I loved this book! The twists kept me guessing and the pacing made this a perfect read for my current mood. There was at least one twist where I suspected but it was way more complicated then I thought! I gasped out loud and had to keep going haha loved it!

I’m not a gamer but I actually really enjoyed the gaming aspects of the book and I was trying to figure out the motivation/murder mystery aspect of this story all throughout! Loved how the author brought in aspects of her Chinese heritage into the book. It’s always refreshing to see representation done well in books. Would highly recommend for thriller and mystery fans. ❤️

As usual, I was intrigued by this book because of the cover and title. I knew there was a game involved, which I didn't mind. That made things interesting and fun. I like that there were diverse characters and queer rep. This was a face-paced read told in a dual timeline with a good murder mystery storyline.

Although it is a good murder mystery told in a dual timeline, I found it hard to follow. It jumps from past to present sprinkling in Marina's past, while you follow along with what is happening in the present. I usually don't have a problem with this format, but it was a little confusing at times. Maybe it was the writing style or the pacing that threw me off. I'm not sure. I also found that it was lacking the thrilling part. The plot was displaying that it was meant t0 be high stacks, but the characters weren't. The characters acted like they weren't threatened or in danger. Speaking of characters, I didn't care for any of them. This was pitched to have the found family trope, but I just didn't feel that. I believe it's because I felt the side characters were underdeveloped and flat. It's also because I just didn't feel that type of connection between them. It just wasn't believable.

Overall, I would still recommend this to select readers. However, maybe it just wasn't for me.

This book was AMAZING.

I love the suspense, the somewhat meta nature of the stakes that we had to go through and even the twisted plot twists that had me absolutely hooked!! I will definitely be reading more from this author!

I really got to enjoy this book. I been into books such as these lately and it all felt like such a rollecoaster. The design of the cover was also absolutely beautiful! While it did have me hooked in some parts, there were a few that fell flat and hard to follow along but overall I would really recommend.

Although I am not a gamer, I initially wanted to read this because many of my students are gamers, and I did enjoy Ready Player One, so I wanted to see if this would be a good fit for my classroom library. I do think this is a book that many of my students will enjoy. I personally almost DNF around 40%. The characters are fun, but it felt slow moving. It really bothered me how much the protagonist was keeping from everyone, and how slowly we were getting information about her past. It picked up around the 50% mark (around the 3rd mission). The pacing picked up, and so did the violence. I was happy to see that this book did not shy away from that! It wasn’t anything too over the top- I think it sticks to being YA in that sense, but I liked the intensity and thrills.
Having a first person narrator means we learn the truth as Marina does, and this is where it gets a little confusing. There are multiple theories/versions regarding what actually happened in the past. It’s hard to keep everything straight and figure out what the truth actually is. They do make it clear at the end, but it is pretty confusing up to that point because of all the different versions that were told/that Marina believed at one point.
I know this is something that will confuse my upper middle school students, but I think the writing style lends itself more to middle school than to high school (despite the characters being high school aged).
Overall, I found this to be a quick, engaging, and overall fun read.

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was so twisty, fast-paced and fun; I read it in one sitting. I truly couldn’t put it down. I adored the friend group in this book, and of course Slate. I also really loved the gaming aspect to this book. It was such a fun and unique way to explore a mystery. I can’t recommend this one enough!!

This heartfelt and quirky young adult fantasy debut follows a young outcast on a journey of transformation . . .

I haven't had a YA thriller hook me in a while, so this was a great surprise. A fast-paced thriller/mystery with an added layer of in-game puzzle solving makes this book feel similar to Slay crossed with Love 020.

I will say that this book takes on a lot, but it does it well, overall. We have the foundational thriller - someone dies and now our MCs have to race against the clock to solve the mystery and save the people and things they care about. Then, we have the gaming elements superimposed over the real world mystery. Adding in Marina's secret past, a dash of romance, and nods to Chinese history and Asian culture (particularly filiel piety and Asian guilt culture), this story held my attention right from the start.

I really love books that mix with video games, and Kelsea Yu did it in a way that felt organic and necessary to the story. I liked how the video game aspects built on the secrets, the mystery, and the character development - it was an essential part of the story and was fleshed out so well!

Additionally, I enjoyed our MCs - all four had distinct personalities and lives and the way they became friends through life and video games felt so true to life.

All in all, a twisty thriller of a book that had me flying through the pages! I'm so excited for more people to pick this one up.

