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Their Vicious Games
*Squid Game at an American High School - the twisty YA thriller that everyone will be talking about in 2023.*
Twelve girls. Three rounds. One ultimate prize . . . for the last one left alive.
Edgewater Academy is a school for the very rich and very powerful.
Adina Walker is neither of those things. Alone and outcast, when she gets into a fight with a fellow student (and former friend), her scholarship to a top college is revoked, and her world falls apart.
Until she's invited to The Finish.
Annual games for the brightest and the best, hosted by power-family The Remingtons, the winning prize for The Finish is everything Adina wants. This is her chance at the life she's dreamed of.
Then the contestants start to die.
Love, revenge, pride - all are on the line. This isn't a game any more . . .
Horrific and engrossing in equal measure, THEIR VICIOUS GAMES is also a thoughtful and clever commentary on race and class. Ace of Spades meets The Inheritance Games, this is a game you'll want to see through to the finish.
Twelve girls. Three rounds. One ultimate prize . . . for the last one left alive.
Edgewater Academy is a school for the very rich and very powerful.
Adina Walker is neither of those things. Alone and outcast, when she gets into a fight with a fellow student (and former friend), her scholarship to a top college is revoked, and her world falls apart.
Until she's invited to The Finish.
Annual games for the brightest and the best, hosted by power-family The Remingtons, the winning prize for The Finish is everything Adina wants. This is her chance at the life she's dreamed of.
Then the contestants start to die.
Love, revenge, pride - all are on the line. This isn't a game any more . . .
Horrific and engrossing in equal measure, THEIR VICIOUS GAMES is also a thoughtful and clever commentary on race and class. Ace of Spades meets The Inheritance Games, this is a game you'll want to see through to the finish.
408 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 25, 2023
655 people are currently reading
54050 people want to read
About the author
Joelle Wellington
6 books913 followersJoelle Wellington is the author of Their Vicious Games. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where her childhood was spent wandering the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading and when she’s not doing that, she’s attempting to bake bread with varying degrees of success or strengthening her encyclopedia-like pop culture knowledge. She can be found on Twitter under @joelle_welling.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,255 reviews
December 30, 2025
Applause for days. Wellington knocked this out of the park.
Let's talk about it, shall we?
In Their Vicious Games we follow Adina Walker, a Black teen, who has just graduated from Edgewater Academy, a prestigious private high school in New England, attended by super-rich, mostly white, students.
Adina's parents both work at Edgewater and she was able to attend via scholarships. Because of this, she's always known she had to work twice as hard as the other students to keep herself above reproach. Her life under a microscope.
All her work seemed to be paying off when she received her acceptance letter to Yale. Unfortunately, another student with her sights on Yale wasn't accepted and decides to take out her failure on Adina. A fight ensues, which gets blamed, of course, on Adina.
Just like that, Adina watches her future slip away. Her acceptance to Yale is revoked, along with her chance to enter any other Ivy. Adina is devastated, she's furious, she's shocked, she's a lot of things, but a quitter isn't one of them.
There's one more chance. An extremely-mysterious competition called The Finish, hosted by the wealthiest of the Edgewater families, the Remingtons.
Twelve girls, hand-selected by the family, are brought together at the family estate to compete in three different challenges. These girls must show exceptional promise to even be picked, as the winner is granted entry into the Remington family, where all doors are opened to them.
Adina, catching the eye of the Remington's youngest son, is granted an invitation. This is it. Her one chance to get her life back. Adina will stop at nothing to win, or at least that's what she thinks going into the competition.
The truth is, Adina could have never imagined how high the stakes are, or how vicious the play would actually be. Look out Mean Girls, you've got nothing on Their Vicious Games!!
Y'all, I can't even express to you how much I loved this. I am probably doing a terrible job at even trying to sum it up, because I'm just so excited about it.
I feel like Wellington absolutely nailed what she was trying to achieve here. I was hooked from the very first chapter, invested in Adina and her future like she was my own darned child. I loved how quickly this kicked off and I feel like it was really easy to get into it.
The whole set-up was fantastic. I loved how the girls actually got to live at the estate. They had no contact with the outside world while there. Literally, all rules, laws, and social conventions had gone right out the window.
Adina had a roommate, Saint, who ended up being one of the highlights of the story for me. I loved her character so much and the relationship that developed between Saint and Adina was hero/sidekick gold.
I also loved the actual competition elements. Wellington wasn't pulling any punches with this one. It got brutal and I was there for every toe-curling minute of it.
I love how Wellington committed to the concept and took it all the way. She didn't try to make the Reader comfortable. I respect that so much.
In my opinion, this was also really well-constructed just in its general story-telling quality. It was completely engaging, intense and the biting social commentary was chef's kiss level good.
I loved it. I'm not sure what else to say.
If you enjoy brutal, cunning, manipulative characters hell bent on destroying one another via an organized competition, than this one is for you. Maybe you love Social Horror, or books that have something to say, than this one is also for you.
I had a blast with it and am so impressed with this as a debut novel. Well done, Joelle Wellington. I certainly hope this book gets all the praise it deserves!!!
Thank you so, so much to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. I have a strong feeling this is going to find its way onto my Best Books of the Year list.
I cannot wait to read more from this author!!!
Let's talk about it, shall we?
In Their Vicious Games we follow Adina Walker, a Black teen, who has just graduated from Edgewater Academy, a prestigious private high school in New England, attended by super-rich, mostly white, students.
Adina's parents both work at Edgewater and she was able to attend via scholarships. Because of this, she's always known she had to work twice as hard as the other students to keep herself above reproach. Her life under a microscope.
All her work seemed to be paying off when she received her acceptance letter to Yale. Unfortunately, another student with her sights on Yale wasn't accepted and decides to take out her failure on Adina. A fight ensues, which gets blamed, of course, on Adina.
Just like that, Adina watches her future slip away. Her acceptance to Yale is revoked, along with her chance to enter any other Ivy. Adina is devastated, she's furious, she's shocked, she's a lot of things, but a quitter isn't one of them.
There's one more chance. An extremely-mysterious competition called The Finish, hosted by the wealthiest of the Edgewater families, the Remingtons.
Twelve girls, hand-selected by the family, are brought together at the family estate to compete in three different challenges. These girls must show exceptional promise to even be picked, as the winner is granted entry into the Remington family, where all doors are opened to them.
Adina, catching the eye of the Remington's youngest son, is granted an invitation. This is it. Her one chance to get her life back. Adina will stop at nothing to win, or at least that's what she thinks going into the competition.
The truth is, Adina could have never imagined how high the stakes are, or how vicious the play would actually be. Look out Mean Girls, you've got nothing on Their Vicious Games!!
Y'all, I can't even express to you how much I loved this. I am probably doing a terrible job at even trying to sum it up, because I'm just so excited about it.
I feel like Wellington absolutely nailed what she was trying to achieve here. I was hooked from the very first chapter, invested in Adina and her future like she was my own darned child. I loved how quickly this kicked off and I feel like it was really easy to get into it.
The whole set-up was fantastic. I loved how the girls actually got to live at the estate. They had no contact with the outside world while there. Literally, all rules, laws, and social conventions had gone right out the window.
Adina had a roommate, Saint, who ended up being one of the highlights of the story for me. I loved her character so much and the relationship that developed between Saint and Adina was hero/sidekick gold.
I also loved the actual competition elements. Wellington wasn't pulling any punches with this one. It got brutal and I was there for every toe-curling minute of it.
I love how Wellington committed to the concept and took it all the way. She didn't try to make the Reader comfortable. I respect that so much.
In my opinion, this was also really well-constructed just in its general story-telling quality. It was completely engaging, intense and the biting social commentary was chef's kiss level good.
I loved it. I'm not sure what else to say.
