To save their life, you have to play. *The #1 audio bestseller* 'Subversive and gripping' S J Watson 'Dark, fiendish, riveting' Janice Hallett 'Exciting and original' Simon McCleave 'This year's must-read thriller' Adam Croft ___ 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 ...
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To save their life, you have to play. *The #1 audio bestseller* 'Subversive and gripping' S J Watson 'Dark, fiendish, riveting' Janice Hallett 'Exciting and original' Simon McCleave 'This year's must-read thriller' Adam Croft ___ 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. ___ A breakneck thriller filled with non-stop suspense, perfect for fans of Harlan Coben, Mark Dawson and Terry Hayes' I Am Pilgrim. Readers love The Game: 'This was an absolute belter of a book!' 'Wow! Can absolutely see this book being made into a film. . . The whole book pulled me in straight away and I couldn't put it down. Full of twists from start to finish, twists that I never saw coming!' 'Had me gripped . . . I couldn't breathe until I finished it' 'This is one of the most original stories I've read for a while. Just read it! You won't regret it.' 'What an utterly terrifying thriller this was! It doesn't get scarier than this...' 'Horrifyingly credible . . . This is a fast-paced, menacing and dark read. Grips from the off and doesn't let go until that very last page.' 'This book was chilling and tense and will have you on the edge of your seat.' 'Unique, cinematic and fast-paced. Unputdownable and thrilling page-turner. Highly recommended.' 'I love a story that is a bit different and unique and this certainly was. A thought provoking story that chilled me to the bone . . . Will have you up all night. Such a cleverly written story' 'Fast-paced, tense, atmospheric and so full of suspense . . . I didn't know what to expect when. I couldn't put this book down it was completely gripping.' 'From the first few pages the adrenaline rush never lets up.'
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Add this copy of The Game to cart. $3.28, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by HQ.
Add this copy of The Game to cart. $3.28, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by HQ.
Add this copy of The Game to cart. $3.28, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by HQ.
Add this copy of The Game to cart. $3.28, like new condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by HQ.
Add this copy of The Game to cart. $3.28, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by HQ.
Add this copy of The Game to cart. $3.28, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by HQ.
Add this copy of The Game: the Gripping and Electrifying Must-Read Debut to cart. $5.31, good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by HQ.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Bundled media such as CDs, DVDs, floppy disks or access codes may not be included.
Add this copy of The Game: the Gripping and Electrifying Must-Read Debut to cart. $6.49, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Diamond rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by HQ.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of The Game: the Gripping and Electrifying Must-Read Debut to cart. $6.49, very good condition, Sold by HPB Inc. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by HQ.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of The Game: the Gripping and Electrifying Must-Read Debut to cart. $10.99, good condition, Sold by Stephen White Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Bradford, WEST YORKSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2022 by HQ.
I have to say kudos to the designer of the cover ... how good and striking is that?!? If that doesn't grab your attention, then the blurb certainly will ... well, it did me but then I am a bit of a sucker for these types of stories every now and again!
The story - 5 people in 3 countries suddenly find themselves in The Game but it's not your run-of-the-mill game of Monopoly; no, it's something far more sinister. If they refuse to play, the one they love dies; if they tell anyone, their loved one dies ... they have no choice but to participate but there can only be one winner.
The pacing of the book is fast and flowing with the story being told from the perspective of all the characters and occasionally some of their loved ones. The plot is intriguing - you don't know until near the end why the participants have been chosen or who the 'puppet-master' is which made trying to work out the 'why' difficult but all is revealed in an ending that is as surprising as it is violent.
Now, I'm not going to say that all is perfect with this book, there are a number of times where you have to suspend belief a little and it does deal with themes and uses language that some may find unpalatable, e.g. homophobia, racism, abuse, rape, suicide, and there are numerous scenes of violence, so if you find these are triggers for you, I would give it a miss.
Overall, I think this is a very creditable debut and I will be looking out for more of Mr Kershaw's work in the future and I must thank HQ and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Game and sharing my thoughts.
KindigBlog
May 12, 2022
A fantastic debut
Upon reading the blurb for The Game, it sounded exactly like my cup of tea and I was excited to get started! I am however, always slightly wary of starting books with high expectations.
I really needn't have worried - The Game is a fantastic, fast-paced read and was exactly what I needed after a few previous low-star reads. Five players are chosen to compete in a deadly game where the person that they love is at risk if they fail. The chapters alternate between each of our five players - game designer Brett, drug dealer Noah, stay at home mum Sarah, ex-police officer Linda and recovering addict Maggie. This is quite a lot of POVs and I've seen this narrative technique fail before but each character was well defined with their own narrative voice, their stories were also all interesting and engaging and used well to push the plot along so I didn't find myself wanting to skip anyone out. As the story progressed, other perspectives were introduced to give us hints to the greater picture including 'Pre-game' and some chapters from the perspectives of the captives. I felt that the captive chapters didn't really add too much to the story though and could easily have been edited out.
The plot is well paced, and I found myself finishing the book in a few sittings rushing to find out what was going on. The reveal was a great idea although it did feel a little rushed - I still don't understand what Noah's connection to everything was. Brett also seemed to make an extreme personality transplant by the end of the story which I don't think worked very well and made him out to just be violent and angry. Although some extreme content is to be expected from a book with this type of plot, there are some trigger warnings including miscarriage, death of animals and rape.
Overall, The Game is a fantastic and fast-paced read which had me up all night wanting to finish it. This is also Scott Kershaw's debut and I can't wait to read whatever he writes next! Thank you to NetGalley & HQ Stories for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
