I really enjoyed Diana Urban's books and I'm not sure why there hasn't been more talk about this, it's fantastic!

Thank you to netgalley for my copy to read and review.

Oh my God the suspense in the book killed me. This kept me on the edge of my sit. It was hard to put this down honestly. This is the first time I've read Diana Urban and I'm officially a fan. It's honestly a wild ride given what the kidnapper was making crystal do whike keeping it a secret from everyone. I really liked how quicly everything kicked off. I really enjoyed the pacing. It's was fast paced and it flowed well together given the flashbacks every few chapters. Which brings me to another point thanks to those I was able to figure out who was behind everything fairly quickly and early on. So not really sure if it hurt the whole who's doing it aspect or not. The whole friend group hadn't really healed from the incident 5 years prior. So theyre very tight lipped about and very close to one another. The group is pretty well rounded and they played off each pretty well. Though the tension between Crystal and Zoey got on my nerves on times just for the fact that it was mostly petty crap to get mad about. I honestly can't wait to read more by this author. I'm actually about to start reading All Your Twisted Secrets.

I'd seen These Deadly Games everywhere and I was so convinced it'd be my favourite read of the year. When I did read it there was a bit of disjointed narrative that impeded the flow of reading but overall it got from point A to B with minimal confusion. Characters were touch and go but I loved Crystal's back and forth mentally on her predicament.

The premise of this book is what drew me in and I loved all the talk about gaming and gaming tournaments. This was a gripping story and kept me entertained but it did seem a bit much. I would suggest this for anyone who likes gripping young adult thrillers that don't mind a story line that is a bit far fetched.

DNF @ 10%

I normally make it a little further into a book before setting it aside but I am very unfamiliar with video games and it seems to be a main theme in this book so I decided to just set it aside for now. I am sure a younger person will enjoy this thriller

Winning a gaming contest and getting the prize money is what Crystal and her friends are counting on to solve their problems. Crystal is forced to complete a series of tasks to save her sister's life after she is abducted.

Diana Urban is a master at using language. Reading becomes exciting with her clever sentences, Urban's meticulousness ensured no plot point was left unanswered. As someone older than the intended readers of THESE DEADLY GAMES, I found it hard to connect with the online gaming and its portrayal as an esport, although I don't think this would be an issue for teenagers. My understanding of AI is basic, and I failed to comprehend all of the technology.

THESE DEADLY GAMES is a psychological/thriller, as well as a mystery. Often, books advertised as thrillers are really just mysteries that lack tension. Heart-thumping moments fill the pages.

I find many characters to be sympathetic, but I don't think any of them are truly good or nice. The friendships didn't make sense to me as the teens didn't seem to enjoy each other's company. Almost everyone treated others unkindly.

The theories I had about the kidnapping were incorrect. I didn't correctly guess who was responsible.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author. I’m starting to think her books aren’t for me.

I did not like the characters at all.
They all felt so uninteresting and bland. The MC Crystal (I forgot her name every time that’s how uninteresting she was) was really dumb. I didn’t like her at all.

This novel is a YA mystery thriller but to me there wasn’t very much mystery to the story. I figured it out immediately.

I was really disappointed in the ending too which didn’t help with my feelings overall.
The one positive thing I can say is that it’s a very quick read and interesting enough to keep you going.

Really hard for me to get into this book. It wasn’t my cup of tea. I did not really enjoy it that much. I finished it but would not read it again.

a page turning, must find out what happens kind of read. if you are a fan of Karen M McManus, then this will be right up your alley. There were a couple times where I was questioning myself and if I knew who really was the mastermind.

I'm conflicted on this, because it was gripping in that I really wanted to find out the culprit, but it was also pretty ridiculous and far-fetched. Maybe I'm too old for this but it just felt so absurd that I couldn't suspend my disbelief.

However like I said I did want to keep reading, so I've settled on a 3 star!

Started strong but ultimately didn't hold my attention, a little far-fetched, but might work for some inexperienced thriller fans.

This book sounded interesting from the blurb, but I found the writing to be slow and couldn't connect with the characters. It's a great premise but the writing didn't work for me. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the type of YA thriller I love to read. Parts of this one were a little scarier than I expected, but I loved it all the way through. The character needed to sort out puzzles, that the reader didn't know the answer to ahead of time - I was trying to figure it out along with her, so fun!

I didn't find any parts of the story dragged, and I got through it over a few busy days - would have been faster but life unfortunately got in the way,

Highly recommend thriller and puzzle lovers!

THESE DEADLY GAMES – by Diana Urban

That. Was. Intense!

‘Sometimes when you bury a secret, it claws at your heart like bloodied fingernails scraping against a coffin lid as you suffocate under the weight of all that compacted dirt.’

‘But now, after all this time, someone had dug up our secret—and they were trying to whack us with the shovel, one by one.’

Highly Recommend!

Young Adult Thriller
Reading Age: 14-18
Grade Level: 7-9

Thank you, NetGalley and Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Publishing), for providing me with an eBook of THESE DEADLY GAMES at the request of an honest review.

This was my first book by Diana Urban and it was enjoyable. The ridiculous kind of a plot that this is requires suspension of belief and sometimes, that's exactly what's needed. The writing was easy to follow so I will be trying out other books by her!

A great read by this author. I definitely recommend checking this one out!
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fine read. It’s intended for YA readers and I think it’s just not my jam anymore. Nothing to do with the story just me not connecting to it. If you’re a fan of YA Thrillers this one’s for you.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for supplying this book in advance (though my review is much later than the release date). Firstly, I sorely regret having waited so long to read These Deadly Games. I've found that I've distanced myself from anything that is not, at it's core, a romance but These Deadly Games is a clear exception. The mystery is written incredibly and I was anxious for every twist that blessed my page. I highly recommend this book into anyone interested in a gripping mystery. 10/10.

Diana Urban does it again. She's so good at writing stories that incorporate twists, turns, and puzzles. Each of her books feels like an escape room of a sort. While These Deadly Games felt so unrealistic, it was such a shocking story and I was so immersed in what was going to happen next. I honestly couldn't believe the deaths that were happening, and the ending was so surprising.

I read this book so quickly. It was so great.

These Deadly Games by Diana Urban is a twisty YA thriller. It's a strong sophomore novel made for fans of Karen M. McManus and Jessica Goodman.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.