The Escape Game

by Marissa Meyer, Tamara Moss

A pulsating 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, acclaimed author of the Lintang series. Perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying and The Inheritance Games.

It's all fun, puzzles and games until someone ends up dead...

Six months ago, season four of the hugely popular reality TV show THE ESCAPE GAME ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered in the escape room 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 influencer; Beck, the escape room enthusiast and 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 . . . and revenge.

As the contestants progress through the rounds, they begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia's true the stakes aren't just high in this competition, they're deadly. If these teens want to escape, win and survive, they must solve the biggest mystery of who killed Alicia Angelos?

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

429 pages, Kindle Edition

First published 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

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊ After season four of The Escape Game ended with the discovery of Alicia Angelos’s body, season five is now happening with new contestants who are more than ready to show off their problem-solving skills in the show’s escape rooms. Joining the show are math whiz Carter, aspiring game master Beck, cryptographer Adi, and past contestant and supposed murderer of her sister, Sierra. But Sierra isn’t back on the show for the prize money–she’s there to find out who really killed her sister. When clues hidden in the escape rooms reveal that someone knows who killed Alicia, the group of teens must not only win but also survive the game if they want to solve the mystery of Alicia Angelos’s murder.


∘₊✧──────✧₊∘



ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ: Carnival by John Michael Howell
0:33 ───ㅇ───── 1:44



˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊ TL;DR: Predictable, but it was still fun with cool puzzles and good characters.


˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚₊ After reading this book, I now know that if I ever tried to escape an escape room, there’s no way on God’s green earth I’m making it out. 😂 Thank goodness you do it with other people. 😏

This was a fun read! The first half of the book was really engaging, and I already placed my bets on the real murderer, so it was just a matter of time before I got to see if I was right. But after the 50% mark, the story dragged for me. Granted, I had a bad headache when I was reading, so that probably didn’t help my patience. I skimmed most of the paragraphs, mainly reading the dialogue and whatever seemed important to solving the murder mystery, since I lost interest in the puzzle-solving part of the story. It was fun at first, watching these teens with knowledge of an encyclopedia trying to get out of the escape rooms as fast as they could, but once math, science, and all that jazz are included, you lost me at that point. 😅

And then we get to the big reveal of who actually killed Alicia, and I’m happy and sad that I was mostly right. I mean, I was a bit skeptical about who I thought really did it, but as the plot progressed, I just knew who was leaving clues for them, who the killer was, and the motive. Gosh, I just sounded like a board game. HOWEVER, I wasn’t 100% right about the killer, so that part did surprise me. But the motive for it all was just disappointing because really? All this just for that stupid reason? I mean, people have killed for less, but good golly, that seems like the stupidest reason to commit murder. But some people are stupid, so what should I even expect? 🤷‍♀

But I did really like the characters. Sure, Carter was naive, and Adi had mommy and daddy issues, but I think they were realistic enough not to bother me because there are kids like them. Heck, there are even adults like them, so I’m not even mad about the way they were. But Beck and Sierra were my favorite, especially Sierra and her sarcasm and her FAFO attitude that made me smile.

And are we getting a second book?? That to be continued says we just might, and if so, I am definitely going to be reading it. You can count on that.

⟡ Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own. ⟡

❗Content Warnings❗
Death, murder, blood, some violence, a character being a predator, and mentions grooming of underage girls.
Swearing: Yes
Spice: No

[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.

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[Carolina · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 ✰ ?? It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me!

I wanna start off by saying that I was so so so excited for this book for a lot of different reasons: the author, the sinopses, the premise of it, etc … !!!!!!!!

Unfortunately I’m not gonna lie and say I had a fabulous time :/

I could say that it might be me, honestly… maybe it wasn’t the right time or maybe this isn’t for me and that’s okay!!!

𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 !!! 💕

For about 60% of the book I was bored and forcing myself to continue it, the characters didn’t click for me and the game rooms were not that fun to read about ( 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 , 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝 ) 💀

The plot for me was solid, nothing crazy to be honest, I wasn’t that surprised. 😭

Don’t have much to say to be honest, it’s not memorable at all, by tomorrow my mind will have erased and wiped this book away from it. 🥱

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 !!!! 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve only done an escape room once, and I was embarrassingly bad at it, but I feel smarter after reading these characters do them so well 🤣

I’m not usually one for murder mysteries, but this was such a delight! You definitely have to suspend your disbelief a bit—who on earth is letting their teenage kids go across the country to film a reality show unaccompanied? But other than that it was great. I was second guessing every plot twist, and I definitely didn’t see the final reveal coming.

