What do you think?
Rate this book
The Game
Just outside the city of Seoul, Korea, a crime scene is discovered with two corpses and two critically injured victims. Detective Yong Taemin is assigned to the case. Of the two surviving victims, only one awakens. But, she has lost her memory. With Taemin's help, she delves into her own troubled past, searching for clues that will bring memories of the fateful, murderous night to the surface. Song So Ah had her life planned out to the smallest details with a bright and promising future . . . until her fiance is murdered and her life is turned upside down. Two men enter her Ji Jin Woo, the half-brother of her fallen fiance and a man from her past who she'd rather forget even existed. Unbeknownst to her, The Game has just begun, and it won't stop until one of them is dead.
190 pages, Paperback
Published April 30, 2019
3 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 18, 2021
Rocky relationships, crime family drama, and lots of twists
The Game is a romantic thriller, with most of it told in flashbacks exploring how So An’s life reached the moment introduced at the beginning of the novel. There’s murder, mafia, and mad romances woven into a compelling story.
The plot flows from a web of relationships within and connected to Korean crime families, and I was pulled in by morbid fascination, like watching a series of car crashes in slow motion, with the mystery of a murder framing all of it. Along the way there’s bad choices, redemption, and romance—in fact, it’s more relationship-heavy than the description implies.
The author does a good job of making the South Korean setting feel authentic. We see the strong family ties, social hierarchies and pressures, and even pick up some Korean vocabulary.
I usually avoid any hint of spoilers in reviews, but found it hard to completely do so in this case, as events elicited strong emotional reactions. So mild spoilers ahead:
The primary relationship between So An and the bad boy Jin Woo is formed from a series of poor choices. I disliked Jin Woo almost immediately (which was probably the point), and So An starts to fall for him for cringe-inducing reasons: he was briefly kind (for self-serving reasons), he reminded her of someone else, she needed protection, and she was running out of money.
So An on her choice to move in with Jin Woo: “I’m really scared and confused right now. I feel like I have no other option. I don’t know what else to do.”
We know from very early on in the story that So An ends up marrying this guy, so we can foresee a possible redemption arc. But honestly, by a third of the way in, I didn’t care if he changed, because his behavior was so terrible at the outset—he gaslights her, orders her around, is mildly physically abusive. So An should’ve given up on him long before he turned himself around.
I felt sympathetic for So An, however. She found herself in a vulnerable position, and Jin Woo took advantage of that, masking it in the auspice of protecting her (even though the dangers are real). Also, her home life was rocky to say the least, which can warp one’s judgment.
The main problem I had from a story point of view was that Jin Woo’s redemption is basically glossed over in a paragraph; people rarely just suddenly become “respectful” out of the blue. This light treatment makes their continued romance feel like a house without a foundation, and the tender moments between them undeserved. But pushing past this, the last half is a wild ride.
Throughout the book, we are introduced to several of So An’s other relationships—all full of drama, of course. They create a tapestry of connections that become important later in the book, which gave it a full-circle feeling.
If you like rocky relationships, handsome bad boys, crime family drama, and exciting soap opera-like twists, then The Game could be the book you’re looking for.
The Game is a romantic thriller, with most of it told in flashbacks exploring how So An’s life reached the moment introduced at the beginning of the novel. There’s murder, mafia, and mad romances woven into a compelling story.
The plot flows from a web of relationships within and connected to Korean crime families, and I was pulled in by morbid fascination, like watching a series of car crashes in slow motion, with the mystery of a murder framing all of it. Along the way there’s bad choices, redemption, and romance—in fact, it’s more relationship-heavy than the description implies.
The author does a good job of making the South Korean setting feel authentic. We see the strong family ties, social hierarchies and pressures, and even pick up some Korean vocabulary.
I usually avoid any hint of spoilers in reviews, but found it hard to completely do so in this case, as events elicited strong emotional reactions. So mild spoilers ahead:
The primary relationship between So An and the bad boy Jin Woo is formed from a series of poor choices. I disliked Jin Woo almost immediately (which was probably the point), and So An starts to fall for him for cringe-inducing reasons: he was briefly kind (for self-serving reasons), he reminded her of someone else, she needed protection, and she was running out of money.