If you enjoy brutal, cunning, manipulative characters hell bent on destroying one another via an organized competition, than this one is for you. Maybe you love Social Horror, or books that have something to say, than this one is also for you.
I had a blast with it and am so impressed with this as a debut novel. Well done, Joelle Wellington. I certainly hope this book gets all the praise it deserves!!!
Thank you so, so much to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. I have a strong feeling this is going to find its way onto my Best Books of the Year list.
I cannot wait to read more from this author!!!
May 22, 2023
first and foremost, before you read, heed this warning—this is not a mystery. this is not a contemporary tale of woe. this is not to be taken seriously.
this is a satire.
(more in-depth thoughts to come as they form lol)
this is a satire.
(more in-depth thoughts to come as they form lol)
May 17, 2024
yes yes yes, more eat the rich thrillers because this ending was so bloody satisfying🩸pun intented 🙂
January 2, 2024
Described as Ace of Spades meets Squid Games with a Sprinkling of The Bachelor. We would add “House of Hunger” vibes. Just finished and our brain is spinning still. Therefore all we can say is - Joelle knocked it out of the park.
Adina is a queen. Long may she reign.
Adina is a queen. Long may she reign.
March 10, 2024
My goodness what the hell was this book please?
Had i not read from the author that this book is purely satire and should not be taken seriously, I would have rated this a 1 ⭐
Their Vicious Games is one jumbled up hot mess of Hunger Games, meets Squid Games with a sprinkle of The Bachelor.
Adina was accepted to Yale college, but after getting in a fight at school with uppity prestige Esme, her entry is taken away as well as any other entry to any other Ivy League School.
She then gets an invitation to take part in an elite competition ('The Finish') with 11 other girls. She will get the chance to regain her acceptance back to Yale, become very wealthy and also get married to one of the richest bachelors in town if she is the remaining survivor. Yup that's right the 3 round competitions are deadly and the last one standing takes it all.
As stated above i knew i had to come into this book not taking it seriously. If you don't know that beforehand, i promise you, you will spend the majority of the book sighing, side eyeing and rolling your eyes far back into your head it might just get stuck! (i still did all those) 😅😅
The characters are unbearable and annoying except Saint and Adina (although some of her decisions and behaviour riled me up at times).
I really liked Saint and Adina's friendship. They were complete strangers to one another, but they stuck together in the cutthroat competition and had each others back.
I also enjoyed the commentary on wealth, power and the misogynies in men.
The bachelor in question?... (pass me the puke bucket) 🤮🤮
The book had potential, but it was way too long and repetitive for me. The first round of action didn't start till the 45% mark and i was slowly losing the will to live at that point.
Even though its satire, the book just doesn't make sense having 12 rich (1 middle class) girls participating in that kind of competition. Only Esme and Adina's participation made partial sense but still... really?>
The ending was so nonsensical and infuriated me even though i predicted it!! I finished the book thinking 'SO WHAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT THEN?'
Had it been about 150 pages and categorized as satirical Horror, i probably would have rated higher.
2.5 ⭐
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⋆｡°✩Pre Review ⋆｡°✩
EXCUSE ME!? This is supposed to be Squid Games with a sprinkling of The Bachelor!!
Two of my fave shows! What a combo! please please please let this be a 5⭐read!
Had i not read from the author that this book is purely satire and should not be taken seriously, I would have rated this a 1 ⭐
Their Vicious Games is one jumbled up hot mess of Hunger Games, meets Squid Games with a sprinkle of The Bachelor.
Adina was accepted to Yale college, but after getting in a fight at school with uppity prestige Esme, her entry is taken away as well as any other entry to any other Ivy League School.
She then gets an invitation to take part in an elite competition ('The Finish') with 11 other girls. She will get the chance to regain her acceptance back to Yale, become very wealthy and also get married to one of the richest bachelors in town if she is the remaining survivor. Yup that's right the 3 round competitions are deadly and the last one standing takes it all.
As stated above i knew i had to come into this book not taking it seriously. If you don't know that beforehand, i promise you, you will spend the majority of the book sighing, side eyeing and rolling your eyes far back into your head it might just get stuck! (i still did all those) 😅😅
The characters are unbearable and annoying except Saint and Adina (although some of her decisions and behaviour riled me up at times).
I really liked Saint and Adina's friendship. They were complete strangers to one another, but they stuck together in the cutthroat competition and had each others back.
I also enjoyed the commentary on wealth, power and the misogynies in men.
The bachelor in question?... (pass me the puke bucket) 🤮🤮
The book had potential, but it was way too long and repetitive for me. The first round of action didn't start till the 45% mark and i was slowly losing the will to live at that point.
Even though its satire, the book just doesn't make sense having 12 rich (1 middle class) girls participating in that kind of competition. Only Esme and Adina's participation made partial sense but still... really?>
The ending was so nonsensical and infuriated me even though i predicted it!! I finished the book thinking 'SO WHAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT THEN?'
Had it been about 150 pages and categorized as satirical Horror, i probably would have rated higher.
2.5 ⭐
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
⋆｡°✩Pre Review ⋆｡°✩
EXCUSE ME!? This is supposed to be Squid Games with a sprinkling of The Bachelor!!
Two of my fave shows! What a combo! please please please let this be a 5⭐read!
November 20, 2023
Ooo this is an interesting and while it won't be for everyone, I actually enjoyed it. 4.25 Stars
Their Vicious Games is a satire that comments not only on class and race, but also wealth and power. It follows main character Adina Walker who has recently lost her spot at an ivy league university. In hopes of regaining attendance, she makes the decision to participate in a game called "The Finish" which would not only help her gain notoriety and wealth, but also a second chance at her future. Unfortunately, the game is nothing like she expected, and she is literally forced to fight until the death.
What Worked: The commentary in this one was extremely interesting. Whether it was the intent of the author or not, there is something to be said about the performative allyship that takes place in this book. It's not meant to make sense and it's supposed to be outlandish and ridiculous because it's satire. It is meant to be outlandish in way that also directly highlights the foolishness of those that abuse their wealth and power and those that want to pat themselves on the back for "assisting" members of marginalized communities. I think that readers will find Adina to be a complex, yet unlikeable character. She says stupid things and makes rash, nonsensical decisions. However, her journey through "The Finish" does help her to grow and better find her voice and purpose in life. This book is brutal. I'm not sure that I was expecting it to be THAT violent, but in context of what I believe to be the purpose of this book, I almost wish it was a little more violent.
What Didn't Work: The start of this book is slow and it's where I struggled with Adina the most. I almost wish Wellington would have chosen to start off with a bang or do a better job shifting in between the beginning lull of the story to the intense scenes of the "The Finish."
Overall, this was a great read. I'm interested in seeing what Wellington does in the future.
Their Vicious Games is a satire that comments not only on class and race, but also wealth and power. It follows main character Adina Walker who has recently lost her spot at an ivy league university. In hopes of regaining attendance, she makes the decision to participate in a game called "The Finish" which would not only help her gain notoriety and wealth, but also a second chance at her future. Unfortunately, the game is nothing like she expected, and she is literally forced to fight until the death.
What Worked: The commentary in this one was extremely interesting. Whether it was the intent of the author or not, there is something to be said about the performative allyship that takes place in this book. It's not meant to make sense and it's supposed to be outlandish and ridiculous because it's satire. It is meant to be outlandish in way that also directly highlights the foolishness of those that abuse their wealth and power and those that want to pat themselves on the back for "assisting" members of marginalized communities. I think that readers will find Adina to be a complex, yet unlikeable character. She says stupid things and makes rash, nonsensical decisions. However, her journey through "The Finish" does help her to grow and better find her voice and purpose in life. This book is brutal. I'm not sure that I was expecting it to be THAT violent, but in context of what I believe to be the purpose of this book, I almost wish it was a little more violent.
