The Assassin Game

by Kirsty McKay

Overview

It was just a game...until it wasn't. Will Cate discover the assassin before it's too late? Perfect for fans of teen mystery books!

TAG. You're It...

At Cate's isolated boarding school Killer is more than a game—it's an elite secret society. Members must avoid being "killed" during a series of thrilling pranks—and only the Game Master knows who the "killer" is. When Cate's finally invited to join The Guild of Assassins, she thinks it's her ticket to finally feeling like she belongs.

But when the game becomes all too real, the school threatens to shut it down. Cate will do anything to keep playing and save The Guild. But can she find the real assassin—before she's the next target?

"An intriguing, tightly wound mystery. The game is on!" —Hannah Jayne, author of Truly, Madly, Deadly and Twisted

Perfect for those looking for:

• Teen books for girls ages 11–14
• Secret societies in fiction
• Psychological thrillers

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492632757
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	08/02/2016
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	209,987
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	HL690L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Kirsty is a former actress, and has written children's plays for commercial theatre. In 2008, she won SCBWI's competition to find new writers. She was born in the UK, but now lives in Boston, USA, with her husband and daughter. Visit kirstymckay.com for more.

Editorial Reviews

05/30/2016
Umfraville Hall, an exclusive boarding school on the windswept Welsh island of Skola, is an ideal setting for a mystery that takes a few cues from Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. The Assassins’ Guild, a secret society, is ready to start its annual game of Killer, and the rules are simple: one Killer is chosen, who may “kill” other members using “wacky-but-child-friendly” methods (“Death by gassing with a stink bomb in the common room. Death by ‘suffocation’ with a duct-taped duvet”). Sixteen-year-old Cate, newly initiated into the Guild, can’t wait to play Killer, but when her childhood friend Vaughan insinuates himself into the game, and the “kills” start getting out of hand, what should be harmless fun turns deadly serious. McKay (Undead) pokes a bit of fun at teen angst, using Cate’s wry voice to tell this twisty whodunit. Her narrow viewpoint intensifies the tension as she tries to stay ahead of the Killer, and although readers may guess the culprit before the final revelation, they probably won’t care, since it’s so much fun getting there. Ages 12–up. Agent: Allison Hellegers, Rights People. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"McKay keeps things ambiguous so that readers will continue guessing until the true culprit is revealed in the climactic scene. Her witty, self-deprecating voice captures the thrill of belonging and the complicated emotions that come with new money. Smart, edge-of-the-seat thrills." - Kirkus Reviews

"Umfraville Hall, an exclusive boarding school on the windswept Welsh island of Skola, is an ideal setting for a mystery that takes a few cues from Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None... McKay (Undead) pokes a bit of fun at teen angst, using Cate's wry voice to tell this twisty whodunit.
" - Publishers Weekly

"Fans of elusive thrillers like Gail Giles's What Happened to Cass McBride will enjoy this book thoroughly. Lovers of mystery and suspense and those who appreciate a good boarding school story will also engage with this fast-moving and adrenaline-packed novel." - School Library Journal

"McKay's world building is topnotch and the suspense palpable." - Booklist

"Red-herrings abound in this page-turner... The fast-moving plot will motivate readers to sort through the many characters, guess at their motives, and spot the real criminal." - VOYA Magazine

"An exhilarating thriller from start to finish, this action packed book is full of betrayals, mystery and heartbreak. Both the Game and Cate's love life kept us guessing until the end.
" - Justine Magazine

"Perfect for readers looking for a good "scary" novel...THE ASSASSIN GAME has the perfect amount of romance, suspense, and action to make for a wonderful read." - TeenReads

From the Publisher

07/01/2016
Gr 6 Up—Cate's been harvested: chosen to be part of the Assassin's Guild, a secretive elite club at her boarding school. Playing the game involves avoiding being "killed" through a series of ongoing pranks. But what happens when the killing becomes real and the game becomes a nightmare? The book opens in a rush of excitement and suspense. McKay continues the thrills throughout the novel, leaving readers guessing at who may be mixed up in the murderous game. The writing can be choppy at times, with less than believable dialogue between characters, but the pace keeps the plot moving forward even when it falters. Fans of elusive thrillers like Gail Giles's What Happened to Cass McBride will enjoy this book thoroughly. Lovers of mystery and suspense and those who appreciate a good boarding school story will also engage with this fast-moving and adrenaline-packed novel. VERDICT Recommended for public and school libraries looking to expand their YA mystery collections.—Tabitha Nordby, Red River College, Manitoba, Canada

School Library Journal

2016-05-04
A girl joins a traditional secret murder game in her snooty boarding school only to find that the game might be more real than anyone had intended.Cate attends the elite private academy located on the Welsh island that her nouveau riche parents have inherited. The white teen's not at the genius level of so many of the other students, but she makes it into the Game anyway. Every year the Assassins' Guild holds a game in which one member secretly becomes the Killer and stages fake murders of the other players. It's all completely secretive and elaborate, and Cate is proud to be in it. But when biracial (part-Jamaican, part-Irish) Vaughan, a childhood friend, shows up as a new student and manages to gain late acceptance into the Guild, Cate begins to worry. Computer-whiz Vaughan sets up an undetectable social network in the school, and someone Cate knows only by the screen name Skulk begins to taunt her. When an actual death occurs in the Game, things become all too real. What is Vaughan really up to, and why has he apparently followed Cate to the school? Through Cate's present-tense narration, McKay keeps things ambiguous so that readers will continue guessing until the true culprit is revealed in the climactic scene. Her witty, self-deprecating voice captures the thrill of belonging and the complicated emotions that come with new money.Smart, edge-of-the-seat thrills. (Thriller. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews

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