A twisty, heart-pounding story of betrayal, buried secrets and a hidden past unraveling as a high-stakes and deadly game seeps into reality. Kelsea Yu deftly weaves in the exploration of found family, love, and the Asian diaspora experience between layers of action, suspense, and revelations in this propulsive thriller.” —Amélie Wen Zhao, New York Times bestselling author of the Song of the Last Kingdom duology
“Kelsea Yu's gripping debut combines pulse-pounding, life or death stakes with fully-realized characters, an immersive setting, and the sweet, life-sustaining bonds of found family. Not to be missed!” —Kit Frick, author of I Killed Zoe Spanos and The Reunion
“An absolute thrill ride from start to finish, Kelsea Yu's debut marks the arrival of one of my favorite new Young Adult authors. Between the twists you don't see coming and the characters you want to hug, it's not just a story about games and murder... but about facing your past and fighting for the people you love. Unputdownable.” —Eric Smith, author of Don't Read the Comments
“A twisty high-stakes mystery where an online game turns deadly, IT'S ONLY A GAME expertly reveals secrets that blur the line between the game and reality to rivet the reader from start to finish. A fabulous new addition to the young adult thriller canon!” —Katie Zhao, author of HOW WE FALL APART and THE LIES WE TELL
“Heaps of fun and with breakneck pacing, It's Only a Game is an exhilarating read that teens will inhale-especially the gamers!” —Diana Urban, award-winning author of All Your Twisted Secrets
“Absolutely gripping - like the very best video game, I found this impossible to put down!” —Katrina Leno, author of You Must Not Miss and Horrid
“Kelsea Yu's gripping YA debut is full of unexpected twists and features monsters lurking in every corner, from on-screen to real life. It's Only a Game carefully balances fast-paced action and heartfelt, blossoming relationships for a thrilling ride that starts from page one and never lets up.” —Catherine Yu, author of Direwood
“With a protagonist you can't help but root for, IT'S ONLY A GAME keeps the twists coming! Yu keeps you guessing in the best of ways, with likable characters, fully-realized settings, and surprises behind surprises. The perfect read for anyone who likes psychological games...” —Wendy Heard, author of She's Too Pretty To Burn
“[A] page-turning thrill ride . . . Unputdownable.” —School Library Journal
“Yu anchors this whirlwind debut with a smart, courageous, loyal, and caring heroine who easily earns the trust of friends and readers alike.” —Publishers Weekly
“This layered debut has propulsive momentum with effective cliffhangers and twists threaded throughout.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Flashbacks from Marina's secluded past with her mother provide clues to the present situation, although any such clues are no match in complexity for Yu's plot twists and turns. Marina faces hard challenges and mind-blowing revelations, as her timidity turns to the courage needed to do what she needs to do.” —Booklist
06/01/2024
Gr 9 Up—Four friends who play an online game are pulled into a devious plot by a nefarious avatar who threatens to destroy their lives if they don't play along. Night (Marina), Dread (Andrew), Rock (Rajesh), and Syl (Tamyra)—most of the book uses nicknames based on their game usernames—are touring the Seattle headquarters of Apocalypta, creators of the Darkitect multiplayer online role-playing game, when the company's founder, Ethan, is murdered. Alone in the building, they find envelopes in his pocket that detail what will happen if they don't play new levels of Darkitect—levels that require them to complete real-life tasks, including break-ins, research, and interviews with people connected to Ethan. The tight narrative is told from 15-year-old Marina's point-of-view with flashbacks to her childhood with a mother who isolated and abused her (some of which is harrowing); following a period of being unhoused, she now sleeps in the back office of the restaurant where she works. With hacking and breaking into office buildings, some suspension of disbelief is required, but readers won't mind because it's a page-turning thrill ride as Yu slowly reveals who the mysterious, all-knowing game-maker Cíx is and what she wants with the group—particularly Marina. Marina is Chinese American, Dread has pale skin, Syl has dark skin, and Rock is British Indian; there is gay and trans representation. VERDICT Unputdownable. Readers of thrillers, such as Kathryn Foxfield's Tag, You're Dead, will enjoy this debut, as will video game aficionados.—Amanda Mastrull
2024-04-20
A video game with deadly consequences comes to life.
Darkitect is an online role-playing game that allows players to design their own levels. Chinese American 15-year-old Marina Chan met Dread, Rock, and Syl while playing. As an intern with Apocalypta Games, the company behind Darkitect, Dread arranges a tour of the Seattle headquarters for his friends. Marina is nervous to meet them offline for the first time—it doesn’t help that she’s reticent about her past and is secretly on the run. But who is she hiding from? Apocalypta CEO Ethan Wainwright leads the tour, and the group discusses the possible identity of Cíxǐ, a mysterious Darkitect player who’s been having the four friends beta-test her latest levels. But the tour ends on a shocking note when Wainwright is shot, and the friends are plunged into a ruthless game: If they don’t play, they’ll be charged with his murder. Brief, interspersed vignettes beginning 10 years earlier satisfyingly converge as they offer insight into a deranged, torturous relationship between a mother and daughter. More than a by-the-numbers thriller, this layered debut has propulsive momentum with effective cliffhangers and twists threaded throughout. Through a graceful depiction of Marina’s survival on the streets, Yu offers a reminder to be compassionate toward unhoused people.
Cleverly designed gameplay blended with strong pacing. (Thriller. 14-18)