What Didn't Work: The start of this book is slow and it's where I struggled with Adina the most. I almost wish Wellington would have chosen to start off with a bang or do a better job shifting in between the beginning lull of the story to the intense scenes of the "The Finish."
Overall, this was a great read. I'm interested in seeing what Wellington does in the future.
September 24, 2023
Well this took a turn, it started out so well with so much potential but then even suspending my disbelief didn’t work…
You’re telling me these rich families know what ‘The Finish’ is and willingly send their girls into it to die? It would have made more sense for all of the girls to be from a disadvantaged backgrounds like Adina because then the drive and fight to the death mentality would have made sense.
You’re telling me these privileged rich girls that already live in mansions, wear diamonds and designer joined this suicide mission for marriage to a man they barely know??
I just didn’t understand anyone’s motivation aside from Esme, ok her family is broke and going down for embezzlement she needs the Remingtons to make it go away.
As much as I liked Saint’s character her decision to enter this competition while suspecting the true nature of it after doing research before coming made no sense to me.
This one just wasn’t for me unfortunately
You’re telling me these rich families know what ‘The Finish’ is and willingly send their girls into it to die? It would have made more sense for all of the girls to be from a disadvantaged backgrounds like Adina because then the drive and fight to the death mentality would have made sense.
You’re telling me these privileged rich girls that already live in mansions, wear diamonds and designer joined this suicide mission for marriage to a man they barely know??
I just didn’t understand anyone’s motivation aside from Esme, ok her family is broke and going down for embezzlement she needs the Remingtons to make it go away.
As much as I liked Saint’s character her decision to enter this competition while suspecting the true nature of it after doing research before coming made no sense to me.
This one just wasn’t for me unfortunately
February 26, 2024
I just finished this book and I can't even relax. I AM SO HYPED UP. And the craziest part is that I almost gave up on this book at the beginning. I AM EXTREMELY IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK. I'm not a person who likes to like books, for this book to have won me over so completely and totally . . . I'm in awe.
The first 10% of this book were hard for me to understand because the story jumped back and forth in time, I felt confused about what was going on. But all that quickly righted itself and the plot grabbed me and didn't let me go! I didn't want to put the book down, not even to eat.
Adina's an extremely likable character and it wasn't hard for me to root for her. Her intelligence and genuine kindness stood out to me. I loved watching Adina grow more and more perceptive as the novel wore on. Her romantic relationships made me very concerned LOL but she kept her head screwed on and I absolutely love that.
I loved the friendship between Adina and Saint. And the strange relationship Adina had with Penthesilea was neat too(Pen was such an intriguing contrast of her appearance vs. her underlying motives). Also Pierce? He was an . . . "interesting" character to watch.
The writing in this book once the finish popped off was excellent. Descriptive, evocative, with some searing critiques of society that hit just right. I can't wait to have my own copy of this book that I can read, re-read, and mark up at leisure.
Joelle Wellington, I am waiting for more books from you. ‘Cause this was masterful!
NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada, thank you so much for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The first 10% of this book were hard for me to understand because the story jumped back and forth in time, I felt confused about what was going on. But all that quickly righted itself and the plot grabbed me and didn't let me go! I didn't want to put the book down, not even to eat.
Adina's an extremely likable character and it wasn't hard for me to root for her. Her intelligence and genuine kindness stood out to me. I loved watching Adina grow more and more perceptive as the novel wore on. Her romantic relationships made me very concerned LOL but she kept her head screwed on and I absolutely love that.
I loved the friendship between Adina and Saint. And the strange relationship Adina had with Penthesilea was neat too(Pen was such an intriguing contrast of her appearance vs. her underlying motives). Also Pierce? He was an . . . "interesting" character to watch.
The writing in this book once the finish popped off was excellent. Descriptive, evocative, with some searing critiques of society that hit just right. I can't wait to have my own copy of this book that I can read, re-read, and mark up at leisure.
Joelle Wellington, I am waiting for more books from you. ‘Cause this was masterful!
NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada, thank you so much for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 25, 2025
If you crossed Squid Game with Crazy Rich New Englanders...
What have we here? Let's take a look at the publisher's blurb... "searing thriller that’s Ace of Spades meets Squid Game with a sprinkling of The Bachelor". Later we have "Because the ... stakes aren’t just make or break…they’re life and death." OK, so we already know the plot. A group of contestants are going to compete in some weird artificial game-like thing in which most of them are expected to die, leaving only the winner standing at the end. What about the characters? Well, most of them are people who are, in the words of Crazy Rich Asians, "richer than God". And they are awful. You already know them. You met them in Crazy Rich Asians and Knives Out, and for that matter, Squid Game.
Adina Walker is the grain of sand in this oyster, the Seong Gi-Hun, the Katniss Everdeen of these games. As the book begins she is a student at the tony Edgewater Academy. Edgewater is owned or subsidized or something by the Remington Family. The Remingtons are richer than people who are richer than God -- they are rich enough to literally get away with murder. (The exact formal relationship of the Remingtons to Edgewater is never entirely clear, nor does it matter -- they run the place.) The Remington brood are (or were) students at Edgewater. The other students are mostly the children of the aforementioned richer-than-God families. Adina (Our Hero!) is not, though. Her mother is a professor at Edgewater, allowing her to attend on a scholarship. Suburbia is her secret stigma -- the shame she strives to deny.
Adina is bright -- she is in line to be class valedictorian, and she has been accepted at a bunch of good colleges, one of them Yale, where she intends to go. But she makes a mistake. Her former friend Esme betrays her. Stung, Adina revenges herself by spreading a vicious rumor about Esme's family. (This rumor happens to be true, but make no mistake, Adina is not motivated by her love of truth -- she wants to GET Esme.) There's a fight with fingernails and blood. Subsequently all Adina's acceptances, Yale and all the other schools, are mysteriously rescinded. She sees only one way to get back on track -- a mysterious annual competition known by the ominous name of the Finish, in which a dozen young women compete. Usually these young women are the scions of wealthy families, not grubby suburbanites like Adina. But Adina gets herself invited. (I will not tell you how she makes this happen -- let us just say that it is not an edifying tale.)
Are you getting the impression that I don't much like Adina? If so, have a lollipop -- you are correct. Adina begins as a not at all admirable schemer (who is not even very good at scheming). Fine, so she's a flawed character. Hamlet is a flawed character. Tony Stark is flawed. Meg Murry is a flawed hero. That's why I called Adina the sand in the oyster -- she's there to become a pearl.
We know the plot and all the other characters in advance. Thus, Adina's growth is the essential center of this story. Perhaps 10% of the way into the book, I was thinking to myself, "I hope Wellington has some mighty big rabbits ready to pull out of her hat." Rabbits do in fact come out of Wellington's hat. Adina grows. By the end of the book she has become something more interesting than the petty schemer she was at the beginning. But the bunnies appear late, and they are not terribly impressive. I dislike Final Girl Adina less than Starting Line-up Adina, but I do not love or admire her.
I thank NetGalley and Simon and Shuster Canada for an advance reader copy of Their Vicious Games. This review expresses my honest opinions.
Blog review.
What have we here? Let's take a look at the publisher's blurb... "searing thriller that’s Ace of Spades meets Squid Game with a sprinkling of The Bachelor". Later we have "Because the ... stakes aren’t just make or break…they’re life and death." OK, so we already know the plot. A group of contestants are going to compete in some weird artificial game-like thing in which most of them are expected to die, leaving only the winner standing at the end. What about the characters? Well, most of them are people who are, in the words of Crazy Rich Asians, "richer than God". And they are awful. You already know them. You met them in Crazy Rich Asians and Knives Out, and for that matter, Squid Game.