The characters were diverse and nerdy and I wanted to give them all a big hug, especially Sierra. She put on such a tough front, but this was her 2 seconds into having friends:




Despite not being my usual genre, I’m calling it a win! I had fun, I was entertained, and I’m already interested in the next installment 🖤



Pre Read:
Marissa Meyer, I’m trusting you 🤞🏻
Thank you to GP Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for the arc! 🖤

[Ricarda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marissa Meyer co-writing a YA escape room game show thriller was not on my bingo card for 2026, but I'm certainly not mad about it either. Because I really had a great time with this book. It's fast-paced and exciting, and I never once was bored while reading. It's all about this escape room show whose last season finale turned out deadly for one of the contestants. A new season is already in production anyway, even if the murder could not be solved. The book now follows several characters who participate in the new season. Carter is a math nerd (can't relate) and famous online puzzle solver with a huge following, Beck creates his own escape rooms as a hobby, Adi gets dragged onto the show by his influencer mother and Sierra is the sister of the girl who died last season. She also happens to be the prime suspect in that case. The four of them form a team, but everyone is more or less pursuing their own goals. On top of that they are also pushed into an antagonistic role by the production team and are confronted with multiple complications on set and backstage. I did like how the book showed the downsides of show business in this way and I'm glad that it was included. The game show itself was entertaining and interesting to read about, and it offered vastly different themes with every episode that was filmed and every room that was played. I would totally watch a show like that in real life, because it offers something new every week and there is of course plenty of contestant drama too. I liked to read about the show and also about the behind-the-scenes stuff, so I really can't complain about anything here. The ending was a bit weird, though. The showdown was VERY dramatic and at one point the villain just revealed themselves for no reason. It was kinda giving Scooby Doo, but I don't mean it as a compliment. There weren't that many characters who could have been involved in the murder anyway, so nothing came as a big surprise in the end. Still, I really liked this book for what it was. The characters were perfectly fine and didn't annoy me (it's an achievement in YA, ok?), it was a super quick read and I was entertained the entire time. The ending sets up a sequel and I actually wouldn't mind to read more. After the escape room game show in book one, the second book might be all about a fancy escape room resort and that already peaks my interest, if I'm honest.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Posipi (comment lock) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ✨
Wait why was this so fun?
Going in, my expectations were low tbh. I just couldn't see Marissa Meyer writing a mystery novel. I mean, the reviews themselves too were fairly mid tbh. And my arc request was declined (😒). I was fully prepared to have a boring time, and weeelllll, I was wrong. This was so fun, so I am really, reaallly, REALLY glad that it ended with "To be continued" I wanted more of these characters, the world, EVERYTHING. Yes, this is NOT a standalone.

The Characters:
-Carter 😳📱🫣🤓: Shy, nerdy girl, Nr. 1 solve specialist in the Domain (some internet platform) and an influencer. She pretends to be a really extroverted, happy, pretty person on the internet (she uses a cute avatar that looks nothing like her) and is kinda insecure. She was a little naive, and really dumb at times, one of my lest fav characters of the main 4, however, I did like her a little.

-Beck 🤓😜🤪🤷: He's transgender, funny, extroverted, occasionally very dumb too, but it was cute, and he builds his own escape rooms (yeah, he's also smart). He LOVES talking (how I relate to that) and yeah, he was fun.

-Sierra 💅😎💁‍♀️💞: My poor bb, all the things you've gone through, the pain, the sorrow, my poor bb 😭😭 She's sassy, badass, cool, funny as hell, and unapologetically honest. She's gone through a hard life tho, everyone misjudges her, and she ends up feeling really lonely. Did I mention that her entire family died?? No one, and I mean, NO ONE, gets to judge my bb.

-Aditya 💴💵💶💷💸💳💰🪙💎: He's a nepo baby. He's got mommy and daddy issues, wants to be free, does TERRIBLE decisions, and yeah, a big part of the book is that he's handsome. That was like, one of his BIGGEST traits lol. He is really good with anagrams.

-Vera: She has every right to start her villain arc
-Symphony: You piss me of, get a life, you pathetic, once famous, hollywood star, you narcissistic bitch, kill yourself.
-Fitzy: You managed to fool me. Congrats. I hate you.
-Ranielle: Yeah, her life's messed up
-Louis: Go kill yourself, you creepy child predator ugh I hate you, I can't be mad at the person who killed you, cause you deserved it.

