Whoooo this was a wild ride!! First of all, thankyou NetGalley !!!
Six death row convicts⚰️. One island🏝️. The one last standing gets to go home and be free⛓️💥.
Hunger games meets criminal minds in the best way possible!! It truly felt like I was reading the plot of a twisty and turny criminal minds episode (minus the BAU) en I was all here for it. Jep.
This was sm fun, fast paced, a lot of plottwists and I was just shook every other chapter.
Min points for the writing, cuz I felt it were a lot of short sentences that didn’t cohere very well (if you know what I mean) but I can look past that cuz the plot was literally sm fun! Also wished we would have gotten a little more info and lore before these people were thrown in these games in like chapter two.
A woman named Brooklyn Winters, who is facing execution for murder, is offered a chance to win her freedom by participating in a survival game on a remote island with five other convicts. The last person standing will be granted freedom. Brooklyn must decide whether to risk it all in the brutal competition or face her impending execution.
Wow, this book is a thrilling combination of Hunger Games and Predator, set on a remote island where only one can survive. The plot is well-thought-out, with intriguing characters that add depth to the story.
This is the second book I've read by this author, and I must say, I am thoroughly impressed. I found myself enjoying this book even more than the last one. The author's unique writing style truly sets this book apart.
The characters in this story are complex, with secrets, lies, and a shared experience on death row. As you uncover the backgrounds of each inmate, you begin to question the harshness of their punishment. Some still hold onto their moral compass, while others have lost their way.
The multiple points of view in the story provide a comprehensive understanding of both past and present events. The flashbacks offer crucial information about each convict, adding layers to the narrative.
The island setting is chilling and eerie, reminiscent of a survival show. Reading this book made me feel like I needed to brush up on my survival skills!
If you enjoy dark, bone-chilling tales set on a secluded island with dangerous prisoners on the loose, this book is for you. The unpredictable plot will keep you guessing, and the story will continue to evolve as you delve deeper into its pages. This book will challenge you to consider what you would do in a similar situation.
Thank you, Red Raven Publishing, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Wow, Shade Owen really knows how to grip you in suspense! This was an awesome read! It was fun, survival informative, thrilling and shocking!! I don't know if I would've chosen to stay on death row and meet my fate as is or try the "game." Although I'll never be imprisoned thankfully so I won't have to ever be faced with a decision like that. Phew! It was pretty cool the various tidbits of information I got about surviving outdoors in the wilderness. I usually enjoy stories regarding survival. This was a fantastic book and I was engrossed in it all the way from start to finish!
What a great book! I just couldn't put it down. The story was mesmerizing and the characters were phenomenal. Twists and turns throughout will keep your heart pumping. This is how thrillers are supposed to be written. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
I absolutely loved this book! I really enjoyed how the point of view alternated between different characters. Being able to see the character “anonymous” thoughts gave me chills. They were a very dark character with morbid thoughts and actions. I especially enjoyed getting to see the characters going from feeling hopeless and not knowing if they had what it took to survive to getting the strength to fight back.
The moments where the evil characters were trusted had me wishing I could somehow communicate to the good characters that they needed to run! That final page left me shocked! I was not expecting that!
Minus 1 star I felt like it was easy to predict who the evil characters were from the beginning.
My favorite characters: - Brooklyn - Eddy
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I definitely enjoy the whole prisoners need to kill each other in survival games thing. I did wish for a few more prisoners (it's kind of a small group) and, thus, more killing? But it's fast paced and entertaining.
The author throws a few little surprises in -and one that definitely shocked me.
I liked our characters, though occasionally had a little trouble telling their voices apart.
Brooklyn Winters has two days before she will be put to death. Then she is given a lifeline - an invite that might just win her her life back.
Eddy Petrov is also on death row when he receives the same mail, the same invite. He has four days until he’s put to death. He wants to get back to his wife and daughter - he has everything to live for.
They don’t really have a choice do they?
Then there’s Anonymous. They like to hunt and kill and love blood.
A private island, barriers you can’t cross without being killed, and other death row members fighting for their one chance to live. Let the games begin.
Little does Brooklyn know she’s been training for this her whole life. Everything she needs to know to survive her dad has taught her. All she has to do is remember.
I loved this book - oh so fun, but it also has a serious side to it. I liked that we didn’t know the two main character’s crimes - outside of murder. This was interesting and we had no judgements because we didn’t know anything. But don’t worry it all unfolds when it’s supposed to.
Four men, two women. Brooklyn Winters - one count of first-degree murder
Such a fun read! With a few twist and lots of action. Love this author!!
Hahha Jillian 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Eddy Petrov -
Jillian Ward - two counts of first-degree murder
Ronny Truik - twelve counts of sexual assault, one count of first-degree murder
This ended up being a pretty quick read. Overall, I enjoyed it.
The story line was quite engaging and steadily gained pace as the book went on. There were a couple twists I didn’t fully see coming and it was definitely intriguing and entertaining.
The place where it lost stars for me was the writing. At times the characters were just spelling things out for you- not even in a telling not showing way but too concise of thoughts. Like if the character would’ve expressed the same sentiments in multiple lines instead of just one… I am a big fan of dual POV’s, however, it didn’t feel like Eddy and Brooklyn had their own voices, rather one voice (the authors) seemed to come from both of them. They would conveniently have a lot of the same thoughts and fit the story line in perfect ways. This did improve at the book went on though!
Overall, this book was better than I expected. There were a couple scenes that spiked my heart rate and I liked the story.
This book fell so flat for me. It started off really good with the premise of six death rom inmates getting a chance to earn their freedom. About 25% of the way through, I realized that I didn’t care at all about any of the characters. I found myself hoping no one won. The flashbacks didn’t really serve much purpose for me as there were too many to provide a normal amount of backstory. It took forever to get to the plot twists. I guessed every one way before they happened. Ultimately, this book was not for me.
I really love this author for his unique plots! So much better than the over saturated books about domestic issues. These death row convicts are let out of jail to go to an island and kill till the last one standing! I loved reading about the survival techniques and especially enjoyed reading about a strong woman Brooke. Eddy is also a strong character who kills 4 men while defending his wife and little girl. Without giving anything away, these convicts are fighting for their lives. I enjoyed the whole story as well as the ending!
Our story follows 2 main characters Brooklyn and Eddy. They are sent to a remote island with 4 others, all of them being death row inmates. The game is the last one remaining gets their freedom. Things on the island aren’t as they seem. I don’t want to say any more because I don’t want to give the story away.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Six death row inmates with approaching execution dates are given letters telling them they have a choice: face execution or compete in a fight to the death survival contest with other prisoners on a private island. Last one standing wins their freedom. What commences is a battle of both pure survival instincts and mind games.
This book is told mainly from two POVs, both death row contestants: Brooklyn and Eddy.
I really enjoyed this book, which was really interesting because it was similar to a “Hunger Games” plot line, but without the innocent contestants. Not to spoil anything, because as compassionate as characters like Brooklyn and Eddy are, they aren’t innocent, and they’ve made bad choices, it’s up to us to decide what we decide about them, knowing what we know.
Anyway, as I said, the game is also not so simple, and combines mind games and survival skills, which makes things really exciting, but I won’t say too much more about that, again, so that I don’t give any spoilers. But trust me, it’s really good. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns this one takes.
The only thing I wish the book got into more was a couple of things that were only briefly mentioned: the characters mention a couple of different tines that laws in the US have changed to make it easier to execute death row inmates and even to put people on death row. Almost like a sort of dystopian world setting that was hinted at. But it wasn’t really explained. I wish it was. It might’ve added some more context to the story - like how Brooklyn was only 8 years from her conviction and two days from her execution.
If you like the survival games genre, this is a great addition. I really devoured it. It’s an excellent read!
A twisted thriller that kept me guessing at every turn! Thank you to BookSirens for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
The synopsis of this book was so intriguing to me that I had to request access to it right away, but nothing could have prepared me for what this book turned out to be. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen and where the story was going, I was completely surprised by the next event. I was on the edge of my seat for this whole book and I had such a good time reading it.
The characters are well fleshed out and their backstories add a lot to the overall lore of the events in this book. By the end, I really cared about our narrators, Eddy and Brooklyn, and was rooting for both of them to win this impossible game. While the other characters were fine, we really didn't get the depth on them that we do for our narrators, which I thought was a strong decision by the author and actually added to my overall enjoyment of the book. I liked that these convicted felons were mysteries to the reader; it added a lot to the creepy factor of the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was well-paced, the characters were likeable (for the most part), and it kept me engrossed in the plot for the entirety of the story. There are some major trigger warnings for this book so please look into them before reading, but if it sounds like something you are interested in reading, I would definitely recommend it!
WOW. What an adrenaline filled, wild ride of a novel this was. I absolutely LOVED it. I honestly couldn't put it down, I read it in one sitting.
Brooklyn and Eddy were fantastic main characters. They were both interesting, charismatic, and fierce. Jillian was a good supporting character, too.
The storyline was compelling, mysterious, and action-packed. I really enjoyed Shade's writing style. It drew me in immediately. I'll definitely be looking up her previous books after this.
I very highly recommend.
5 stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Netgalley, Red Raven Publishing, and Shade Owens for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“Death Row Games” is a gripping, fast-paced read that kept me hooked from start to finish. The stakes are incredibly high, with life-or-death decisions that had me on edge the entire time. The characters feel real and raw, making it easy to get invested in their fates, and the concept itself is chilling in the best way. The story is packed with twists. It’s an intense, thought-provoking, and thoroughly entertaining read that fans of dark thrillers will devour. Solid 4 stars!
This was such a tense, griping, edge of your seat thriller. Six death row inmates placed on a. Island to fight to the death, last one remaining gets freedom…..does it go to plan?
The characters were phenomenal, the storyline crazy as hell. Absolutely loved this. Was left a little deflated by the very last two pages though it did fit into the context
This book was in large part a change from what I usually read. It's still a thriller I guess. I enjoyed the multi points of view and that they didn't really re hash what you had already read. I was looking for more information in the ending but all in all a good read and I would recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Death Row Games is an interesting and engaging story that is sure to grab your attention from the first page. The moment I began to read It, I was lost in its world from start to finish. The mystery and suspense kept me racing to the end as I followed all the characters, wondering who was going to make it and how they would accomplish that task.
Six death row inmates are given the chance to get their freedom back. The six inmates are dropped on a deserted island to fight to the death for their freedom. Death Row Games reminded me so much of the movie The Hunger Games in so many ways.
I liked that we get to see the story through more than one character's eyes. I had no problem following each character's story. I liked that we got to know each character through flashbacks as the characters remembered how they ended up on the island and on death row.
I recommend Death Row Games to all suspense and thriller fans! Grab a copy of Death Row Games today for the adventure of a lifetime!
The beginning and the end are the only reasons I gave this book 3 stars. It was way too long for no reason. I get explaining the games and what’s happening, but it just felt so dragged on. The only reason I didn’t dnf is because I was so close to finishing!
Alright that was pretty good! The plot definitely kept me hooked for the whole story and made me constantly rethink my predictions. I am pleasantly surprised! What a find! And I loved the anonymous POV inserts!
Finished this in 2 days. If you can get the audio book listen to it!!! The character narration is absolutely incredible. Was one of my favorite reads this year.
This book sounded so promising: six death row inmates dropped off on a remote island to fight to the death for their freedom!
Six death row inmates are handed a letter inviting them to compete for their freedom days before their executions. Blindfolded, chained and dropped off a helicopter into the ocean. The goal is to be the last one standing, fight or die trying. But they soon realize they are not the only ones hunting each other.
The first 70% of the book was fast paced and suspenseful. The twists and turns had me hooked and I could not wait to turn the page. I was disappointed with the ending. I feel like there could have been more, it felt rushed and unfinished.
Another issue I had with the writing style was the way Shade went back in time with the characters’ POV’s. Some chapters were headed with the character’s name and “5 years before” or “10 years before” and in other chapters we were transported to the past without any context or warning. It was very fragmented and hard to follow at times.
Overall, this was a 3-star read for me.
Thank you to Shade Owens and BookSirens, I received an advanced copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a good book, but not a great one for me. I was hoping for more depth, like if this was a seven layer dip, we hit maybe layer 3 or 4 and I wanted it all!
I liked, who I would consider the main character, Brooklyn. Her skills and strength from her life with her father was intriguing and I would’ve loved even more of that aspect.
I didn’t expect the twist at the end, so points to the author for fooling me!
Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this book! All opinions are my own.
I’ve really enjoyed everything I have read from this author in the past, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I kept imagining ���The Hunger Games” throughout and how similar they were in theory.
Brilliant! This was excellent! A really well written story, with interesting characters, ideas & plot. I can't recommend this enough, a really great read, if you like messed up characters in tough situations, this is for you! A real whirl wind adventure! Great!