Adina Walker is the grain of sand in this oyster, the Seong Gi-Hun, the Katniss Everdeen of these games. As the book begins she is a student at the tony Edgewater Academy. Edgewater is owned or subsidized or something by the Remington Family. The Remingtons are richer than people who are richer than God -- they are rich enough to literally get away with murder. (The exact formal relationship of the Remingtons to Edgewater is never entirely clear, nor does it matter -- they run the place.) The Remington brood are (or were) students at Edgewater. The other students are mostly the children of the aforementioned richer-than-God families. Adina (Our Hero!) is not, though. Her mother is a professor at Edgewater, allowing her to attend on a scholarship. Suburbia is her secret stigma -- the shame she strives to deny.
Adina is bright -- she is in line to be class valedictorian, and she has been accepted at a bunch of good colleges, one of them Yale, where she intends to go. But she makes a mistake. Her former friend Esme betrays her. Stung, Adina revenges herself by spreading a vicious rumor about Esme's family. (This rumor happens to be true, but make no mistake, Adina is not motivated by her love of truth -- she wants to GET Esme.) There's a fight with fingernails and blood. Subsequently all Adina's acceptances, Yale and all the other schools, are mysteriously rescinded. She sees only one way to get back on track -- a mysterious annual competition known by the ominous name of the Finish, in which a dozen young women compete. Usually these young women are the scions of wealthy families, not grubby suburbanites like Adina. But Adina gets herself invited. (I will not tell you how she makes this happen -- let us just say that it is not an edifying tale.)
Are you getting the impression that I don't much like Adina? If so, have a lollipop -- you are correct. Adina begins as a not at all admirable schemer (who is not even very good at scheming). Fine, so she's a flawed character. Hamlet is a flawed character. Tony Stark is flawed. Meg Murry is a flawed hero. That's why I called Adina the sand in the oyster -- she's there to become a pearl.
We know the plot and all the other characters in advance. Thus, Adina's growth is the essential center of this story. Perhaps 10% of the way into the book, I was thinking to myself, "I hope Wellington has some mighty big rabbits ready to pull out of her hat." Rabbits do in fact come out of Wellington's hat. Adina grows. By the end of the book she has become something more interesting than the petty schemer she was at the beginning. But the bunnies appear late, and they are not terribly impressive. I dislike Final Girl Adina less than Starting Line-up Adina, but I do not love or admire her.
I thank NetGalley and Simon and Shuster Canada for an advance reader copy of Their Vicious Games. This review expresses my honest opinions.
Blog review.
August 12, 2023
I do not understand the raging reviews for this book.
Let me start from the beginning.
Our main character, Adina, is so edgy and act like her life is miserable and for what reason? She comes from SUBURBIA. That’s it. She has a roof over her head, food on the table, she goes to a great school and has two loving parents and friends. However, she’s not as rich as her classmates, and i’m supposed to care about that? Feel like life has given her such a bad hand? Give me a break.
Also, Adina does NOTHING for herself. In the words of another character: "I saved you, because you couldn’t save yourself." The two times she actually do something, it’s completely ridiculous and makes absolutely no sense (like when she just reminded the girls of the ending of the game and that made them all turn against each others?).
I could go on and on, but let’s move onto The Finish. Why are 12 rich and influent family willing to give up the life of their daughter, just to marry some dude? Sure he’s rich and all, but their daughter would’ve been fine on their own. They were all accepted to great universities and had bright futures in front of them.
The ending also makes no sense. Like at all. Adina just changes the rules of the game and that’s it? Okay, cool. Goes against everything the book created before, but whatever, I guess.
Let me start from the beginning.
Our main character, Adina, is so edgy and act like her life is miserable and for what reason? She comes from SUBURBIA. That’s it. She has a roof over her head, food on the table, she goes to a great school and has two loving parents and friends. However, she’s not as rich as her classmates, and i’m supposed to care about that? Feel like life has given her such a bad hand? Give me a break.
Also, Adina does NOTHING for herself. In the words of another character: "I saved you, because you couldn’t save yourself." The two times she actually do something, it’s completely ridiculous and makes absolutely no sense (like when she just reminded the girls of the ending of the game and that made them all turn against each others?).
I could go on and on, but let’s move onto The Finish. Why are 12 rich and influent family willing to give up the life of their daughter, just to marry some dude? Sure he’s rich and all, but their daughter would’ve been fine on their own. They were all accepted to great universities and had bright futures in front of them.
The ending also makes no sense. Like at all. Adina just changes the rules of the game and that’s it? Okay, cool. Goes against everything the book created before, but whatever, I guess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2023
The crazy stuff rich white people do for entertainment. SMH. 😂😂. I just though getting into college was a game - but maybe it’s actually a deadly game? I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced young adult thriller. The characters were well written, and I just kept turning pages to find out what would happen next. So many twists. It could’ve been a pretzel!
There was so much action that they should make a movie from it. And there are several strong female leads, which I always appreciate! I look forward to reading more books by this author!
There was so much action that they should make a movie from it. And there are several strong female leads, which I always appreciate! I look forward to reading more books by this author!
July 14, 2023
Eat the rich.
Their Vicious Games is a dark and biting satire that's The Bachelor meets Squid Game where a group of young women are supposed to fight for a shot at a life of wealth and influence. It's a book about race, class, privilege, misogyny, and women with teeth. I loved it.
Adina Walker is prickly and messy and some readers aren't going to like her, but I really don't think she would give a f*ck. Personally I was a fan and I think her character arc really works. She's a Black girl from a middle class family who attends a prestigious prep school because her parents work there. She worked hard to be admitted into Yale, but a fight at school stripped that away and now she's willing to do just about anything to get back what she earned. Even enter The Finish- a secretive competition among young women where the winner will get everything she dreamed of. But the cost might be higher than Adina realizes....
I don't want to spoil things but this was brutal in the best sort of way. It offers a look at what might lie behind the gracious smiles and perfect styling of these women and the way they are used by the men around them, but without excusing their culpability for harm that is done. It also pushes back on performative allyship and people who give lip service to positive change while really only caring for their own interests. It's very over the top on purpose and kept me incredibly entertained. I was rooting for Adina to survive and turn the tables on these bastards, and the ending was very satisfying. Excellent debut!
I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Their Vicious Games is a dark and biting satire that's The Bachelor meets Squid Game where a group of young women are supposed to fight for a shot at a life of wealth and influence. It's a book about race, class, privilege, misogyny, and women with teeth. I loved it.
Adina Walker is prickly and messy and some readers aren't going to like her, but I really don't think she would give a f*ck. Personally I was a fan and I think her character arc really works. She's a Black girl from a middle class family who attends a prestigious prep school because her parents work there. She worked hard to be admitted into Yale, but a fight at school stripped that away and now she's willing to do just about anything to get back what she earned. Even enter The Finish- a secretive competition among young women where the winner will get everything she dreamed of. But the cost might be higher than Adina realizes....
I don't want to spoil things but this was brutal in the best sort of way. It offers a look at what might lie behind the gracious smiles and perfect styling of these women and the way they are used by the men around them, but without excusing their culpability for harm that is done. It also pushes back on performative allyship and people who give lip service to positive change while really only caring for their own interests. It's very over the top on purpose and kept me incredibly entertained. I was rooting for Adina to survive and turn the tables on these bastards, and the ending was very satisfying. Excellent debut!
I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
February 26, 2024
First time read: 10/08/2023
Second time read: 02/22/2024
Initial review:
WOAH ONE OF MY FAVOURITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR. I AM STILL REELING FROM THAT ENDING. What a journey! I read this in a day and wow I will keep this book with me for a while. Full review to come.
Second review:
This book is one of my favourites ever. I was completely hooked by the premise of twelve girls competing in three deadly trials to win the ultimate prize- Becoming a Remington.
When I picked this up I expected maybe some some death, gore and cruelty but instead I got a profound, unique and insightful story about racism, classism and wealth. .
