It’s time to play “guess that book” and also watch our TBRs weep.
Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and is all about the first line of a current/upcoming read. Friday 56 is a meme hosted by Freda’s Voice, where you turn to page 56 (or 56%) in what you’re reading a find a snippet that jumps out at you.
First Lines
56% Snippet
Indeed.
Why did it feel so shitty?
Book Reveal
You are invited!
Come inside and play with G.O.D.
Bring your friends!
It’s fun!
But remember the rules. Win and ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.™ Lose, you die!
With those words, Charlie and his friends enter the G.O.D. Game, a video game run by underground hackers and controlled by a mysterious AI that believes it’s God. Through their phone-screens and high-tech glasses, the teens’ realities blur with a virtual world of creeping vines, smoldering torches, runes, glyphs, gods, and mythical creatures. When they accomplish a mission, the game rewards them with expensive tech, revenge on high-school tormentors, and cash flowing from ATMs. Slaying a hydra and drawing a bloody pentagram as payment to a Greek god seem harmless at first. Fun even.
But then the threatening messages start. Worship me. Obey me. Complete a mission, however cruel, or the game reveals their secrets and crushes their dreams. Tasks that seemed harmless at first take on deadly consequences. Mysterious packages show up at their homes. Shadowy figures start following them, appearing around corners, attacking them in parking garages. Who else is playing this game, and how far will they go to win?
And what of the game’s first promise: win, win big, lose, you die? Dying in a virtual world doesn’t really mean death in real life—does it?
As Charlie and his friends try to find a way out of the game, they realize they’ve been manipulated into a bigger web they can’t escape: an AI that learned its cruelty from watching us.
God is always watching, and He says when the game is done.
Reasons to Read
✿ Rogue AIs are the best AIs. This one just happens to claim it’s God.
✿ I mean, maybe it is. What do I know?
✿ Teen drama, but with the stakes ramped up a lot.
✿ All the dark twists and turns.
✿ Super realistic game that could literally be a thing today.
✿ It should be a thing today, because heck I want to play it.
✿ Even if it kills me. (Hint: It’d probably kill me.)
I’m about halfway through this and I’m terrified! Lol. This is one of those books where the suspense is killing me😁
Listen. I hit 75% laaaate last night and couldn’t put the stupid thing down, stayed up to a ridiculous hour to finish it, and now I have no regrets. Trust me, it just keeps getting better. I hope you enjoy the rest of it!
Interesting. It’s always weird to see the first lines of books out of context. Like, does this book have anything to do with astronauts, or is the author just trying to be poetic or something?
I was thinking the same thing as I was typing it up. Like wow, that gives nothing away about the book unless you’ve read the synopsis. Then it sort of makes sense, and I like the whole comparison to something grandiose and cosmic. But it really doesn’t say much standing on its own.
I do love a suspenseful book. Thanks for sharing, and here’s mine: “NORMAL PEOPLE”
This FOR SURE has the suspense thing down!
What an interesting premise. My Friday Quotes
I don’t normally go for the evil rogue AIs, but this one sounds more appealing than I had expected it to!
Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s *evil*, per se. More … chaotic neutral, I suppose? I definitely ended up liking it more than I thought I would. xD
LOL, that’s fair! 😀
Wicked snippets!! So relatable. 🙂 Happy weekend!
It’s been a while since I’ve been a teen now, but relatable is a great way to describe this book. I was blown away!
I quite enjoyed this one when I read it a couple of months back. Happy reading!
I’m glad to hear it! I did, too. What a great way to start the new year.
Ah! I keep seeing this book on friend’s timelines, but never read the synopsis! I didn’t know it involved rogue AIs!!! My January schedule it way too packed to add it this month, but I’m going to look more seriously into this book now!!
Oof, tell me about it. Mine’s packed, too (in a good way, because yay awesome books), but I hope you get a chance to read it! It was so worth it.
Yeah my arc schedule is OUT.OF.CONTROL. for January, but I’m hoping I’ll make some room!! <3
Mine, too, and yet, I still requested another ARC for the end of January, because … I never learn? I don’t know. xD
Oh man we are helpless 😂😂
I actually just found out one of my arcs got moved to March so my last week of January is actually clear now. Which I’ll obviously need for late Jan. arcs or Feb. jumpstarts 😂
Happy Friday! 😊
On my blog I’m sharing the first line from Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green: https://christianfictiongirl.blog/2020/01/03/first-line-friday-117/. Currently I’m reading An Uncommon Woman by Laura Frantz. It’s AMAZING!!!
“The field of winter wheat was sun-drenched and silent, the heated August air already blackened by buzzards.”
Hope you have a great weekend filled with awesome reading time. 🙂❤📖
What a lovely, atmospheric quote! Thanks for sharing.
I actually liked the first line. It made me feel like there was something bigger going on than just a computer game. I also like the use of the trademark symbol.
Nothing better than a novel you can’t put down.
Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s what the author was going for, and I like it! Instantly makes things feel so grandiose.
I have to confess that I read very little from either YA, Fantasy, or Sci-Fi genres, so this wouldn’t be a book I would automatically search out for myself.
However, your extracts had me intrigued, the ‘Guess The Book’ element of the post is such a great idea, and as for that premise – it really made me want to read the book – especially the final line!
I hope that you enjoy a year full of great reads like this one 🙂
Yvonne
That sums up the majority of the books I read. xD
It was such a good book! That blurb gets me every time, too.
Thank you! I hope your year is full of fantastic reads, too.
I like the sound of this one. It sounds really suspenseful.
It definitely was!
What a terrifying premise! Sounds like a suspenseful read. I’m definitely intrigued for more. Thanks for sharing! Hope you have a great weekend! 🙂
It was super suspenseful! I had a hard time putting it down.
I LOVE first lines. I don’t know why but it’s so interesting. How do you start a book? It’s such an important part. Also how are you doing that “reveal” thingy?! I need to know, that’s so handy.
I think first lines can definitely make or break a book. If it takes me five pages and my eyes are glassing over, I’m probably not going to pick up your book. If I read five lines and already I want more, you’ve won. Take my money. xD
I use a plug-in called Collapse-O-Matic! It’s super easy to use, and I like hiding Goodreads summaries to make posts neater, so it was obviously a match made in heaven.
Yes you are completely right! I actually think you’ve inspired me to join in on this!
Thanks, that’s cool. It does look very nice in your posts 🙂
Oh yay! I hope you do. It’s a lot of fun. :3 I love seeing what everyone’s reading and sharing some things I’m enjoying.
Wow, book sounds awesome. Hope you’ll enjoy it
I did very much enjoy it, thanks!
Omg that blurb sounds insane. I was just about to read my first review of this book! I’m sooo curious and I just might have to pick it up now.
I picked it up after several blogs I follow left really positive reviews, so I snuck it in before release (which is today, although my review won’t be up until Thursday). I really enjoyed it.
Not sure if my comments are coming through, but definitely sounds like a heart pounding read! Hope you’ll enjoy it!
I just read this one! Happy reading!
Shame that you didn’t enjoy it quite as much, though. 🙂 Maybe next time.