I am a huge fan of Dark Academia and this promised to be dark and twisty, and this did not disappoint. It's very I Know What You Did Last Summer meets Pretty Little Liars. It's a suspenseful ride that will keep you hooked right until the end.

Crystal doesn't know who kidnapped her sister, but she knows that she'll play along with the game if it means she can save her. When the game gets dark and Crystal's friends become targets, she must make difficult choices that all have potential consequences.

Diana Urban doesn't disappoint in this dark murder mystery thriller. Fans of Karen McManus who are ready for a bit darker story will love trying to solve this mystery.

Sixteen-year-old Crystal has a lot on her mind. Since her father left, her mother is struggling to pay the bills. If she can secure her place in the Mortal Dusk tournament team, the prize money would make her family's life much better. She drops her younger sister, Caelyn, off at her school for an overnight field trip, and then heads to her first class. Things are about to become extremely complicated, very quickly though. She receives a message that Caelyn has been kidnapped and Crystal can't call the police or tell anyone but must play a game if she wants to see her sister again, alive.
The game is time-sensitive, and Crystal soon finds out that she will have to choose between her friends or her sister. She is not at all prepared for what she must do or for the consequences of the game, but she is determined to win no matter the cost. It is a nonstop thrill ride with twists around every corner.
As secrets from the past are revealed, we get more insight into the why of this deadly game, but I was at a loss trying to figure out the who. This book kept me flipping the pages and though I might have had an inkling of how it would end, I was mostly wrong. A very enjoyable story and a cautionary reminder that secrets have a way of catching up with you.

This was a suspenseful, heart-stopping YA thriller. Crystal and her friends are getting ready for a video game challenge. They are competing as a team and individually to win a big pot of money. However, soon after Crystal drops her younger sister off at school to go to an overnight camp, she receives an anonymous text via a special app that says they have kidnapped her sister and she will die unless Crystal does exactly as they ask.

Crystal is all about games and riddles, but the games that "Anonymous" wants her to complete are deadly. Someone is out for blood, literally. As Crystal plays along and completes each task without knowing the consequences of her actions, she is also trying to figure out who "anonymous" is and why they would take her sister and threaten her friends. Does it have anything with what happened 5 years ago? The story is told from Crystal's POV with flashbacks to 5 years ago.

I thought this book was very creative. Although I didn't really click with or understand the video games aspect of the book, I enjoyed the suspense and action. You definitely need to keep in mind that this is a YA thriller, so the protagonists don't always make the best decisions.

reviews have been posted to my instagram: @thebookishfaerie as well as goodreads!

These Deadly Games is a fast faced, suspenful YA thriller that will suck you in from the beginning.

Crystal Donavan receives an anonymous text stating she must play the game if she wants her sister to live. She only has 24 hours and the clock starts ticking as soon as the book starts.
The story is a mix of two mysteries in one. The characters are all hiding a mistake that happened when they were eleven. We get bits and pieces of it - a few flashbacks until it all comes together. Diana does a great job at keeping readers engaged in this aspect. She sprinkles in a few hints of the past, then starts with very small flashbacks.
This book sucks you in from the very beginning. It’s like watching a horror movie. My heart was racing the whole time. I constantly found my getting anxious, or nervous for what was to come.
It’s been a while since I read a thriller that was this good.
This book was shocking, and full of plot twist. I found myself getting so angry, but in a good way. It’s so easy to become completely wrapped up in the book. All the characters are fleshed out to a sublet point, but there is good representation. Reading Crystals struggles with panic attacks really tugged on my heartstrings. While she did do some things that I rolled my eyes at, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Especially toward the end. She was under a lot of stress, and she’s been through a lot. It was hard not to feel sympathetic for her at times.
The author does include a lot of modern day lingo, and mentions. Some of it made me cringe, but some of it worked. It’s just personal preference.
The ending was shocking, it just seemed like the plot twist never ends. The reveal too, oh gosh.
Overall, I think this is a must read for any YA thriller lovers. It reminded me why I love this genre so much.
* I was given an e-arc of this book through netgalley by St. Martins publishers for an honest review.

I normally steer clear of YA, because frankly, I’m too old for that shit. It always makes me want to shake the characters and say “YOU STUPID KIDS, DO YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT LIFE?!” … but this book sounded so good, I wanted to give it a shot. At the end, when one of the people the author thanked was Taylor Swift, I started to feel my age. 🤦🏼‍♀️

The actual story was as good as I hoped, though: a teenage girl’s little sister is kidnapped, and the kidnapper wants to “play a game”. If Crystal wants to get her sister back alive, she must follow the rules and do everything asked of her. This involves playing horrible and deadly pranks on her own friends, and soon Crystal is wondering if this is all because of an upcoming video game tournament.

That’s when my cynical mind butted in and wanted to remind the girl that if someone says NOT to go to the police, then that’s a good time to go to the police. If someone says NOT to tell your parents about a secret, then you definitely need to tell your parents. Speaking of, where were the parents during all of this? Several kids involved in a dangerous game and no parent sniffs out anything wrong?

If you can get over the idiocy of the teens and the very implausible plot (so, if you really like YA books) then this becomes quite the mystery. Even though I had an eyebrow raised, I still enjoyed it and got invested in the story. The ending was pretty shocking; it wasn’t anything I’d even considered. I’m giving this 3.5 stars, rounded up because when it comes to PG-13 YA thrillers and horrors, it’s more a matter of “it’s not you, it’s me.”

(Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Diana Urban, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Tw: violence, suffocation death, anxiety, blackmail, gaslighting

When Crystal receives a video of her sister gagged and bound by an anonymous source, she is forced to play the kidnapper's game and complete strange tasks. She later realizes that those tasks were specifically meant to hurt her friends, so she is faced with the impossible choice of protecting her sister or protecting her friends.

I am a huge fan of Diana Urban, so I was stoked when I received an early copy and she didn't disappoint!

This book is full of tension, plot twists and intense decisions. It felt a bit surreal at times, but like all Diana Urban's book you kinda need to suspend your disbelief to truly enjoy it. I wasn't at all convinced by the ending, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

I highly recommend it to fans of Karen McManus, Holly Jackson and Maureen Johnson, and just anyone looking for a YA thriller that will make your heart race!


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an early copy.

This was a fun read that really hooked me, and I love it when YA books can do that!

PC gamer Crystal must play a series of games to find her kidnapped younger sister. The teen never suspected that the games would be related to a dark secret from her past.

TW- abuse, which I was not expecting, but was very well written.

So. Many. Twists. SO many. I loved that, seriously. I felt like my head was spinning at one point and every gut feeling I had turned out to be mostly wrong with small nuggets of truth. My only complaint, and why this is a 4 star read for me instead of 5, is that the ending felt a bit rushed. It would be like listening to Christmas Eve Sarajevo and the music just cuts off at the climax.

This is my first Diana Urban book, but if she can write twists like all of these, I’m definitely going to be reading more of her books.

This book is great for teens or adults, and bonus- it will appeal to the gamers in your life. I read passages out loud to my teen and husband and they were both intrigued.

*Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own. *

This book had me from the synopsis. I'm a big fan of high-stakes thrillers, and this one seemed to be right up my alley. I couldn't wait to jump in.

Crystal is trying to save money and navigate through high school when she receives a text that changes everything. The mystery number claims to have her sister and demands she plays a game. No cops. No contact with anyone else or her sister dies. Determined to save her sister, Crystal agrees, unprepared for the consequences but unable to turn down the challenges--no matter the cost.

I really enjoyed this one.

Crystal's character was believable and well-rounded. I felt her desperation to save her sister and appreciated the logical way she approached the underlying problem of trying to figure out who was orchestrating the nightmare. As someone who grew up in the slasher horror genre, I am a sucker for masked villains causing chaos, and this had a strong Scream/I Know What You Did Last Summer meets Saw vibe that I think any genre fan will love.

Urban's writing is engrossing. Sit down for a chapter, take a breath, and before you know it, you're five chapters in and time has no meaning. Edgy, smart, and wildly entertaining, These Deadly Games is a winner to start the new year off right.

Big thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

These Deadly Games is a story that will put you on the edge of your seat. Much like a video game that you can't stop playing, it's a story you can't stop reading. Crystal is sitting in class one day when she receives a video message. Her little sister is bound, gagged and the message is clear. Crystal must play a game and the rules are simple. If she calls the police, her sister dies. If she tells anyone, her sister dies. If she doesn’t play, her sister dies.

This story is perfect for those that love YA thrillers. It gave me Karen McManus and Holly Jackson vibes. The story is fast paced, suspenseful, addicting, creepy, and full of twists. I'll say it again. This story is unputdownable. I had all these theories in my mind and I had to find out if I was right. The characters were well written and acted how I would expect high schoolers to act. After I finished, I immediately added her debut novel All Your Twisted Secrets to my to-be-read list. I highly recommend this one!

