Fantastic and fun, even if the fun's on the morbid side. Ok, more so, because the fun's on the morbid side.

This book grabbed my interest initially and didn't let go until the very last page. Even the blurb on the cover is intriguing: 1 game, 6 contestants, 5 survivors.....someone dies! Who is it?!!? I had 3 separate theories about who it was, and the actual answered semi-surprised me.

I loved the short, choppy chapters and the shift in perspective from an anonymous (for awhile) present-day narrator and a (relatively unbiased) account of the past. This book navigates teenage adventurousness, the pain of deep friendship, and the dangerous edge of competitiveness deftly and with a finesse that I couldn't get enough of.

Some interesting narratorial choices, but I had to push myself to continue reading through some bits.

This was...odd. In a good way, but in a "not sure I can reduce it to a number of stars" way. It was alternately light hearted and dark, and the ending left a lot of things unresolved. I think, though, that in the balance, I rather liked it.

This was...odd. In a good way, but in a "not sure I can reduce it to a number of stars" way. It was alternately light hearted and dark, and the ending left a lot of things unresolved. I think, though, that in the balance, I rather liked it.

2.5 stars. Six college students in England decide they should play a game of high stakes. Things start off simply enough - you accept a "consequence," which kind of works like a dare. They range from being silly to embarrassing to life-changing. The consequences are supposed to make people drop out until there is only one winner, but the game doesn't end while everyone's still in school - it won't end until 14 years later, which is when the bulk of the book takes place. It's told through flashbacks, as one of the students, now 34 years old, is writing about that year of college. There is a lot of foreshadowing, but the payoff isn't that great, so I didn't really feel all the ominous talk was warranted. I also think I read it too close to Lauren Oliver's Panic, which has a similar premise but way more suspense. I'd recommend that one, if suspense is what you're looking for.

Darker story than I expected and there were surprises at almost every turn. A nice break from the cozy mysteries I've been reading.

"It was only ever meant to be a game played by six best friends in their first year at Oxford University; a game of consequences, silly forfeits, and childish dares. But then the game changed: The stakes grew higher and the dares more personal and more humiliating, finally evolving into a vicious struggle with unpredictable and tragic results. Now, fourteen years later, the remaining players must meet again for the final round. Who knows better than your best friends what would break you?"

LOVED this. Am very biased as I am Oxford obsessed! But it was a fun, creepy read!