The Escape Game

by Marissa Meyer, Tamara Moss

“An absolute winner—sharp, suspenseful, and so much fun.” —Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

An unforgettable YA murder mystery set in an escape-room themed game show, by Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, and Tamara Moss, rising star and acclaimed author of Lintang series.

It’s all fun and games until someone ends up dead.

Six months ago, season four of The Escape Game ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set.

Now season five is underway, and new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test solving the show's trickiest escape rooms. There's Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the wannabe game master, and . . . Sierra Angelos, the girl who got away with her sister’s murder. Or so everyone believes.

But Sierra’s not just here to win. She’s here for justice.

When the contestants begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia’s true killer, it becomes clear that the stakes aren’t high in this competition, they’re deadly. If these teens want to win—and survive—the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of who killed Alicia Angelos?

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer and rising star Tamara Moss comes a twisty thrill-ride, filled with sabotage, betrayal, and puzzles to die for.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction

416 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 7, 2026

About the author

I live in Tacoma, Washington, with my husband and beautiful twin daughters. Represented by Jill Grinberg. Learn more about me and my upcoming books at http://www.marissameyer.com.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a devoted fan of literal locked-room stories and murder mysteries, this book felt like a match made in heaven for me! On top of that, it’s filled with eccentric, hyper-nerdy, and wonderfully unconventional main characters. At first, you doubt them—they’re not instantly lovable—but slowly, their quirks grow on you. Before you know it, you’re embracing every peculiar trait and wanting to give each of them a big hug by the end.

Each escape-room challenge is brilliantly designed—clever, intricate, and smart enough to make your brain cells work overtime. You’re constantly trying to piece together what’s happening while marveling at each character’s intelligence and fast-paced problem-solving. It’s entertaining, incredibly sharp, and action-packed. The murder-mystery clues sprinkled throughout are also well executed. I did guess the mastermind behind the scheme, but several twists were absolutely unforeseeable and genuinely made me gasp.

The story unfolds on The Escape Game, a wildly popular TV show that became a huge hit and moved to Hitflix with a massive budget and a one-million-dollar prize. Contestants will do anything to win—even kill a teammate. Six months ago, Alicia Angelos was murdered, found inside a coffin during a challenge. One of the prime suspects was her own sister, Sierra, who had fought with her and lacked an airtight alibi. Though there wasn’t enough evidence to charge her, online forums remain convinced she got away with murder.

Now a new season begins, filled with competitive, brilliantly skilled contestants. One team in particular—Team Helsing—draws the most attention. Not necessarily because of Aditya Parvesh, the bookish cryptographer; or Symphony Parvesh, the glamorous movie star and influencer; or Carter Kelly, the famous math prodigy whose online avatar is “Kick It Carter”; or Beck Matheson, a transgender, aspiring game master who designs mind-bending rooms using his synesthesia. No—the shock comes from Sierra Angelos’ return.

A presumed murderer stepping back onto the show instantly makes her the reluctant leader of the group. The others are so busy panicking about eliminations that they secretly pray she won’t kill them in their sleep. What they don’t realize is that Sierra is actually innocent. Beneath her artsy, goth, intimidating exterior, she’s a caring soul who grew up in foster homes, longing for love. She’s determined to find her sister’s real killer, and the villa where Alicia stayed during the competition might hold crucial clues. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure known as the real game master has been leaving messages inside the rooms and on the forums—someone who could be either the murderer or Sierra’s unexpected ally.

Can Sierra trust her new teammates, who slowly but surely win her over? Sweet, good-hearted Beck, who is the first to reach out with kindness; Carter, battling her own self-confidence issues and her crush on Fitz, the charming Australian host; and Adi, quiet and brooding, weighed down by secrets and parents who have damaged him. And can they uncover the true killer before someone else becomes a target?

This was an incredibly entertaining page-turner—I enjoyed every minute of it. I’m thrilled that more books and more games are coming. I’m already attached to these characters, especially Beck and Carter, and I can’t wait to jump into another adventure when the sequels arrive.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group / G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for providing this addictive YA mystery’s digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:

medium blog
instagram
facebook

[Sarah ⚘]

New release from Marissa Meyer? Say no more, I'm reading it. ✋

[⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ Kim ⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆]

⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹 (12/1/2025): To all my fellow USA NetGalley users, this is READ NOW FOR 48 HOURS! I snatched this ARC up so fast; I'm excited to see what Marissa Meyer has in store with this book! I won't be reading this until a bit closer to the publishing date in April, but grab your ARCs now while you can! I've only read Heartless by her a few years ago and I believe this is her first mystery/thriller book, so I can't wait to see her spin on this genre!

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, Marissa Meyer, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Escape Game will be officially published on April 7th, 2026!

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is for the nerds that love puzzles, murder mysteries and yes, escape rooms.
It is a fairly simple story and I clocked the twist really early but I enjoyed the journey so much! I like all the characters and it moved really fast so I wasn’t bored at any point(I'm getting over a reading slump so this is an important thing).
I’m so here for the sequel, gimme!

Thank you Netgalley and Putnam for the arc.

[Cat Carstairs]

A murder mystery set in an escape room?? Written by Marissa Meyer??? I AM SO HERE FOR THIS

[jo ୨୧]

i NEED this book rn

[layla]

i’d read marissa meyer’s grocery list if she published it

[vaishnavi ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*]

pre-read જ⁀➴
╰┈➤ a new YA murder-mystery?? i'm sat.
╰┈➤ requested an arc. might cry if i get it. might cry if i don't.

[niyya نية]

marissa I will read anything you write

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published April 7, 2026.

4 stars

Escape rooms must still be pretty popular (I love them) as there are still a number of books (generally YA….maybe I need to become friends with a bunch of teenagers so they’ll invite me to go with them? Yep, it’s all fun and games til the cops come and you try to give them that excuse when they call you a perv.) about them. However, looking at it from just a game standpoint, this is the best one I’ve read. Usually they are long on murders, short on actual game detail, but this one goes into some detail on the clever puzzles found within.

Last season on “The Escape Game” contestant Sierra Angelos opened a coffin to find…the body of her sister, fellow contestant Alicia Angelos. Sierra is back this season (what because she is over it? I would be rocking back and forth hugging myself in Ye Olde Loonybin after that.) and looking for revenge. Also on her team are Adi, son of a faded star, Carter, host of a fan room and a math genius and Beck who creates game rooms. Can they win the million dollars and determine who killed Alicia?

Well, it’s probably no spoiler to say that the smart money is on them and it’s fun getting there. The rooms are great (never mind that I would pee my pants in fright in each and every one. I am clearly not meant for greatness.)

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolute page-turner- you’re solving a murder in a LITERAL locked room, a reality show about ESCAPE room nerdom- if you love the locked room mystery trope, the shadiness of production of reality shows and a YA intensity- this book needs
To go on your TBR.

I’m a huge fan of the lunar chronicles series by Marissa Meyer, and this is a return to her best work - intriguing characters with a load of secrets, a fun setting and plenty of twists and turns. I am not a big escape room person, because I lack the intelligence or patience and critical thinking- but it was so much fun to read about characters that are smarter than me and see how they uncovered puzzles.

I stayed up late into the night and I was completely shocked at the ending!

Thanks to NetGalley and GP Putnam books for young readers.

Book to be published April 6, 2026.

[Hannah Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe I got to read an ARC!!!

I want part two. No, I need part two. This book was masterfully written from start to finish. I kept thinking I knew “who dunnit” only to be wrong again and again. The characters were all well rounded with secrets and journeys of their own which all got fleshed out (I want to see them more fleshed out) and I really felt like this was a real show with a fandom a large viewership (although it bugged me that they kept saying things like “all that time ago when it the show had been going for five seasons”)

My favorite part HAD to be the escape rooms. I felt like I was inside the rooms with the characters. The rooms were vividly described and I could understand exactly how the characters got from point a to point b. I didn’t feel lost at any point and yet, the tension was REAL. I constantly was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next, what the next clue was and would they finish in time?? I also loved the character dynamics of the team and how the escape rooms brought those out.

While there were minor flaws (ie there being only five seasons of a show that was talked about like it had gone on for decades) the book was a huge hit for me which, given my general lack of love for murder mystery is an impressive feat in and of itself. You’ve done it again Marissa Meyer and props to you Tamara Moss.