This was a very thrilling read and I really enjoyed the entire plotline. Lots of "who-done-it" moments and plenty of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. A perfect YA thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
I actually enjoyed this story, considering its out of my comfort zone. I think the author deserves more recognition for her exquisite writing skills.
4 stars.

I am going to be very honest here, I was shocked I liked it so much, this YA book read like a movie that I recently saw, lots of mind games, and fitting because these teens are gamers. Crystals sister just got kidnapped, this girl goes on a wild goose chase, LITERALLY!!! The anonymous person sending her texts is telling her to do things that is not only messing with her head, but also messing with her friends, this was WILD! Of course there is a backstory that doesnt make sense in the beginning but then everything starts to come together so smoothly, and of course we have our girls Crystal to use her amazing brain to figure everything out. This book had a lot of sneak surprises, scenarios I didn't expect, and the ending was what I expected, but then when it ended COMPLETELY I was like, OK CRYSTAL!!!!!!!!!! The author did her thing with this book, the gaming aspect was a little blah to me, I thought it was going to be one of those gaming books and a whole bunch of teens being annoying, but it really was not. I cant wait til this book launches for others to read as well.

A slightly convoluted yet fast-paced mystery that teens will enjoy. I easily predicted the twist(s) at the end, but I think my students will be a bit more surprised. I will definitely buy at least one copy, ass my high schoolers love mysteries, and one featuring gamers will likely be a hit.

WOW! These Deadly Games leads the reader through a whole lot of twists and turns. Crystal is out to save her sister, but this involves a game of life or death for her friends (who don't even know they are playing). Friendships are put to the test. The world of gaming comes into play. So many twists! I thought I had it all figured out, multiple times, and still was surprised. My students have seen the cover and are totally read to read this come publication day!!

Thoughts

I'll admit it. This book surprised me. I wasn't a particular fan of Diana Urban's first book, and so I'm very happy to say that this book far surpasses her first, at least as far as I'm concerned. It's not nearly so melodramatic. The pacing, while not perfect, is much better, and the characters have much more at stake.

Pros
Gamer Girls: Gamer media is dominated by dudes. That's just the way it is, but in reality, there are just as many gamer girls as there are guys. So when gamer girls show up anywhere--anywhere that's not a hyper-sexualized commercial, that is--it's a win. And this book has great representation for those gamer girls. It has not one or two but three girls all playing together--and playing with guys on their team as well.

Killer Twist: I really, truly thought the killer was going to be obvious in this one. I had, in fact, given up on this book in that regard pretty early on. It was just too painfully obvious. But then... It didn't go at all where I thought, which was good in a number of ways--not least because it surprised me. In Diana Urban's first novel, there was a twist culprit as well, of course, so perhaps I should have expected it. But that twist, while unexpected, also felt more melodramatic than anything else. And this twist was much more tempered, and equally unexpected.

Horrifying Consequences: Though a lot of contemporary YA thrillers play hard and fast with life-or-death stakes, this one delves right into the horrifically-real realm of possibility. The deaths and near-deaths of this book are truly terrible not due to their grisly nature but due to the fact that they could, so easily, happen just like that to any of us--even if we're not caught in the middle of a psychopath's mind games. They are deaths meant to seem accidental, and they are particularly malicious because of this.


Cons
Flashback Breaks: There are two types of flashback in this book, and this critique is only about one. The flashbacks that reveal the five-years-ago secret that propels the story are fine enough. That's not what this critique is about. This criticism refers to the other, more common flashbacks, the ones utilized throughout the book to reveal past character interactions and build their relationships. These brief dips into character backstory (that doesn't involved the "incident") are perhaps necessary to lay out the characters themselves, but they don't feel natural at all. They don't come up naturally, the entire interactions are told to us more than experienced by us, and they break the tension of the narrative with random dips into not-tense past times. In a thriller, where tension is key, that's really unfortunate.

Police Procedure: Police interaction is a not-insignificant part of this book, and unfortunately, it just felt off to me. YA thrillers tend not to be nearly as serious as adult thrillers, for obvious audience reasons, and that's okay. But the police, if they're ever involved, should still feel like the police. Here, they felt oddly unprofessional, which was not helped by the main officer's tick of answering "Mmkay" to everything people told him. It threw me out of the narrative, for sure.

Backstory Reveal: I critiqued the general flashbacks earlier, and now I'm going to critique the main flashbacks, those revolving around the "incident" that may or may not have started this all. The incident in question took place five years before the story, and it is slowly revealed to readers throughout the book. And that's fine. It just takes a bit too long to get to the real meat of what happened. There's suspense, and then there's needlessly dragging things out. And this build-up ultimately falls into the second category. It does start strong. I'll admit that, but it started dragging after awhile. It took a few too many flashbacks to get out too little information.


Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7/10

Those who appreciated the life-and-death gaming atmosphere of Jeanne Ryan's Nerve will like this nerve-wracking more-than-a-game. Those unsettled by the real-life consequences of Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé's Ace of Spades will enjoy these too-close-to-home stakes.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I read Urban's debut and found her sophomore book just as- or more spine tingling, heart racing and terrifying from almost the beginning until nearly the end. While I am not a gamer at all - video games never interested me - the reader gets more of a scavenger hunt than a video game.

Crystal Donovan and her friends are trying to win a Mortal Kombat video game tournament to get money for college or other reasons. Crystal is trying to help her mom save their house from foreclosure. Crystal and Caelyn's dad is an alcoholic who left them and their hardworking nurse mom. Until Crystal gets a terrifying message that her younger sister Caelyn was kidnapped. There's video and a threat to kill her if Crystal doesn't play their game which starts small with a stolen test and continues to escalate. Not all of Crystal's friends are likeable, besides her best friend Akira, and the secondary characters don't seem fully developed. But I was racing through this book to uncover the secret that binded this group of friends from something that happened 5 years ago, and who Anonymous is as well as if Caelyn makes it. As Crystal's friends start getting really hurt, the reader has to wonder how far she will go to save her sister.

I did guess who Anonymous was fairly early but I didn't connect ALL the dots as to how the person was presenting themselves all along, or a few other twists. While it is hard to believe all the events that happened in 24 hours, would ever actually happen in real life, it was still a lot of fun.
TW for allergic reactions, alcoholism, domestic violence and mention of eating disorders. 4.25/5☆ release date 2/1/22

I enjoyed this rollercoaster a lot, I didn't really likes All Your Twisted Secrets that much, but the premise was good as so was this one. YA thriller/mysteries are a hit and miss for my taste, I'm clearly not the target audience, but I dabble. So I took a gamble and it paid off.

This is a page turner indeed, not a perfect one. A few details are a bit much and I struggled with a few plot points, it was an obvious twist, but it was entertaining as hell.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed reading this book. The characters were interesting, they all had their quirks but also were likeable. The plot was great, there were twists and turns I didn't see coming. I'm not a huge game person, but the premise didn't take away from the mystery aspect of the book. I would suggest adding to your TBR if you're wanting a quick whodunnit read.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Feb 1, 2022
Five years ago, Crystal Donovan and her friends played a game and one of their friends died. It was labeled an accident but only Crystal and her friends know the truth, and they’re not talking. Now, five years later, Crystal and her friends are gearing up to play in a video game competition, hoping to win big money. But Crystal’s plans are thwarted when she receives an anonymous text from an anonymous source, inviting her to play a different kind of game- a kind of game where if she breaks the rules or loses, her little sister dies. As Crystal tries to follow the rules and win the game, she has to keep the mysterious game and its designer a secret from everyone, including her friends and even the police, in order to save her sister’s life. But soon Crystal is in way over her head, and everyone, including herself, is in danger.
Diana Urban’s hip and edgy YA psychological thriller, “These Deadly Games” is modern and engaging, geared at the technology-obsessed YA reader. Fast paced and gripping, Urban pulls in a reader from the first page, and doesn’t let up.
Urban is a new author for me, although her two previous books have been YA hits, and I can see why. Urbans’ writing style is unique, her stories are creative and her characters are both relatable and likable. In “Deadly Games”, Crystal is playing a game far more sinister than any video game, as she battles her conscience and tries to free her sister.
I enjoyed Crystal as a character, and although her actions were the opposite of what I would do (as an “adult”), the actions of young Crystal made sense in the moment, from the perspective of a young teen. Her dysfunctional family background and a disastrous accident from her past compounded to make Crystal both likable and human, and I felt for her (and cheered for her) every step of the way.
The novel itself has some technical jargon, especially in the area of game apps, game development, and connectivity, but anyone with a basic knowledge of computers (or under the age of 30) would be able to understand it. As someone who does not fit into this age gap, these parts of the novel were not as complicated for me as I expected, although I was a little confused for brief moments.
“Games” flows well, and is a complete nail-biter (think “Hunger Games” combined with “Nerve”) with Urban’s uniquely creative flair. With the right amount of twists and turns throughout, the ending is unexpected and delightfully suspenseful. Urban shows no signs of slowing down, and I eagerly anticipate her next work.