This had a great premise and while I think I enjoyed it overall, I did ger frustrated with pace of the fist thre quarters.

Across the globe, five strangers receive a horrifying message from an unknown number: '𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑, 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.’

Well holy moly WHAT A BOOK. This had me gripped from the synopsis. Five people across the globe all receive the same message about their loved one being in danger, and the only way to save them is by wining the game.

𝘿𝙀𝘼𝙍 𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙔𝙀𝙍,
𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙎𝙊𝙉 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀 𝙈𝙊𝙎𝙏 𝙄𝙎 𝙄𝙉 𝘿𝘼𝙉𝙂𝙀𝙍.
𝙏𝙊 𝙎𝘼𝙑𝙀 𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙈, 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙈𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙔 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙂𝘼𝙈𝙀.
𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙍𝙐𝙇𝙀𝙎 𝘼𝙍𝙀: 𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙀 𝘾𝘼𝙉 𝙊𝙉𝙇𝙔 𝘽𝙀 𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝙒𝙄𝙉𝙉𝙀𝙍.
𝙄𝙁 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙇𝙊𝙎𝙀, 𝙔𝙊𝙐𝙍 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀𝘿 𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝙒𝙄𝙇𝙇 𝘿𝙄𝙀.
𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙔𝙀𝙍𝙎 𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝘼𝙇𝙊𝙉𝙀.
𝘿𝙊 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝙎𝙃𝘼𝙍𝙀 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙈𝙀𝙎𝙎𝘼𝙂𝙀. 𝘿𝙊 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝙎𝙀𝙀𝙆 𝙃𝙀𝙇𝙋.
𝙒𝙀𝙇𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙀 𝙏𝙊 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙂𝘼𝙈𝙀.
𝙔𝙊𝙐’𝙑𝙀 𝙅𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝙎𝙏𝘼𝙍𝙏𝙀𝘿 𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙔𝙄𝙉𝙂.

This plot was incredible, the writing was incredible, the facing was INCREDIBLE. I cannot fault this book at all. What a debut. If you want a great thriller/psycho-thriller then definitely pick this one up.

Thank you to HQ for having me on the blog tour for this one.

The Game involves 5 players from across the globe who have to take part and succeed in The Game in order to save loved ones that have been abducted.

The chapters are short and each is told from the perspective of one of the players. I found this was reminiscent of John Marrs writing style in The Passengers (which I love) I think this is a good way to move through the plot and get to know the characters; what motivates them, what their secrets are etc. It also gives the book a fast paced feel.

Despite the little clues dotted throughout the story, I didn't piece it all together until the very last few chapters. There were quite a few aha! moments at the end and what an end it is too. No spoilers though.

Overall this is a stunning thriller from beginning to end and I can't believe it is a debut novel. This is certainly an author to look out for.

The format of this book is so gripping. Cycling through the players in order makes it s truly compulsive read! Almost impossible to put down! The text formats and cliff hangers really added tension!

I felt I really knew each of the carefully laid out characters and was very invested!

This was set to be a big 5/5 for me until the ending was revealed! Now I didn’t HATE the twist/ending/reveal, but I didn’t love it… which is why I’ve settled with a 4/5.

Interested to hear other peoples thoughts on this one…

This is a good read. I enjoyed the fact that each chapter is a different player and as you go through we learn more about there home life and why the person that was taken from them has gone and what they may of done to have been asked to be involved I the game. I did not guess the ending so that's a good thing as it was not an obvious ending. It goes at a good pace.

‘WELCOME TO THE GAME - YOU’VE JUST STARTED PLAYING...’

Okay, I’m saying it - The Chain walked so this book could RUN 👏🏻 I wasn’t 100% sure how I felt during the first half - it was quite slow paced initially & there was a lot of focus on building up the backstory of each character which, although interesting, seemed at odds with the premise of the story - buuuut wow, this shit got dark & that ending killed it!

