Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A high schooler endeavors to suss out what happened to her missing best friend in this eerie prep school--set thriller by Ichaso (Little Creeping Things). High school junior Maren Montgomery is attending private, affluent New England Torrey-Wells Academy as a scholarship student when her best friend, Polly St. James, goes missing after receiving an invitation to join the academy's most enigmatic club, the Gamemaster's Society. Desperate to find Polly, Maren launches an investigation into the society's membership and eventually crosses paths with privileged Gamemaster Annabelle Westerly; beating her at a card game nets Maren a society invitation. Alongside fellow society initiate and longtime crush Remington Cruz, Maren ventures into the catacombs beneath an abandoned on-campus cathedral, where Annabelle challenges them to various games and rituals that range from innocuous to life-threatening. As the stakes increase, Maren must decide if the truth is worth her life. Via a quick-witted and fiercely likable heroine, Ichaso examines themes of privilege and trust against a familiar high-society backdrop. Frightening crypts, deadly schemes, devastating betrayals, and pulse-pounding chases through dark tunnels abound in this twisty read. Most characters are assumed white; Remington is described as having brown skin. Ages 14--up. Agent: Uwe Stender, Triada US. (Jan.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--Maren Montgomery's best friend, Poppy St. James, has gone missing. While everyone around her seems to accept that she ran away, Maren isn't buying it. In fact, she's certain the Torrey-Wells Academy's exclusive and mysterious Gamemaster's Society is behind her disappearance. After months of dead ends, Maren finally accepts that the only way to find out what happened is to join the society and uncover their secrets from the inside. What ensues are a series of increasingly high-stakes games, pranks, and tricks. Does life and death hang in the balance? Or is just a game? Maren's indecisiveness and inability to trust those closest to her creates a satisfying air of suspense. Readers be warned: once you descend into the catacombs underneath the school, you won't want to resurface until the game is done. All characters default to white except for Maren's love interest Remington Cruz and friend Jordan Park. VERDICT A quick, immersive read. Give to fans of Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé's Ace of Spades or Maureen Johnson's "Truly Devious" series.--Katie Patterson
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
High school junior Maren Montgomery suspects something is awry when Polly St. James, her best friend and roommate, disappears from elite Torrey-Wells Academy. The police and Polly's parents believe the note she left behind and consider her a runaway. However, when Maren finds an invitation from the Gamemaster's Society in Polly's belongings, she concludes her friend may be in danger. Maren has heard rumors about a secret club, and this evidence prompts her to seek out members to help her find her missing friend. Acting on a tip from lab partner and potential love interest Gavin Holt, she challenges social queen Annabelle Westerly to a card game: Winning scores her an invite to a society initiation. Fellow initiate Remington Cruz (who is cued Latine in an otherwise default-White main cast) captures Maren's romantic interest as together they face the life-threatening, sinister rituals the society performs in the pursuit of personal power and prestige. Multiple twists leave Maren's head spinning, not knowing what or whom to believe. The cat-and-mouse game intensifies Maren's race against the Gamemaster's clock to find Polly, with the trials exploiting the initiates' worst fears along the way. This plot-driven thriller has excellent pacing that escalates along with the action. The love triangle seems a bit forced, but it propels readers to question which characters are trustworthy. Greek mythology references will entice genre crossover readers. Dungeons, catacombs, and crypts, oh my: Readers will be glued to the edges of their seats. (Thriller. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
