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The Dying Game
A masterly locked-room mystery set in a near-future Orwellian state, in which seven people are brought to a remote island to compete in a 48-hour test for a top-secret intelligence position, and one woman must stage her own death.
The year is 2037, and on the tiny island of Isola, seven people have been selected to participate in a 48-hour competition for a top-secret intelligence position with the totalitarian Union of Friendship. One of them is Anna Francis, a workaholic bureaucrat with a nine-year-old daughter she rarely sees and a secret that haunts her.
Anna is not actually a candidate for the position: in fact, she’s the test itself. Her assignment is to stage her own death and then to observe, from her hiding place inside the walls of the house, how the six other candidates react to the news that a murderer is among them: Who will take control? Who will crack under pressure? But then a storm rolls in, the power goes out, and the real game begins….
Combining suspense, unexpected twists, psychological gamesmanship, and a sinister dystopian future, The Dying Game conjures a world in which one woman is forced to ask, “Can I save my life by staging my death?”
The year is 2037, and on the tiny island of Isola, seven people have been selected to participate in a 48-hour competition for a top-secret intelligence position with the totalitarian Union of Friendship. One of them is Anna Francis, a workaholic bureaucrat with a nine-year-old daughter she rarely sees and a secret that haunts her.
Anna is not actually a candidate for the position: in fact, she’s the test itself. Her assignment is to stage her own death and then to observe, from her hiding place inside the walls of the house, how the six other candidates react to the news that a murderer is among them: Who will take control? Who will crack under pressure? But then a storm rolls in, the power goes out, and the real game begins….
Combining suspense, unexpected twists, psychological gamesmanship, and a sinister dystopian future, The Dying Game conjures a world in which one woman is forced to ask, “Can I save my life by staging my death?”
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2016
68 people are currently reading
3368 people want to read
About the author
Åsa Avdic
5 books55 followersAlso see Asa Avdic
Åsa Avdic is a journalist whose career also included various TV hosting jobs. She currently hosts Sweden’s biggest morning current events program. The Dying Game is her first novel.
Åsa Avdic is a journalist whose career also included various TV hosting jobs. She currently hosts Sweden’s biggest morning current events program. The Dying Game is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 504 reviews
September 24, 2017
3.5 rounded up....
WOW! That was one crazy weird book! But in a good way! This book is billed as a mystery and a thriller, a sort of "locked room" whodunnit in the tone of Christie's "And Then There Were None." Yes, it's a thriller and definitely mysterious, it's set on an island but it's more dystopian than any of the above. I seem to be on a roll with dystopic thrillers lately.
The year is 2037. There has been a second Cold War (who didn't see that coming?) and the world is divided into "Protecturates," which sound remarkably like the former Soviet Union. The MC has been chosen to spy on a group of candidates and report back to leadership with her thoughts on their abilities for crisis management. However, who is spying on whom becomes the question and the "crisis" soon gets out of control. The author does a great job in a short span with character development as well as painting a rather bleak picture of the current world.
Once again, given the current state of affairs in our world, the government, etc., I found this book to be fascinating and timely. If you're looking for straight up thriller or mystery then pass on this one BUT if you like some futuristic, dystopian darkness with your thrills then I highly recommend The Dying Game. I read it in one sitting; could NOT put it down.
WOW! That was one crazy weird book! But in a good way! This book is billed as a mystery and a thriller, a sort of "locked room" whodunnit in the tone of Christie's "And Then There Were None." Yes, it's a thriller and definitely mysterious, it's set on an island but it's more dystopian than any of the above. I seem to be on a roll with dystopic thrillers lately.
The year is 2037. There has been a second Cold War (who didn't see that coming?) and the world is divided into "Protecturates," which sound remarkably like the former Soviet Union. The MC has been chosen to spy on a group of candidates and report back to leadership with her thoughts on their abilities for crisis management. However, who is spying on whom becomes the question and the "crisis" soon gets out of control. The author does a great job in a short span with character development as well as painting a rather bleak picture of the current world.
Once again, given the current state of affairs in our world, the government, etc., I found this book to be fascinating and timely. If you're looking for straight up thriller or mystery then pass on this one BUT if you like some futuristic, dystopian darkness with your thrills then I highly recommend The Dying Game. I read it in one sitting; could NOT put it down.
November 3, 2017
I was nervous going in to the this one after reading various terrible reviews for it and I’ve come out the other end feeling very much the same way as other readers.
I haven’t read And Then There Were None but I’ve watched the BBC mini-series and this novel definitely did feel like a very uninspired copycat of the world famous Christie story. A kind of re-telling of the classic novel could be really well done if it was brought up-to-date, but this attempt fell flat on its face. There was no shock or tension throughout the entire thing.
Our main two characters for the most part of this novel are Anna and Henry. Both are did characters with little to no character development, which makes them really hard to get to know and form an opinion on. From what I did grasp about them, they were both very unlikable, as were all of the other side characters, except maybe the Colonel.
Unfortunately, the plot for this one was really slow and unexciting. The synopsis would have you believe this is a psychological thriller that’s tense and sinister, when in reality it’s a drab political thriller. I can’t stand political thrillers myself, even if they’re not drab, so maybe other readers who are into military-spy-government themed thrillers would enjoy this one, but it really wasn’t the right match for me.
Last but not least, the writing. It was fine in some areas but got irritatingly repetitive in others. The end few chapters were especially poor. ‘The lead interrogator nudged the second interrogators side’, ‘the second interrogator made a motion with her finger to the lead interrogator’, ‘the lead interrogator didn’t say anything but the second interrogator did’. Over and over again. Avdic should have just given them names! I never want to see the word ‘interrogator’ again.
In the end, this novel really wasn’t for me. I didn’t find it thrilling or sinister or even clever. Like I said before, maybe a political thriller reader will enjoy this book, but I did not.
Thank you to Penguin Cornerstone for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I haven’t read And Then There Were None but I’ve watched the BBC mini-series and this novel definitely did feel like a very uninspired copycat of the world famous Christie story. A kind of re-telling of the classic novel could be really well done if it was brought up-to-date, but this attempt fell flat on its face. There was no shock or tension throughout the entire thing.
Our main two characters for the most part of this novel are Anna and Henry. Both are did characters with little to no character development, which makes them really hard to get to know and form an opinion on. From what I did grasp about them, they were both very unlikable, as were all of the other side characters, except maybe the Colonel.
Unfortunately, the plot for this one was really slow and unexciting. The synopsis would have you believe this is a psychological thriller that’s tense and sinister, when in reality it’s a drab political thriller. I can’t stand political thrillers myself, even if they’re not drab, so maybe other readers who are into military-spy-government themed thrillers would enjoy this one, but it really wasn’t the right match for me.
Last but not least, the writing. It was fine in some areas but got irritatingly repetitive in others. The end few chapters were especially poor. ‘The lead interrogator nudged the second interrogators side’, ‘the second interrogator made a motion with her finger to the lead interrogator’, ‘the lead interrogator didn’t say anything but the second interrogator did’. Over and over again. Avdic should have just given them names! I never want to see the word ‘interrogator’ again.
In the end, this novel really wasn’t for me. I didn’t find it thrilling or sinister or even clever. Like I said before, maybe a political thriller reader will enjoy this book, but I did not.
Thank you to Penguin Cornerstone for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2017
I really loved The Dying Game but I think it might be a little divisive considering the blurb which leads you to expect a kind of ode to Christie’s “And Then there were None” – which I suppose given the isolated setting and the actions there it kind of is – but this is also a dystopian novel, set in an imagined future where wars have changed the landscape and Sweden is under the implied rule of a mysterious intelligence service. So go into it with no judgement and you’ll find a terrifically atmospheric hybrid of mystery and political thriller.
We hear mostly from Anna and Henry – two people who know each other and have a kind of “will they won’t they” relationship that is teased throughout. Anna is suffering PTSD, the reasons for this are only half told but it’s obvious that she is an intelligent yet tortured human being. Henry meanwhile is all cold lines and cleverness, I enjoyed reading their differing points of view as the plot developed.
