Game: A Thriller (The Game) by Anders de la Motte | LibraryThing:
I was pleased to be offered the first two books in the trilogy by NetGalley. I had never heard of the books nor the author so I was glad to give it a try. Firstly, let me say I almost abandoned reading the Kindle version in which the editing and formatting of the ARC ebook was so terrible. Appalling. However some manipulation of the pdf version made a huge difference. Caveat: Don't even try to read the Kindle version. Download the pdf.
But the story is intriguing. We all know how hard it is to hide a conspiracy in a large institution. Someone always spills the beans. But what if events were all part of a big game, controlled by computers, that people could bet on, engaged hundreds of participants with seemingly no relation to events, and that individuals could control by purchasing actions. Cool idea.
HP finds a cell phone on the seat of a train. It has a message for him, inviting him to join in a game that involves him getting tasks to accomplish and the phone is used to broadcast video of how he does. Viewers then watch and rate his actions. Simultaneously we follow Rebecca, a police inspector, part of the Swedish police bodyguard squad. As the plot unfolds, the lives of HP and Rebecca merge. Turns out he is her little brother and unwittingly part of the game.
The book has a Kafkaesque feel. Some say it reminds them of the Twilight Zone. I concur.
One quibble: I found the intermingling of flashbacks and multiple viewpoints to be a bit distracting. I would hope there will be fewer in the remainder of the trilogy, which I intend to start shortly.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book and to provide an honest review.
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