So An on her choice to move in with Jin Woo: “I’m really scared and confused right now. I feel like I have no other option. I don’t know what else to do.”
We know from very early on in the story that So An ends up marrying this guy, so we can foresee a possible redemption arc. But honestly, by a third of the way in, I didn’t care if he changed, because his behavior was so terrible at the outset—he gaslights her, orders her around, is mildly physically abusive. So An should’ve given up on him long before he turned himself around.
I felt sympathetic for So An, however. She found herself in a vulnerable position, and Jin Woo took advantage of that, masking it in the auspice of protecting her (even though the dangers are real). Also, her home life was rocky to say the least, which can warp one’s judgment.
The main problem I had from a story point of view was that Jin Woo’s redemption is basically glossed over in a paragraph; people rarely just suddenly become “respectful” out of the blue. This light treatment makes their continued romance feel like a house without a foundation, and the tender moments between them undeserved. But pushing past this, the last half is a wild ride.
Throughout the book, we are introduced to several of So An’s other relationships—all full of drama, of course. They create a tapestry of connections that become important later in the book, which gave it a full-circle feeling.
If you like rocky relationships, handsome bad boys, crime family drama, and exciting soap opera-like twists, then The Game could be the book you’re looking for.
February 10, 2021
The Game is a great mystery crime story where there are no clues dropped and you are really just figuring out new suspects and motives as they appear in the story. I found the way it was set out very intriguing, there was always enough information given to keep you satisfied, while still leaving enough mystery to keep you interested.
I really couldn't have worked out the motive without getting to the end and I was quite surprised at it.
The ending was a bit of a shocker and I am still not sure if I am happy about it or not, all I know is that there are some games just not worth playing!
I really couldn't have worked out the motive without getting to the end and I was quite surprised at it.
The ending was a bit of a shocker and I am still not sure if I am happy about it or not, all I know is that there are some games just not worth playing!
May 21, 2021
Loved this story
The Game is a cross between a young adult love story and the Godfather. I loved the South Korea setting. The story is mostly flashbacks but they work well in context. The only problem I had was remembering the Korean names so I had to keep checking who the author was talking about. That was mostly my fault for not learning enough about Korea. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes an action story with strong characters.
The Game is a cross between a young adult love story and the Godfather. I loved the South Korea setting. The story is mostly flashbacks but they work well in context. The only problem I had was remembering the Korean names so I had to keep checking who the author was talking about. That was mostly my fault for not learning enough about Korea. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes an action story with strong characters.
September 22, 2023
This book was well written from the very first page. But there were quite a few names to take in, some of which had almost the same spellings, making it a bit confusing for me at times.
That said, The Game is one of those reads where you think you know what’s going on, when in fact you don’t, and just when you think the story is done – it’s not!
I loved the ending which I didn’t see coming. If you want to know what happened—grab the book!
That said, The Game is one of those reads where you think you know what’s going on, when in fact you don’t, and just when you think the story is done – it’s not!
I loved the ending which I didn’t see coming. If you want to know what happened—grab the book!
December 18, 2020
Excellent read
Wow! I was hooked from beginning to end...vivid scenes...thrilling and steamy. Good work! This author has other books and I am sure to read some more of her material.
Wow! I was hooked from beginning to end...vivid scenes...thrilling and steamy. Good work! This author has other books and I am sure to read some more of her material.
March 4, 2021
This fast-paced thriller will keep you reading to the end. So-ah's life is intense, and when she wakes up in the hospital with no clue as to why as her memory returns the truth slowly unravels.
June 5, 2021
What a great read!
This is the first book from Ms Tirrell that I've read.. Very interesting and I can't wait to read more!
This is the first book from Ms Tirrell that I've read.. Very interesting and I can't wait to read more!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews