Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I am not sure what to say about this book other than it was odd. I am not sure Inliked it and it felt a bit too out there for me.

Unfortunately, I did not think that this book was for me

I usually enjoy books like this but I found this book a bit too unique. I struggled to get into this book

However, the plot was so unique and it deserve recognition in itself. It was a great plot and I may come back to this book at a later date to see if enjoy it a bit more

i really enjoyed this book. It is definitely a weird game that I would not want to be part of. It did however make a really good story. I was interested in the characters and what happened to them. I thought the ending was good and the fact that it left unanswered questions added to the story.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Gadol will probably need to take responsibility if this actually does become a ‘thing’ somewhere. If some readers decide this might be an excellent game to play. Or is this already a thing? I hope not.

After this read I know I will be looking at everyone with a different set of eyes. Is that car following me? Is the woman in the shop picking cat food or just pretending to pick cat food in an attempt to convince the person she is following that she isn’t following them. Yeh, that’s a lot of paranoia to feel guilty about Gadol.

Rebecca’s life becomes fractured when her long-term best friend sometimes boyfriend just disappears one day. She becomes obsessed with an essay he leaves behind about the Stranger Game, which is an oddly obsessive game about stalking complete strangers.

As her life slowly but surely goes off the rails and she becomes more involved in the game Rebecca loses sight of reality, and with that step also disregards the danger she finds herself in. The fact she is just one of many playing the game floats in the back of her mind, until she comprehends that it also means she is a target. Who is watching her, while she is busy watching others who in turn are watching their own targets? I told you it was messed up stuff that is bound to make anyone paranoid.

The author wades into the dark area of society, wealth and the loneliness that exists between us, despite living in an era of prosperity, diversity and understanding. This plot plays on the theme of loneliness and the way it can define, distort and destroy lives. You can be surrounded by people and still be completely alone. Have a successful career and social life and yet still go home to your house and feel as if you’re the only person on the planet. Feel as if no one cares whether you exist or not. Even if you have a partner or family.

Would this feeling propel you towards a game that guarantees excitement, danger and instant gratification? Even if it means crossing boundaries and committing crimes. In a way this storyline plays right into the fact that our society is willing to do anything to get their kicks. Nothing is too extreme or bizarre.

It’s a dark psychological thriller, an intense and captivating innovative read.

This book was weird, really weird, part thriller part something else - i am not sure where to begin. With such an interesting premise i was so excited to be invited on to the tour for this.



We all people watch in our day to day life dont we, sometimes creating scenrioes in our head or out loud to what the other person is doing, this book takes that concept and turns it into something more sinister.



Rebecca (our main character ) starts to worry when her on off boyfriend of years vanishes, usually he tells her if he is seeing someone else when he has been gone a while. When she reports her concerns to the police - its not taken all too seriously as people are vanishing all over whilst playing the stranger game.



Rebecca finds a document at Ezra (her on/off ex) house explaining the rules, but like most viral things - it has escalated massively with new rules to play.



See - different right? This book was manic, i felt like i was following people, been followed and for the life of me couldnt work out what was happening and that is not a bad thing, i spend alot of time guessing what is happening in books very early on and this certainly kept me guessing.



The concept was unique and i enjoyed seeing how something that was meant to be one thing morphed into something else. Rebecca wasnt the most likeable of characters to me, i found her a bit hard to warm too, and often didnt believe her ( a bit like the police i guess) and i feel like the synopsis places more emphasis on the game in the digital world which i really didnt get - i feel like that bit didnt relate but i get the reference to how something becomes viral.



I really enjoyed following this book through, and it certainly requires concentration to get through it, it isnt a quick easy read but if you are after something that is a different take on a thriller - this could be for you.

The Stranger Game by Peter Gadol is a unique contemporary thriller that will have you questioning at every turn.
What happens when an innocent game gets out of hand? Who are the players? Who is winning? And who is losing? These are all questions running through the reader’s head as we delve deeper into the novel. The lines between them and us blur.
The theme of trust arises. Not everyone is quite as they seem at surface level.
At first you think you are playing alone but then you wonder…
The Stranger Game was a unique concept. I must admit that I did not always follow the action but I clung on to the end – desperate to see if I could predict the outcome. Once again I couldn’t. See if you can – pick up a copy of The Stranger Game today if you dare.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

What an absolutely awful book this was.
There is nothing positive that I can say about this book. I hated it and gave up reading it halfway through

I had high hopes for this book as the idea of the stranger game sounded really interesting. Unfortunately in reality, it was quite mundane and had none of the tension I expected. I didn't feel a great connection to any of the main characters and the plot didn't really seem to be going anywhere even past halfway. I didn't finish the book because of these reasons unfortunately.