[Sarah Book Dragon]

so I actually got a Marissa Meyer arc??? this is actually so unreal omg

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this book, and it did not disappoint! I have not read a book this fast in a while. The entire story was so fun, the puzzles and mysteries were very clever and genuinely kept me on the edge of my seat. It reminded me a lot of the Inheritance Games, so if you enjoy those books you will definitely enjoy this book! While I have not yet read anything by Tamara Moss, Marissa Meyer has been one of my favorite authors for a few years now, and this new book did not disappoint. I enjoyed it just as much as all of her other books.

[Fizah(Books tales by me) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual Rating 4.75

Thanks to the G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers and Penguin TEENS for this early copy

✅Reality TV Show

✅Sibling Rivalry

✅Murder Mystery

✅Misfit Team

✅Escape Games

✅Present Parents

An escape game-based reality show, which turned out to be a murder site, and all participants and affiliated people are smart enough to pull one off? Yes, give this book to me.

The story follows a new season of The Escape Game, a TV show where teens solve tricky escape rooms to win big money. But last season ended in tragedy when a contestant, Alicia Angelos, was found dead. Sierra, who was part of the opposite team in the show and had a rivalry with Alicia, was labeled as a killer by fans. She is back to play in season 5 to win the money. Joining her are three very different teammates. Carter, a popular influencer and math wiz online, is actually socially awkward. Beck, a outgoing, friendly and talkative contestant who has been designing and constructing his own escape rooms. Adi is a private person who doesn’t like talking to people except when they are solving puzzles. Their team is a combination of misfits; the only common thing is that they are all smart and really want to win.

The book is full of twists, puzzles, and secrets. The world-building is great, and each escape room feels intense and creative. The tension between the contestants makes it even better. I also loved how well-developed the characters were; everyone had their own distinct voice and personality, which is impressive when there are so many characters. One thing that really stood out to me (in the best way) was the PRESENT parents. The characters actually talk to or mention their parents, which is something you almost never see in YA books. Authors, please take note, it’s not that hard, and it makes the story feel so much more real.

This book wasn’t perfect, though. One thing that really got on my nerves was how often the characters started to drawl, it happened way too much 😒. I guessed a few twists and turns here and there, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying it. The ending was kinda underwhelming, I was expecting something more. Nevertheless, I couldn’t put this book down. And I wasn’t ready for this cliffhanger. Why did no one tell me it is not a STANDALONE?

[Edward]

Marissa Meyer. Escape room. Crime thriller. YA mystery.
Sooooooooo............this isn't on my shelf and that's a problem.

[Brittany Kilinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars? Maybe lower Idk.
I didn’t hate this at all but I also found it a little boring for such an exciting concept. A reality game show revolving around escape rooms. Last season ended with a shocking twist. A murder mystery that has a contestant back with a vengeance. So this should’ve been a hit for me but I just wasn’t invested enough to care. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and this has 4 different main characters with their own POV chapters so maybe that’s why. Will I read the sequel? Possibly, considering I didn’t feel inclined to dnf at any point and I still wanted to know who the killer was.

[Cyd’s Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this book I’m rating it 3.75 stars rounded to 4.0.

I found this book quite enjoyable and I think other readers who enjoy a YA murder mystery like The Inheritance Games would certainly enjoy this read.

Although I found the culprit kind of predictable at first you do get hit with some big twists along the way that really throw you off the scent. I found the escape rooms to be so much fun, the clues were interesting in the game and outside of the game. This book is filled with danger and high stakes, but it also gives you found family vibes and some flawed yet likeable characters.

[Brooke Beeson-King · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Escape Game, four teens are teamed up for an incredibly twisty escape room thriller perfect for fans of The Inheritance Games. It’s an electrifying tale that blends the tension of an escape room with the intrigue of a murder mystery.

Team Hesling members include Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the designer of his own escape games; and Sierra, a possible murder suspect of her sister’s death. But not only is the team given puzzles and clues to escape the game, The Real Game Master is leaving clues to find out who the killer is.

Readers will find plenty to love here: twists, secrets that unravel just in time, and a finale that’s shocking. The Escape Game isn’t just about breaking out of a room, it’s about uncovering all the truths.

