There are plenty of things that drew me to this book, the log line being one of them; "to save their life, you have to play". What's not to love about that. Straight away, this book was giving me the same vibes as the Saw and Escape Room film franchise's, which was an instant win for me, I knew I would love the book. For a debut novel, I can only commend Kershaw for writing such a compelling piece that kept my constant attention. The chapters were short enough for me to fly through the entire book in about four days, which is something I tend to seek out in books I want to read, but it's not always a requirement, just a bonus. Another thing that I liked about this book was how the books followed the five main characters from their perspective. There are not a lot of books that I can think of that do this, but I love it whenever I come across it. I would highly recommend The Game to anyone who wants a tense read that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

(Will update with blog and social media links when live.)

The Game is a high-octane unique thriller by Scott Kershaw.

It follows what seems a simple premises. 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.

I was intrigued by this premise. It gave me a sort of vibe of the movies Would You Rather? Or Saw and perhaps with a hint of Battle Royale. Unfortunately in some parts I felt it lacked a little for me. The suspense is fantastic, although it can get a little dark at times but I expect that. Unfortunately, the pacing got to me a little – there were a lot of points of view and jumping between past and present that sometimes jarred you out of the story. It also hit one of the down markers for me by potentially using animal death/cruelty for shock-value. It was obvious it was going to happen, I mentally called it as soon as the dog was introduced but it seemed unnecessary.

I also found the reveal at the end a little….lacking. It didn’t make a lot of sense, or rather there was no real explanation of how the person in charge of The Game could have managed to pull everything off they had. I realise we as readers are sometimes meant to invoke a suspension of disbelief when reading and while the person's motivation did make sense the execution just seemed unbelievable, especially given such a short period of time to set everything up. Again it jarred me from the book. The ending for that character was somewhat fitting but again – they seemed to ultimately get away with everything and it was almost as if the actions and consequences of The Game are just forgotten.

I had hoped to get more closure and more focus on the idea of consent and the growing issues surrounding the internet, pornography and punishment for those who stay silent or do not help when they can but it seemed to lack a little. It’s a shame since the writing is good but I felt some of it was more shock value i.e. killing the dog, some of the darker aspects rather than building to the plot as a whole

Thank you though to netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

The Game - Scott Kershaw

Publication Date: 12/05/22

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“The person you love most is in danger. If you lose, your loved one will die. Welcome to the game, you’ve just started playing.” Five seemingly random strangers from across the globe have their worlds shattered when their loved ones are kidnapped. How far would a normal person go to save someone they really love?

I had this book recommended via an email from NetGalley and with one look at the cover knew I had to request it! I actually had to bump this up my TBR pile because of all the growing hype. Scott has absolutely defined what a psychological thriller is with The Game. Each chapter is split into a players perspective and personal journey, with the players eventually coming together as a collective. As it neared the end I was still questioning how everyone was still actually playing the game, how the game had been created and how the underlying storyline would tie into it. Couldn’t have spotted the plot twisting ending if I’d tried any harder! Read within one sitting and would happily read it again.

A fast paced, easily devoured thriller, that leaves you unable to put it down. Huge thanks for NetGalley and HQ Books for the ARC, and to Scott Kershaw for writing this thrilling book.

The game...5 participants who will wish they had never been chosen to take part. 5 strangers are brought together to take part in a game where they all have something to lose. This book sucked me in straight away and while I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable I was rooting for them all. Brilliantly written the ending totally surprised me, how they were all linked and who was behind this game I had not figured out.
On the whole I really enjoyed it and feel one of the characters stories is not over yet, could there be a sequel in the making?

5 strangers receive instructions to play a game following their loved ones being kidnapped. The only way to get them back is not just to plsy, but to win. The odds are on and survival of the fittest. The 5 strangers meet after travelling from all over the world to following the game instructions received.
The story is told from the 5 players perspective and later flashbacks from previous players. A gripping read with an unusual twist, which is hard to see coming.
Well done Scott Kerehaw on a fantastic debut novel, looking forward to reading more!