We follow Adina Walker who has lost her acceptance into Yale and who would do anything to reclaim what is hers. We join her on an anxiety-filled journey on what she is willing to sacrifice to reach her goals. I absolutely loved Adina as a main character! She is witty, funny and determined and I saw myself in her; both in her ambition and drive. I loved that she still managed to stay true to herself as she navigated a world that constantly tried to get rid of her. I loved all the reflections she had around wealth as an outsider and what privilege looks like.
The trials of The Finish were so interesting and so well-written that I honestly couldn't put the book down. I flew through it. The writing style and the way the chapters are divided constantly kept me on the edge of my seat and I felt like I was holding my breath throughout the entirety of the book.
I also loved how all of the girls, whether they had a lot of time on the page or not were all so unique and fully fleshed out. The driving force of the book is how complex and three-dimensional everyone was. Initially they were all these specific types and fit into neat boxes but they all transcended who they were supposed to be. Shoutout to Saint, Pen, Graham and Toni for carrying this book on their shoulders.
I honestly cannot recommend this book enough.
Second time read: 02/22/2024
Initial review:
WOAH ONE OF MY FAVOURITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR. I AM STILL REELING FROM THAT ENDING. What a journey! I read this in a day and wow I will keep this book with me for a while. Full review to come.
Second review:
This book is one of my favourites ever. I was completely hooked by the premise of twelve girls competing in three deadly trials to win the ultimate prize- Becoming a Remington.
When I picked this up I expected maybe some some death, gore and cruelty but instead I got a profound, unique and insightful story about racism, classism and wealth. .
We follow Adina Walker who has lost her acceptance into Yale and who would do anything to reclaim what is hers. We join her on an anxiety-filled journey on what she is willing to sacrifice to reach her goals. I absolutely loved Adina as a main character! She is witty, funny and determined and I saw myself in her; both in her ambition and drive. I loved that she still managed to stay true to herself as she navigated a world that constantly tried to get rid of her. I loved all the reflections she had around wealth as an outsider and what privilege looks like.
The trials of The Finish were so interesting and so well-written that I honestly couldn't put the book down. I flew through it. The writing style and the way the chapters are divided constantly kept me on the edge of my seat and I felt like I was holding my breath throughout the entirety of the book.
I also loved how all of the girls, whether they had a lot of time on the page or not were all so unique and fully fleshed out. The driving force of the book is how complex and three-dimensional everyone was. Initially they were all these specific types and fit into neat boxes but they all transcended who they were supposed to be. Shoutout to Saint, Pen, Graham and Toni for carrying this book on their shoulders.
I honestly cannot recommend this book enough.
September 27, 2024
I wasn't the right audience for this one, like not at all (it's a YA thriller without supernatural elements), but I still found it rather enjoyable so I can understand why I see it recommended so often. Adina was a fantastic character to follow. I liked that Wellington gave all the characters very distinctive names (I'm terrible with names); it made my reading experience a lot more pleasant. The ending was great if a little predictable.
April 12, 2024
I promise I tried but this was not very good.
OVERALL CRAFT (Characterization, Dialogue, Writing)
There’s a lot of voice behind this story, I can say that with certainty. Every description revealed something about our main character, Adina, which I really liked because it got me into her mind very fast. (Was Adina a character I particularly enjoyed reading through though? We’ll get into that later).
But that aside, I had an extremely hard time connecting with this story. The tone was all over the place, and I went into this heeding the author’s warning — that this is, supposedly, a satire — but that only made it worse. What part was exactly the satire? Was it meant to be the evil characters (all of whom are basically everyone but our MC), since their characterization resembled that of cartoonish villains? Was it meant to be the overall plot? Was it meant to be the absurd idea of The Finish?
The story comped Squid Games, which is an ambitious goal, because really, it should've comped Riverdale. I find that claiming this book to be a satire is an easy cop-out for not fixing how un-relatable and beyond disbelief it was. I also have to say that if an author has to clearly state their book is a satire, then it clearly did not accomplish its aims very well. Because I did not understand these characters, nor did I understand the concept of The Finish, nor did I understand the extreme ends of wealth power it was attempting to portray. The themes that this story attempt to explore are so surface-level that I can hardly call it a critique on class.
Esme had dialogue that reminded me of clap-backs from “the mean popular girl” archetype from Wattpad YA and the Remingtons did not even feel like people to me. If this was with the intention of making some commentary on wealthy people, it needed to be done with a lot more nuance because writing a one-sided rich character who only shows the worst behavior doesn’t do anything for me to reflect on their wealth or the power dynamics. It does not count as any commentary.
I also found it super challenging to keep up with what was going at times, because I was constantly swapping between: being bored by long info dumps by Adina and then utterly confused as they talk on the page about things we are supposed to already know about.
Moreover, it would be a disservice to myself if I did not point out the atrocity that was this line:
“I plug my phone in and scroll through my playlists until I land on “pov: you have the aux and you have something to prove.” When I press play, Toni crows loudly.”
There is no context in which I want to see pov mentioned outside of TikTok.
I also don't know how I feel about things like "finstas" and lines like "She looks powerful, like she's walked out of Blade (1998)" - trying to find a balance between YA, as well as something that should read as timeless is tough. Just my opinion, but I'm not a fan of references that feel like it can be extremely dated, or that pulls me out of the story (especially when for a reader who might not understand the references, it serves no purpose).
ADINA, AND HOW NOT TO WRITE UNLIKABLE CHARACTERS
I am definitely one for insufferable main characters (I loved reading through June in Yellowface) but Their Vicious Games made me realize exactly what it is that differentiates a flawed narrator from a narrator that makes you want to put down the book. Everything that Adina had to say about anyone was so deeply rooted in hate and bitterness, that it became almost exhausting after a while to be stuck in her head. She’s completely un-rootable and not in a I-love-womens-wrongs type of way, but in a way that I just could not bring myself to do the mental gymnastics for so I could excuse her actions and thoughts. I was already iffy about the way she got into The Finish and the way she spoke about Pen, but it just became so much worse when she encountered new characters in The Finish and immediately began negative judgement on them.
At times, I found myself wondering... did Adina fall into the whole "I'm not like other girls" trope? Because it felt a little like that, when she would mock the other girls in The Finish. I understand her character set-up, she's desperate and she hates the predicament she's in and she’s angry, but honestly, I didn't feel the empathy I needed to so that I could excuse her narration. Instead, I felt that her character arc only made her more bitter.
Side note: I just have to say that I love how Adina’s parents win the idgaf war, in my head they appear as two generic stock image parents who just exist to exist but play no role in actually parenting (they sent their daughter off?? With 0 qualms???)
Tldr: Premise - interesting; execution - no
OVERALL CRAFT (Characterization, Dialogue, Writing)
There’s a lot of voice behind this story, I can say that with certainty. Every description revealed something about our main character, Adina, which I really liked because it got me into her mind very fast. (Was Adina a character I particularly enjoyed reading through though? We’ll get into that later).
But that aside, I had an extremely hard time connecting with this story. The tone was all over the place, and I went into this heeding the author’s warning — that this is, supposedly, a satire — but that only made it worse. What part was exactly the satire? Was it meant to be the evil characters (all of whom are basically everyone but our MC), since their characterization resembled that of cartoonish villains? Was it meant to be the overall plot? Was it meant to be the absurd idea of The Finish?
The story comped Squid Games, which is an ambitious goal, because really, it should've comped Riverdale. I find that claiming this book to be a satire is an easy cop-out for not fixing how un-relatable and beyond disbelief it was. I also have to say that if an author has to clearly state their book is a satire, then it clearly did not accomplish its aims very well. Because I did not understand these characters, nor did I understand the concept of The Finish, nor did I understand the extreme ends of wealth power it was attempting to portray. The themes that this story attempt to explore are so surface-level that I can hardly call it a critique on class.