The island portions are somewhat creepy – there are obviously political machinations at play and perhaps nobody there is quite as they seem. The author plays on various fears very well here, layering possibilities and putting the characters into difficult circumstances, especially Anna who comes to realise that her role there is not what she had prepared for.
The background is well imagined if a little loose on detail – I was especially engaged by Anna’s relationship with her Mother and daughter – and I genuinely didn’t know where it was going until it ended up there which is always a plus for me.
Its a bit like a horror movie on the page with people disappearing and the reader never seeing the full picture, even really with the resolution – but I found it to be a proper page turner and therefore I would definitely recommend it especially if you are looking for something different and unusual.
I’ll look forward to this authors next book with some anticipation see if she can keep that edge of creativity that made this book work for me. Thoroughly enjoyable especially if you just go with the flow.
We hear mostly from Anna and Henry – two people who know each other and have a kind of “will they won’t they” relationship that is teased throughout. Anna is suffering PTSD, the reasons for this are only half told but it’s obvious that she is an intelligent yet tortured human being. Henry meanwhile is all cold lines and cleverness, I enjoyed reading their differing points of view as the plot developed.
The island portions are somewhat creepy – there are obviously political machinations at play and perhaps nobody there is quite as they seem. The author plays on various fears very well here, layering possibilities and putting the characters into difficult circumstances, especially Anna who comes to realise that her role there is not what she had prepared for.
The background is well imagined if a little loose on detail – I was especially engaged by Anna’s relationship with her Mother and daughter – and I genuinely didn’t know where it was going until it ended up there which is always a plus for me.
Its a bit like a horror movie on the page with people disappearing and the reader never seeing the full picture, even really with the resolution – but I found it to be a proper page turner and therefore I would definitely recommend it especially if you are looking for something different and unusual.
I’ll look forward to this authors next book with some anticipation see if she can keep that edge of creativity that made this book work for me. Thoroughly enjoyable especially if you just go with the flow.
August 2, 2017
First, a bit of scene-setting – this might look and sound like a thriller, but context is important (and may be crucial to enjoyment where this novel is concerned). In the world of The Dying Game, it's 2037. There was a Second Cold War in 'the early 2000s', leading to the creation of the Union of Friendship, of which the Protectorate of Sweden – where this novel is set – is a part. The political situation is less clear, but we know there is an all-seeing, all-knowing 'Party' whose influence extends far beyond government. The protagonist, Anna Francis, works for a foreign aid organisation and has recently returned from a major aid mission to Kyzyl Kum. By all accounts, it was a success, and has even made Anna a little bit famous. But an early scene shows the Party has information they can use against her, and her interior monologue suggests she's experiencing (undiagnosed and untreated) PTSD. Anna's narrative also reveals her infatuation with an inscrutable colleague, Henry Fall.
With all that in the background, the plot is as follows: Anna is 'asked' (i.e. instructed) to go to Isola, a tiny, largely inaccessible island, where she will help with the recruitment process for an elite Party unit, the shady 'RAN group'. Her task: to pose as a murder victim. Only she and a doctor, who'll examine Anna and confirm her 'death', will be in on the fact that it's a setup: the rest are candidates. Once she's 'dead', Anna will be concealed in a hidden observation area from which she'll watch the others and report on how they cope with this high-stress scenario.
Things begin to go awry when Anna sees a familiar face among the candidates, and from there the situation spirals wildly out of control. There's a bit of a And Then There Were None vibe to it – people getting picked off, nobody knowing who to trust, and, of course, the remote island.
Perhaps the soft-dystopia angle serves to make the main thrust of the plot believable, but let's face it, there have been far more improbable thrillers with far more mundane settings. The details of this backdrop are what made the story work for me, but may be offputting for those who would prefer a straightforward thriller. I loved some of the smaller details – one of Stockholm's 'most buzzed-about restaurants' is popular partly because of its reputation for 'almost never having power failures' – and I felt Anna's coldness worked perfectly for her character arc.
Intriguing and surprising. This is Avdic's fiction debut; I'll keep an eye out for more from her.
I received an advance review copy of The Dying Game from the publisher through NetGalley.
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With all that in the background, the plot is as follows: Anna is 'asked' (i.e. instructed) to go to Isola, a tiny, largely inaccessible island, where she will help with the recruitment process for an elite Party unit, the shady 'RAN group'. Her task: to pose as a murder victim. Only she and a doctor, who'll examine Anna and confirm her 'death', will be in on the fact that it's a setup: the rest are candidates. Once she's 'dead', Anna will be concealed in a hidden observation area from which she'll watch the others and report on how they cope with this high-stress scenario.
Things begin to go awry when Anna sees a familiar face among the candidates, and from there the situation spirals wildly out of control. There's a bit of a And Then There Were None vibe to it – people getting picked off, nobody knowing who to trust, and, of course, the remote island.
Perhaps the soft-dystopia angle serves to make the main thrust of the plot believable, but let's face it, there have been far more improbable thrillers with far more mundane settings. The details of this backdrop are what made the story work for me, but may be offputting for those who would prefer a straightforward thriller. I loved some of the smaller details – one of Stockholm's 'most buzzed-about restaurants' is popular partly because of its reputation for 'almost never having power failures' – and I felt Anna's coldness worked perfectly for her character arc.
Intriguing and surprising. This is Avdic's fiction debut; I'll keep an eye out for more from her.
I received an advance review copy of The Dying Game from the publisher through NetGalley.
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December 22, 2017
Die Geschichte spielt in Schweden im Jahr 2037. Handlungsort ist eine einsame Insel in den Schären, auf dem ein verlassenes Haus steht. In diesem Haus findet eine Art Experiment statt. Sechs Menschen werden für wenige Tage auf die Insel gebracht. Sie sind alle Bewerber für einen begehrten Platz eines neuen Projektes. Einer der sechs Bewerber ist jedoch ein Spion: Anna Francis. Sie hat die Aufgabe bekommen, ihren eigenen Tod vorzutäuschen. Dann soll sie verschwinden, um heimlich die übrigen Bewerber auszuspionieren. Doch das ganze Experiment gerät etwas aus dem Ruder...
Mein Leseeindruck:
Der Einstieg in das Buch ist mir etwas schwergefallen. Die ersten Seiten konnten mich noch nicht wirklich fesseln, aber ab einem gewissen Punkt war ich dann doch gefangen in der Geschichte.
Die ganze Handlung ist etwas schräg und makaber, aber bald wird klar, dass nichts so ist, wie es scheint. Einige Überraschungen warten hier auf die Protagonisten, aber auch auf den Leser!
Leider bleiben die Charaktere alle ein bisschen kühl. Ich konnte keine wirkliche Beziehung zu ihnen aufbauen; die Emotionen blieben auf der Oberfläche. Ich glaube, mit einem besseren Bezug zu den Protagonisten, hätte mir die Handlung noch ein bisschen besser gefallen. Ich habe es immer gerne, wenn ich mit den Charakteren mitfühlen kann bzw. mich in sie hineinfühlen kann. Das hat mir hier gefehlt.
Dennoch hat mir das Buch durchaus gut gefallen! Nach einem etwas holprigen Start wurde die Geschichte sehr spannend und hat mich auch immer wieder überraschen können. Es war eine schöne Unterhaltung.
Mein Leseeindruck:
Der Einstieg in das Buch ist mir etwas schwergefallen. Die ersten Seiten konnten mich noch nicht wirklich fesseln, aber ab einem gewissen Punkt war ich dann doch gefangen in der Geschichte.
Die ganze Handlung ist etwas schräg und makaber, aber bald wird klar, dass nichts so ist, wie es scheint. Einige Überraschungen warten hier auf die Protagonisten, aber auch auf den Leser!