[❀Heather❀Brown❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. It’s a solid read but not what I expected completely. We get 5 rooms but they’re super short and I didn’t find them to be suspenseful. The action mostly happens outside the escape rooms. I was expecting edge-of-your-seat escape rooms like in Getting Away With Murder where the rooms were deadly but so were the contestants.

Loved the book tho. Solid character building and mystery. Def excited for book 2 because that ending???? Yep. Need book 2 haha

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the popularity of escape rooms and puzzle-solving of late plus the high circulation and sale of books in the “thriller” genre, this action-adventure murder mystery set in that world PLUS a major social media angle, The Escape Room is likely to fly off shelves. Even if browser’s don’t notice Marissa Meyer’s name printed on the cover!

In season 4 of a popular online, now prime time streaming escape room show, Sierra’s sister and fellow contestant on an opposing team is found murdered and she is the prime suspect. Without any solid evidence, however, Sierra is not charged and goes home even more angry and belligerent than she was while competing but with an ax to grind and a murder to solve, she is returning to compete again on season 5. Joined by Adi, the neglected child of a once popular and self-absorbed actress, Beck, who needs the prize money to get his family out of a financial jam, and Carter, a social media phenom among the puzzle solving community but awkward in real life, the team is tasked by an online “game master” to find the lie and solve the murder. Beset by sabotages from other teams, an attempted murder, a drugged drink plus their own individual demons, things don’t go very well for the Helsing team and readers will be hooked wondering how everything will play out in the end.

Kudos to authors Meyer and Ross for their detailed descriptions of the escape rooms and puzzles ranging from obvious to creatively difficult. There are cyphers, use of the periodic table, math equations, map clues and references to literature and life, meaning something for all manner of readers. The personal difficulties of the main players are also varied and will hit home in some way with most. As for the murderer(s), the end result is likely to contain at least a few surprises. I had several things partially figured out, but was distracted by some red herrings conveniently sprinkled throughout the action. Readers may be disappointed at all the loose ends and unresolved character struggles but will pleased to discover that Carter’s insecurities, Adi’s need for a solid parent figure, Beck’s financial need, plus Sierra’s open animosity towards nearly everyone could be addressed in the next installment in this new series.

While overall, I enjoyed this book, it does get bogged down in the characters’ sideline issues at times and I found myself skimming some of those repeated or elaborated on sections. I also found the sudden and significant increase in profanity in the climactic end game chapters to be jarring. The entire book only had 2 or 3 mild swear words up until the end when F-bombs and G-damn’s were thrown around liberally and augmented with plenty of the more “mild” profanity.

Target audience: grade 9 & up

Representation: Adi is of Middle Eastern heritage; Beck makes the casual statement, “I am trans” mixed into all the other reasons he would make a good candidate for the game but other than one other mention of how his parents supported his dislike of dresses and his name change, and one comment about his binder helping to staunch blood flow (sorry, spoiler, he does get wounded), his sexual identity does not affect/influence his participation in the game or his interactions with other characters.

Violence/Sexual content: Absolutely present with murder, attempted murder, and a variety of weaponry factoring into the climax but there are no particularly graphic passages and while it becomes known that there is a sexual relationship at play and a sexual predator on the prowl, no details of any sexual activity are provided.

Thanks for the eARC, NetGalley.

[Stacia · Rating 4 out of 5]

First let me say I can't wait to see what a physical copy of this book looks like. I read the ebook version, and while that didn't lessen the experience, I think there's a lot that can be done to heighten it with a physical book.

This book was so much fun! The characters were interesting and well drawn, and perfectly suited to the "reality TV meets escape room" plot. I don't like books that use twists and turns as plot devices, but in this book they all felt organic and I felt like I was along for the ride with the characters. The escape room puzzles were challenging enough to be interesting but not so difficult as to be off-putting. The author did a good job of balancing the competitive spirt of the show, the tension between the cast members (and the additional tensions between cast and production crew of the show), and the home life of the cast members. The book ended on a cliffhanger, and I look forward to seeing where the authors go with the series.

