My review: 4⭐
This is a solid debut thriller.
There are 5 players ~ each live in a different location around the world.
Player 1 ~ Maggie ~ Minnesota ~ 9 year old son, Jackson, taken
Player 2 ~ Brett ~ NYC ~ 40 year old best friend, Craig, taken
Player 3 ~ Sarah ~ England~ 2 year old daughter, Hannah, taken
Player 4 ~ Noah ~ France ~ 25 year old, fiance, Sofia, taken
Player 5 ~ Linda ~ England ~ 17 year old daughter, Alyssa, taken
The alternating chapters really kept me on the edge of my seat and I just couldn’t wait until The Game began. I was very interested in how it would all play out and to see how these characters were inevitably all connected. As an added bonus, halfway in we get chapters told by those taken that really kept the story flowing quickly.
As much as I was excited and intrigued for most of it, the ending was a bit lackluster. I don’t know what I expected, but, meh, I wanted something else. It wasn’t as neatly wrapped up as I would have liked.
Side bar ~ so the author is from England, so I expect the different spelling of certain words. However, I think it would have been a nice added touch for him to write the English spelling when we were on the USA peoples chapters. IE ~ kerb ~ curb, favour ~ favor
With 5 different narrators I think this would be intense on audio.
TW ~ death of a dog, rape, sexual assault
Overall, this was gripping and intense at times and I’d definitely read this author again.
*Many thanks to Sophia at Harper Collins 360 for sending me a paperback ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
⬇ Purchase links ⬇
Save on The Game at Booksamillion.com.Book blurb: Release date ~ May 12, 2022
Across the globe, five strangers receive a horrifying message from an unknown number.
THE PERSON YOU LOVE MOST IS IN DANGER.
To save them, each must play The Game – a sinister unknown entity that has a single rule: there can only be one winner.
IF YOU LOSE, YOUR LOVED ONE WILL DIE.
But what is The Game – and why have they been chosen?
There’s only one thing each of them knows for sure: they’ll do anything to win…
WELCOME TO THE GAME. YOU’VE JUST STARTED PLAYING.