Leider bleiben die Charaktere alle ein bisschen kühl. Ich konnte keine wirkliche Beziehung zu ihnen aufbauen; die Emotionen blieben auf der Oberfläche. Ich glaube, mit einem besseren Bezug zu den Protagonisten, hätte mir die Handlung noch ein bisschen besser gefallen. Ich habe es immer gerne, wenn ich mit den Charakteren mitfühlen kann bzw. mich in sie hineinfühlen kann. Das hat mir hier gefehlt.
Dennoch hat mir das Buch durchaus gut gefallen! Nach einem etwas holprigen Start wurde die Geschichte sehr spannend und hat mich auch immer wieder überraschen können. Es war eine schöne Unterhaltung.
September 3, 2023
The Dying Game by Asa Avdic is such a unique read! I wasn't sure what I was in for and I loved it!
This wild ride takes place in 2037 where 7 people have been chosen to participate in a 48-hour challenge for an intelligence, top-secret position for the "Union of Friendship." Anna Francis, our lead, is one of them. She has her issues - she has a daughter but doesn't see her that much. Why? Well she worked for a non-profit and did some kind of intelligence work and she SAW stuff. Bad stuff. And she did bad stuff too. You'll find out more when you read the book...
But things take a strange turn. Not everything is as it seems... and can we even trust our narrator?
This suspenseful book was SO GOOD. I normally guess the endings and I did not see this one coming. I love a great surprise! Definitely a must read for readers who love thrillers but want something a little unique and different.
Four out of five stars.
This wild ride takes place in 2037 where 7 people have been chosen to participate in a 48-hour challenge for an intelligence, top-secret position for the "Union of Friendship." Anna Francis, our lead, is one of them. She has her issues - she has a daughter but doesn't see her that much. Why? Well she worked for a non-profit and did some kind of intelligence work and she SAW stuff. Bad stuff. And she did bad stuff too. You'll find out more when you read the book...
But things take a strange turn. Not everything is as it seems... and can we even trust our narrator?
This suspenseful book was SO GOOD. I normally guess the endings and I did not see this one coming. I love a great surprise! Definitely a must read for readers who love thrillers but want something a little unique and different.
Four out of five stars.
September 27, 2018
Excelenta povestea. Este vorba despre un test de stres, dirijat de Presedinte, esuat din toate perspectivele, mai putin a Presedintelui. Un suspans usor dar captivant, iar finalul este neasteptat.
October 12, 2024
Interesting enough, mostly because the author manages in keeping your attention high and asking for the final.
Otherwise, the RAN project is something weird and unknown, the characters are far from being (super)heroes, (maybe Henry should fill some of the requests...) some actions are hard to explain, but as long as your curiosity is aroused, the book can't be a bad one.
PS: And yet, you have to survive the first twenty pages or so, which are quite dull.
Otherwise, the RAN project is something weird and unknown, the characters are far from being (super)heroes, (maybe Henry should fill some of the requests...) some actions are hard to explain, but as long as your curiosity is aroused, the book can't be a bad one.
PS: And yet, you have to survive the first twenty pages or so, which are quite dull.
September 23, 2018
I won a copy of
The Dying Game
in a Goodreads Giveaway and I was excited to receive it. And then I read it.
The cover copy is misleading; it is not a mystery, nowhere close to it, but more about basic political machinations that revolve around a former civilian aid worker named Anna.
Anna is a single mother recovering from her traumatic ordeal in a war torn country where she provided medical aid and supplies.
After a violent incident forced her return to her country and suffering from PTSD and drug dependency, she is called into the office of the aptly named Chairman to pose as his spy in an special intelligence competition on an isolated island.
Her death is to be staged and Anna's task is to observe how these seven participants react to her untimely demise and write reports on their behavior and capabilities.
The only problem (Well, there are a lot of problems with this book); one of the participants is a former co-worker and crush, Henry.
From the very beginning, Anna is an unappealing character. She is stern and capable, but drab and bland, much like the autocratic country the plot takes place in.
She is a single mother and due to the pressures of her government job, has to leave her daughter with her mother so often her daughter barely knows her.
The character's point of view volleys back and forth between Anna and Henry, for the most part, and becomes almost a corny story of unrequited love, and their sexual? chemistry as they summarize how they met at work, none of which I cared about.
There is very little suspense and tension involved, the characters are barely sketched in so you barely know anyone, including Anna, and you don't need to be a genius to figure out that everything was staged and who was involved...Duh, the government.
I didn't like The Dying Game because it was boring.
I didn't like Anna because she didn't impress me, not as a particularly intelligent individual, damaged, yes, but brilliant, no.
I didn't like Henry and I couldn't see why they wanted to be together. Under a different title and setting, the story wouldn't be far from chick lit where the main character's love goes unrequited.
The Dying Game is about a fragile, emotionally and mentally scarred woman living in a totalitarian government who is being used and manipulated by the government and a deceitful politician and is forced to make a choice to save her life.
Trust me, my summary is about as exciting as it gets.
Oh, and what's with the long paragraphs?
Here's a tip: paragraph breaks are your friend.
The cover copy is misleading; it is not a mystery, nowhere close to it, but more about basic political machinations that revolve around a former civilian aid worker named Anna.
Anna is a single mother recovering from her traumatic ordeal in a war torn country where she provided medical aid and supplies.
After a violent incident forced her return to her country and suffering from PTSD and drug dependency, she is called into the office of the aptly named Chairman to pose as his spy in an special intelligence competition on an isolated island.
Her death is to be staged and Anna's task is to observe how these seven participants react to her untimely demise and write reports on their behavior and capabilities.
The only problem (Well, there are a lot of problems with this book); one of the participants is a former co-worker and crush, Henry.
From the very beginning, Anna is an unappealing character. She is stern and capable, but drab and bland, much like the autocratic country the plot takes place in.
She is a single mother and due to the pressures of her government job, has to leave her daughter with her mother so often her daughter barely knows her.
The character's point of view volleys back and forth between Anna and Henry, for the most part, and becomes almost a corny story of unrequited love, and their sexual? chemistry as they summarize how they met at work, none of which I cared about.
There is very little suspense and tension involved, the characters are barely sketched in so you barely know anyone, including Anna, and you don't need to be a genius to figure out that everything was staged and who was involved...Duh, the government.
I didn't like The Dying Game because it was boring.
I didn't like Anna because she didn't impress me, not as a particularly intelligent individual, damaged, yes, but brilliant, no.
I didn't like Henry and I couldn't see why they wanted to be together. Under a different title and setting, the story wouldn't be far from chick lit where the main character's love goes unrequited.
The Dying Game is about a fragile, emotionally and mentally scarred woman living in a totalitarian government who is being used and manipulated by the government and a deceitful politician and is forced to make a choice to save her life.
Trust me, my summary is about as exciting as it gets.
Oh, and what's with the long paragraphs?
Here's a tip: paragraph breaks are your friend.
January 31, 2021
3.5☆
La trama me llamó desde el principio, aunque la historia no a sido como creí en un principio que seria, me ha gustado i me ha mantenido atrapada desde el principio. El final me dejó con la boca abierta.
La trama me llamó desde el principio, aunque la historia no a sido como creí en un principio que seria, me ha gustado i me ha mantenido atrapada desde el principio. El final me dejó con la boca abierta.
October 13, 2024
I've seen thrillers better than this one, but quite a few were dark Nordics, so I have to respect this one even more..
The story looks more than simple, as a group of candidates to a good but involving job are on a remote island, in order to have their abilities tested. And what try would be harder than the death of a person...
PS: The other title given to this book is inciting, as The Dying Game tells you a lot more about what is going to happen.
The story looks more than simple, as a group of candidates to a good but involving job are on a remote island, in order to have their abilities tested. And what try would be harder than the death of a person...
PS: The other title given to this book is inciting, as The Dying Game tells you a lot more about what is going to happen.
July 27, 2017
Couldn't get on with this one at all! Took way too long to get started, and there was no real suspenseful or thrilling bits to this book!