This was the authors debut novel and what a triumph!

6 random people all over the world get a text telling them they are in ‘the game’ and that they must compete or a loved one will die. You follow each player as they scramble to make their way to a specific location before the timer runs out. Each character has a flaw, and as the story develops I found myself only routing for certain players.

As you read the story you find out about the pre game, the start of all of this. Does this pre game hold the clues as to why these six players have been chosen?

It’s not until the end of the book do you find out the reason why these characters have been chosen. This was a shocking turn of events, and one I didn’t guess!

I will happily read any further books from this author, the surprise ending alone was enough to make me want to read more!

What would you do to save the life of the person you love the most? Five ordinary people have their lives turned upside down in an instant, a loved one taken, a child, a lover, a best friend. The moment that follows the discovery of the missing loved one is followed by a text from an unknown number. The person they love is in danger. In order to save them they have to play The Game. Play by the rules or else their loved one will die. And there can be only one winner.

With no information on what the game is, and no further information other than a location to travel two, the five people rush to get to the location before the timer counts down. They are scattered across Europe and America, so it is literally a race against the clock. As the story unfolds we learn more about each person, who they are, and what has caused them to be in this situation.

When our five players all finally meet up, they are highly suspicious of one another. Yet The Game keeps them on their toes, and keeps them engaged in playing, so they have to keep moving forward as a group. From one situation to another, with no time to think, they charge onwards. What they do realise is they are being watched. Their every move being tracked, and whoever has masterminded the game knows everything about them, down to the minute details. So who will come out on top of this all, and win The Game?

I quite enjoyed this book, I felt like it had many of the psychological elements of Squid Game, building mounting pressure, keeping the players off kilter, moving, with no time to think and reflect. Playing on their fear as partners and parents, and knowing every detail about them to show the power of the upper hand over them. I would have liked to see more of ‘The Game’ element however, as it was so hyped up through the book, yet not much came to fruition on it. The character backstories were a little lacking in places, with gaps at times, and even for a work of fiction, some huge leaps in faith of how things were achieved, or what the full backstory was to something or someone.

Overall though, this was a fast paced, gripping read with an excellent and genuinely unexpected twist at the end.

*I received this copy from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

This book was fantastic - I cannot believe it is Kershaw’s debut novel. This is a brilliant, gripping novel and I was hooked from the very start, following the journey of 5 strangers as they tried to save the ones they love. I would recommend this book to everyone, it really is brilliant, filled with gut-wrenching decisions and unexpected twists to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I really enjoyed how the book makes you think constantly, not only to appreciate what is going on, but also about how you would act in that situation - the moral question of how far would you go to protect someone you love is always just under the surface, making this novel scarily relatable.

I cannot wait to read it for a second time now I know about The Game, and enjoy it all over again.

1.5⭐️

Going to be quite harsh with this review. Absolutely loved the concept of this book but the execution is just so bad and disappointing.

- Too many characters to follow and also you don’t feel truly invested in any of them. And for some irrelevant characters too.
- Narrative jumps around all over the place, present and past.
- Confusing storyline, again not helped by the above points.
- The first half of the book you’re just building up waiting for the game to start and when it does it’s so anticlimactic. I would’ve liked more of the game elements.
- The plot twist legit came out of no where, which was good to be unexpected, but also so off for me it wasn’t believable at all. I also felt there wasn’t enough explanation or background given to Benishek and how this illegal porn empire started.
- Its so unbelievable that Linda has been able to orchestrate this? With what money, connections, and within a few weeks of her daughter’s death? I just think it’s so far fetched it really took me out of it. I know she’s ex police, but still.
- Ending was so lacking, didn’t explain what happened to Noah or Brett’s gf?
- Some of this is so so dark and disturbing to read.
- I found the comments on the internet, porn, consent and paying for online content interesting and wish this had been a heavier focus.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this to review.