Esme had dialogue that reminded me of clap-backs from “the mean popular girl” archetype from Wattpad YA and the Remingtons did not even feel like people to me. If this was with the intention of making some commentary on wealthy people, it needed to be done with a lot more nuance because writing a one-sided rich character who only shows the worst behavior doesn’t do anything for me to reflect on their wealth or the power dynamics. It does not count as any commentary.
I also found it super challenging to keep up with what was going at times, because I was constantly swapping between: being bored by long info dumps by Adina and then utterly confused as they talk on the page about things we are supposed to already know about.
Moreover, it would be a disservice to myself if I did not point out the atrocity that was this line:
“I plug my phone in and scroll through my playlists until I land on “pov: you have the aux and you have something to prove.” When I press play, Toni crows loudly.”
There is no context in which I want to see pov mentioned outside of TikTok.
I also don't know how I feel about things like "finstas" and lines like "She looks powerful, like she's walked out of Blade (1998)" - trying to find a balance between YA, as well as something that should read as timeless is tough. Just my opinion, but I'm not a fan of references that feel like it can be extremely dated, or that pulls me out of the story (especially when for a reader who might not understand the references, it serves no purpose).
ADINA, AND HOW NOT TO WRITE UNLIKABLE CHARACTERS
I am definitely one for insufferable main characters (I loved reading through June in Yellowface) but Their Vicious Games made me realize exactly what it is that differentiates a flawed narrator from a narrator that makes you want to put down the book. Everything that Adina had to say about anyone was so deeply rooted in hate and bitterness, that it became almost exhausting after a while to be stuck in her head. She’s completely un-rootable and not in a I-love-womens-wrongs type of way, but in a way that I just could not bring myself to do the mental gymnastics for so I could excuse her actions and thoughts. I was already iffy about the way she got into The Finish and the way she spoke about Pen, but it just became so much worse when she encountered new characters in The Finish and immediately began negative judgement on them.
At times, I found myself wondering... did Adina fall into the whole "I'm not like other girls" trope? Because it felt a little like that, when she would mock the other girls in The Finish. I understand her character set-up, she's desperate and she hates the predicament she's in and she’s angry, but honestly, I didn't feel the empathy I needed to so that I could excuse her narration. Instead, I felt that her character arc only made her more bitter.
Side note: I just have to say that I love how Adina’s parents win the idgaf war, in my head they appear as two generic stock image parents who just exist to exist but play no role in actually parenting (they sent their daughter off?? With 0 qualms???)
Tldr: Premise - interesting; execution - no
October 15, 2023
If you took The Bachelor, crossed it with Squid Games and sprinkled some Hunger Games, you’d get this book.
THE ENDING HAS ME LOSING MY ABSOLUTE MIND. If you liked the movie “Ready or Not” you HAVE to read this book. The plot, the character development, the writing was absolutely fantastic.
It’s a MUST READ!!
THE ENDING HAS ME LOSING MY ABSOLUTE MIND. If you liked the movie “Ready or Not” you HAVE to read this book. The plot, the character development, the writing was absolutely fantastic.
It’s a MUST READ!!
July 25, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for gifting me an early copy of this novel. Below you'll find my honest review.
I loved this one! Adina was easy to root for, as she held her ground, did her best without compromising her morals, and fought hard for her future. There weren't a ton of likeable characters in this one - that was kind of the point, I think - but a few that stood out to me, other than Adina, were Pen, Saint, and Graham. They all had their flaws, but they were still interesting and deep characters to read about and find room to like them. Most of the others are purposefully awful.
The Finish was wild. I am not sure how so many people could be involved without questions regarding the deaths, but then again, wealth breeds security and freedom to do as you wish.
I loved the minority representation - there were POCs (including the main character) and a gay character, as well as multiple social classes. Obviously, the author is a POC, so it was done with respect and done well.
Highly recommend this one for those who like books like Hunger Games, One of Us is Lying, semi-horror/semi-thriller YA books. It was REALLY hard to put down.
I loved this one! Adina was easy to root for, as she held her ground, did her best without compromising her morals, and fought hard for her future. There weren't a ton of likeable characters in this one - that was kind of the point, I think - but a few that stood out to me, other than Adina, were Pen, Saint, and Graham. They all had their flaws, but they were still interesting and deep characters to read about and find room to like them. Most of the others are purposefully awful.
The Finish was wild. I am not sure how so many people could be involved without questions regarding the deaths, but then again, wealth breeds security and freedom to do as you wish.
I loved the minority representation - there were POCs (including the main character) and a gay character, as well as multiple social classes. Obviously, the author is a POC, so it was done with respect and done well.
Highly recommend this one for those who like books like Hunger Games, One of Us is Lying, semi-horror/semi-thriller YA books. It was REALLY hard to put down.
July 29, 2023
4.5/5 ⭐️
- The concept of this book was so unique and I absolutely ate it upppp. I need more books from this author like yesterday!! This is a high stakes thriller that will have you actually gasping while you read it. I found myself wanting to skip to the bottom of each page because my brain couldn’t read fast enough to keep up with my need to figure out what happened! The pacing was perfect because you were constantly being hit with new information. I was hooked!!
- I love the overall takeaway from the book and I feel like it would be a great thriller for a book club because it really questions your morals & values throughout the whole story. The author did a great job of analyzing society while keeping to the theme of the book and not making those aspects of the story too heavy while still giving them the attention they needed.
- Adina felt like such a real character to me. She felt fear, strength, courage, anger, and I could literally feel all of those feelings with her. I didn’t get that five star feeling, but this is about as close as you can get! Loved the authors writing and I still can’t believe this is a debut!!
- The concept of this book was so unique and I absolutely ate it upppp. I need more books from this author like yesterday!! This is a high stakes thriller that will have you actually gasping while you read it. I found myself wanting to skip to the bottom of each page because my brain couldn’t read fast enough to keep up with my need to figure out what happened! The pacing was perfect because you were constantly being hit with new information. I was hooked!!
- I love the overall takeaway from the book and I feel like it would be a great thriller for a book club because it really questions your morals & values throughout the whole story. The author did a great job of analyzing society while keeping to the theme of the book and not making those aspects of the story too heavy while still giving them the attention they needed.
- Adina felt like such a real character to me. She felt fear, strength, courage, anger, and I could literally feel all of those feelings with her. I didn’t get that five star feeling, but this is about as close as you can get! Loved the authors writing and I still can’t believe this is a debut!!
November 7, 2023
This is pretty much what it's marketed to be: Squid Games meets reality dating. Final contestant standing takes it all. I mean, come on, that sounds pretty great, right?
While there were some entertaining moments, it all felt too expected. Maybe that's unfair of me, but I was hoping something unexpected would happen. That "whoa" moment never transpired. It was pretty much exactly what I thought it'd be, and I was a little disappointed by that I guess. It wasn't bad by any stretch, it just wasn't full of surprises.
Go into it expecting it to be exactly as described and you shouldn't be disappointed.
While there were some entertaining moments, it all felt too expected. Maybe that's unfair of me, but I was hoping something unexpected would happen. That "whoa" moment never transpired. It was pretty much exactly what I thought it'd be, and I was a little disappointed by that I guess. It wasn't bad by any stretch, it just wasn't full of surprises.
Go into it expecting it to be exactly as described and you shouldn't be disappointed.
October 11, 2023
4.5 stars. Bloodthirsty, brilliant, and exactly the kind of high-octane satire I like to read, Their Vicious Games is a masterful debut that mixes elements of Gothic lit with a stakes-filled, ambitious narrative.
August 8, 2023
I am SPEECHLESS that was so good. Thank you to Simon and Schuster, Joelle Wellington, and colored pages book tours for providing me a copy!
