I really enjoyed this book! I liked the characters and the several complex themes throughout the book. I was curious to know the group's secrets as the author switched up the timelines between the past and present, which kept me hooked as the book went on. The "games" that Crystal had to play were crazy and well thought out, and I really couldn't wait to find out who was behind everything. I feel like the ending was quite rushed, but nonetheless I was surprised at how everything unfolded.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions contained within are my own.

We all know that I’m a fantasy girl. I love escaping into magical worlds and getting lost in the lore. But my second favorite genre has to be all things spooky. Horror, mysteries, and especially thrillers. I don’t read them nearly enough, though, which is why I was so excited to get an e-ARC for These Deadly Games, a YA thriller that sounded right up my alley!

In this book, we follow a teenager named Crystal. Crystal’s life seems pretty mundane; the most excitement she gets is playing Mortal Dusk with her friends. They’re attempting to select their team to play in a local tournament and Crystal would do anything to claim her spot. Her life is thrown for a loop when she receives a message on a mysterious app showing her a picture of her little sister, tied up and gagged. The kidnapper tells her she can get her sister back… if she plays their game. If not? Her sister dies. But Crystal soon realizes that the games she is forced to play are hurting her friends and she must make a decision: keep playing or somehow fight back against this mysterious gamemaster.

This delivered so many things that I love about a good thriller! The pacing was excellent. It was fast enough that there was never a lag in the action, which makes sense as the game was all supposed to happen within a 24 hour period. But it didn’t move so fast that you’re left confused by what’s going on. It helps that there are chapters detailing past events that kind of slow the breakneck speed of events happening in the present day chapters. To be honest, I probably could have done with less of those chapters because they weren’t nearly as intriguing as what was happening, but I understand their purpose. Either way, Diana Urban’s writing, whether it’s in the past or present day chapters, was so thriller-perfect that it kept me engaged the entire time!

I will say, I had to remind myself over and over again that Crystal and her friends were all teenagers because, oh my god, some of the decisions these kids make 😂 Keep in mind, I’m almost 40 years old, so I’m most certainly not the target audience for YA and I understand that fictional teenagers have every right to be just as flawed as real teenagers. I’m also the kind of person that yells at characters in horror movies (in the comfort of my own home, mind you) because WHO GOES OUT INTO THE CREEPY WOODS TO INVESTIGATE MYSTERIOUS NOISES?!? So there were several moments in this book where the literal words, “What the f#$%, Crystal…” slipped out of my mouth. That being said, all her actions throughout this book, when I look back on them and am not caught up in the moment, were probably exactly how I would have reacted at her age if I were in her shoes. So good on Diana Urban for crafting such a flawed and nuanced character! Even if she frustrated me to no end.

Now, when it comes to the actual game in this book, I will admit I figured out who was behind everything pretty quickly. The game elements were interesting, though, and I was still surprised how the conflict ended! Overall, this was a quick, enjoyable read that kept my interest throughout the story. Were parts of it predictable? Yes. But did I have a great time reading those parts, regardless? Yes! It’s certainly left me interested enough to pick up more books by this author.

This book had so many twists that guenuinly had me questioning what was going on until the last page! Although I do have to say I figured out the who and why pretty quick, those revelations did nothing to stop my enjoyment if this book! I can't wait to pick up more by this author!

These Deadly Games is the ultimate game that is fast paced and entertaining. Play the Game or someone you love will die. What stakes could be any higher?

I loved all the fun twists throughout the book that kept my interest and I always love when a cat and mouse game is involved. I love when past events are connected to future mayhem and this does the trick. It kept me guessing to the very end and was far from dull. I always love YA thrillers and this one was a lot of fun! Thank you Wednesday books for my copy.

As The Deadly Game opens, Crystal and her team of e-sports gamers are preparing to compete in a MortalDusk tournament, when she receives an anonymous text saying her sister has been kidnapped. She will be killed unless Crystal competes in a deadly real-life game with a 24-hour time limit, targeting her team members. At first she suspects someone is trying to keep them from the competition, but as the hours pass, Crystal realizes Anonymous has discovered a secret from their past and wants to punish them for what they did. She uses her gaming instincts to discover who is behind the game, but not before her teammates suffer the consequences.

I really enjoyed this thriller. It kept me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning with the text the main character receives that has her sister tied up to a chair. I couldn't put it down!