Rep: Chinese lesbian MC, queer SC, Trans SC
TW: gaslighting, injury detail, murder, blood, stalking, mutilation, child abuse, gun violence, kidnapping, drugging, fire/fire injury; mentions transphobia, death of a child, death, animal abuse, suicidal ideation

Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
World Building: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Bloomsbury YA via Colored Pages Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

I don't think I was the target audience for this book. I stupidly didn't read the description. I only looked at the pretty cover, which is very misleading, and had a clear expectation of this book. I don't like video games, and the last thing I wanted to do was read a book that started with a bunch of characters playing video games. If I wanted that, I'd suffer through watching my husband scream at a screen during GTA or Overwatch. This could truly be a great book for video game lovers, but I'm just not that.

I was so excited to read this book and it did not disappoint!! You know when a book is so good that you genuinely cannot stop thinking about it?? Well this book did exactly that for me!!

I loved the writing style and the plot. The plot was SO unique and had me HOOKED!!

I liked the characters, they were all relatable in some ways and were just a lot of fun to read about.

I loved the unique concept of an interactive game with levels made by players and how that plays into the plot. I’m not gonna say anything else about the actual plot since I don’t wanna spoil anything but OMG!

I absolutely cannot wait to read more books by Kelsea Yu!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books | Bloomsbury YA for the ARC copy they provided.

It’s Only a Game has the power to pull you in and make you want to stay. That is the first thing I need to note about this book. I immediately felt at home with the characters and in the setting. I wanted to build a nest in the story and just linger, even after the last word.

Despite being a thrillride from beginning to end, It’s Only a Game has the absolute best of found family and warmth, and once you experience that, you don’t want to leave. I can’t praise that sense of security hidden in these pages enough. Kelsea Yu did a marvelous job crafting a book that is at once homey and intensely gripping. I loved every moment of this read.

What else can I say about It’s Only a Game? The queer representation made my heart happy, and the sweet fur baby made me want to cuddle an animal that doesn’t even exist, while the main character’s backstory remains at once identifiable and terrifying.

All of that said, there is still the fact I learned more tidbits of game mechanics and interplay then what was already in my mental store, and enjoyed feeling like I was stepping into the world of Darkitect with the characters. Every part of It’s Only a Game fascinated and drew me in and drew me back. I had to take several breaks reading this book, due to life being life, but even during those pauses in mt read, I kept thinking about this book and wondering how it would end. I might be a bit late to the review party, given It’s Only a Game came out several days ago, but I don’t regret a single moment I spent reading this book.

I highly recommend for anyone who needs to see themself in a character gathering the courage to just be themself and be brave. I’m looking forward to whatever Kelsea Yu comes out with next.

I received a free advance digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Working on getting through the rest of the advanced books I received.
This book is probably one of my favorite ones I’ve read so far this year! The characters were diverse and interesting. I loved the use of video games in the storyline and the different challenges they all faced. I didn’t see the ending coming or the lead up to it. Trigger warning there is physical abuse, murder, stalking, and talk of self harm.

This was such a fun YA mystery/thriller! It kept me engaged throughout the book, I didn't want to put it down!

The set-up was perfect for me, as someone who enjoys gaming. The premise of having to play along with this game to solve the mystery was so fun, and I really enjoyed the descriptions of the the game itself! Besides the threat of misfortune, it really reminded me of playing games with my own friends, it was done really well.

The characters were enjoyable. The main character Marina, had so many secrets that were fun to puzzle out throughout the book. The chapters alternated between the present day mystery and her past, and I enjoyed being told her story piecemeal in that way. The other characters were loveable, and I really rooted for their friendship and the blossoming romance.

The mystery itself was fun to figure out. I liked the mix of real-world investigating that they did along with the puzzle solving within the game. I got most of it figured out by the end, but I think for the most part I was making connections at the same time as the main character, so to me it felt perfectly paced.

Overall, this was a thrilling, enjoyable mystery and I'll be watching for future books from this author!

It’s Only a Game was a fantastic and fast-paced YA debut thriller that has great characters and a plot that keeps you guessing throughout.

Marina was a brilliant protagonist – smart, driven and determined to survive. She’s been dealt an awful hand in life and escapes into the world of gaming, creating a community around her. This core friendship group comes offline as they get involved in a high stakes mystery that is unnerving and starts to blur the lines between game and reality and past and present. I really enjoyed this group and how distinctive their personalities were – it was fun seeing how they matched up with their gaming style and preferred characters. It creates this cosy little group that only contrasts further with the death and destruction around them. There is also a joyous relationship that forms (remaining secondary to the primary plot and character developement) that made my heart sing, even as I willed for these emotional idiots to just realise their feelings already. Throughout this, Marina feels a heavy sense of dread as she has to deceive her friends to keep her past out of bounds and her current secrets from catching up with her. In particular, Marina is homeless and isolated from her family – relying on the kindness of two adorable restaurant owners. Her scenes with them for me were the beating heart of the book. It delves a lot into the family we can make for ourselves, which can be a tough journey and so there are some necessary sparks of light woven into the narrative.

