Overall, this was a quick enjoyable read. The mystery, while fairly easy to solve from the beginning, had two nice little twists at the end that I didn’t expect. One thing that was confusing was the author’s use of flashbacks mid-narrative to explain significant events in the protagonist’s life. These weren’t set apart from regular prose, so there were times the MC started to reminisce mid-scene, and have a scene within a scene could be a little jarring. I also read fast though, so some of the intended style could have been lost on me.

I have to say, I was sucked into this pretty quickly and didn't want to put it down. I had to know who was behind the game and who would survive. The author did a great job pulling me in and keeping me interested in the plot. What I didn't love was that the twist didn't make sense to me and the story was too predictable.

I'm a fan of deadly competitions or games and if you are too, you should definitely check this out. It's creepy and keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what new task Crystal will be assigned. Having to hurt your friends would be horrible but how do you choose between them and your younger sister? It's an impossible spot to be in and I understood Crystal's struggle. I also thought the tasks seemed realistic and were even scarier because they seemed innocuous at first.

The pacing is great in this and keeps the adrenaline going. I wanted the ending to go a bit differently, but this is a solid thriller.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy.

3.5 stars

I have to say, I was sucked into this pretty quickly and didn't want to put it down. I had to know who was behind the game and who would survive. The author did a great job pulling me in and keeping me interested in the plot. What I didn't love was that the twist didn't make sense to me and the story was too predictable.

I'm a fan of deadly competitions or games and if you are too, you should definitely check this out. It's creepy and keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what new task Crystal will be assigned. Having to hurt your friends would be horrible but how do you choose between them and your younger sister? It's an impossible spot to be in and I understood Crystal's struggle. I also thought the tasks seemed realistic and were even scarier because they seemed innocuous at first.

The pacing is great in this and keeps the adrenaline going. I wanted the ending to go a bit differently, but this is a solid thriller.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the copy.

I was literally a bundle of nerves reading this book! My suspicions ran from one character to another throughout the story. Definitely a must read!

THESE DEADLY GAMES by Diana Urban tells the story of video game-obsessed Crystal, as she finds herself thrown into a twisted game of her own where she must either kill her friends, or watch her sister die.

I was a bit let down by Urban’s debut novel ALL YOUR TWISTED SECRETS, and, unfortunately, this one didn’t get much higher marks.

There was a lot about this book that I did really enjoy - the messed up aspects of the ‘game,’ trying to piece together who the culprit was and why, and, of course, the lovely twists along the way. However, the characters in this book (especially the lead) were so two-dimensional that I had a hard time caring for any of them. Also, Crystal seemed to lack a lot of emotion. As a high-schooler watching their best friends die, you’d think there’d be something more there than “oh well, better them than my sister.” BUT that’s just my two cents.

I’m sure I’ll continue to read Urban’s future work, I’m just hoping she can craft a character I can actually empathize with.

Publication Date: February 01, 2022

*** special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review ***

Grabbed me early and didn't let up. Interesting idea and well executed. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

What a great story. Had me from page one even though I was not planning on reading another book for like a month, once I picked this up I could not stop reading it. Had it been possible I woulsd have read in one sitting.

This book was so good. It kept me on my toes so to speak. I did not see the end coming. I am hoping there will be a part two.

As other reviewers have indicated, this is a great book. Kept me guessing til the very end. Highly recommend not only as a YA mystery/thriller but as a way teenagers of this generation think, at least a good segment of them. Would definitely read more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

In reviewing These Deadly Games, I'd like to give the book five out of five stars for the combination of writing style, how relatable it is in showing the weirdness of being a teen, and for the storyline itself.
Full detailed review on The Isles Frontier.

“All Your Twisted Secrets” was one of my favourite books of 2020, so my excitement for Diana Urban’s second book, “These Deadly Games” was VERY real, and I was honoured, grateful, and excited to receive an e-ARC of the book from Wednesday Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“These Deadly Games” follows our main character Crystal. Crystal is obsessed with the game MortalDusk, and along with her friends Akira. Matty, Randall, Dylan and Zoey, she is a part of one of Vermont’s top e-sports teams. But when Crystal’s younger sister Caelyn is held hostage by someone calling themselves An0nym0us1 she’s forced to play a game unlike any she’s ever played before—with her sister’s life hanging in the balance.

Well, Diana Urban has done it again! This was the very definition of a page-turner, full of jaw-dropping twists, heart-stopping tension, and ever-increasing stakes. I honestly couldn’t tear my eyes from the pages once I started reading it.

Crystal was a great character, and it was very easy to feel for her, as she made impossible, morally questionable choices in an effort to save her sister, while trying to decipher the mystery of who exactly An0nym0us1 is and why they have it out for her, her family, and her friends.

This is honestly a near-perfect YA thriller and I can confidently say that Diana Urban has cemented her place amongst the top YA thriller authors with this book. If you’re a fan of the books of Karen M. McManus, I definitely recommend the books of Diana Urban as well!

“These Deadly Games” is scheduled for publication on February 1, 2022 for Wednesday Books. Special thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read it early.

This was a fun fast paced book. It doesn't stand out to me but it was still one I enjoyed reading - especially loved how the main character was worried she was going crazy. That trope can be over done but it was well done in this one.