July 31, 2017
I enjoyed reading this book and thought the ending - while frustratingly open and hazy - was one that fit the story. I would have hoped for a more conclusive and satisfying finish, but at the same time, I feel like the ending of The Dying Game was purposefully constructed to enhance the feeling of hopelessness and confusion, and in that it succeeded fully.
The action of this book takes place in 2037 Stockholm and on a remote Isola Island. It's a near-future totalitarian state that is part of Union of Friendship, and that brings to mind a dystopian society much like the ones described in Orwell's 1984 (absolute government control, manipulation, top secret projects ran in the background, surveillance, government organizations controlling everyone and everything). It's a scary, but completely realistic vision that is quite unsettling.
The story revolves mainly around Anna Francis, a former foreign aid worker suffering from PTSD, who is asked to play the role of an observer during a top-secret test designed by the government to select one person for the intelligence position (RAN). It's a stress test for the other competitors. Anna is to fake her own death (it is staged as a murder by strangulation), and she then is hiding away at a secret level of the house, where she can observe the reactions of all of the candidates.
What's supposed to be a relatively simple 48-hour task quickly turns out to be a much more complicated and dangerous one when, one after another, all of the other contestants begin to vanish into thin air and Anna begins to suspect that something much more sinister is going on.
The Dying Game, while set in a dystopian world, was more of a political high-stake thriller and a mystery than it was a typical dystopian novel. I'd go as far as to call it psychological thriller. The action was slow-moving and there was a lot of foreshadowing of Anna's character, but not much in terms of the other characters at all. We didn't get a whole lot of details about the society set up either, just the vague and bone-chilling impression of the government being all-powerful, unstoppable, manipulative and highly dangerous.
I enjoyed the plot of this book, the sinister atmosphere and the underlying, ever-present tension. It was a good read overall, and I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes political thrillers, mysteries and not-so-good endings.
The action of this book takes place in 2037 Stockholm and on a remote Isola Island. It's a near-future totalitarian state that is part of Union of Friendship, and that brings to mind a dystopian society much like the ones described in Orwell's 1984 (absolute government control, manipulation, top secret projects ran in the background, surveillance, government organizations controlling everyone and everything). It's a scary, but completely realistic vision that is quite unsettling.
The story revolves mainly around Anna Francis, a former foreign aid worker suffering from PTSD, who is asked to play the role of an observer during a top-secret test designed by the government to select one person for the intelligence position (RAN). It's a stress test for the other competitors. Anna is to fake her own death (it is staged as a murder by strangulation), and she then is hiding away at a secret level of the house, where she can observe the reactions of all of the candidates.
What's supposed to be a relatively simple 48-hour task quickly turns out to be a much more complicated and dangerous one when, one after another, all of the other contestants begin to vanish into thin air and Anna begins to suspect that something much more sinister is going on.
The Dying Game, while set in a dystopian world, was more of a political high-stake thriller and a mystery than it was a typical dystopian novel. I'd go as far as to call it psychological thriller. The action was slow-moving and there was a lot of foreshadowing of Anna's character, but not much in terms of the other characters at all. We didn't get a whole lot of details about the society set up either, just the vague and bone-chilling impression of the government being all-powerful, unstoppable, manipulative and highly dangerous.
I enjoyed the plot of this book, the sinister atmosphere and the underlying, ever-present tension. It was a good read overall, and I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes political thrillers, mysteries and not-so-good endings.
March 31, 2018
I have a major peeve, so let's get it out of the way first. The blurb bills this as a "masterly locked-room mystery." But The Dying Game IS NOT A LOCKED-ROOM MYSTERY. I have no beef about it being described as a mystery novel, in that there are untoward goings-on whose causes are a mystery that must be solved, and within the unwritten rules of blurb-writer's hyperbole the term "masterly" seems reasonable, but, to repeat, The Dying Game IS NOT A LOCKED-ROOM MYSTERY.
Hm. I've just realized that, IIRC, the last time it was obvious to me that a blurb-writer didn't know what the term "locked-room mystery" meant but blithely used it anyway, the book concerned was likewise from Messrs. Penguin. I wonder if it was the same idiot?
But a blurb-writer's false claims are not the fault of the book. So let me have a few curative drams of Twelve-Year-Old Cask-Aged Olde Stag's Breath Single Malt to calm me down before I continue . . .
It's 2037. The Iron Curtain never fell and Sweden is now a Soviet Protectorate. Young single mother Anna Francis, who has spent years recovering from PTSD and happy-pill addiction following a grueling service in a distant war zone, is one of a group of individuals sent to a house on a remote island. Anna's role, aided by the group's physician, is to mimic her own murder then observe how her fellows react to the subsequent events. But almost immediately things start going haywire . . .
The setup is deliberately reminiscent of Agatha Christie's Golden Age classic And Then There Were None (also not a locked-room mystery), but Avdic has very different intentions with this tale. Certainly it functions okay as a mystery novel, as noted, but really what she has set out to create is a political satire. (No, not a satire in the hilariously funny sense of the term. A satire like Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-four is a satire.) Very little is quite as it seems, and there are several different levels of manipulation going on.
Presumably it's because of the stultifying effect of Soviet occupation -- I mean, protection -- that there seems to have been very little technological progress made between now and 2047; in fact, if we're to judge by the fact that the satellite phone that one of the characters owns is clearly both an uncommon piece of hardware and a fairly chunky object, the near future's technology is actually less advanced than today's: we can guess that progress has been sluggish since the 1980s.
There are quite a few oddnesses that may be from the original or may be artifacts of the translation -- a branch that rattles a window, for example, is "from a tree, probably." Otherwise the text is very readable, once it actually gets going: it takes quite a while to do this, with the result that I probably spent twice as long plowing through the first eighty pages or so as I did pelting through the rest of the novel.
Overall, I enjoyed The Dying Game very much. But just don't go into it expecting a locked-room mystery, d'you hear?
==================
For what it's worth, half the pages in the 220s, 230s and 240s of the (library) copy that I read were almost illegibly gray; clearly one side of the relevant sheet suffered from inadequate inking. Time was that Penguin had better quality control than this.
Hm. I've just realized that, IIRC, the last time it was obvious to me that a blurb-writer didn't know what the term "locked-room mystery" meant but blithely used it anyway, the book concerned was likewise from Messrs. Penguin. I wonder if it was the same idiot?
But a blurb-writer's false claims are not the fault of the book. So let me have a few curative drams of Twelve-Year-Old Cask-Aged Olde Stag's Breath Single Malt to calm me down before I continue . . .
It's 2037. The Iron Curtain never fell and Sweden is now a Soviet Protectorate. Young single mother Anna Francis, who has spent years recovering from PTSD and happy-pill addiction following a grueling service in a distant war zone, is one of a group of individuals sent to a house on a remote island. Anna's role, aided by the group's physician, is to mimic her own murder then observe how her fellows react to the subsequent events. But almost immediately things start going haywire . . .
The setup is deliberately reminiscent of Agatha Christie's Golden Age classic And Then There Were None (also not a locked-room mystery), but Avdic has very different intentions with this tale. Certainly it functions okay as a mystery novel, as noted, but really what she has set out to create is a political satire. (No, not a satire in the hilariously funny sense of the term. A satire like Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-four is a satire.) Very little is quite as it seems, and there are several different levels of manipulation going on.
Presumably it's because of the stultifying effect of Soviet occupation -- I mean, protection -- that there seems to have been very little technological progress made between now and 2047; in fact, if we're to judge by the fact that the satellite phone that one of the characters owns is clearly both an uncommon piece of hardware and a fairly chunky object, the near future's technology is actually less advanced than today's: we can guess that progress has been sluggish since the 1980s.
There are quite a few oddnesses that may be from the original or may be artifacts of the translation -- a branch that rattles a window, for example, is "from a tree, probably." Otherwise the text is very readable, once it actually gets going: it takes quite a while to do this, with the result that I probably spent twice as long plowing through the first eighty pages or so as I did pelting through the rest of the novel.