The World 🔍🔮:
So, you've basically got this reality tv show called "The Escape Game" and in this show, 20 teens need to do really tricky escape rooms. You've got Louis, the Game master (creates the rooms), Ranielle, the director (Louis' wife), Fitzy, the host (just smiling and looking pretty), Vera, The social media manager, and the participants. There are groups of 4, so in total 5 groups, and for each escape room done, the slowest team is eliminated, until ultimately, only one is left, the winner. The team that wins has to share the cash prize, and yeah, it's got a HUGE fan following.

The Plot 🧛🦇⚰️:
In season 4 of "The Escape Game" (the season before the story takes place), at the finale, in a coffin, the favorite participant of the show, Alicia Angelos (sierras sister) is found murdered from strangulation. The night before, she and her sister had gotten into a HUGE argument, and everyone is convinced that it was Sierra who murdered her own sister, however, with no sufficient evidence, she is left free. The show was almost canceled, yet it got renewed for season 5, and the participants all have their little reason to audition and want to participate.
Carter wants to become more like her internet persona, so she's trying to do stuff her internet persona would.
Beck wants to win the cash prize to get his parents and family out of debt.
Adi wants to prove to his father that he is anything other than his mother.
And Sierra?
Sierra wants revenge.

In season 5 of the escape game, all 4 of them are put in a group together, and they're Team Helsing. They grow, learn, and go through shit together. Honestly, the found family here was done SO well. They try to find out who killed Sierras sister after growing close, and well, shit happens, you'll need to read to find out more.

The Writing:
omg it was so captivating, it was so fun to read, and I laughed so much whilst reading this. I loved the fact that Beck was trans, but they didn't make it seem like a huge deal, they made it normal, which is exactly how it should be.

The Romance 💖💗💓💞💝💘:
You're probably expecting there to be romance, and you're kinda wrong, since there ISN'T any really. But I'm hoping it develops in the next book(s), I'm shipping Beck x Carter and Adi x Sierra.

The Verdict:
Give me book 2 now. This gave MAJOR agggtm vibes, but tbh, I liked this more than agggtm (i liked the writing here more), so agggtm fans will DEVOUR this. Everything was done fairly well, but the plot twist was a little predictable, and i didn't like the personality jump one character had, there should've been more foreshadowing. However, this was ultimately a fun, easy, quick read :D

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Escape Game is a fun and suspenseful YA-Murder Mystery centering around an Escape Room Game Show.

A concept, I say with confidence, was executed wonderfully.



Six months ago, the 4th-Season of The Escape Game ended tragically after one of the contestants, Alicia Angelos, was found murdered on set. Suspicions immediately fell on Alicia's sister, Sierra, also a contestant, but without any proof, Sierra was never charged.

Now Sierra is back to play again in Season Five, but it's not just a win Sierra's looking for, she's also looking for justice. Sierra's new teammates include Adi, a celebrity's son and cryptography expert; Carter, a math wiz and social media influencer; and Beck, an aspiring Game Master.



As the teammates begin to bond, they decide to help Sierra in her quest for answers. Soon enough they start uncovering clues to the true identity of Alicia's killer.

As the games kick off, unsettling events seem to plague the team. Is it because of Sierra and her link to last season? Will they be able to put the puzzle together before one of them becomes the killer's next victim?



The Escape Game was such a gripping and entertaining read. I ended up quite invested in it, even after a slightly rocky start. We meet the characters and get introduced to the game very quickly, and it took me a second to get my bearings with it all. Once I did though, I was hooked.

The Escape Room element was so well done. I loved how everything was described and how we got to follow along with our main characters as they worked through the various puzzles together.



The four MCs were extremely well-developed and likable. I loved watching them get to know one another and watching their various relationships blossom. They were each distinct and their personalities played well off of one another.

I'm honestly hoping this will get adapted. It would make a great Limited Series on Netflix, especially with all the intricacies of the various Escape Rooms. I would love to see them brought to screen. If it's anything like what I was imagining in my head, it would be amazing!



Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, for providing me a copy to read and review. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this, and I'm so pleased with the experience I had with it.

I would love more books with these characters. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that happens, and if it does, I'll be first in line for a copy!

[chantalsbookstuff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost gave up in the first half, but it did get better as it went on. I just wish there had been a lot more games and puzzles to keep things interesting.

The characters were great though, and I really liked the friendship they built along the way. Most of the story focuses on the mystery of who killed who and trying to solve the last season’s big ending.

It looks like there’s going to be a second book, and I can’t help but wonder how that’s going to play out.

[⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ Kim ⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

જ⁀➴ 3.75 stars (rounded up to 4)

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, Marissa Meyer, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Escape Game is out now!

"Three, two, one...escape."

⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️
It's been a hot minute since I read a mystery/thriller, and if you're a fan of The Inheritance Games, puzzles, anagrams, or just REALLY like escape rooms, you'll absolutely love this book!

The Escape Game is a beloved TV show where teenagers are on teams where they compete to finish escape rooms, all for the prize of one million dollars that they split amongst the four of them. Season Four ended in disaster when it was discovered that one of the contestants, Alicia Angelos, was found murdered on the set while filming the season finale. One year later, despite the backlash, The Escape Game is back for another season. Carter, Adi, and Beck have all arrived on the show with different talents to show: Carter as the math whiz, Adi as an anagram and code enthusiast, and Beck having designed his own escape rooms before, knows the ins and outs of what it takes to put a room together. The plot twist? Sierra Angelos, Alicia's sister who was also there last season, is back for season five on their team for shock factor, and is also the prime suspect for murdering her own sister. Sierra claims she didn't do it, and the group rushes to gather more clues and evidence to find out who really killed Alicia.

As someone who's done escape rooms before, I couldn't wait to pick this book up! I think the book encapsulated what it's like to be in the midst of an escape room extremely well and portrayed everyone's emotions and thought processes well as Team Helsing—Beck, Carter, Adi, and Sierra—were in each room. It's so easy looking on the outside in and being like, "Oh yeah, this is easy," but once you're inside, you're overwhelmed by so much stuff and how everything could be a clue that it almost feels overstimulating at first.

Going into each of the characters: we had such a diverse representation of characters here! BIPOC and LGBTQ+ audiences were represented here with our main characters, and even the side characters had this representation as well. It's always nice to see diversity in our characters, which is a lot more common now in 2026, but you can never have too much rep! I felt like I could relate to each of the characters in some way despite the characters being like, a decade younger than me haha.

ᵎᵎ🗝️ Sierra: She's our resident goth girl. She's been there, done that with the TV show, and she's cold at first and difficult to open up to with her teammates, which I can relate to since I'm a lot more cautious with opening up to people in real life. We all need someone like Sierra in our lives, because even though the world gave up on her sister's death, she never did, and she never stopped trying.

ᵎᵎ🗝️ Adi: As the book-loving, anagram-solving, cipher-obsessed team member, I feel he contributed the most to the team in the quietest way possible. With a mom who's obsessed with the spotlight, the last thing he wants to be is in it, but he loves the TV show, so he couldn't pass it up. He's the person who never lets go of things that he found off, and wouldn't stop until he had an answer to what was going on. I feel like he was super quiet and didn't interact a whole ton with his teammates, but he definitely pulled his weight and let his knowledge do the talking for himself in the escape rooms.

ᵎᵎ🗝️ Beck: I LOVED Beck's personality. He was the shining light and brought the comic relief to a story that would've been otherwise extremely dark. He was so upbeat and funny while still having the brains that were needed to get Team Helsing out of some extremely sticky situations. I think he's tied for my favorite character in the story with Sierra right now haha.

ᵎᵎ🗝️ Carter: I have mixed feelings about Carter. On one hand, I liked her analytical side as an analytical person myself. However, I also feel like I didn't get to know her on the same level as the other three characters. Like, the only thing I could really say about her is that she's insecure and needs to believe in herself a lot more. She's the resident social media influencer on the team, garnering hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of followers online for her analysis of the game rooms in past seasons, but she hides behind an avatar that she created herself. I can relate to her imposter syndrome in that aspect, but it felt like it was most of her personality in the story.

Another thing I loved was the amount of research that went into all the ciphers, the anagrams, and the forensics portion of the story and the escape rooms. Trust me, if I were in an escape room and had to figure out what the heck a pigpen cipher was...I'm never getting out of there. On the other hand, I did take a forensic science elective as a dual enrollment class in high school that was offered through a local college, and that knowledge definitely came in handy while I was trying to piece the timeline together about Alicia's death.

As with most mystery/thrillers, I pieced together what happened about 50-60% of the way through the book, which is what prevented this book from being a pure 4-star read (vs. me rounding up my rating for Goodreads purposes) or higher. There's one specific part of the book that made the puzzle pieces click together in my head, and it was just a matter of time before I got to the part of the book where everything was revealed. The actual escape room sets were done amazingly well, and I loved being in the moment with Team Helsing as they figured everything out, but for the actual mystery aspect of the plot, I found it somewhat predictable after a certain point.