March 31, 2023
*Received through goodreads giveaway*
I was excited to read the story, however I had to dnf at 57%. While I tried to push through, the scene with the brother in the kitchen was too much for me. The plot is interesting as is the premise of the games. Yet the pacing is not balanced. 90% of the story involves people just talking to one another and trashing on others. The first game didn’t even occur until about 45% into the story and felt a bit rushed.
While I enjoyed the set up of many scenes, there was just a lack of imagery in the descriptions that made the events fall flat emotionally. This lack of descriptives made it rather difficult to visualize a scene as it was happening. Especially in terms of environment or rooms specifically. Going into a room, there will be more time spent describing a person’s outfit rather than the room itself. Even most of the characters all felt the same to the point of being interchangeable.
Adina, herself, is a difficult character to read. She is full of anger, judgment, and bad decisions. She likes to crap on every single character yet is just as bad (if not worse in some ways) than they are. It wouldn’t have been as bad had it not involved such forced and cringeworthy romance scenes. First, one has a girlfriend (who only feels bad because she realizes that the girl knows her name & then proceeds to be rude to her thereafter) and the other is the brother. Sorry but that is just gross and messed up. The scenes themselves feel odd in the scenarios presented. Adina and a character would be having a serious conversation, without any hint of flirtation, then suddenly she will decide to make out with them.
I would also like to note that I do not like when an author puts a rating on their own book. The reviews are meant for readers deciding whether or not to pay money for the story. It is misleading and a bit scummy (In my opinion) when an author skews the rating for a book.
I was excited to read the story, however I had to dnf at 57%. While I tried to push through, the scene with the brother in the kitchen was too much for me. The plot is interesting as is the premise of the games. Yet the pacing is not balanced. 90% of the story involves people just talking to one another and trashing on others. The first game didn’t even occur until about 45% into the story and felt a bit rushed.
While I enjoyed the set up of many scenes, there was just a lack of imagery in the descriptions that made the events fall flat emotionally. This lack of descriptives made it rather difficult to visualize a scene as it was happening. Especially in terms of environment or rooms specifically. Going into a room, there will be more time spent describing a person’s outfit rather than the room itself. Even most of the characters all felt the same to the point of being interchangeable.
Adina, herself, is a difficult character to read. She is full of anger, judgment, and bad decisions. She likes to crap on every single character yet is just as bad (if not worse in some ways) than they are. It wouldn’t have been as bad had it not involved such forced and cringeworthy romance scenes. First, one has a girlfriend (who only feels bad because she realizes that the girl knows her name & then proceeds to be rude to her thereafter) and the other is the brother. Sorry but that is just gross and messed up. The scenes themselves feel odd in the scenarios presented. Adina and a character would be having a serious conversation, without any hint of flirtation, then suddenly she will decide to make out with them.
I would also like to note that I do not like when an author puts a rating on their own book. The reviews are meant for readers deciding whether or not to pay money for the story. It is misleading and a bit scummy (In my opinion) when an author skews the rating for a book.
August 15, 2023
Quick thoughts: Holy hell! This was so damn good. Also, rich people truly are sadistic.
Edit to add review:
I have such a bad habit of falling for books based off their comp titles, but Their Vicious Games is one of those books where the comp titles (Ace of Spades meets Squid Game) are spot on!
Adina Walker is a Black student attending the prestigious Edgewater Academy, which is comprised of mostly rich, white students since both of her parents work there. Even though Adina earned her admission to her dream Ivy (Yale), it’s rescinding following one loss of composure. Adina is determined to regain admission by participating in The Finish, a high stakes secretive contest sponsored by the academy’s founding family, but she quickly learns just how high the stakes in this game really are.
The book does start off a bit slow as the reader is oriented to Edgewater Academy followed by the contestants in the game. However, once the contest starts, all hell breaks loose, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! This game is violent and sadistic, and I had to pick my jaw up several times.
I loved Adina, but she is not a character that everyone will love. Adina is messy, makes questionable decisions, and has some tough lessons to learn on what kind of life she truly wants for herself, but I think that’s what makes her even more relatable.
The author does an incredible job with the commentary on performative allyship, and how detrimental the consequences can be even if the intentions are in the right place.
I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s that good!
Thank you Simon Teen and Simon Audio for my gifted copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Edit to add review:
I have such a bad habit of falling for books based off their comp titles, but Their Vicious Games is one of those books where the comp titles (Ace of Spades meets Squid Game) are spot on!
Adina Walker is a Black student attending the prestigious Edgewater Academy, which is comprised of mostly rich, white students since both of her parents work there. Even though Adina earned her admission to her dream Ivy (Yale), it’s rescinding following one loss of composure. Adina is determined to regain admission by participating in The Finish, a high stakes secretive contest sponsored by the academy’s founding family, but she quickly learns just how high the stakes in this game really are.
The book does start off a bit slow as the reader is oriented to Edgewater Academy followed by the contestants in the game. However, once the contest starts, all hell breaks loose, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough! This game is violent and sadistic, and I had to pick my jaw up several times.
I loved Adina, but she is not a character that everyone will love. Adina is messy, makes questionable decisions, and has some tough lessons to learn on what kind of life she truly wants for herself, but I think that’s what makes her even more relatable.
The author does an incredible job with the commentary on performative allyship, and how detrimental the consequences can be even if the intentions are in the right place.
I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s that good!
Thank you Simon Teen and Simon Audio for my gifted copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
July 10, 2023
Review coming soon.
February 6, 2024
This was phenomenal. I basically binged the audiobook in one go, it was so riveting. Ariel Blake did an amazing narration job, perfectly conveying composed rage, all-encompassing dread and the bonds of female friendship forged in unbelievably dangerous circumstances.
Rich, white, affluent; the Remington family, founding family of Adina Walker's hometown of Edgewater, is everything she is not.
Black, compassionate, and grounded, Adina is everything they are not. When one mistake costs her admission to Yale, she decides to try to secure an invitation to the Finish, a secretive event held by the Remingtons that unlocks a world of opportunities for the winning girl.
The thing is, she's not sure what the Finish actually entails, assuming it is a couple weeks of debutante ball-style events and academic tests. In fact, it's nearly the opposite, a brutal fight to be the aptly named final girl.
Fusing sharp racial commentary, class struggle, and barbaric violence with the vibes of The Bachelor, this book was a wildly engaging ride. It paired extremely high stakes with an ensemble of characters you wanted to root for, no matter how uncertain their fate as the story unfolded.
A very entertaining and thought-provoking listen from a Black author I'll be following from now on!
Rich, white, affluent; the Remington family, founding family of Adina Walker's hometown of Edgewater, is everything she is not.
Black, compassionate, and grounded, Adina is everything they are not. When one mistake costs her admission to Yale, she decides to try to secure an invitation to the Finish, a secretive event held by the Remingtons that unlocks a world of opportunities for the winning girl.
The thing is, she's not sure what the Finish actually entails, assuming it is a couple weeks of debutante ball-style events and academic tests. In fact, it's nearly the opposite, a brutal fight to be the aptly named final girl.
Fusing sharp racial commentary, class struggle, and barbaric violence with the vibes of The Bachelor, this book was a wildly engaging ride. It paired extremely high stakes with an ensemble of characters you wanted to root for, no matter how uncertain their fate as the story unfolded.
A very entertaining and thought-provoking listen from a Black author I'll be following from now on!
September 9, 2023
Ok, but this book was so fucking cool. It was like The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor with shades of Get Out. It was so unnerving and well-written, and just: fantastic.
THE PREMISE: a young Black woman is invited to take part in a strange, elite games run by a wealthy, white New England family to earn her way back to Yale and the future she's always dreamed of.
TROPES & VIBES:
- Dark academia x dystopian games
- Satire
- Female rage
- YA thriller
4.5⭐️ No🌶️ (not a romance)
Thank you to Penguin NZ for the ARC 🫶🏼
THE PREMISE: a young Black woman is invited to take part in a strange, elite games run by a wealthy, white New England family to earn her way back to Yale and the future she's always dreamed of.