In These Deadly Games by Diana Urban, someone has kidnapped Crystal's younger sister. Crystal must agree to play this mysterious person's games. Each game seeks to make Crystal cause harm to one of her close friends or her sister will be killed. The games start off mean and turn deadly. The concept is interesting - they have made movies with a similar concept. I don't know if I would have made some of the choices that Crystal did. It's hard to say when without being in the same place. There are two mysteries two this book. The first is who is the game master? Who is making Crystal play these games? The second mystery has to do with something that happened when Crystal and her friends were young. The book is very twisty and action packed. I can understand why Crystal did some of the things she did - past and present - but I also find it hard to like her. I do really like her friends and I was rooting for her to be able to save her friends and her sister.

Crystal Donovan receives an alert on her phone. Tell anyone and she dies! What comes across her screen Crystal can’t believe her eyes it’s her little sister being held hostage tied to a chair crying for her life. Soon Crystal realizes this is not a game she must complete these certain tasks or her sister will die.

I found this book fun and engaging. I kind of guessed how it was going to end and that is why I knocked it down a star but overall it was a good read.

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday books for providing an ARC of this book for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. I never seen the ending coming. It had me on the edge of my seat till the end. Right before her younger sister leave to go on a school trip they have an argument about Crystal care about nothing but video game. Later that same day Crystal get a video say that her sister has been kidnapped and in order to save her she has to play the game. The games get harder and hard as she goes along until people start dying. Will Crystal be able to save her sisters life before more people die?

While somewhat predictable, I still found this book addicting and delightful! There were so many twists to keep you guessing and invested in the story! A great page turner with well developed characters!

Engaging and suspenseful. All the twists kept me wanting to read. I wish we got to know the characters more though.

LOVED this book so much. Phenomenal plot line and character development. Absolutely a binge worthy read!

What a fun ride of a book! The stakes were high, and the twists left me staying up all night to finish this. I was on the edge of my seat for the majority of this book, it was just that good. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an earc in exchange for an honest review.

Back when it was first released, One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus was my favorite book. It was thrilling and the ending totally shocked me. I've been chasing that kind of feeling from a book ever since.

Without a doubt, These Deadly Games delivered! It was more than anything I could've wished for after One of Us is Lying. I was so engaged in the story and literally could not put this book down. The characters were well developed even while flawed, which is just as teens are in real life. Every guess I had for who the culprit was was probably wrong, so I was quite literally hanging onto every word. The story flowed well and kept my interest the entire time.

I absolutely adored this book and cannot wait to see what Diana Urban publishes next!

Thank you so much to the author and publisher for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was incredible! I loved every single twist and turn the story took. It was honestly just one of those books you can't put down once you pick it up. I read it all in a day! Definitely a fun and exciting read.

4 stars.

This was a fantastic sophomore book. I highly enjoy the authors writing and her twisted tales. I especially loved the gaming aspect of this story considering I'm a gamer; I even met my husband on World of Warcraft. I can honestly say I was and wasn't surprised who the bad guy was. I was hoping it wasn't them but it just seemed a little suspicious. If Crystal was a real person she would definitely have major trust issues for the rest of her life.

I'm so unsure of how I feel about this book. It was much darker than I expected, especially towards the end and I really think it needed trigger warnings because at one point I felt quite sick and had to stop reading. The mystery and plot are quite good but there were some internal consistencies as well. I think overall I feel uneasy about this book and thinking of it, hence my lack of a detailed review.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

These Deadly Games follows Crystal, who gets a message on a strange app that shows her younger sister bound and gagged. It gives her a series of tasks to complete if she wants to save her sister. At first, the tasks seem strange, harmless, and unnecessary. But as they go on, Crystal starts to notice the tasks are harming her friends.

These Deadly Games was a fun YA novel, fast-paced and exciting. But, it was also sort of predictable. While there were quite a few twists and turns, they didn’t feel as surprising as they could have. There was a lot of foreshadowing and hints throughout, which I do appreciate rather than pulling a whodunnit out of nowhere, but it also felt like we were being fed the answers rather than being guided to them. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as they story itself was still tense and fun, but I would have liked a little more guessing involved.

I didn’t really find any of the characters very relatable, but we also don’t have a lot of time with them. It’s entirely from Crystal’s point of view, and while we spend a lot of time with her, we mostly see her in a state of panic and making not great choices. We only get cursory introductions to her friends, just a surface level of who they are, so I didn’t find myself really attached to any of them. That also doesn’t detract from it being a fun, fast-paced story, but if you’re a character driven reader rather than being it in for the plot, this might not be quite an engaging for you.

All in all, this is a book that is fun for an afternoon. If you’re looking for a brief bit of escapism, over-the-top excitement, it’s definitely worth reading. If you’re looking for a deep psychological thriller, this falls a little short unfortunately. Definitely a book to check out though if you just want something fun.

These Deadly Games by Diana Urban is a fun mystery filled with great writing and distinct characters.