“The rules are simple. To save their life, you have to play.”
What would you do if one day your phone buzzed and you were presented with a series of demands? Now, what would you do if your phone buzzed with those same demands and you were told if you didn’t follow them to the letter, the person you loved most in this world would be killed? Welcome to the premise that makes up Scott Kershaw’s 2022 thriller The Game. Join us here at What We Reading as we put Kershaw’s debut novel under the spotlight with our The Game book review!
Date Published: 2022
Author: Scott Kershaw
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Goodreads Rating: 3.58/5
Premise
Five strangers, all seemingly unconnected and scattered across the globe, suddenly find their most treasured loved one has been kidnapped. They then receive a text message from an unknown number telling them that in order to save them, they must all play ‘The Game’. Going to the police or not following the instructions of The Game will result in their loved one dying.
Readers follow all five players as they are forced to hastily scramble across the planet, converging at the same meeting point. Each character has their own hidden secrets, however, and watching the different dynamics forming whilst also uncovering more and more of the nature of The Game makes this an absolute thrill ride.
What Worked
Off the bat, this book is seriously fast-paced. In the absolute best way. The pacing in which Kershaw tells this story really fits the frantic premise, especially in the first half or so of the book and really makes the high-stakes odds feel that much more authentic.
And what a premise that is for a hook. It’s something so genuinely chilling that every reader can relate to it, and on more than one occasion we found ourselves questioning what we would do or how we would act if we found ourselves in the characters’ position.
On the characters, all of them were likeable to follow and made for compelling storytellers. Not all of them do things that make them the most endearing, but that only makes them more interesting and their relationships with the others around them that bit more nuanced. All of them had their moments to show off their resourcefulness and capabilities, though Maggie and Noah shone through the most for us. They had the toughest odds to overcome and, without spoilers, the lengths they went to across The Game were exhilarating.
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Check out our book review of The Stranger by Harlan Coben
What Didn’t
We like to steer clear of spoilers at What We Reading so, again without giving too much away, this is an extremely melancholic read without too many happy endings to speak of. And whilst we adore those types of stories when they’re done the right way, some readers may not enjoy just how little there is in the way of redemptive arcs.
There are also a couple of nitpick-worthy holes to be found in how things are wrapped following the book’s conclusion.
If we were to pick out one bone for contention, it would be the final 25% or so. The final ‘showdown’ as it was felt a little confusing in terms of pacing, especially against how everything up until then had flowed extremely smoothly.
Verdict
Usually, books like this tend to go all gun-ho on the thrills and spills involved with their ghoulish premise without too much thought for the characters or revelations layered inside. That is not the case with The Game. The final third of the book seemed to be housing gut-wrenching twist after gut-wrenching twist, with even the ones where you had a pretty clear idea of what was about to be revealed still making it feel like you were being punched in the stomach.
We’ve just come off a binge of The Last of Us, so maybe that hopelessness vibe is what we’re into at the moment, but it really did strike a tune with us.
Overall though, this was a really well-balanced and executed thriller. The characters were all fleshed out and stood as unique individuals, and the dynamics that broke out amongst them have immense potential for other books that want to go off of a similar premise. There’s definitely room for a sequel to The Game too so, if you fancy it Scott Kershaw, we certainly wouldn’t complain!
Our Rating: 3.5/5
Looking for more psychological thrillers? Check out our Happy New Year Book Review!
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