This is perfect if you’re looking for a fun, slow burn thriller with a small cast of perspectives & a wild, twisty climax. I don’t know how realistic the premise actually is but to be honest, it’s enjoyable enough to willingly suspend disbelief! It also managed to weave through some important topics (such as baby loss, sexuality, domestic abuse, race & rape) without being too heavy handed.

Is this one on your radar? ♥️ And what are your fave game-based books?! I personally LOVE this type of story & have a list of related movies as long as my arm buuut aside from Escape Room by Megan Goldin (5 ⭐️) & The Chain by Adrian Mckinty (2 ⭐️) I haven’t found that many!

🇬🇧/🇺🇸 Releases: 12th May

The blurb to this book had me excited to read, the book started of good, follow each player in turn. I don't know if it was the fact I did find time to sit and read so was grabbing a few pages at a time that I lost interest in it.
It seemed like it all happened in the last 10% of the book, it then got a bit confusing for me to follow. I'm giving it a 3 star for now but might give it another go later.

4.5 stars rounded up. This was a very gripping thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. I found the alternating characters and chapters easy to follow and I really enjoyed how parts of the story was told from each viewpoint. It was very unique with loads of twists. The end came together very well. I definitely look forward to reading more by this author.

Think SAW ish and every film where a group of strangers are thrown together to save the lives of the one they love and you are there
The Game starts abruptly for all players and before they have time to really understand they are in a battle for literally everything they hold dear
Told in a John Marr’s style ie 5 characters who all have a chapter each ( reoccurring at first ) that ends on a cliffhanger it gives you time to get to know them all
I had for some reason looked up reviews before starting this ( rarely do ) and very mixed they are too and so wasn’t sure what to expect but for me it was a stunning debut, yes there are flaws, some trigger points for readers ( I skimmed over the ones wanted to ) and the plot at times especially towards the ending maybe did raise an eye but it was entertaining, well written and if you like this kind of thriller you will love it, I couldn’t help but think Netflix the whole way through it, a more ideal 8 parter could not be written….
Give it a try, I cant guarantee you will love it but for me it was an exciting and fast paced read
Without doubt an author with a great career ahead

9/10
5 Stars

This twisty and gritty story is a good debut. Fast paced and gripping, it's a bit confusing at times but it's also a page turner that I couldn't put down.
Good storytelling and plot development.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

For reasons that will become obvious when you read the book this is a NO SPOILER review!

Play the game, or lose a loved one. Simple?!

This is a page-turning thriller. Told in the main from the alternating perspectives of the players the story unfolds jigsaw puzzle style until finally the reader sees.

For a debut novel, characterisation was excellent and I quickly found myself picturing each person and ascribing to them quite detailed attributes. Scene setting too was good although I felt that there were a few points where the author was trying to create a political buzz at the expense of the story. I felt that these were a little unnecessary and detracted from the path of the story.

For me, the weakest part of the story was the ending. Something wasn't quite right for me and I was left with a sense that the author had thought of a great ending but somehow just didn't quite pull it all together with the same adept writing that I'd grown to love over the preceeding chapters. This left a couple of holes and a feeling of "ummm".

Don't, however, let that put you off reading what is a great, modern, debut. Sit down with a couple of hours, get comfortable, and be prepared to lose yourself.

Well... this was a little different from what I was expecting but, at the end of the day, well, by the final page, I have to say it really worked. Quite brave for a debut book too...
So... we follow five strangers as they receive messages informing them that their loved ones are in danger and that they have to follow certain rules in order to play a game to save them. Five strangers who are spread across the globe, from all walks of life, different nationalities. Initially there is nothing to connect them.
And that's really all I want to say about the plot cos I think it is one of those books where it is so much better to go in as blind as you can so you can ooo and aaah at all the twists and turns along the way. Where you can spend a while in the dark, in complete confusion, and then have the light turn on and gasp as realisation hits. I think that it is in this that the author really excels.
Characterisation is tricky without giving much away but, as already mentioned, the five main characters are all a bit of an eclectic mix. They all react to what is happening in different ways, some more able to cope than others, but all find that extra strength, in some way.
Plotting is good and, as already mentioned, kept me on my toes throughout. Dragging me in at the start, holding me captive throughout, spitting me out at the end exhausted but satisfied.
All in all, an engaging and exciting thriller that, although a wee bit rough round the edges, ticked most of the boxes I need to make a thriller a god read. I wonder what the author has in store for his follow up book. Quite excited to find out. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