Overall, I enjoyed The Dying Game very much. But just don't go into it expecting a locked-room mystery, d'you hear?
==================
For what it's worth, half the pages in the 220s, 230s and 240s of the (library) copy that I read were almost illegibly gray; clearly one side of the relevant sheet suffered from inadequate inking. Time was that Penguin had better quality control than this.
October 26, 2017
Me ha gustado bastante menos de lo que esperaba, al final su resolución ha sido muy simple y muy predecible.
El libro empieza bien y me hubiera gustado que fuese por otro camino, el principio me recordaba mucho a la peli La cara oculta y si hubiera ido por ese camino creo que habría estado mucho mejor, porque las 100 primeras páginas son bastante angustiosas.
Pero luego, cuando empieza a estar demasiado claro lo que está pasando, el libro pincha de forma importante. Porque no sabe mantener el suspense y todo se precipita demasiado rápido.
Eso si, a su favor se lee en un rato, creo que en total no me ha costado ni tres horas terminarlo.
El libro empieza bien y me hubiera gustado que fuese por otro camino, el principio me recordaba mucho a la peli La cara oculta y si hubiera ido por ese camino creo que habría estado mucho mejor, porque las 100 primeras páginas son bastante angustiosas.
Pero luego, cuando empieza a estar demasiado claro lo que está pasando, el libro pincha de forma importante. Porque no sabe mantener el suspense y todo se precipita demasiado rápido.
Eso si, a su favor se lee en un rato, creo que en total no me ha costado ni tres horas terminarlo.
September 2, 2017
I did not find this to be a well-written book and I gave up at page 80. Maybe the plot redeems the poor writing later on, but I was just too annoyed by this book to continue. Near the beginning of the book, the protagonist Anna Francis, an aid worker (and neglectful mother of a young daughter) travels through a sleet storm to get to a meeting. Once there, she hears the hum of the air conditioning unit. Really? I should have stopped reading there but I continued.
Anna is offered a ton of money to help evaluate candidates for the secret RAN project. She is to pretend to be a candidate and then fake her murder to determine how the real candidates handle a stressful situation. This seems like a pretty easy job and the fact that she was singled out for it and then offered a lot to take the job should have been a giant red flag, but apparently Anna is terminally stupid. Since I didn't finish the book I don't know how things turned out for Anna, but I'm guessing not well.
On the island, one of the candidates is described as being "lovely in a worn sort of way, like an aging author". What on Earth does that mean? Once congregated on the island, the Chairman tells the candidates not to discuss with each other the reason why each of them is on the island. Shouldn't he have told them this before they have all been chatting away with each other in a room waiting for his arrival? The combination of bad writing, translation and editing of this book was going to drive me crazy.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Anna is offered a ton of money to help evaluate candidates for the secret RAN project. She is to pretend to be a candidate and then fake her murder to determine how the real candidates handle a stressful situation. This seems like a pretty easy job and the fact that she was singled out for it and then offered a lot to take the job should have been a giant red flag, but apparently Anna is terminally stupid. Since I didn't finish the book I don't know how things turned out for Anna, but I'm guessing not well.
On the island, one of the candidates is described as being "lovely in a worn sort of way, like an aging author". What on Earth does that mean? Once congregated on the island, the Chairman tells the candidates not to discuss with each other the reason why each of them is on the island. Shouldn't he have told them this before they have all been chatting away with each other in a room waiting for his arrival? The combination of bad writing, translation and editing of this book was going to drive me crazy.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
May 26, 2018
There were definitely some nice ideas behind it and I quit liked the writing style.
However, it took much to long until the real experiment began in in that time we only had Anna's sad backstory, that was done ok, and people just judging each other and having superficial conversations.
I never really got why we needed Henry's perspective, I think the whole thing would have worked just as well without it, especially before Anna faked her death he offered nothing to the story.
The experiment itself was over way too fast and suddenly the author was throwing millions of plot twists at me. All in all, I liked where it was going just fine, but it was so sudden and so much that I stopped caring about them really quick. I thought the last scene with Anna was well done and introduced a lot of very interesting facts about this world, but everything that led to it would have needed some adjustments, I guess, but I really don't know how it could have been done except for taking more time with it, but since the first half was so dragged already, I wouldnt have liked that either.
All in all, nice idea but it just didnt work. Maybe it would be better as a film, but I don't know.
However, it took much to long until the real experiment began in in that time we only had Anna's sad backstory, that was done ok, and people just judging each other and having superficial conversations.
I never really got why we needed Henry's perspective, I think the whole thing would have worked just as well without it, especially before Anna faked her death he offered nothing to the story.
The experiment itself was over way too fast and suddenly the author was throwing millions of plot twists at me. All in all, I liked where it was going just fine, but it was so sudden and so much that I stopped caring about them really quick. I thought the last scene with Anna was well done and introduced a lot of very interesting facts about this world, but everything that led to it would have needed some adjustments, I guess, but I really don't know how it could have been done except for taking more time with it, but since the first half was so dragged already, I wouldnt have liked that either.
All in all, nice idea but it just didnt work. Maybe it would be better as a film, but I don't know.
April 16, 2025
Esta bien, una especie de mezcla entre "al final no quedo ninguno (antes 10 negritos)" de Agatha Christie con una especie de misterio debajo con un giro al final que queda mejor explicado por la protagonista. la verdad si te mantiene leyendo.
Por ahi hay una parte con lo de Kysil Kum, pero ya no estoy tan seguro de que fuera como dije un engaño, considerando la forma en que se revela y que ya habia "amenazas" y menciones, es donde ya no se si realmente fue un problema desde el autor, o la mala fama de las traducciones me hace dudar.
4 stars
Por ahi hay una parte con lo de Kysil Kum, pero ya no estoy tan seguro de que fuera como dije un engaño, considerando la forma en que se revela y que ya habia "amenazas" y menciones, es donde ya no se si realmente fue un problema desde el autor, o la mala fama de las traducciones me hace dudar.
4 stars
August 7, 2017
I had been reading other books, but I heard about this one on Amazon, ordered it and polished it off in 2 readings.
I know some didn't like it. They said it took too long to have any action. This amuses me. I try to take other reviews with a grain of salt. I think every reviewer should be required to list their favourite 5 books and what else they've just read so you get an idea of the kind of reader they are.
Me? I read a lot of literature - non American, in translation, I also love Golden Age mysteries, I love puzzles, my collection of books can best be described as eclectic. (I'm reading Danielewski's House of Leaves at the same time and loving that too....) So now you have an inkling who kind of reader I am too. And you can judge my review accordingly...
This is not a potboiler genre book. Meaning it's not a formulaic action packed ridiculous yarn that some screenwriter is hoping to get movie rights for. Not that there is anything wrong with that - it's just you need to understand that is not what this book is about.
This is closer to LeCarre. I have a degree in Russian and East European Studies. I was in the Soviet Union more than once. I hung around East Europeans and their governments. This felt so much like all of that. Avdic caught the feeling, she modernised it, she updated it for the times and then served it up fresh. And it worked. And you should read this and think about the state of affairs in the world today, and maybe be enlightened. Although if you like this sort of book, then I am likely preaching to the choir.
Folks you aren't supposed to feel close to the characters. This is a game of cat and mouse. This is not the sort of movie Matt Damon would star in. Or Kate Beckinsale. No no no. This would be a subtle art house film, full of European actors you've never heard of. They wouldn't have beautiful skin and teeth. This did also remind me of Agatha Christie in some ways too. Because it is meticulously plotted and too much is never revealed but enough is visible in hindsight. It is not a character study in a 21st century Americans-spill-their-guts kind of way. It is European in mood and expression. Hello, the author is Swedish.
Happily, it was just what I needed and I thank the author again and again. You can try to figure it out as you go or just enjoy the ride, and once it is done you'll wonder who really got it right. And you'll feel a little tired and worn out yourself. But what a lovely ride.
