Review: It's Only a Game

 

Marina's meets her online best friends for the first time. They's been playing video games together for a while, but they're happy to finally meet. 

They're getting an exclusive tour of a video gaming company. Marina doesn't take many chances. She's worried that someone might discover her true identity and her past. But this is too good of an opportunity to miss.

But it might have been better if she did. The tour sets up a horrific "game" for Marina and her three friends. When the owner of the video game company is murdered in front of them, they're given an option. Play the game or terrible consequences will happen to someone they care about. The person in charge has uncovered all their secrets. 

Now the four friends scramble to beat the game and try to uncover who is setting them up. Marina knows more than she's sharing. She's never been good at trusting people. This game could ruin everything.

My Thoughts: This debut novel knocks it out of the park. There's so much in this book - action, danger, secrets, and betrayals. There's an adorable dog. The timeline jumps between present day and Marina's childhood. I felt badly for Marina and all that she went through - I just wanted to give her a hug. The villain in this story is impressively evil. I enjoyed the moments of research and the moments of playing video games. I devoured this book - I couldn't wait to see how it all played out. 

Cover Thoughts: Perfect

Source: ARC sent for review

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your school and public library's collection. Hand this out to fans of video games and thrillers