I will warn people that the book leaves on a semi-cliffhanger, which means we may get another book in this series very soon. I'll be patiently waiting for the next book to come out! If you're looking for a fast-paced YA thriller who loves mysteries and escape rooms, please read this!
⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️
⋆˙⟡ 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!

[kylie’s been jinxed ౨ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

❛❛sᴏʟᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ. ᴡɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀɪᴢᴇ. ɴᴏ ʙɪɢɢɪᴇ.❜❜*

˗ˏˋ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆 ˎˊ˗

ᯓ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇsᴄᴀᴘᴇ ɢᴀᴍᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴀᴘʀɪʟ 𝟽, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟼!
⤿ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟺.𝟽𝟻 sᴛᴀʀs!! ★★★★★
⤿ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜɪs ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ: ᴛᴡɪsᴛʏ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴇs, ᴄʟᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴘᴜᴢᴢʟᴇs, sᴀʙᴀᴛᴏɢᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ!

ᯓ {🗝️} all my thoughts:
⤷ This was incredibly written and captivating from the beginning to the end. The writing was well done and the book/chapters were wonderfully paced. The twists and turns of this book made it an extraordinary read!

I’ve completed a singular escape room in my life, that (I will admit) was significantly easier than ones designed in this book. The descriptions are incredibly realistic, I could practically feel my stress levels rising as the time passed in the game show. The puzzles were good and incredibly well designed. (However, I didn’t always understand them, due to my exhausted, overworked brain.) This book also hosts a diverse set of characters, breaking the conventional “nerd” stereotypes all while maintaining its geeky premise. After a little while, I could sympathize with its characters and understand their actions, no matter how bizarre.

This book was able to capture my short attention span, with its short chapters and delightful pacing. There was always another secret and clue to be revealed. I’m usually quite good at guessing murders and motives, but this had quite the unexpected ending (my jaw was on the floor). I was also surprised to learn that this was not a standalone and was in fact the first in a series.

ᯓ {🔍} characters:

⤷ Sierra Angelos. A lonely goth looking for her sister’s murderer - and most importantly revenge.

⤷ Carter Kelly. An internet puzzler known as “Kick it Carter”, an incredibly relatable character who deals with many teenage insecurities. (And my favorite!)

⤷ Beck Matheson. A transgender teenager who wants to become a game master, designing puzzles and escape rooms, he’s clever and incredible at puzzle solving.

⤷ Aditya Parvesh. A pretty boy specializing in anagrams and looking for independence from his family - sometimes a little bit infuriating.

There are many secrets being kept, and some are deadly …

ᯓ {🔍} overall thoughts:

I would definitely recommend this book (and I’m certainly going to buy a physical copy when this comes out!) to anyone who loves a muder mystery book. I love puzzles and intelligent characters, if you do too then be sure to pick this one up!

ᯓ {🗝️} rating:
⤿ 4.75 stars

ᯓ {🔍} read if you enjoyed:
⤿ The Inheritance Games (Barnes)
⤿ A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (Jackson)

*Quote has been taken from an uncorrected proof.

Thank you very much to Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Younger Readers for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰▱▰

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 🫆 || preread:
₊⊹⁀➴ i’m so excited to start this arc! i love marissa meyers fantasy books so im thrilled to read her first mystery novel!! also love to get arcs!

[lilly ♡ (busy)]

: ̗̀➛ started on 1/30/26, paused on 1/31/26

my mood changes faster than the weather here lol and im just sadly not in the mood for this anymore

--

aaaahhh my first marissa meyer book!! i'm in such a thriller mood right now and i forgot i had the arc for this lmao. let's hope i have a fun time

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun YA mystery/thriller. It wasn't a favorite but it was entertaining. I really enjoyed the escape room aspect as it was fun watching the characters solve each themed room.
The thrilling aspect was a little unbelievable and the ending was....interesting to say the least.

[layla]

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

[BooksNCrannies · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 1%

It seems that all that the characters do is use a colorful collection of foul cuss words and insults. I quickly flipped through the rest of The Escape Game and discovered that the foul language persists throughout the book, including one f-bomb (there's probably a lot more). Even though the premise sounded promising and the visuals looked great, I won't be continuing The Escape Game because of the excessive use of foul language and filthy invectives. Wouldn't recommend.

[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.

[sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ Rating: 4⭐️
🫧 Vibes: games with a side of murder
🎶 Song: in the end - linkin park
📚 Would I recommend? yes!
💬 tldr thoughts: a really fun and unique read!