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I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. 5 people are drawn into The Game that none of them wanted to play. They are all playing so their loved ones won’t be the one that dies. I really enjoyed the individual stories of the characters in the lead up to The Game. When the game started I started to lose interest and also found that I was getting the female characters confused in my mind. I had to keep going back and reminding myself who was who.

Five ordinary people receive a strange text message informing them that the person they love the most has been kidnapped, the only way they can ensure their safe release is to play the game. Unfortunately there is no explanation as to what the game is and there can only be one winner. Contacting the police or telling anyone will result in the death of their loved one.

The story begins very quickly, introducing the five characters who are selected to play "The Game". The people are total strangers, spread across America and Europe. Initially only the first character is threatened but as the story progresses and we learn more about each person, their threats are gradually unveiled.

The idea of having to do whatever a stranger says to save a loved one really taps into your primal fear, you can almost feel the panic each character must feel. Technology and social media are heavily featured, making you realise how easy it must be to track people and find out about their background. Since technology is used within the story to spy on the characters it makes the reader feel like a voyeur.

I did expect more action as "The Game" developed, however the lack of action meant that we could see the tensions that arose when the five characters were forced to work together, knowing that they had all been told that there could only be one winner. Could they trust each other?

The timeline isn't linear so the reader is kept in suspense until the very end, there are no clues to what "The Game" is and what the outcome will be.

I absolutely reccomend this book. A fantastic plot that was a real page Turner. I read it in one weekend. Fab ending as well.

A great book. I love a book that’s written from the point of view of many characters; formats like that keep the pages turning because every chapter is different.

Really enjoyed this one. Liked the pace of the narrative. The characters were flawed and interesting, The plot was fast paced and in a strange way you could see how this sort of thing could happen in these days of social media and mobile phones.
Twist I didn’t see coming at the end too. Would recommend.

A great book, which really kept me hooked. I was grabbed from the start, wanting to read on for hours.

WELCOME TO THE GAME. YOU’VE JUST STARTED PLAYING.….. WOW... What A Ride!... blew me away… The narrative grabs the reader by the throat and doesn't let you breathe until the end… I read this book in one sitting. I stayed up until midnight devouring the action A unique story.

This thriller gets going from the very first chapter, a missing child and a menacing text message. I loved the idea of this book, out of the blue five people have their lives turned upside down, they are put in situations they never thought possible and act in ways they never believed they could.
The style of this book makes it an easy read. each player is introduced to us through their own chapter which I really like, it makes it more readable and allows you to get to know them better. Although I would have liked to have known a bit more about the characters backgrounds, I never felt as if I knew enough to get behind them.
The players are gathered from around the globe via text messages, all complete strangers, nobody knows what the game is, what the rules are or who they can trust yet somehow, they form a connection.
There are unfortunately a few plot holes throughout and you need to suspend belief on a few things but it is still a very enjoyable story, fast paced, tense with lots of twists and turns. I don’t want to give anything away but I did have to go back and re-read chapters after I had finished it because Kershaw pulled a masterstroke at the end!
It is definitely a thought-provoking novel; I mean do any of us really know how far we would go to save the ones we love?

The idea behind the book was brilliant but I just feel that the author didn’t quite manage to follow through with the promise made by the blurb, that said it was still an enjoyable read

I enjoyed this read after being hooked by the blurb and I finished it quickly because I had to know what happened.
I enjoyed that each chapter was from a different character's viewpoint and I found it was a well paced story, ramping up the tension so I felt on edge too along with the players.
I liked some of the characters (Maggie, Linda and Noah), but Sarah & Brett not so much.
I didn't expect the story to be linked how it was, I didn't predict that at all, my only disappointment was that I felt the ending was a bit rushed after all the build up, and I'm not sure if Jackson's adoption added much to the story.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eARC in return for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book, it grabs you in right from the beginning.
A group of people have had loved ones kidnapped and they need to follow the rules that are sent to them via burner phones, they come from different countries but end up firstly in England to get their next institutions.
A thrilling book and one I would definitely recommend