TROPES & VIBES:
- Dark academia x dystopian games
- Satire
- Female rage
- YA thriller
4.5⭐️ No🌶️ (not a romance)
Thank you to Penguin NZ for the ARC 🫶🏼
June 25, 2023
The best way to describe Joelle Wellington’s dark, satirical and utterly addictive debut is to imagine The Hunger Games and Squid Game having a love child with The Selection—with uber rich Mean Girl style contestants who’ll do literally anything to win.
It’s brutal, bloody and diabolically back-stabby and I was utterly hooked! (though I do suggest checking the TWs before hand.)
The writing was incredible, and the pacing superb (it’s one of the best paced books I’ve read all year, in fact.) But the exploration into themes such as privilege, racism and class is what really intrigued me, as it show us (in a rather dark, satirical kind of way) just how easily extreme wealth (and the power that comes with it) can create an environment where only the less empathetic, narcissistic or most entitled can survive.
Adina, is thankfully far from any of those things which was why I loved her soo much. She’s driven, determined and not afraid to tell people what she thinks—especially when they hurt the people she lives most. But she’s also deeply compassionate, which becomes her biggest dilemma when she realises what the competition entails (and what she’ll have to do) in order to survive.
The constant racism and open contempt Adina is forced to endure from the other contestants (and adults) was soo rage inducing, but it did highlight just how common such experiences are for People of colour, but women of colour especially.
In fact rage, and female rage in particular plays quite a large role in the narrative. With every female character (from the morally grey to the outright sociopathic) bearing some form of anger towards the society (and male governed system) they so desperately want to fit into.
I also wanted to mention that though there’s a hint of romance, it does mainly centre around Adina’s personal journey and efforts in fighting against the barbaric and oppressive system—so do bear this in mind if you’re looking for something a little more romance based.
Overall, this was a plot twisty, and unputdownable read that had me second guessing literally everyone! Fans of YA Thrillers, OG Gossip Girl, Ace of Spades or the Final Girl trope definitely need to add this to your TBRs this summer!
Also, a huge thank you to Tandem Collective UK and Penguin UK for the proof (and for including me on the TikTok Readalong, it was soo much fun.)
It’s brutal, bloody and diabolically back-stabby and I was utterly hooked! (though I do suggest checking the TWs before hand.)
The writing was incredible, and the pacing superb (it’s one of the best paced books I’ve read all year, in fact.) But the exploration into themes such as privilege, racism and class is what really intrigued me, as it show us (in a rather dark, satirical kind of way) just how easily extreme wealth (and the power that comes with it) can create an environment where only the less empathetic, narcissistic or most entitled can survive.
Adina, is thankfully far from any of those things which was why I loved her soo much. She’s driven, determined and not afraid to tell people what she thinks—especially when they hurt the people she lives most. But she’s also deeply compassionate, which becomes her biggest dilemma when she realises what the competition entails (and what she’ll have to do) in order to survive.
The constant racism and open contempt Adina is forced to endure from the other contestants (and adults) was soo rage inducing, but it did highlight just how common such experiences are for People of colour, but women of colour especially.
In fact rage, and female rage in particular plays quite a large role in the narrative. With every female character (from the morally grey to the outright sociopathic) bearing some form of anger towards the society (and male governed system) they so desperately want to fit into.
I also wanted to mention that though there’s a hint of romance, it does mainly centre around Adina’s personal journey and efforts in fighting against the barbaric and oppressive system—so do bear this in mind if you’re looking for something a little more romance based.
Overall, this was a plot twisty, and unputdownable read that had me second guessing literally everyone! Fans of YA Thrillers, OG Gossip Girl, Ace of Spades or the Final Girl trope definitely need to add this to your TBRs this summer!
Also, a huge thank you to Tandem Collective UK and Penguin UK for the proof (and for including me on the TikTok Readalong, it was soo much fun.)
December 5, 2023
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
OOOOHHH I loooooved this!!💗😈
Based on other's reviews that this one gives vibes of the Inheritance Games🧩 (even some names and triangles khm), Squid Game🐙 and yea, the Bachelor🕺🏽 haha MAY I ADD at times it reminded me of the trials from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire🔥 (my fav one), so cool and entertaining.
It would've been perfect, but the beginning was going very slowly and took a bit time to get invested properly, but this one was worth the wait!!
As stated by the author, this is a satire- it's not to be taken that seriously. Crazy rich people letting people kill each other to entertain themselves is also very entertaining for me to read about.🤓😈👀
My favourite character was Saint, but they all started to grew on me a bit you know, even Penicillin and MC had very good character development, from tolerable to fierce fucking bitch.💅🏻💃🫅
It's unhinged, absolutely scandalous, wild, amusing read.
"Why do I take up so much space in your head, Esme? I'm practically living there rent-free."
"That's good, then, seeing as that's all you and your parents can afford." ☠️☠️☠️
OOOOHHH I loooooved this!!💗😈
Based on other's reviews that this one gives vibes of the Inheritance Games🧩 (even some names and triangles khm), Squid Game🐙 and yea, the Bachelor🕺🏽 haha MAY I ADD at times it reminded me of the trials from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire🔥 (my fav one), so cool and entertaining.
It would've been perfect, but the beginning was going very slowly and took a bit time to get invested properly, but this one was worth the wait!!
As stated by the author, this is a satire- it's not to be taken that seriously. Crazy rich people letting people kill each other to entertain themselves is also very entertaining for me to read about.🤓😈👀
My favourite character was Saint, but they all started to grew on me a bit you know, even Penicillin and MC had very good character development, from tolerable to fierce fucking bitch.💅🏻💃🫅
It's unhinged, absolutely scandalous, wild, amusing read.
"Why do I take up so much space in your head, Esme? I'm practically living there rent-free."
"That's good, then, seeing as that's all you and your parents can afford." ☠️☠️☠️
October 18, 2023
3.75/5
I can’t explain it, but it feels like this book is missing something. It had a great start, couldn’t care less towards the middle, and towards the ending I was super invested. In no way was this a bad book, I was engaged throughout. But I think my issue with this book was that I didn’t really care about the other girls competing. I was mostly looking forward to Esme’s and Adina’s disputes, because they seemed to be the only ones who really wanted to win the competition. The other girls were almost background characters to me. Their reasons for competing also didn’t make sense to me either. Maybe if everyone had the same motivation that Esme and Adina had to win, I would feel a bit different. They just weren’t hungry enough for me. Towards the last 50 pages or so was only good because we witness Adina experience so much, she was just so emotionally and mentally drained. So it was satisfying how everything happened at that point in the book. I can’t wait to read this authors next release, this book had so much potential to be great. But.. I just don’t know what it is.
I can’t explain it, but it feels like this book is missing something. It had a great start, couldn’t care less towards the middle, and towards the ending I was super invested. In no way was this a bad book, I was engaged throughout. But I think my issue with this book was that I didn’t really care about the other girls competing. I was mostly looking forward to Esme’s and Adina’s disputes, because they seemed to be the only ones who really wanted to win the competition. The other girls were almost background characters to me. Their reasons for competing also didn’t make sense to me either. Maybe if everyone had the same motivation that Esme and Adina had to win, I would feel a bit different. They just weren’t hungry enough for me. Towards the last 50 pages or so was only good because we witness Adina experience so much, she was just so emotionally and mentally drained. So it was satisfying how everything happened at that point in the book. I can’t wait to read this authors next release, this book had so much potential to be great. But.. I just don’t know what it is.
August 9, 2025
this was so good omg it’ll forever be one of favorite book. basically an all women hunger games/ squid games type thing but even more bloodlust and murder. 10/10 rec i love this.
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