In the package:
📦 escape room reality tv show
📦 puzzles
📦 murder mystery

Plot: A group of puzzle-obsessed teens are casted in a reality TV show where they go through various escape rooms. Last season, one cast member was found dead. Sierra Angelos returns in the latest season to try and solve her sister's murder.

Thoughts: This was such a fun and unique read! I personally love escape rooms even though I never managed to escape one yet lol I thought this was a very engaging book to read and I felt like I was right there with the characters trying to solve this mystery and the puzzles in the escape room. The formatting with the cast interviews and dual timelines made this for a fun read! I especially loved the pictures depicting the escape rooms in the book. I did not see the plot twist coming and was shocked to see there was a cliffhanger at the end but I'm not mad about a potential second book 👀

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for the physical ARC!

✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on tiktok and instagram⋆☾✩⁺₊✩

[Cat Carstairs]

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

[kimberly ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

ohhhh this book is PHENOMENAL i need it to be adapted into a limited series SAT! the plot is really interesting and the twists just kept coming, i was gagged truly. also the amount of representation in this book is incredible, from a black girl to a trans main character, i was soooo happy with it. i truly enjoyed this read and recommend it to everyone

[Lexi]

1⭐️

ARC Review

Publication Date: 04/07/26

DNF: 3%

DNF’ing this ARC as early as 3% comes with great disappointment, especially because I was so excited to read this. This decision wasn’t made lightly though. I had to restart the audiobook four times and, when I knew I would’ve had to start it over a fifth time, I choose to read it physically. Within the first couple of minutes, I found myself losing focus and experiencing a hard time connecting with the characters. There is also the possibility that I might not be in the best mood (right now). Some life situations have been creeping up and while reading usually helps me escape, this book wasn’t helping me escape as much as I had hoped. Add the fact that I have come across a number of negative reviews before diving in and I think my expectations have been tainted. And then there is the part of the central premise (a sister being blamed for her older sister’s death and the media coverage bullying her) and I couldn’t see myself moving forward.

Based on all of this, this is more of a “me” issue rather than on the book itself. Other readers may find this far more engaging, especially if they enjoy fast-paced, competition-driven plots. I am just not that person. Sorry!!!

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for granting my request for an Advance Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!

[jo ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

🔍 huge thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review


spoiler free !!

4 stars

every single time i see the words "ya" and "mystery" together, i eat it up, snatch is, scrummdilliumptious. no im not fixing the spelling of that just bear with me.
so when i saw that marissa meyer was collabing ofc i had to request this arc and snatch this baby right up.

while the plot twists were somewhat predictable and the characters were sometimes downright insanely annoying (but not sierra, beck, adi, or carter actually) most of the time, this book was such a fun time. its pinnacle of ya murder mystery but set at a gameshow.

the clues and math and everything was so fun and i found myself solving the clues just as fast or faster than the characters. what can i say call me a genius.

if you want a fast paced mystery that most assuredly is probably gonna have a sequel (or i hope so bc that ending left me with so many questions) pick up this book.


pre-review
me reading mysteries set in game show style, spectacular gimme fourteen of em right now

[Jonah 🫶 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[recontraluchita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hacía bastante que no leía un libro juvenil y, la verdad, ahora entiendo por qué dejé de leerlos, terminé totalmente estresada…

La idea está buena, una competencia de escape rooms para adolescentes en la que la temporada anterior terminó con un asesinato. Tiene todo para enganchar pero no terminé de disfrutarlo. No sé si fue porque lo leí en inglés (todavía no está en español), pero toda la parte de las salas de escape me pareció un embrollo total. No entendía bien qué estaba pasando ni cómo resolvían los acertijos. Igual, esa no es la parte más importante de la historia.

El giro final sí me sorprendió, pero me pareció tirado no, TIRADÍSIMO de los pelos.

Se nota que es un libro para un público más adolescente, no tengo nada en contra de eso, pero me hizo darme cuenta de que ya no es para mí.

Además, hay una situación entre dos personajes que me pareció súper cliché y medio cruel, muy de película yankee de preparatoria. No sentí que aportara a la historia, solo te deja una sensación medio (???)

Aun así, la idea de base me parece muy buena, pero no conecté con la vibra del libro…

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Authors Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss have teamed up for an engaging YA mystery on the set of a reality series where the contestants must try different escape games to become the grand winner. Last season, a contestant was murdered, and there were many reasons to suspect it just might be a fellow contestant and her sister. Adi, Carter, and Beck are cautious when they meet Sierra, but soon find themselves being taunted by someone in the game who claims to know what really happened. The four will have to band together to solve this one or find themselves the next victims.