Huge thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, Marissa Meyer, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[tiana ♡]

pre-read notes:
ARC received! I saw the authors and the description and it was an automatic yes 🤭🖤 Published in April 2026 ✨

[Olivia Shulman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the characters (BECK!!!!) and the puzzles, even if some of them were literally impossible for me to figure out in on my own…..

[Mads · Rating 4 out of 5]

woah woah woah I did not see that coming

[Ariela Strombeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, thank you so much to all the folks at Net Galley for giving me this ARC!

3.5 stars.
I can’t say that The Escape Game will be a personal favorite but I do think it’ll land especially well with a younger YA audience. It’s a compulsively readable mystery cut from the same cloth as something like Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ The Inheritance Games and The Naturals series. Overall, if you are looking for a quick, cotton-candy, consume-in-one-sitting type of read, I’d definitely recommend it.

The Good
I really liked the characters. They start off feeling a bit flat but I think this was an intentional move, the more the reader uncovers about their backstories, the more layered and compelling they become. There’s Carter, a Vtuber/influencer in The Escape Game fandom, Adi, who’s got a stack of books to distract him from his mommy and daddy issues, Beck, the charismatic, wisecracking amateur game-master of the group, and Sierra, who may or may not have killed her sister last season. They form a little found family by the end which I thought was super wholesome. Their banter was cute and funny. At one point, one of the villains/bullies on the show introduces himself as “Jarius Baisley-Selkirk” and I lowkey giggled outloud because it was just so ridiculous.
I also enjoyed the mystery plot in this book though I wish it started earlier on in the book. It doesn’t kick in until the 40 to 50% mark but when it does, it picks up the pacing considerably.
The reality TV aspect of the story was my favorite part. I feel like it added so much depth to the experience of the characters. These are folks who are fans of puzzles and have religiously watched this game show so it made sense to me that actually being a participant on the show would be a completely different experience. There were some scenes when a member of the main cast would walk onto set and just have a moment of looking behind the curtain like “wow, this is so cool, but it looks way less real than it does on TV.”

The Bad
The villains were a bit flat for my taste. It also felt like there were simply too many of them, ranging from surprise villains to mustache twirling bullies.
In the same vein, there seemed to be too many plot contrivances with characters knowing each other or having a connection that just felt like they were done for the plot. Some things I could hand wave away as being typical of a YA mystery, for example Beck’s family property being the one bought by Cunningham kinda made sense whereas Adi’s mom being the killer just… didn’t land for me.
I also wish the mystery aspect started earlier. The authors drop in mentions to the previous season where a contestant died (not a spoiler it is literally revealed in the prologue) but that alone was not enough to keep me actually engaged with the mystery. It’s not until nearly halfway through that the characters realize there’s a connection to that season and begin following actual leads.

The Maybe???
The rooms. IDK. I was so excited for this aspect of the story since I absolutely adore escape rooms but the execution felt confusing on the page. There were just so many moving parts that it was hard to visualize–much less feel like I was following along with the characters.
There also seemed to be a couple formatting errors on the kindle edition for some of the inserted portions of text. Specifically a clue that was supposed to be in mirror-image was just… normal in the inserted text portion. I was confused because the characters were clearly seeing it in mirror image, but on my Kindle it appeared as regular text. There was also a point in chapter 30 where an inserted note appeared early (we got to see its contents but the character hadn’t opened it yet). This was on an ARC copy so I’m sure it’ll be fixed in the actual version. Ultimately, not huge things but they threw me off a bit when I was reading.

[Nicole Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss deliver a sharp, twist-heavy YA thriller with “The Escape Game,” a story that features a competitive reality show with an intricate murder mystery, multiple layered POVs, and a cast of characters who are unconventional, prickly, and deeply endearing.

The story follows the fifth season of The Escape Game, a wildly popular escape-room-based TV competition where teens solve elaborate puzzles for a million-dollar prize. But this isn’t just a game. Six months earlier, contestant Alicia Angelos was found dead inside a coffin prop, and her sister Sierra who is gothic, guarded, and already disliked by the fandom became the key suspect. Never formally charged but publicly vilified, Sierra returns for another season not just to win, but to uncover the real killer.