"It is a place she dreads, a dreamscape from her worst nightmares, a setting that taps into the fundamental terrors of every parent alive, particularly those in the northwest of England.
The moors.
More precisely, the outskirts of Saddleworth Moor, that vast, ghostly panorama of blanket bog, wild heather and lost, murdered children."

I found The Game to be a pretty much perfect thriller. The worldbuilding, pacing, characterisation, plot and prose were all absolutely top quality. It's easily one of the best books I've read in years. The only thing that let it down slightly was the political narrative which has the potential to needlessly alienate a large proportion of readers. Nevertheless, I'll be picking up this author's future books without hesitation.

I have loved reading this book and I have been telling everyone about it!
It was a little confusing at first but you soon get used to the player 1, player 2 etc
Full of things you don't see coming and twusts and turns in the story.
I would recommend
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion

4/5 • The Game by Scott Kershaw

• no spoiler review •

This is a dark, gritty story, about five strangers who are forced to play “the game” in order to save the lives of their loved ones. This book honestly felt like a jigsaw puzzle, slowly being handed pieces until you suddenly realise you’ve got the full picture, and what a dark picture that is. This was absolutely gripping, I felt truly connected to every character in this story, feeling their pain, their grief, their struggles. I think it could be a little difficult to follow if read over a longer period of time, as there is five main characters and even more viewpoints explored throughout, but this book was impossible for me to put down so that wasn’t a problem. This should be a must-read for any fan of mystery/crime/thriller types.

A twisty thriller that will draw you into The Game and have your tummy somersaulting as each player frantically tries to vomolete the instructions to save their loved one. The Game will uncover secrets and past deeds as each player faces their past.

Very dark, compelling and a quick read. There are definitely topics in here that aren’t an easy read but overall it was an ok book.

Thanks Netgalley for an advanced copy of this one.
The blurb for this sounded so much like a 5 star read for me. All the tension, suspence, mystery goodness I love to read. This however was not it for me. It took me forever to get into the story. We are following 5 players and I get we need to hear their story's and get to know them, but it felt quite repetitive for me. We went through the first text 5 times over. Then we had the parts where the mums were worrying about their kids going missing. This hit hard for me as a mum of 2 and preyed on all my fears. It was honestly like a horror at times.
It took til the 60% mark for it to really ramp up and get to the good stuff for me. I started to get really into it.
But those last few scenes in Scotland? This is where the book let me down. I can't give spoilers but there is a massive hole where an answer should be and I'm so annoyed! It was a 3 star but because of that big unanswered question literally keeping me up that night, it's dropped to a 2. 5! Gutted!
#thegame #netgalley

Thanks to netgalley for the arc ebook.
This is one hell of a wild ride! The multiple characters are interesting, and the short chapters keep an exhilarating pace. The ending was unexpected, I'd have just liked a little something more from it.

I was initially completely sold by the blurb of this book. It sounded like a cross between squid game and Saw and I was intrigued. I was however a bit nervous when I found out that this was a debut novel as it sounded quite complex and I hoped it would be as good as the plot sounded.

The book is written in alternating points of view, largely between the five players of the game. The chapters are short which builds up tension but I struggled to keep track of who was who for the first couple of rounds of chapters but the character development was good so this very quickly changed.

The plot was clever and well thought out and I did not put two and two together to get the link between the players so it was nice to be surprised. The ending was okay but could have been a little stronger but overall I’d still recommend if you enjoy thrillers and fancy something a bit different.