My verdict: Appropriately hyped for this month. But fair warning, this looks like another series to commit to, as that ending spells a sequel. This one might have started a bit slow in the beginning, but each character had a good backstory. I have been reading and reviewing several reality-inspired stories in the last few years, and I would have to say this was one of the solidly written ones.


#TheEscapeGame #NetGalley
Publication Date 07/04/26
Goodreads Review 17/04/26

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and Penguin Young Reading Group! I enjoyed it more than I thought I would even though it was a YA novel, and I’m definitely not a young adult! It’s kinda like a locked room mystery. Teams of contestants must solve clues, puzzles, and riddles and put them together to escape a series of rooms. Whichever team is the slowest gets eliminated each round until there is only the one team remaining as the winner! The Escape Game is currently ready to begin season 5; but in season 4, there was a dead body of one of the contestants discovered in one of the rooms. At first everyone thought it was a prank, until it wasn’t. The sister of the murdered contestant was blamed for the murder, but with no actual evidence to prove it, she was never charged. Now she’s back again for season 5, and her and her team must band together to solve her sister’s murder before another person ends up the same coffin as her sister! This ended up being an exciting read for me! There’s a lot happening, and a twist at the end I did not see coming! I loved how the book was fast-paced and I have a feeling from how this book ended there may be a book 2! If that’s the case, I’m looking forward to it! You can enjoy this locked room mystery novel yourself when it comes out April 7, 2026!

[minnie. [exam season] · Rating 4 out of 5]

«Solve the murder. Win the grand prize. No biggie.»

── .✦ 3.75 stars!

(text is quoted from an uncorrected proof)

𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 .ᐟ review #14

𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: april 7th

⤿ 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: 03.30.26 - 04.05.26
⤿ 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 12+
⤿ 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 0/5

⋮ ⌗ ┆𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 🧩꒱

⤿ season four of the escape game ended in tragedy when contestant alicia angelos was found murdered, and the prime suspect is her sister, sierra. now, sierra is back on season five, but this time for justice and answers, not the million dollar prize. with her teammates adi, carter, and beck, she must now uncover clues that lead to the identity of alicia’s killer, all while staying out of the murderer’s path themselves.

⋮ ⌗ ┆𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 🧩꒱

⤿♟️ .ᐟ to be honest, it’s really rare for me to read mystery books, and my only experience with ya ones is aggtm and one of us is lying. while i didn’t find either of them particularly mind blowing, i picked up this one regardless, simply because its written by my queen, marissa meyer. she takes a genre im not interested in and lets me enjoy it a lot. not to mention i absolutely love puzzles and escape rooms, and this book just gave off inheritance games vibes.

the read was fun, and it was this murder mystery that had many clues scattered throughout that were hinting at things that the reader and the character were constantly trying to figure out. i think the game show the characters are on is really interesting because they're competing to complete escape rooms, which sounds really fun.

everything is a twisty mystery that is a game inside of a game, and all the elements were clearly well thought out, especially with all the clues, anagram, and the plotline. the chapters were perfectly paced, so i didn’t lose interest even when there were a few slow moments. something about me is that i can often always predict the murderer and plot twists, but the ended took me by complete surprise.

overall, i would definitely recommend this book because it’s captivating, well thought out, and an overall fun read full of clues and mysteries.

⋮ ⌗ ┆𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 🧩꒱

꒰🗝꒱ fun, inheritance games vibes
꒰🗝꒱ murder mystery
꒰🗝꒱ clues and puzzles
꒰🗝꒱ escape room gameshow
꒰🗝꒱ fast paced chapters
꒰🗝꒱ perfect for ya readers

╰┈➤ thank you so much to Marissa Meyer, Tamara Moss, Penguin Young Readers Group, and Netgalley for the eARC of The Escape Game!

[Josie J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun and layered book. The fun parts were really enjoyable, and when things got more serious you really felt what was at stake. Everything felt well balanced. The cast of characters is an unlikely group to get along, and watching their relationships and dynamics grow over time was especially rewarding. I love the found family trope, and this book handled it really well. The mystery kept me engaged the whole time and made the story even more satisfying. The ending is so exciting and tense, all those reveals were surprising. Such a fast paced beautifully crafted book. I will always read Marissa Meyer’s books.