She joins Team Helsing, a mismatched group of brilliant but socially complicated teens:

Beck, a warm, endlessly earnest transgender escape-room designer with synesthesia and big golden-retriever energy;

Carter, a math prodigy and online puzzle celebrity whose confidence evaporates when real people enter the chat;

Aditya, a brilliant cryptographer weighed down by secrets and complicated family expectations.

Their dynamic starts tense as most contestants (including the main characters at first) secretly wonder whether Sierra might kill again, but as challenges unfold, the team forms the kind of imperfect, chaotic, lovable found family readers will root for.

The escape rooms themselves are a standout feature: cleverly constructed, high-stakes, and full of ciphers, logic puzzles, literary references, math challenges, and symbolic clues that you can even attempt to solve alongside the characters. The tension spikes as someone begins sabotaging Team Helsing, planting evidence connected to Alicia’s murder inside the rooms, and even putting contestants in life-threatening situations. The fact that production simply…keeps filming…requires a bit of suspended disbelief, but the escalating danger adds to the intrigue.

One of the book’s biggest strengths is its layered mystery. Twists unfold steadily, some predictable for seasoned thriller readers, while others land as genuine surprises. Even when the villain becomes guessable, the how and why remain satisfyingly complex, and the final reveal ties its many narrative threads together with emotional payoff and clever logic.

Character development is another notable strength. At first, the team feels odd, abrasive, or hard to connect with, but the authors peel back their histories and vulnerabilities until each feels fully human as they are all flawed, damaged, hopeful. Sierra’s guardedness softens, Carter’s anxiety becomes relatable, Adi reveals surprising depth, and Beck shines as the heart of the group.

Not every element is perfect. With four POVs, a sprawling ensemble cast, and multiple subplots, the pacing felt a bit uneven at times and I sometimes felt lost during the more frantic puzzle sequences. I also wished the escape-room challenges took up more page time, as several major clues and character revelations unfold off-camera. And while the ending is satisfying, it also leaves major story threads unresolved, giving an emotional and narrative cliffhanger that will leave you desperate for book two (there is not a standalone).

Overall, “The Escape Game” is fast-paced, inventive, and compulsively readable; it’s a love letter to puzzles, underdogs, teamwork, and the thrill of not knowing who to trust. With its mix of humor, danger, emotional growth, and jaw-clenching twists, this series is definitely one you don’t want to miss. A clever, character-driven mystery with heart, high tension, and a killer hook—literally. And yes: you’ll want the sequel immediately.

[Ashley - The Tattered Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

📖 𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌📖

𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🥀🥀🥀🥀 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻 ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴏsᴇs

𝒢𝑒𝓃𝓇𝑒: ʏᴀ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ / ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ

✨ 𝐻𝑜𝑜𝓀✨

ᴀ ᴅᴇᴀᴅʟʏ ᴇsᴄᴀᴘᴇ ʀᴏᴏᴍ. ᴀ ᴍɪssɪɴɢ sɪsᴛᴇʀ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ɢᴀᴍᴇ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʟᴏsɪɴɢ ᴍᴇᴀɴs ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ.

𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:

ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴇɴɢᴜɪɴᴛᴇᴇɴ ғᴏʀ ɢɪꜰᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜɪs ᴘʜʏsɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴏᴘʏ!

𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝓅𝑒𝓉𝒾𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝒹𝒾𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇.

ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴇᴀʀɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴍɪsᴇ—ᴀ ᴛᴇʟᴇᴠɪsᴇᴅ ᴇsᴄᴀᴘᴇ‐ʀᴏᴏᴍ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇᴛɪᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴏɴᴇ sᴇᴀsᴏɴ ᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ—𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐸𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓅𝑒 𝒢𝒶𝓂𝑒 ɢʀᴀʙs ᴀᴛᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ɪs ᴄʟᴇᴠᴇʀ: ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇsᴛᴀɴᴛs ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴄʀʏᴘᴛᴏɢʀᴀᴘʜᴇʀ, ᴀ ᴍᴀᴛʜ ᴡʜɪᴢ, ᴀɴ ᴀsᴘɪʀɪɴɢ ɢᴀᴍᴇ-ᴍᴀsᴛᴇʀ, ᴀɴᴅ sɪᴇʀʀᴀ ᴀɴɢᴇʟᴏs (ᴛʜᴇ sɪsᴛᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇsᴛᴀɴᴛ) ᴍᴜsᴛ ɴᴀᴠɪɢᴀᴛᴇ ᴇʟᴀʙᴏʀᴀᴛᴇ ʀᴏᴏᴍs, sᴏʟᴠᴇ ᴘᴜᴢᴢʟᴇs, ᴀɴᴅ ғᴀᴄᴇ ʀɪsᴋs ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴛᴇʟᴇᴠɪsᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇᴀʟ. ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴛᴜᴘ ᴘʀᴏᴍɪsᴇs sᴜsᴘᴇɴsᴇ, sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴅɢᴇ-ᴏғ-ʏᴏᴜʀ-sᴇᴀᴛ ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀ.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴘᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ sʜɪɴᴇs: ᴍɪxɪɴɢ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴛʏ-ᴛᴠ ɢʟᴏss, ᴇsᴄᴀᴘᴇ-ʀᴏᴏᴍ ᴍᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ ɪɴᴛᴏ ʏᴀ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ ғᴏʀᴍ ɪs ᴇxᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀs ᴄʟᴇᴀʀʟʏ ʜᴀᴅ ғᴜɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʟᴜᴇs ᴀɴᴅ sᴀʙᴏᴛᴀɢᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀᴄɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ “ɢᴀᴍᴇ sᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs” ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀs ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴɢᴀɢᴇᴅ. ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴠᴀʀɪᴇᴛʏ ɪs ᴀ ᴘʟᴜs. ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇsᴛᴀɴᴛ ʙʀɪɴɢs ᴅɪsᴛɪɴᴄᴛ sᴋɪʟʟsᴇᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴏᴛɪᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴs, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴀᴅᴅs ᴛᴇxᴛᴜʀᴇ ʙᴇʏᴏɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜsᴜᴀʟ ʏᴀ ᴄᴀsᴛ. sɪᴇʀʀᴀ’s ᴅᴜᴀʟ ʀᴏʟᴇ—ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇᴛɪᴛᴏʀ ᴀɴᴅ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ sᴇᴇᴋɪɴɢ ᴊᴜsᴛɪᴄᴇ—ᴀᴅᴅs ᴍᴏʀᴀʟ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇxɪᴛʏ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴀᴄɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇs ᴋᴇᴘᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴛᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ᴘᴀɢᴇs (ᴏʀ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ) ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢᴇɴᴜɪɴᴇ ᴄᴜʀɪᴏsɪᴛʏ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴏᴡ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ғɪᴛs ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ.

𝐼𝓉’𝓈 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝒻𝓊𝓃 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑔𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓈 𝓊𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓁 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝑒𝓃𝒹𝓈 𝓊𝓅 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝒹.

ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ sᴇᴛs ᴜᴘ “ᴅᴇᴀᴅʟʏ sᴛᴀᴋᴇs,” ᴛʜᴇ ᴇxᴇᴄᴜᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏᴄᴄᴀsɪᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴄᴜᴛs ʜᴏᴡ ᴅᴇᴀᴅʟʏ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ғᴇᴇʟ. ғᴏʀ ᴀ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ, ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴀ sʜᴀʀᴘᴇʀ sᴇɴsᴇ ᴏғ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀ; ᴘᴀʀᴛs ᴏғ ɪᴛ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇᴛɪᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʟᴀʀᴍs ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʟɪғᴇ-ᴏʀ-ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴜʀɢᴇɴᴄʏ.

𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈 & 𝐸𝓁𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈:
🎲ᴅᴇᴀᴅʟʏ ɢᴀᴍᴇ sʜᴏᴡ
🧩ʀᴇᴠᴇɴɢᴇ ǫᴜᴇsᴛ
🎲sɪsᴛᴇʀ’s ʟᴇɢᴀᴄʏ
🧩ᴇsᴄᴀᴘᴇ-ʀᴏᴏᴍ ᴘᴜᴢᴢʟᴇs & sᴀʙᴏᴛᴀɢᴇ
🎲ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ
🧩ᴇɴsᴇᴍʙʟᴇ ᴄᴀsᴛ
🎲ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ
🧩sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ᴘᴀsᴛ
🎲ғᴀsᴛ-ᴘᴀᴄᴇᴅ + ʜɪɢʜ sᴛᴀᴋᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴍɪx ᴏғ ɢᴀᴍᴇ ᴍᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪᴄs & ʀᴇᴀʟ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀ
🧩ᴍᴜʟᴛɪᴘʟᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇsᴛᴀɴᴛs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴜɴɪǫᴜᴇ sᴋɪʟʟs (ᴄʀʏᴘᴛᴏɢʀᴀᴘʜᴇʀ, ᴍᴀᴛʜ ᴡʜɪᴢ, ᴇᴛᴄ.) ᴀᴅᴅɪɴɢ ᴅɪᴠᴇʀsɪᴛʏ ᴏғ ᴘᴇʀsᴘᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ

𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉:
𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐸𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓅𝑒 𝒢𝒶𝓂𝑒 ɪs ᴀɴ ᴇɴᴛᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴɪɴɢ ʏᴀ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ, ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ғᴏʀ ғᴀɴs ᴏғ ᴘᴜᴢᴢʟᴇ-ᴄᴇɴᴛʀɪᴄ ᴘʟᴏᴛs, ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇᴛɪᴛɪᴏɴ sʜᴏᴡs, ᴏʀ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ sᴏᴄɪᴀʟ ᴛᴡɪsᴛ. ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴏ ɪɴ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴘᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ᴅɪssᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ᴄʟᴜᴇs ᴀʟᴏɴɢsɪᴅᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs, ʏᴏᴜ’ʟʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪᴛ. ʜᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ, ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʀᴇғᴇʀ ʜɪɢʜ-ɪɴᴛᴇɴsɪᴛʏ ᴇsᴄᴀᴘᴇ sᴇǫᴜᴇɴᴄᴇs, ɴᴀɪʟ-ʙɪᴛɪɴɢ sᴜsᴘᴇɴsᴇ, ᴏʀ ᴅᴇᴇᴘʟʏ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ᴀʀᴄs, ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ғᴇᴇʟ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀ ʙɪᴛ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ-ғɪʀᴇᴅ. ɪ’ᴍ ᴇxᴄɪᴛᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ sᴇǫᴜᴇʟ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ—ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴀsᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴘʀᴏᴍɪsᴇ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴠᴇʟ ᴜᴘ.

ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!
𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎
ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ: @ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ

[Faye Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley; Penguin TBR: Teen Galley Program; and Viking Books for Young Readers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐

I enjoyed this book a lot. The cast was fun and had good chemistry, the escape rooms were interesting, and I got pretty invested. I would definitely read more about Team Helsing (and from the sounds of it, a sequel is being set up). The whole setting was really fun to be in, too — the energy was very contagious.

I would describe the first half of this book as having a very Breakfast Club-style tone. The main focus is on team dynamics and how they get to know and trust each other. Stakes are being established, but there’s not much focus on the fallout of the threatening events. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — it was still very enjoyable for me, just a little more low-stakes and easy fun. This wasn’t really shaping up to be gritty, and the characters seemed equipped to handle the things being thrown at them.

Now, on to the mystery. There were some easily guessed red herrings, and I felt like some of the obstacles existed because they were necessary to keep the plot intact until the heroes could solve the mystery on their own. Characters acted defensive and selfish seemingly only to spite Team Helsing. Sometimes that could get a little frustrating. With that, I do recognize that teens can be petty and driven by their own motives, but when it kept happening, even with a few adults, that’s where it lost me a bit.

The final section took me by surprise with its tonal shift. Think A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. The stakes were suddenly a lot higher, and the characters were in much more danger. It felt very abrupt, but it was investing. I was surprised at the eventual killer, as I thought there were some other characters who would’ve made more sense and the murderer’s villainous turn felt a bit flat, but I wasn’t necessarily against it.

Nevertheless, I liked this book a lot, I would recommend it to others, and I would get the sequel should it ever come out. I think The Escape Game is a bit like the show it revolves around: good, teen-friendly fun: happy and exciting until things get dangerous at the end. This is a good book for fans of a found family dynamic who tend to shy away from the heavier mysteries.