Joelle Wellington

Tension and high-stakes mix with the world of the insanely wealthy and arrogant in a deadly game, which makes the book hard to put down.

Adina had finally reached her hard-earned goal and gained acceptance into Yale...until her temper ruined everything. Refusing to let one mistake determine the rest of her life, she takes a huge gamble and tries to get herself invited to the Finish. Twelve of the most promising girls known to the Remington family are given the chance to participate in a three show more round competition. The winner is taken into the powerful and wealthy family as one of their own and given the education and such befitting a family member. It's a legitimate chance, and Adina's only one. Little does she know that the game changes whenever an 'heir' of the Remington family happens to be turning eighteen that year. Adina might have found a way to take part in this elite game, but she has no idea what she's getting herself into...and she might not survive to spread the truth of what the Finish truly means.

This is a very well-woven read, which keeps the tension high from one page to the next. While the first chapter or two set the stage and give the reader an impression of Adina, the rest allows the game to unfold. There is an entire chapter devoted to Adina's 'downfall' as a flashback retelling, which could have been needled in a bit smoother, but that's the only hiccup for most of this read. The stakes are insanely high, the psychological aspect dives into the deeply disturbed, and the truth behind the characters' desires is laid as nicely as a gripping mystery. Once I got lost in this read, there was no coming up for air until the end.

Actually, the blurb already gives away the main plot line—Squid Games meets Ace of Spades. It fits this read perfectly...which also kills some possible surprises, since the stakes are clear from the get-go. Still, it's well written. Even the characters gain depth, which allows their twisted (and not so twisted) logic to shine through in an understandable way. It makes each one easy to like or to hate. Adina also isn't without her shadows and sharp edges, but the author gives her a well-formed character arc. She might not be perfect, but she definitely grows in her own way. If the ending game hadn't me with a slightly-off twist, I would have counted this one to one of my favorites of the year. Even then, it's a very close runner up and definitely worth picking up for anyone who believes they might enjoy the mix. I certainly did. I received an ARC and found it hard to put this one down. show less

Very satisfying and well characterized; the dialogue writing was just spectacular, letting me really get to know each character's voice in a way that really pulled me in. Devon, the main character, is a likeable but flawed character; we can definitely see her mistakes as she makes them, trying hard to bolster her relationship with her twin sister while never really communicating with her about things that matter. Drew, the sister, is definitely presented as less "likeable," though it's in a show more very "unreliable narrator" sort of way: we see her through Devon's eyes, making her a two-dimensional persona rather than an equally flawed young woman. Very well handled.

And that's before we even get to the monster.

If there's an issue to be picked on, it's that the "identity" of the demon was never really hidden from the astute reader. (Talk about two-dimensional.) But that's not a problem that detracts much from the story, in my opinion. There are also quite a few casual references to drug buying and usage throughout, which might be jarring to some readers, but it's not unrealistic in that respect. show less

A scholarship black girl at a prestigious, private high school loses her admission to Yale when she aggravates a classmate from a powerful, white family. She wants to get invited to The Finish, sponsored by the super powerful and rich family in the state, a competition from which the winner would get support for her goals - such as readmission to Yale or Harvard, fully financed. But she doesn’t know what The Finish entails. It is a bloodthirsty competition to become the winner. I think it show more would appeal to fans of The Hunger Games. show less

Mikky and Kyla (two black siblings) have been apart for a couple of years because Mikky left their small town to live with his mother after their parents' divorce. He returns to comfort Kyla after her best friend Erin is murdered and then decides to try and work out who murdered her and why.
Told in alterating points of view this is a long, drawn out novel. I liked Mikky and thought his character was great - he is thoughtful, caring and engaging and his chapters move the plot along well. Kyla show more by contrast is a real piece of work and readers will not like her at all. There is a bit of a twist at the end but the book could have been much shorter. For older readers due to swearing, sex, themes, etc. show less