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the last season of The Escape Game, it was all going to plan...until a contestant was found murdered. Millions will be tuning in for the latest season, not least when it emerges that one of last season's contestants is back. She's ready to prove that despite popular opinion, she didn't murder her sister—and more to the point, to find out who did.

This is told from the perspectives of four of the contestants, all competing together as a team: Adi, forced to be there by his mother (who is gunning for a Hollywood comeback of her own); Beck, who has family financial reasons to want the prize; Carter, who has built a social media presence about The Escape Game and is ready to prove her own skills; and of course Sierra, who was last season's villain and still doesn't give a flying squirrel what other people think of her. And gosh it's satisfying. I've never done an escape room (just the idea stresses me out, to be honest), but the level of detail here is fantastic. The characters think so quickly, and while I can't say how realistic the escape rooms themselves are, they're wonderful fun to read about.

Now, the whodunnit: I highlighted something very early on in the book that made me suspicious—it could have been a red herring or it could have been foreshadowing. I can't say what it is, but I can say that it's chapter 51 before the characters catch on. (I can't blame them—it's the sort of thing you notice when you're reading a mystery that you know will be full of twists, not the sort of thing you notice when you're living it and have no reason to suspect a foul!) Because of this, I paid more attention when a particular character was on-page and was less surprised than I might have been by the eventual reveals...but there were still plenty of red herrings and so on to keep me guessing.

Looks like a second book is in the works, and I'll happily pick it up when the time comes.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

[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.

[Julie Carpenter]

I started this one yesterday and made it to 24% and had to stop. Not that the storyline wasn’t intriguing, it was. I was really excited to read it. Escape Rooms in a tv game show?! I’m all in for that! Some murder mystery and suspense? Yep!

But I wasn’t too thrilled about the language. It starts off with a few swear words and I thought I’d keep going and see how I felt. But after several f words thrown in-and honestly they just felt like they were really thrown in to make it edgy or maybe the publisher required it?-I just couldn’t keep going. That was all before a quarter of the way into the book and not that much suspense. What is the rest of the book going to be like when the intensity kicks in and the characters get stressed and scared? I’m sure there would be lots more thrown in.

And I get it, I don’t expect everyone else to feel the same way I do. But the frustrating part is who this book is geared towards and the fan base of one of these authors (I’m not familiar with the other) and then expecting something clean. I miss the days when YA really meant it was for youth/young adults. When it wasn’t trying to be edgy and the publishers weren’t pushing the authors to cross the line on content. I’m sorry but there should be a genre for this age group that isn’t full of content. We’re doing them a disservice. And yes, I know media of all sorts has changed and pushed the boundaries wide open, even obliterating them to some extent. But I wish that weren’t that case. Some parents may not care but there are a lot of parents who do! Doesn’t matter if we’re conservative or liberal or what our political views are, we should be fighting for our children to be protected and to have these safe places still be safe places!

I’ve seen way too many YA books that have beyond explicit content. I used to read YA books prolifically but slowed down several years ago because of it. And my teenagers have as well. I love a good romance but I don’t want all the smut. If a book is written well enough it doesn’t need it. I’m not saying that this book has other content besides the swearing; I don’t know since I didn’t read past a certain point.

I know my opinions will be very different from other readers, but I also know that many readers will agree with me. Whether you agree or disagree it’s fine. I’m not stating this here for a debate or people to comment to belittle anyone, I’m just putting this out there so readers who saw the author’s name and were expecting certain content-or lack thereof-are aware. And they can make an informed decision of whether they pick up the book or not.

Will I try other books by this author. Yes. But I’m hoping that it won’t be the same experience. I’ve read other books that have some language but it’s very mild. But the majority of the books I read don’t have that content.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the book of you pick it up and if you don’t I hope the content info has been helpful.

I received a copy from the publisher, Penguin Young Readers Group, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Dozelina 666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun ride!!!

Honestly, this book has a bit of everything: escape rooms, puzzles, drama, murder, sleuthing… I’m not even sure how to describe it properly, but it was just very entertaining from start to finish.

I really enjoyed the cast of characters. Each one had their own personality and charm, which made the group dynamic fun to follow. It never felt boring because there was always something happening.

The escape room and the puzzles were a big highlight for me. It definitely gives “for the nerds” vibes in the best way. *cough* *cough*

The pacing is fast, very bingeable and easy to get into. Even though it's YA, it worked well for the story and didn’t take away from the experience.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable and engaging read and I’m veeery excited to read the next installment.

⭐ 4.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC.

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