Also, I have to talk about how amazing the gaming aspect of the book was. The mystery unfolds both in and out of game – meaning Yu has to create some imaginative gameplay sequences that keep the tension up, develop characters and provide some shocking surprises. These sequences were magnificent, feeling so fleshed out and vividly imagined. I would play these games in a heartbeat and you could see why they’d capture the imaginations of so many. Within the gaming theme, Yu also tackles the rampant bigotry that can be a part of some gaming cultures and how invasive this is. We also see this cross over into the real world, with exploration of phenomenon like swatting and doxxing explored as the dangerous and potentially deadly moves they are.

It’s Only a Game is a fast-paced and utterly thrilling YA debut thriller. Yu has got some real shocks up her sleeve in this clever, gaming infused tale.

“The world was out of focus, like water spilled over an ink portrait. ”
Here are reasons to read the Thriller book:

Game Group - Marina and her gaming group love to play the video game Darkitect
Invitation - and one day they get an invitation to tour the headquarters of the video game company
Death - While they are there, they witness the head company die
Game - thus begins a game that is as real to them in life as it is in the game

This book surprised me a lot and will probably end up being one of my favs this month. It is fast paced, and the mystery with all it’s twists really kept my interest. You don’t really understand the underlying connections of everything until you are almost to the reveal and as such, the ending is so satisfying. This book is perfect for anyone who is a fan of Ready Player One.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I typically do not love thrillers, but Yu crafted this one excellently. The ending was predictable, but unpredictable at the same time. This will be going on my bookshelf permanently!

This was so much darker than I thought it would be and I loved it!
Marina, an unhoused teenager with more secrets than truths has the opportunity to have a guided tour of the creator of her favorite game. A personal tour with the three people who make up her online friend group. They play online but have never met in person until this tour. After the tour, the CEO is murdered and the group is blackmailed into doing unsavory research lest they be framed for the crime.
The character depth was so good, I felt like I was right there with them piecing the clues together. The mystery was also incredibly intricate, poignant, and intriguing. Once I started, I could not stop!

This story is about 4 gamer friends who get the opportunity to tour the headquarters where their favorite game was developed. During their tour, the CEO is murdered and they are forced to play secret levels of the game to save their loved ones. One friend, Marina, quickly discovers that this game might unveil some secrets she's worked hard to keep.

When I say this story was gripping, I mean it gripped me harder than a new born baby with a pacifier! This story was the perfect mix of mystery, action, and thriller. Everytime I thought I had something figured out, I was thrown a curve ball. This was, hands down, the most thrilling YA story I've read in a very long time! I'm literally on a book high! Lol

YA thriller isn't my usual genre, but I picked this one up because it sounded intriguing. It is SO good! It's a wild ride, and I had a ton of fun reading it.

Marina and her friends play an online RPG together. One night their IRL lives and their gaming personas collide as they're forced to solve a mystery ... or else. We readers know from the beginning that Marina has a fraught past, which is doled out in small flashback scenes. I'll say I had some of the mystery figured out, but I didn't get it all.

Highly recommended, especially if you like YA thrillers. But honestly, even if you don't naturally gravitate toward them (like me!) you will have a great time. The book really is non-stop action, even if a lot of that action takes place online.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) Marina has a dark past that she has moved far away from. In this new life, with a new name, she has friends and people that feel like family. Her favorite hobby is to game, so when her gaming team is offered the chance to tour the greatest online game company, they just can’t resist. The tour turns horrible when someone is murdered and they are being framed unless they follow the killer’s game.

Right off, the story starts with the mystery of the murder and they are tasked with the game. Since they are great gamers they are confident but wary. The tasks are almost impossible to finish but their lives, the lives of their families or even family businesses are being threatened. This put such an extra spin on the mystery because so much more was weighing on the win.

There isn’t much backstory on the characters except for the end with Marina. They were likeable but without a lot of depth. The story was full of twisted family members, a loyal dog and many secrets. Some of the mystery felt very unrealistic but ultimately, the game and their trials were highly entertaining and it had a great twist with a dash of evil thrown in at the end.

Those who love YA thrillers, found family or the gaming community will love this one!

Thank you to Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for the copy!