These Deadly Games

Crystal Reed's sister has been kidnapped, and a mysterious stalker forces Crystal to play a dangerous game to get her back. The stalker sends Crystal a series of tasks to complete within 24 hours, threatening to harm her sister if Crystal fails or tells anyone what's happening. Crystal must navigate her normal high school life while secretly completing increasingly sinister challenges from the kidnapper. Her relationships with friends, family, and her gaming team become strained as she tries to handle the situation alone. The story moves between Crystal's efforts to save her sister and flashbacks that reveal the events leading up to the kidnapping. As time runs out, Crystal realizes the kidnapper's connection to her own past and must confront hard truths about loyalty and trust. This YA thriller examines themes of sisterly bonds, the impact of social media, and the blurred lines between online and real-world relationships. The gaming community backdrop adds complexity to questions about identity and connection in the digital age.

Readers found this YA thriller fast-paced with creative use of gaming elements and social media integration. Many noted they finished it in one or two sittings due to the short chapters and constant suspense. Liked: - Authentic portrayal of gaming culture and Discord interactions - Multiple red herrings that kept readers guessing - Strong sibling relationship between protagonist and her sister - Quick pacing and short chapters Disliked: - Several readers felt the protagonist made frustrating decisions - Some found the villain's motivation unconvincing - A portion of readers thought the ending wrapped up too neatly - Multiple mentions that the gaming terminology explanations felt forced Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (13,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (1,100+ ratings) StoryGraph: 3.75/5 "The gaming aspects were well-researched and felt genuine" - Goodreads reviewer "Too many questionable choices by the main character" - Amazon reviewer "Perfect for fans of Karen McManus" - StoryGraph review

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus A group of high school students become suspects in their classmate's murder when he dies after threatening to reveal their darkest secrets on social media.

You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus Three former friends skip school and find themselves at a crime scene where they uncover dangerous secrets about each other while trying to solve a murder.

All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban Six students are trapped in a room with a bomb, a syringe of poison, and instructions to kill one person within an hour or they all die.

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender A teenage girl inherits an abandoned asylum, dies within its walls, and must solve the mystery of her death while protecting others from the building's malevolent forces.

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus A new student arrives in a small town where homecoming queens keep getting murdered, and she must uncover the killer before becoming the next victim.

🎮 The author, Diana Urban, drew inspiration from her own experiences as a competitive gamer when crafting the gaming elements in the story. 🎯 The book tackles themes of cyberbullying and online safety, which were influenced by Urban's work in the tech industry and digital marketing. 📱 The story's premise of a deadly scavenger hunt controlled through a smartphone app reflects real-world concerns about technology being used for malicious purposes. 🏆 Diana Urban wrote the entire first draft of "These Deadly Games" during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). 🔍 The novel incorporates elements of both psychological thrillers and tech noir, a subgenre that explores dark themes in a technology-driven world.