I know some didn't like it. They said it took too long to have any action. This amuses me. I try to take other reviews with a grain of salt. I think every reviewer should be required to list their favourite 5 books and what else they've just read so you get an idea of the kind of reader they are.
Me? I read a lot of literature - non American, in translation, I also love Golden Age mysteries, I love puzzles, my collection of books can best be described as eclectic. (I'm reading Danielewski's House of Leaves at the same time and loving that too....) So now you have an inkling who kind of reader I am too. And you can judge my review accordingly...
This is not a potboiler genre book. Meaning it's not a formulaic action packed ridiculous yarn that some screenwriter is hoping to get movie rights for. Not that there is anything wrong with that - it's just you need to understand that is not what this book is about.
This is closer to LeCarre. I have a degree in Russian and East European Studies. I was in the Soviet Union more than once. I hung around East Europeans and their governments. This felt so much like all of that. Avdic caught the feeling, she modernised it, she updated it for the times and then served it up fresh. And it worked. And you should read this and think about the state of affairs in the world today, and maybe be enlightened. Although if you like this sort of book, then I am likely preaching to the choir.
Folks you aren't supposed to feel close to the characters. This is a game of cat and mouse. This is not the sort of movie Matt Damon would star in. Or Kate Beckinsale. No no no. This would be a subtle art house film, full of European actors you've never heard of. They wouldn't have beautiful skin and teeth. This did also remind me of Agatha Christie in some ways too. Because it is meticulously plotted and too much is never revealed but enough is visible in hindsight. It is not a character study in a 21st century Americans-spill-their-guts kind of way. It is European in mood and expression. Hello, the author is Swedish.
Happily, it was just what I needed and I thank the author again and again. You can try to figure it out as you go or just enjoy the ride, and once it is done you'll wonder who really got it right. And you'll feel a little tired and worn out yourself. But what a lovely ride.
March 17, 2020
Set in the year 2037,
The Dying Game
imagines a world when Europe is ruled by Russia in the Union of Friendship. Anna Francis is living and working in Sweden, when she is asked in participate in a recruitment exercise for a man known only as 'The Chairman'. Anna's role in the exercise is simple: she will go to a remote island along with a select number of candidates, then fake her own murder, and watch the other candidates to see how they react.
But quickly Anna realises all is not what it seems. Can she make it off the island alive?
This book had very heavy And Then There Were None vibes and I kinda loved it. Isolated mysteries are becoming one of my favourite things and I liked how this book played with that trope and the reader's expectations. It was certainly an interesting take on that trope.
Really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from this author!
But quickly Anna realises all is not what it seems. Can she make it off the island alive?
This book had very heavy And Then There Were None vibes and I kinda loved it. Isolated mysteries are becoming one of my favourite things and I liked how this book played with that trope and the reader's expectations. It was certainly an interesting take on that trope.
Really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from this author!
August 28, 2022
"Una historia aparentemente prometedora que desperdicia sus puntos fuertes. La narración es fluida y eso ayuda a avanzar, pero la autora crea demasiados puntos ciegos en la trama, lo cual te impide entender bien el mundo en el que viven los personajes y sus propias personalidades. Aunque al libro le cuesta arrancar, luego va adquiriendo ritmo. Ciertos detalles del desenlace son lo mejor, pero eso no evita que quede la sensación de que no se ha explicado correctamente nada. En todo caso, no está mal como distracción".
Reseña completa: https://entrelalecturayelcine.blogspo...
Reseña completa: https://entrelalecturayelcine.blogspo...
May 11, 2018
This is the kind of thriller I didn't even know I needed. The kind where everyone has a different role to play in a game but in the end the details get so messed up.
Some parts were a little predictable but the ending was just perfect. The bit at the end where it's explained that its all based on a silly childhood game really fucked me up inside.
Some parts were a little predictable but the ending was just perfect. The bit at the end where it's explained that its all based on a silly childhood game really fucked me up inside.
January 26, 2020
Me atrapó de principio a fin. Admito que era una lectura que me llamaba la atención, pero no tenía grandes expectativas, por lo que me sorprendí bastante. Muy muy bueno.
December 7, 2017
Kurzbeschreibung:
Ein einsames Haus auf einer menschenleeren Insel vor der schwedischen Küste. Sechs Menschen kämpfen um einen Platz im inneren Zirkel der Partei. Doch einer von ihnen ist ein Spion - Anna Francis. Ihre Aufgabe ist es, ihren eigenen Tod zu inszenieren und danach die Testpersonen aus dem Verborgenen zu beobachten und zu bewerten. Doch plötzlich stirbt die einzige Eingeweihte. Und dann der erste Kandidat … Anna steht vor einer einsamen Entscheidung: Aus dem sicheren Versteck den Täter ermitteln oder mit den anderen gegen die Gefahr kämpfen? *Quelle*
Zur Autorin:
Åsa Avdic ist Journalistin und war jahrelang Moderatorin und Redaktionsleiterin verschiedener Magazine im öffentlich-rechtlichen Fernsehen. Derzeit moderiert sie Schwedens wichtigste Morgensendung Gomorron Sverige.
Meinung:
Thriller gehören ja zu meinem Lieblingsgenre, und ich bin immer neugierig auf neue Autoren. Doch leider konnte mich Åsa Avdic mit ihrem Debüt nicht überzeugen, obwohl die Kurzbeschreibung eine interessante Geschichte verspricht.
Isoliert spielt im Schweden des Jahres 2037. Zu Anfang des Buches erfährt man, dass Schweden nunmehr ein Protektorat im Verbund der Freundschaftsunion ist, dessen völkerrechtlicher Status umstritten ist und dessen Souveränität von einigen Ländern nicht anerkannt wird. Die Europäische Gemeinschaft existiert nicht mehr und Schweden ist auch kein Mitglied der Vereinten Nationen, ferner ist die Grenze nach Dänemark seit über 40 Jahren geschlossen.
Doch dieser Umstand hat eigentlich gar nichts mit der Geschichte zu tun, diese hätte auch im Hier und Jetzt spielen können, da man so gut wie nichts über die Lebensumstände der Bevölkerung im Jahr 2037 erfährt.
Hauptcharakter ist Anna Francis, die für eine nicht näher genannte Regierungsbehörde arbeitet. Sie war bis vor kurzer Zeit an einer humanitären Mission beteiligt, die im Kriegsgebiet zwischen Turkmenistan und Usbekistan stattfand und die bei ihr ein Trauma anhand ihrer Erlebnisse dort hinterlassen hat. Nun bekommt sie eine neue Aufgabe zugeteilt: Sie soll mit mehreren Kandidaten auf die abgeschottete Insel Isola gebracht werden, dort vorgeben ermordet worden zu sein und dann im Geheimen die Reaktionen der Teilnehmer beobachten.
Was der ganze Sinn und Zweck hinter dieser Show ist, wird nicht näher beleuchtet, außer, dass sich die Kandidaten für eine Position im sogenannten RAN-Projekt bewerben. Was dieses Projekt ist, wird ebenfalls nicht erklärt. Und genau das ist der große Minuspunkt an dem Buch: Man wird mit so vielen Fragen alleingelassen, auf die es einfach keine Antwort gibt. Weder erfährt man, welche Aufgabe die Regierungsbehörde, für die Anna arbeitet, hat, noch wie schon oben erwähnt, für welchen Zweck Anna sich in Gefahr begibt.
Ebenso konnte ich keine Verbindung zu Anna aufbauen, da sich der ganze Roman für mich wie eine Art Gedächtnisprotokoll las, es kommen kaum Emotionen zum Vorschein und es herrscht eine große Distanz zwischen Leser und den einzelnen Charakteren. Auch die Spannung ist kaum vorhanden, auf 304 Seiten sollte man bei dem Genre Thriller schon recht schnell zum Punkt kommen, was hier aber, bis die Geschichte mal ein wenig in Fahrt kam, bis zur Mitte des Buches gedauert hat.