THESE DEADLY GAMES was a tense YA gaming-centered thriller. I am so glad to see YA titles that are truly thrillers instead of the dystopian reads the market has been flooded with lately. I was afraid some of the terminology would be over my head since I'm not a gamer (and definitely not a young adult) but this book was engaging and easy to read.

Crystal and her friends are serious gamers, and they've been dedicating a lot of time to getting ready for a tournament with a hefty cash prize--each player has a reason for needing the money; for Crystal, it's to help her mom pay the mortgage that her double shifts just don't cover. Then Crystal receives a text from an unknown number, and she watches in horror as a video with her little sister in obvious distress plays, and then this message: Let's play a game. You have 24 hours to win. If you break my rules, she dies. If you call the police, she dies. If you tell your parents or anyone else, she dies. Are you ready?

Crystal races against the clock to perform a bizarre series of tasks, each one with a more sinister consequence than the next. Is her anonymous attacker just another gamer trying to knock her out of the competition at any cost, or is this someone from her past with a serious grudge?

As with any thriller, reality must be suspended at times, but I have to say, the scenarios that the author created could actually happen with alarming ease. THESE DEADLY GAMES publishes February 1, 2022. Many thanks to the author for allowing me to be a part of her Street Team and to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

An engaging page-turner!

I'm a little surprised by how much I ended up liking this one, given that the writing has some of that slightly-cheesy YA quality that sometimes ruins YA books for me. It worked here, though--the language felt like genuine teenagers, without being too over-the-top.

I thought the mystery aspect was done well, and it kept me eager to read more. There was one very obvious clue that it took the main character forever to pick up on, even though she kept dancing around it, but overall I was surprised by many of the twists and really enjoyed the story.

The major downside here is that I feel like the author wrote an interesting, well-constructed friend group, but we are limited to only Crystal's perspective. I wanted more from the other characters, and I think it would have taken this novel to the next level for me. There's also a major moment that gets lost in everything else that is happening. It's not necessarily forgotten or overlooked, but there is just not enough page time for the characters to fully deal with the ramifications of this event, and it ends up not packing the emotional punch that it should.

Overall though, I really liked this book, and I would read more from this author, particularly if she wrote a sequel! I want more from this friend group.

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Crystal could not believe what was going on. She receives a mysterious app with instructions on what to do or her sister will be killed. This book was very intense and kept my interest.

Sixteen-year-old Crystal and her friends are excited about the upcoming MortalDusk Tournament. Their team has been doing well in the online game, and each need to win the $250,000 state prize money. Representing the state at the Tournament would earn them the chance to earn three million dollars! Unfortunately only five players are allowed on the team, and there are six of them. Crystal is planning to be one of the players, but MortalDusk is quickly forgotten when her younger sister gets kidnapped.

Messages from a mysterious app start appearing on her phone warning her Caelyn will die if she called the police, told anyone or failed to follow directions. Unfortunately, soon after she followed the first set of directions, one of her friends died. Crystal realized the kidnapper was planning for her to kill her friends, but how could she avoid following the directions if it meant Caelyn would die? Thus begins a tale of jealousy, betrayal, suspense, fear, and death, told through flashbacks and the present time, as Crystal’s friends start to get eliminated in the kidnapper’s sick “game.”

“These deadly games” held me in thrall as I tried to figure out who was behind the kidnapping. The author did a great job distracting readers and twisting back upon herself through the tangled web of lies and deceit that had been laid five years earlier. By the time all was revealed, I was completely in shock. Well-done Diana. Very well done.

Highly recommended for ages 16 and older.

I received a digital advance reading copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Books like this are hard to talk about without giving anything away. That said, secrets, it always comes back to old secrets. The pace is fast, the esports component is fun and current. If you like this type of fiction you will enjoy this one, but read when you have time because you won't want to put it down in the middle.

I’ve read similar stories several times, but These Deadly Games still managed to do a thing or two differently. It was a good book, although the MC spun from one theory to another without really thinking any of them through. I suppose if I were in a similar situation, I might do the the same thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

This story is about games. Do you want to play? 6 high school friends stream a popular video game online called Mortal Dusk and are gearing up for a big tournament, when one of them, Crystal, gets a strange message on her phone. Her sister has been kidnapped and she has to play the kidnappers games to save her. Each task seems simple, but she soon realizes that her entire friend group is being targeted. Is it to get them out of playing in the Mortal Dusk tournament or is it because of a secret they all promised to keep 5 years ago?

This book was a roller coaster of emotions. Diana Urban wrote in such a way that made my heart race as I was reading. I felt the urgency that was in the tone of the story. I also felt very emotional reading about what happened “5 years ago”. I thought the book was well thought out, cleverly written, as well as delightfully twisted. I am someone who always figures out the bad guy right away, and this was no exception. However, even though early on I knew who the bad guy was an their motive, I still enjoyed reading the book!

Diana Urban DOES IT AGAIN. What an incredible, propulsive book. I was sucked in and couldn't put it down. The characters are ones that you resonate with and want to cheer on, even if they're doing questionable things. I can usually guess the twists and turns but Urban did so good that I was guessing until the very end. Great sophomore novel!