I liked the start of this one but then I got kind of bored with it. I loved the puzzles tho it was a fun read.

it was a solid read for me. As a puzzles fan I wanted to love it but didn't really get fully into the puzzle aspectt or found that I could fully imagine the world. But I loved the characters and the story was good.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Contest starts with child prodigy Gillian Charles navigating the obstacles of Miscellany’s Wonkaesque prize puzzle course, which promises a huge reward for the winners and the knowledge that all of their hard work, dedication and innate skill is not enough for those that come in behind first place. It’s a tough lesson for a child to learn under the eyes of family, idol and the general public.

The story really starts when we meet adult Gillian, struggling to keep the fraying ends of her life together and powered only by bitterness and a stubborn determination not to let the world see her fail (again). Then one of her fellow prodigies turns up with a job offer that would allow her to not only taste the life she could have had if her Miscellany dreams had come true but the chance to protect future Charlie Buckets and Gillian Charleses who might see their potential unfairly shattered against Miscellany’s maze walls. And the only drawback is she has to go back to what she desperately wanted and lost, and face the people who knew her back then as the woman she is now.

Far from a childhood chocolate factory romp, this book presents a mature, adult look at the effect of such competitions and challenges on children – for good and for bad – in the form of a slow-paced and personal-growth centred thriller. Gillian does investigate the mysteries at the heart of Miscellany, but the focus of the story is more about her inner investigation, as she grapples with her feelings about the competition and how it shaped her life to the current point.

As a fellow puzzle-lover, it was fascinating to see all the different challenges contestants faced and how they fit into the later mystery narrative as Gillian attempts to solve the clues she uncovers. And there are plenty of puzzles everywhere – every conversation is cryptic, guarded and potentially leading her (or pushing her) where others want her to go. In fact, I started to feel like every character was suspect and that they were all playing some complicated game of 3D multi-person chess, with Gillian as everyone’s pawn. Even her friendships are dysfunctional and give off the opposite of ‘found family’ vibes!

Mostly, though, this is a suspenseful and cerebral mystery with a really clever central premise – how would Charlie Bucket have gone back to normal life had he lost the Chocolate Factory at that final hurdle? – and the exploration through the characters of the adult childhood competitors is realistically drawn and raises interesting ethical dilemmas, all leading to the ultimate moral quandary in the finale.

Lovers of long-term strategic puzzle-solving and pursuits such as chess will enjoy the atmosphere of this unique mystery, and it serves as a warning for anyone who ever dreamed of living the Disney- or Willy Wonka Golden Ticket winner life!

In this book, we follow Gillian, a former child prodigy who is now eking out a living doing odd jobs. Her former rival Tommy seeks her out and offers to pay her to come to Miscellany, a puzzle theme park designed and run by genius puzzlemaker Sebastian, to discover who is helping children cheat during puzzle competitions.

This book started out really strong, I loved the puzzle element and enjoyed the flashbacks of Gillian and Tommy competing for Sebastian when they were younger, with Ready Player One vibes. However, as the story developed, it moved on to more interpersonal elements which I found less interesting. I think this would appeal more to those who enjoy cosy crime and drama rather than puzzles.

A recommended read for fans of Ready Player One and The Queen's Gambit.

Thank you to Netgalley and Datura books for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was described as a cosy crime but, for me, it didn't really fit the bill on either front.

I struggled to really fully connect with the book or the characters. While there were no major issues with the book, I kept waiting to be really gripped by the story and it just never really happened.

Dnf’ed at 40%. I’d normally not give a star rating for a book I haven’t finished but NetGalley won’t accept a submitted review without one and three stars for me are a positive rating.

Unfortunately I could not connect to this book at all.
I was very intrigued by the premise and the first chapter seemed off to a good start. But pacing keeps stuttering - tensions rise and break because of meandering details or puzzles that I expected to enjoy and ended up not cause they bogged down the narrative - and I could not connect to the protag as the story went on. Her inner monologue rubbed me wrong for some reason on more than one occasion as well. I won’t go as far as saying Men Writing Women(tm) but a bit too close to it for comfort.