Wie gesagt blieben mir zum Schluss auch zu viele Fragen offen, die nicht beantwortet werden und auch das Ende war nicht wirklich überraschend. 2 Sterne vergebe ich dafür, dass ich das Buch dank seiner wenigen Seiten nicht abgebrochen habe und dass es sich schnell lesen ließ. Sonst war dieser Thriller für mich leider eine Enttäuschung.
Fazit:
Leider konnte dieser Thriller von der Kurzbeschreibung her nicht das halten, was diese versprach. Zu wenig Emotionen und Distanz zu den Charakteren und viele Fragen, auf die es keine Antworten gab ließen mich hier leider enttäuscht zurück.
Ein einsames Haus auf einer menschenleeren Insel vor der schwedischen Küste. Sechs Menschen kämpfen um einen Platz im inneren Zirkel der Partei. Doch einer von ihnen ist ein Spion - Anna Francis. Ihre Aufgabe ist es, ihren eigenen Tod zu inszenieren und danach die Testpersonen aus dem Verborgenen zu beobachten und zu bewerten. Doch plötzlich stirbt die einzige Eingeweihte. Und dann der erste Kandidat … Anna steht vor einer einsamen Entscheidung: Aus dem sicheren Versteck den Täter ermitteln oder mit den anderen gegen die Gefahr kämpfen? *Quelle*
Zur Autorin:
Åsa Avdic ist Journalistin und war jahrelang Moderatorin und Redaktionsleiterin verschiedener Magazine im öffentlich-rechtlichen Fernsehen. Derzeit moderiert sie Schwedens wichtigste Morgensendung Gomorron Sverige.
Meinung:
Thriller gehören ja zu meinem Lieblingsgenre, und ich bin immer neugierig auf neue Autoren. Doch leider konnte mich Åsa Avdic mit ihrem Debüt nicht überzeugen, obwohl die Kurzbeschreibung eine interessante Geschichte verspricht.
Isoliert spielt im Schweden des Jahres 2037. Zu Anfang des Buches erfährt man, dass Schweden nunmehr ein Protektorat im Verbund der Freundschaftsunion ist, dessen völkerrechtlicher Status umstritten ist und dessen Souveränität von einigen Ländern nicht anerkannt wird. Die Europäische Gemeinschaft existiert nicht mehr und Schweden ist auch kein Mitglied der Vereinten Nationen, ferner ist die Grenze nach Dänemark seit über 40 Jahren geschlossen.
Doch dieser Umstand hat eigentlich gar nichts mit der Geschichte zu tun, diese hätte auch im Hier und Jetzt spielen können, da man so gut wie nichts über die Lebensumstände der Bevölkerung im Jahr 2037 erfährt.
Hauptcharakter ist Anna Francis, die für eine nicht näher genannte Regierungsbehörde arbeitet. Sie war bis vor kurzer Zeit an einer humanitären Mission beteiligt, die im Kriegsgebiet zwischen Turkmenistan und Usbekistan stattfand und die bei ihr ein Trauma anhand ihrer Erlebnisse dort hinterlassen hat. Nun bekommt sie eine neue Aufgabe zugeteilt: Sie soll mit mehreren Kandidaten auf die abgeschottete Insel Isola gebracht werden, dort vorgeben ermordet worden zu sein und dann im Geheimen die Reaktionen der Teilnehmer beobachten.
Was der ganze Sinn und Zweck hinter dieser Show ist, wird nicht näher beleuchtet, außer, dass sich die Kandidaten für eine Position im sogenannten RAN-Projekt bewerben. Was dieses Projekt ist, wird ebenfalls nicht erklärt. Und genau das ist der große Minuspunkt an dem Buch: Man wird mit so vielen Fragen alleingelassen, auf die es einfach keine Antwort gibt. Weder erfährt man, welche Aufgabe die Regierungsbehörde, für die Anna arbeitet, hat, noch wie schon oben erwähnt, für welchen Zweck Anna sich in Gefahr begibt.
Ebenso konnte ich keine Verbindung zu Anna aufbauen, da sich der ganze Roman für mich wie eine Art Gedächtnisprotokoll las, es kommen kaum Emotionen zum Vorschein und es herrscht eine große Distanz zwischen Leser und den einzelnen Charakteren. Auch die Spannung ist kaum vorhanden, auf 304 Seiten sollte man bei dem Genre Thriller schon recht schnell zum Punkt kommen, was hier aber, bis die Geschichte mal ein wenig in Fahrt kam, bis zur Mitte des Buches gedauert hat.
Wie gesagt blieben mir zum Schluss auch zu viele Fragen offen, die nicht beantwortet werden und auch das Ende war nicht wirklich überraschend. 2 Sterne vergebe ich dafür, dass ich das Buch dank seiner wenigen Seiten nicht abgebrochen habe und dass es sich schnell lesen ließ. Sonst war dieser Thriller für mich leider eine Enttäuschung.
Fazit:
Leider konnte dieser Thriller von der Kurzbeschreibung her nicht das halten, was diese versprach. Zu wenig Emotionen und Distanz zu den Charakteren und viele Fragen, auf die es keine Antworten gab ließen mich hier leider enttäuscht zurück.
February 23, 2018
Trigger warnings: death, murder, psychological manipulation??, war, drug addiction.
Sooooooooo let's start with my big problem here: the blurb for the English edition totally bills this as a thriller, kind of a Scandinavian noir version of And Then There Were None. But that's not even close to what this book is.
Instead, it's a futuristic dystopian semi-thriller set in a Sweden that's now part of some kind of Communist-esque conglomerate of countries following a second Cold War. There's almost no world building, and I honestly made it the whole way through without understanding what the point was with it being set in Sweden. Like, you could easily have made it Russia or East Germany during the original Cold War and it would have worked just as effectively without the need to world build.
It's less than 300 pages, so there's barely any time to develop the characters and I wasn't keen on the writing either. So I went in with really high hopes for this one and came out the other side pretty disappointed. It certainly wasn't what it's being marketed as, that's for sure.
Sooooooooo let's start with my big problem here: the blurb for the English edition totally bills this as a thriller, kind of a Scandinavian noir version of And Then There Were None. But that's not even close to what this book is.
Instead, it's a futuristic dystopian semi-thriller set in a Sweden that's now part of some kind of Communist-esque conglomerate of countries following a second Cold War. There's almost no world building, and I honestly made it the whole way through without understanding what the point was with it being set in Sweden. Like, you could easily have made it Russia or East Germany during the original Cold War and it would have worked just as effectively without the need to world build.
It's less than 300 pages, so there's barely any time to develop the characters and I wasn't keen on the writing either. So I went in with really high hopes for this one and came out the other side pretty disappointed. It certainly wasn't what it's being marketed as, that's for sure.
October 22, 2019
Anna Francis is a damaged woman. As a state employee in the Protectorate of Sweden under the Union of Friendship, she was a refugee camp coordinator in the Middle East. Now, troubled by her past, and estranged from her nine-year-old daughter, she lives a bleak existence as a paper-pusher. But when the Party Chairman asks her to fake her own murder as part of a stress test, saying "no" is not an option. While 'dead,' she is to observe and report on the candidates for a high-level intelligence position, but allow no one to know she still lives.
I didn't find the first half engaging. First is Anna's recruitment, in which she and the Chairman talk circles around her nebulous past. Second is a massive backstory dump, detailing Anna's relationship with a coworker (Henry Fall), and then her ultimately disastrous posting in Kyzyl Kum. Finally, we're exposed to our first PoV shift, and see Henry's perspective of the same events.
(Yes, this book is mostly in alternating first-person perspective. Anna and Henry are responsible for most of the narrative, with occasional appearances by others.)
It's a slow start, but the book is short enough that it didn't dissuade me. And after the cast arrives on the island of Isola, the plot begins to pick up speed. Before long, the entire situation spirals out of control into a dystopian game of Clue. No one and nothing is as they seem, though canny readers will have little trouble with the twists and turns.
