a controlling game, that deprives its players of their choices and will, manipulating and forcing them into a plot that becomes more and more convoluted.
What I loved most in this book are the characters, because they are incredibly well written and authentic. Every one of them is beautifully rendered and struggling with their desires and other's expectations.
Charlie, who's struggling with his mother's death and his absent father; Vanhi, with her parents' expectations and a bad grade that could prevent her from her college dream; Kenny, with his parents' desires and religion; Alex, with a powerless mother and a violent father and Peter, the golden one, the carefully deranged one, with his lies and manipulations. They found a family in each other. It was interesting reading about their growth, during the book, when they, through lies, misunderstandings, sufferings and betrayls, change, becoming more and more mature.
The God game is book about friendships, love, family, growth and its characters, the main and side ones, are absolutely authentic and relatable.
What it was absolutely interesting are the questions this book pose. About what's right and wrong, morality, choices and friendships. What would you do to save a loved ones? Could you let someone die to save another person? What would you do if something controlled your life? If you hadn't any control to begin with? What would you do to get what you want? Would you kill? Betray? Lie?

This book was brilliant, amazing and it left me with so many questions and thoughts. Amazing was the augumented reality, that reminded me a lot of Warcross by Marie Lu and the idea of a game based on religion was interesting and so original.

You are invited!
Come inside and play with G.O.D.
Bring your friends!
It’s fun!
But remember the rules. Win and ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.™ Lose, you die!
Those words draw Charlie and his friends in and they start playing the G.O.D. Game. The game gives them tasks that are innocuous at first and give them rewards that draw them in and leave them craving more. Then the stakes become higher, the tasks become dangerous and when they try to stop playing there are consequences. The only way to stop playing the game is to die......
I devoured this book. I could not put it down. The tension steadily built through the entire book and I felt invested in almost every one of the main characters by the end. To top it off, there is a jaw-dropping ending. I highly recommend this book!

You are invited!
COme inside and play with G.O.D.
Bring your friends!
It;’s fun!
But remember the rules. Win and ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.™ Lose, you die!
With those words, Charlie and his friends enter the G.O.D. Game, a video game run by underground hackers and controlled by a mysterious AI that believes it’s God. Through their phone-screens and high-tech glasses, the teens’ realities blur with a virtual world of creeping vines, smoldering torches, runes, glyphs, gods, and mythical creatures. When they accomplish a mission, the game rewards them with expensive tech, revenge on high-school tormentors, and cash flowing from ATMs. Slaying a hydra and drawing a bloody pentagram as payment to a Greek god seem harmless at first. Fun even.
But then the threatening messages start. Worship me. Obey me. Complete a mission, however cruel, or the game reveals their secrets and crushes their dreams. Tasks that seemed harmless at first take on deadly consequences. Mysterious packages show up at their homes. Shadowy figures start following them, appearing around corners, attacking them in parking garages. Who else is playing this game, and how far will they go to win?
And what of the game’s first promise: win, win big, lose, you die? Dying in a virtual world doesn’t really mean death in real life—does it?
As Charlie and his friends try to find a way out of the game, they realize they’ve been manipulated into a bigger web they can’t escape: an AI that learned its cruelty from watching us.
God is always watching, and He says when the game is done.
My thoughts
Would I recommend it? No
Will I read anything else by this author? no
Sadly I didn't like this book at all , I just couldn't get in to the book and there was times I just wanted to put it down but I didn't and I kept reading hoping it would get better that there would be something about it I liked but nope. There was also times that I couldn't even like the characters at all ,with that said I want to thank NetGalley for letting me read and review it

Welcome to The God Game! This book, and the game within it, feel like something straight out of a Black Mirror episode–“Shut Up and Dance” (the one with the blackmail text messages) especially comes to mind. Prepare yourself for moral dilemmas, the horrors of technology, the complexities of teenage friendship and high school life, and above all, a riveting plot that makes this book’s 450+ pages absolutely fly past. Just remember, even as you read this review: G.O.D. is always watching.

Quick plot rundown: Five high school seniors, who refer to themselves as the Vindicators, spend their time coding and executing the occasional practical joke. When one of the group members, Peter, introduces the others to a game known as “The God Game,” run by an AI that was trained on all the world’s religious texts and literally believes itself to be God (or G.O.D., as it calls itself), the teens quickly find their lives consumed by the game’s endless quests, tests, and blackmail. Following G.O.D.’s directions earns you Goldz, which lead to real-world rewards of cash and favors, while disobedience earns you Blaxx, which bring real-life consequences ranging from embarrassment to physical violence to actual death. What starts as just some innocent pranks (changing a street sign to read “DONALD TRUMP IS A SHAPE-SHIFTING LIZARD,” for example) quickly morphs into lying, cheating, vandalism, and worse. As the game takes over the Vindicators’ lives, blurring the lines of reality through the use of AR glasses, they soon realize that playing the game is a risky endeavor…but getting out might prove fatal.