This is really interesting read, it's not what you expect it to be at all. As the characters get more and more immersed in the game, you become more and more immersed in them. A really interesting and thought provoking premise - although slightly hard to believe in this social media focused generation that people would be disappearing anywhere without their technology!

Well, the concept of this book sounded intriguing and interesting..a new game is sweeping the internet where people randomly follow other people to get an insight into their lives..they cant interact or follow them more than once and so is all ‘a bit of fun’....sounds intriguing as say but tbh the reality to read is kinda boring....’saw a man in the shop, he was buying bread, followed him home, wonder if he made a sandwich’....etc....I guess to the players it became boring too as then the game ‘spiced up’ a bit when ‘stagers’ could be bought in to act parts....so a man would hire 2 stagers to pretend they were having a fight and the man would ‘randomly’ come across this and follow them with his wife or partner ( who he had set the whole thing up for )...I know! And in the book, at times, it seemed far fetched too..yet just enough ‘well it could happen’ to keep it credible....the Police were involved and ultimately it all goes haywire...
Add to this 3 main soulless characters who I think the author fancied were way more interesting than they were...every nuance and thought of these 3 were described and yet to me all 3 were whimsy and all 3 at one point went missing and seemed to have the luxury ( and means ) to wander off whenever things got too much and saunter back when they wanted
Some sub stories but ultimately none raised more than a passing interest
The writing, to me, was indulgent and more for the author than the reader to engage with but I am
not sure if thats me not used to the style of writing
It was a very different read and one I had no intention of not finishing but although as said was/is intriguing rarely went any further than that

Do you want to play a game?

If the answer is yes,then welcome,good luck but always remember to obey the 3 simple rules....

1 : Choose your subjects at random.
2 : No Contact
3 : Never follow the same stranger twice

Sounds simple doesn't it,the only problem with rules is they are so easily broken. The game starts off as something simple,a fad that suddenly gets bigger than it was and gets out of control. Rules change,boundaries become blurred. Unscrupulous people start using the game to their own advantage,the game becomes more intense,dangerous and people start disappearing.

This strangely,compelling tale is the story of how Rebecca finds herself losing control of her life after she finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into The Stranger Game following the disappearance of her on again - off again boyfriend Ezra. The police are not interested in investigating Ezra`s disappearance,insisting that he is probably off playing the game and Rebecca should just move on with her life. But Detective Martinez does start taking a lot of interest in Rebecca's life,turning up at the same places as Rebecca and calling,asking questions but can she be trusted.Whilst playing the game Rebecca meets and become involved in a very intense relashionship with another player called Carey. Someone who is willing to take the game further than she imagined possible.More than one character is not who they appear to be,can Rebecca really trust Carey and what has happened to Ezra?

This is a very quick read,I read the whole book in one sitting and was very surprised that I got to the end as quickly as I did. I loved the descriptions of the crumbling house on top of the hill. This was a enjoyable,enthralling read that had unreliable characters and some surprising twists and turns.The only part that disappointed me personally was how the story ended,not the whole ending just part of it.This is the first book that I have read by this author and it most definitely will not be my last.

The Stranger Game is a strange book filled with strange characters doing strange things- weirdly compelling and beautifully voyeuristic. 

A fad started by a random essay finds strangers following strangers, imagining stories for them but never interacting. Rebecca's boyfriend vanishes, the police seem uninterested, they think he's off playing this weird game. In order to get into the mindset, Rebecca begins playing too..

What follows is an odd, rambling yet fascinating tale as the game evolves as these things are want to do and it feels like literally everyone is playing. There's a dreamy, off kilter feel to the narrative, meandering on to the final conclusion where who was playing with whom is finally kind of revealed.

I enjoyed the bulk of The Stranger Game, it has a certain something and you find yourself very caught up in Rebecca's obsession. In the obsession that has grown across cities. I found myself imagining it like some weird acid fuelled version of Pokemon Go, with odd slightly mad people knocking around your backyard endlessly searching for a fulfilment that will never perhaps materialise. 

However I wasn't convinced by the ending, which seemed rather low key and dull, as well as being rather a let down - like there was really not much point to any of it. For this reason it didn't *quite* hit the mark for me, huge promise that kind of fizzled out into a standardised resolution. 

Its a good read. But perplexing and not quite what it could have been in my honest opinion.