Along the way, we learn more about Anna, Henry, and their respective pasts. There's an element of missed opportunity to it all, forced to unsettling heights by the high-pressure situation. None of the characters are particularly sympathetic, but they're mostly comprehensible. (A point of criticism: there are seven people on the island, and the book really isn't long enough to flesh them all out.)
The Dying Game is exactly what it claims to be: a short, dystopian thriller with an unsettling conclusion. No more, no less. 3*
I didn't find the first half engaging. First is Anna's recruitment, in which she and the Chairman talk circles around her nebulous past. Second is a massive backstory dump, detailing Anna's relationship with a coworker (Henry Fall), and then her ultimately disastrous posting in Kyzyl Kum. Finally, we're exposed to our first PoV shift, and see Henry's perspective of the same events.
(Yes, this book is mostly in alternating first-person perspective. Anna and Henry are responsible for most of the narrative, with occasional appearances by others.)
It's a slow start, but the book is short enough that it didn't dissuade me. And after the cast arrives on the island of Isola, the plot begins to pick up speed. Before long, the entire situation spirals out of control into a dystopian game of Clue. No one and nothing is as they seem, though canny readers will have little trouble with the twists and turns.
Along the way, we learn more about Anna, Henry, and their respective pasts. There's an element of missed opportunity to it all, forced to unsettling heights by the high-pressure situation. None of the characters are particularly sympathetic, but they're mostly comprehensible. (A point of criticism: there are seven people on the island, and the book really isn't long enough to flesh them all out.)
The Dying Game is exactly what it claims to be: a short, dystopian thriller with an unsettling conclusion. No more, no less. 3*
July 26, 2017
This is one of those books where the synopsis makes the book sound better than it actually is. I wanted action, suspense, and unexpected twists and what we got was just a boring book with not much plot and an annoying main character. Anna is offered a chance to comfortably live with her daughter for the rest of their lives if she agrees to collaborate with the government and be part of a test for a top-secret intelligence position. All she has to do is fake her own death and then spy on the candidates and report back how each handles the pressure of her unexpected murder. Sounds like it would make a pretty interesting and entertaining read, right? No. I was so bored reading this that I had to force myself to finish it.
My biggest issue was that I did not connect with any of the characters. Our main character, Anna, was boring and annoying. I hated every decision she made, starting with leaving her daughter to live with her mother for her entire life. This really made me sad that she didn't care to have a relationship with her daughter. I have a really hard time liking a story if I don't like the main characters, or in this case, any of the characters at all. If Anna didn't make such dumb decisions, I might have been able to get over the boring plot. But no. She just got more annoying as the book went on. She made horrible decisions that I just did not agree with and spent the majority of the book pining after unrequited love.
This book is supposed to take place in the future, but I did not get that feel at all. It seemed like the story could have taken place in present time and it would have had zero effect on the story. This book is supposed to be a dystopian society but the book didn't go into world descriptions at all besides talking about some sort of war. You get no information on the war or the world whatsoever, besides the fact that our main character was in charge of a refugee camp. I wish the world had been described a little bit more so we could get a better dystopian vibe and a little more insight as to what was going on.
I rate this book 2 stars out of 5. Publication date is August 1, 2017.
Thank you to Penguin's First to Read Program for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
My biggest issue was that I did not connect with any of the characters. Our main character, Anna, was boring and annoying. I hated every decision she made, starting with leaving her daughter to live with her mother for her entire life. This really made me sad that she didn't care to have a relationship with her daughter. I have a really hard time liking a story if I don't like the main characters, or in this case, any of the characters at all. If Anna didn't make such dumb decisions, I might have been able to get over the boring plot. But no. She just got more annoying as the book went on. She made horrible decisions that I just did not agree with and spent the majority of the book pining after unrequited love.
This book is supposed to take place in the future, but I did not get that feel at all. It seemed like the story could have taken place in present time and it would have had zero effect on the story. This book is supposed to be a dystopian society but the book didn't go into world descriptions at all besides talking about some sort of war. You get no information on the war or the world whatsoever, besides the fact that our main character was in charge of a refugee camp. I wish the world had been described a little bit more so we could get a better dystopian vibe and a little more insight as to what was going on.
I rate this book 2 stars out of 5. Publication date is August 1, 2017.
Thank you to Penguin's First to Read Program for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
June 19, 2020
3'5/5
"Parecían muy cómodos con su cuerpo, relajados, increíblemente naturales con sus trajes humanos. Para mí siempre era una tensión tratar con otras personas, les tenía una profunda envidia por lo que ni siquiera eran conscientes de estar haciendo: la tranquilidad con la que estaban juntos."
Lo primero que he de decir es que este libro no es exactamente lo que dice en las citas que pone en la contraportada, por ejemplo. En mi edición lo describen como un thriller psicológico apasionante, e incluso lo comparan con Los Juegos del Hambre. Aunque en momentos me ha recordado al Y no quedó ninguno de Agatha Christie, más que una novela de misterio y asesinatos, yo lo veo más como una distopía en la que está involucrado el constante maltrato psicológico entre personajes.
Se trata de una lectura rápida, que incita en cierta medida a seguir leyendo (como suele pasar con los thrillers), pero no me ha resultado tan estresante y emocionante como esperaba. Los giros de guion no han sido tan sorprendentes, sino que más bien me han parecido algo apresurados, somo si no terminase de encajar. El único giro que podría salvarse un poquito podría ser la gran revelación final.
Cuesta mucho que empiece la acción, pero también creo que en este caso el contexto previo es necesario. Hasta la mitad del libro no llegamos a la isla en la que tiene lugar el nudo de la historia, pues antes conocemos a la protagonista y, más o menos, nos deja ver detalles de su vida que se irán mezclando con la trama principal. Todo esto lo consigue mediante pequeños detalles en las conversaciones y flashbacks a momentos clave de su pasado, nunca de forma directa. Sin estas cosas no se podría entender la forma de ser tan peculiar de la protagonista ni porqué pasa lo que pasa en todo el libro.
Me ha gustado bastante, pero no creo que sea un nuevo favorito por esa falta de emoción, de tensión. Quizá la razón por la que tenga una recepción algo impar entre los lectores, como he visto en algunas reseñas, es porque te lo venden como algo que luego no resulta ser o que difiere de la categoría en la que un lector lo clasificaría. Por eso puede decepcionar tanto.
December 15, 2017
Libro un poco extraño. Lo he visto clasificado como ciencia-ficción distópica (por presentar una coalición de países en el año 2037) aunque no lo veo así, ya que la novela podría haberse desarrollado exactmente igual en el mundo actual. Personalmente la clasificaría como una novela negra nórdica bastante atípica.
A pesar de todo, me ha gustado; tanto la narración, alternando capítulos con los puntos de vista de los distintos personajes, como el tratamiento de dichos personajes. La trama se va desvelando poco a poco, sin prisas; todo un círculo de mentiras y engaños.
A pesar de todo, me ha gustado; tanto la narración, alternando capítulos con los puntos de vista de los distintos personajes, como el tratamiento de dichos personajes. La trama se va desvelando poco a poco, sin prisas; todo un círculo de mentiras y engaños.
December 9, 2021
Rating: 4.5/5
We all know I love a good isolation thriller, and man did this deliver on that. I felt a little claustrophobic while reading it, when Anna was walking through the inside of the walls and spying on the candidates. I felt very panicky and stuck and had an overall eerie feeling while reading this and honestly it was so great because not a lot of books can invoke these types of feelings in me. I really want to do a reread soon!
We all know I love a good isolation thriller, and man did this deliver on that. I felt a little claustrophobic while reading it, when Anna was walking through the inside of the walls and spying on the candidates. I felt very panicky and stuck and had an overall eerie feeling while reading this and honestly it was so great because not a lot of books can invoke these types of feelings in me. I really want to do a reread soon!
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