It's Only a Game by Kelsea Yu
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Web ID: 184970104 reviews
Great dark thriller for nerds and gamers
I'm not usually a thriller reader, but I ended up enjoying this! The ending was extremely cliche and predictable (so was the villain reveal tbh), but lbr, I was here for the dark, bloody vibes, and the vibes delivered. If you're someone who's looking for a more grown-up read, probably skip this one. I loved how parts of the novel takes place in an MMORPG with a 4 person party, which includes a tank, mage, rogue, and healer. I haven't played video games in a while and the entire time I was reading this, I really wanted to get back into gaming. No lie, it's been a long time where I've had a reading experience where I felt compelled to pick up an old hobby of mine. Some readers might find the whole gaming aspect contrived, but to me, it brings another layer of depth to the plot. Marina/Night was a compelling FMC. I absolutely loved how the author incorporated her Chinese heritage into this novel's plot. It created depth for the FMC's arc and made her history and personality a lot more interesting to read about. I love unreliable narrators, even though they can be very frustrating to deal with. I found myself feeling all sorts of way for Marina, from sympathy for her situation to annoyance at how she keeps valuable information to herself. I had a lot of fun with the mystery/whodunnit plot, and I really appreciated how the author strung the reader along with the MC without revealing too much at once. It kept me on my toes and was compelling enough that I devoured this novel in one weekend. I'm excited to read more from Kelsea Yu! Thank you to Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for this arc.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Couldn’t put it down
4.5 rounded up! Holy cow! This book was impossible to put down, absolutely bonkers, and had some fantastic characters to root for! As a non-gamer, I still managed to get fully sucked into the game in this story and the twists and suspense kept me on my toes. A fantastic thriller for YA fans!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Edge of my seat!
Thank you Bloomsbury and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. An exciting read! Mariana has been running from her past, no one knows who she really is. Not even the three friends she met playing Darkitect, who’ve not only been her teammates but are her closest friends, apart from her dog Slate. Now she’s meeting Dread, Rock, and Sly for the first time in person. They get to take a tour of Apocalypta Games the company that owns Darkitect. Everything is amazing, that is until their tour guide ends up dead. To make matters worse they are forced into playing 4 rounds of Darkitect, with Cixi, a private citizen creator of the game. They have to pass each round or Cixi will destroy the lives of people they love. And worst of all if they don’t pass them within a certain time, Cixi, will frame them for murder. Now they’re in a race against time to save themselves and their families, all while also trying to figure out who Cixi is. But for Mariana, Cixi, seems to be taking a special interest in her, could their predicament have something to do with her past? Can they solve the rounds in time? Will her friends still be her friends when they find out she’s been lying to them? Told both through the present and in flashes of Mariana’s past this book was a thrill ride that I couldn’t put down! I was worried the game references might make it a little hard to understand but Kelsea Yu does an excellent job writing the information in a way that non-gamers will have no trouble following! But also if you’re a gamer it’ll add to the excitement! Mariana is an extremely likable mc that you will root for! And as you discover more of her past get angrier and angrier for! A queer thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Highly recommend!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Must-read YA thriller!
This is a propulsive YA thriller about a gamer girl with a traumatic past, mommy issues, and someone threatening her life in a video game--of course I devoured it!! The short action-packed chapters make this a quick read, and the main cast are all so loveable. Marina is a sweetheart who's just trying to keep herself safe from her past; Slate is adorable, Marina's adopted family at the restaurant--so sweet. The friend group and their dynamic really comes through. I also really admired the video game, Darkitect, which feels fleshed out and realistic and like something I would actually play. The gaming aspects and references are very present, but grounded in such a way that the non-reader can still grasp what's happening, though the gamer-readers will feel like this book is speaking to them. Thriller lovers, gamer or not, definitely pick this one up!!!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com