There were three elements of The God Game that really made it work for me: the eerily prescient premise, the character development, and the breakneck pace and turns.

The idea of a quasi-sentient AI is nothing new; such stories date back decades. What makes this one different is how immediate, how very now it is. Though the story is set in 2015, the technologies it contains are all based on ones we already have in our world: glasses that encourage augmented reality, security cameras in every corner of schools, smart car systems, artificial intelligence that learns from interaction and can communicate in a way similar to a human being, and so on. The author of the book is actually an expert in AI who regularly writes articles on it and speaks about it at conferences, and his expertise and strong handle on the topic is clear in every chapter. From the omnipresence and hackability of technology to the ethical complications inherent in the world of AI–not to mention the concerns that grow even greater when religion is thrown into the mix–Tobey depicts a comprehensive picture of the horrifying reach and potential of smart technologies left unchecked. Although some of the principles seemed grossly oversimplified–especially G.O.D.’s ability to create and manipulate images, despite the fact that even simple image recognition is still a very weak area in AI–the overall effect of just slightly enhancing what we already know was still chilling and highly effective.

This intriguing and relevant premise was further brought to life by the complex, well-developed cast of characters. All five of the Vindicators are fleshed out, with their own goals, insecurities, and complicated histories, and their relationships with each other are constantly in flux in a way that is consistent with typical high school student behavior. At the heart of the story is Charlie, once a golden boy with dreams of going to Harvard, whose academics and social life have plummeted following his mother’s death a year ago. Peter, reckless and always out to push boundaries, uses manipulation and false bravado to compensate for his own messy past. Kenny, a philosophical-minded boy, struggles to keep to his fiercely-held principles even as G.O.D. demands that he compromise them. Vanhi, the only girl in the Vindicators, shares Charlie’s Harvard dream, but she knows that a single blemish from her past could wreck everything. And Alex, bullied by his peers for being the “dumb Asian,” struggles to stay afloat amid a tumultuous home life and deep personal insecurity. Alternating between loyalty and betrayal, they tread the treacherous waters of college applications, popularity, and of course, the sacrifices G.O.D. demands of them, with lively banter, deeply-felt emotions, and the signature mistrust of anyone and everyone that so many high schoolers hold.

Another point worthy of note is the sheer diversity of the characters, both primary and secondary. Three of the Vindicators are non-white, and Alex’s parents are immigrants. Vanhi is a lesbian and her little brother has a developmental disability. A major secondary character is also queer. None of these identities feel like tokenism; all are organic parts of the characters’ identities, brought up when relevant but otherwise not aggressively shoehorned in.

My only quibble with the characters in general was the fact that all of the adults were pretty awful. Several of them were cheating on their spouses, some were abusive and/or manipulative of their children, and even the ones who weren’t awful still put an absurd amount of pressure on their kids. I’m all for parents who aren’t perfect, but it rang a little false that all of them were so terrible.

Finally, what held this whole book together was its plot and pacing. It never dragged, always moving along at a fast clip, but never getting so fast that it was confusing (save for one moment where the Vindicators suddenly all come up with a complex-yet-brilliant idea in the span of about two pages). Truth be told, it was hard to put down–just as each fresh horror was resolved, a new one would crop up, demanding that you keep going to ensure that everything turns out okay. This is a thriller in every sense of the term, with everything from physical fights to car chases to psychological terror to life-or-death scenarios; the result is a dark and compelling page-turner with no time wasted.

Oh, and one more thing: there are twists galore, as one would expect, but the biggest doozy is the final chapter. I won’t say any more on that front, but that final “gotcha!” moment was a perfect unnerving conclusion to an unnerving tale.

The God Game is a tricky rabbit-hole of a book that sucks you in with seemingly innocent characters but quickly morphs into something bigger, scarier, and higher-stakes than you imagined. The questions it raises will linger long after you turn the final page–as will, I expect, a general unease around computers and a desperate need to keep your webcam covered at all times. But don’t worry. G.O.D. isn’t angry with you…probably, anyway.

TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNING: physical child abuse, abusive romantic relationship, suicide attempt, detailed depiction of depression, attempted mass attack of school, outing of a closeted gay character, illegal drug use

In the era of gaming, artificial intelligence, algorithms and greed... who wouldn't be intrigued if a game could make all your dreams come true if you won... but if you lose, you die? I mean, it's just a game... right? And if you're a gamer, and knew that hackers made this underground game... well, the temptation would be too great to not at least try it for a little bit!

This is definitely a book for a reader like me. I LOVE gaming books. I was never a huge, avid gamer, but I certainly did love my fair share of video games when I was younger. I'm also extremely fascinated with how programs can take on a "life of their own" with some very interesting coding. It also scares the begeezuz out of me. Especially in this world where technology is pretty much ingrained in just about everything. Now bring a game where morality starts to come into question. But by WHOSE standards? A game of this or that. What does anyone truly *deserve* - whether good or bad? And who gets to determine what that is?

How far are you willing to go? What are you willing to sacrifice? If something is too good to be true, isn't it? SO MANY QUESTIONS! And once you're in, YOU'RE IN. It's like accelerating a game of life with sinister consequences and the further you dig, the deeper you get and you're too far down to get back up and out.

There are several POVs throughout the read, short chapters, extremely fast paced and zoom zoom zoom - things are happening so quickly my head was spinning a bit. But I enjoyed every bit of it. I think some people will thing it's a bit drawn out but for all that's happening - well if it was shorter it may have made me suspend reality even faster and I don't think I would've enjoyed it as much... if that makes any sense.

Now the ending... people who have read this already are curious as to what I think. So, what I think is that it could've ended without that final chapter. HOWEVER, I'm not surprised by it at all considering the whole premise of this whole shebang. Though this might not be for everyone, if you like books such as Ready, Player, One, Warcross and Eye of Minds - I think this will be a solid read to add to your TBR.

The God Game by Danny Tobey is a young adult fantasy thriller with elements of science fiction and thrillers thrown in. It centers around five teenage gamers who must fight to survive the game's cruel requests/tricks. In The God Game, we meet Charlie and his friends, who are invited to play a game with "God." At first, the commands from "God" are harmless pranks on students/teachers in exchange for cash rewards, but eventually, the book takes a much more sinister turn. Soon, the players turn on each other, becoming jealous, paranoid, and dangerous.

This is a fast-paced story, and I really enjoyed the plot. It reminds me of a mix of Stranger Things, Black Mirror, Jumanji, and a tiny bit of The Hive by Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden. While this book is similar to these titles and shows, it's also drastically different, and that's what makes for such an exciting read. It hooked me from the very beginning, with good character development and strong writing, and I was at the edge of my seat, waiting for the final twists and turns to reveal themselves at the end. I am far from a gamer/coder, but what little knowledge I have made this an easy read for me; however, some might not enjoy the overly described coding aspects in this one. Still, I recommend it if you enjoy YA novels.

I received an ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. This review is my personal, unbiased opinion.

A Video Game Draws Teens into a Very Dark Reality

Charlie and Peter, high school seniors entranced by computer technology, are chatting and smoking when a prompt comes up saying “I am God” and beckons them to play a game. Charlie isn’t eager, but Peter answers, and they and their friends are caught up in playing the God Game.

The game is a sophisticated AI program that promises rewards if tasks are completed and punishment if they’re not. The problem is the final punishment could be death. At first the challenges are easy and the rewards, rich. However, as the game progresses, the tasks become darker and the punishments more severe. The teens are caught in something larger than they are and the question becomes how to get out.

The book is aimed at a YA audience, but it can easily be enjoyed by anyone. The background of AI and the religious underpinnings are designed to raise questions and make you think. I enjoyed this part of the book very much. Another aspect of the book that makes you think is the extent to which virtual reality can affect the real world. It’s something that can have frightening implications.

The teenagers experience problems appropriate to their age: getting into college, bullying, and sexuality. However, I though the characters were rather superficial. Perhaps because the story moves at such a rapid pace the author had no time for more in depth character development.

If you enjoy science fiction and fantasy, this is a good read although it is very dark through most of the book.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

*3.5 stars

I started this book on New Year’s Day and was quickly hooked! I loved the concept of students playing a game of “good vs. evil” that overlapped with real-life. However, halfway through the book I began to feel like things were being drawn out far longer than necessary, POVs started switching more frequently and it was a little challenging to remember where each character’s journeys had left off. Despite these issues, I still find the book to be worth the read.

*I was provided an ARC for this title via NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, in exchange for an honest review.