Might give it another go in a future but, as it is, I’m sorry to say I had to stop.

Thank you to Datura for this review copy, I’m sorry this time it wasn’t a match!

I enjoyed this thrilling novel. Set in the world of competitive puzzling, the story centres around what it means to win and lose. There’s conspiracy, intrigue, and opportunity for second chances. The narrative is a real rollercoaster, featuring wonderful descriptions of the puzzling world as an amusement park, with the premise of developing children’s minds, skills, and abilities to achieve their dreams. However, all is not bright and shiny; darker dealings are afoot. Gillian, a fantastic protagonist, is tasked with uncovering a mystery. As a child puzzle protégée herself, she has a history with the puzzle park’s creator, who is a larger-than-life character. The story is engaging and kept me on my toes until the end.

Thank you, Netgalley, the publisher and author, for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Gillian Charles lost 'The Contest' as a child for doing the right thing, she decided to reject her love of puzzles & logic games. Now an adult & barely making ends meet, Gillian lives in LA & her sick mother is facing eviction from her care facility, so when the winner of the childhood competition & now head of the company behind the world famous Contest, Tommy, turns up with an offer of $50,000 Gillian can't say no. Tommy wants her to investigate a possible scandal - he thinks that someone is leaking the answers to the next big game - & they can't afford the bad publicity. Now she finds herself back at Miscellany a theme park set around puzzles where she swore she'd never go. When Gillian arrives, she realises that the other 3 former contestants all work there in some capacity or other, she was the only one who walked away. She begins to investigate the allegations but then Tommy disappears.....

This started off really strongly with the original Contest - personally I love logic puzzles so the beginning really grabbed my attention. After that though, the pace slowed a little & the storyline got a little bogged down with interpersonal relationships & past friendships rather than concentrating on the puzzles & the mystery. Gillian was also forever second-guessing herself but apart from that she was quite a sympathetic main character. I wasn't a fan of the ending though - unless there is going to be a sequel it was rather unsatisfying. 3.25 stars (rounded down) - it was enjoyable but I think it could have been outstanding with a little more work.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Datura Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

I'm a board game and video game lover so this book was right up my alley. It was very gripping and kept my attention throughout.

I'm DNFing at 10% (two chapters in). I don't like the writing style, which made it a slow read for me. However, I did like the puzzles in the first chapter. It could be a great book for the right audience.

This was such a fascinating premise! A wild playground, puzzles, competition but with a sinister angle.

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

We have a woman who years early lost a competition that she felt she was cheated out of. She has spent her life avoiding anything to do with the competition since. However to pay for her mother’s care she must return to the fold. She’s convinced to return by the kid who beat her, now an adult and working for the competition. The more she gets back involved the more she realises something isn’t right and she starts to uncover nefarious intentions.

I really loved the idea of the competition and the world built around this, the parks, the puzzles and the drive for giving children access to this immersive world. I would have gladly seen more of this particularly around the puzzles they solve as part of the competition. This was fascinating and such a rich part of the story. The trauma that this caused the main character too and how this rocked her foundations, leaving her with long-lasting issues was really interesting. We see her reluctance to get back involved juxtaposed with her need for the money to support her mother who is in dire circumstances.

We see how she’s tried to shape an identity outside of the competition but how it has coloured her decisions and relationships. Her difficulty connecting and the frictions with her family. This was an interesting look at what a significant impact these types of competitions can have on children and the long lasting ramifications of this sort of pressure and disappointment.

I found this a really interesting and compelling read.

Many thanks to Datura Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of the contest.

I found this tricky to get into at first as it set the scene on the dynamic between all of the characters.

The pace really picked up towards the middle and I was especially gripped, and that pace continued until the end, which I feel tied up the story really nicely.

A great mystery which is perfect for puzzle lovers!