4.5 stars.

These Deadly Games was a fantastic and quick thriller that kept me on my toes. The story starts off with the suspense very early on and it is a consistent roller coaster ride until the end. The narrative was well-written with good atmosphere and a tense, swift pace. There were a few good twists and turns that kept me on my toes and the ending wasn't quite what I expected, though there were a few plot turns that were somewhat obvious.

Crystal was well-written as a teen protagonist. She definitely gets caught up in the fear and the intensity of the moment and makes some mistakes and not really bright decisions, but the majority of her actions felt credible and accurate for both the situation and her age.

There was one particular clue/twist that drove me bonkers. It was a bit heavy handed in the narrative and I think did take a bit of the surprise out of the major twist. It was a point of annoyance that stuck with me for a chunk of my reading, but likely won't be quite as much of a sore spot for most readers. I think I just felt disappointed by the way it was stressed because otherwise it would have really knocked my socks off by being one of those small details you don't pay attention to. But I digress...

My reading experience was really great overall and I definitely felt the tension in the narrative. I had a hard time putting the book down and enjoyed the narrative (with the exception of the one little blip) from cover to cover. The writing style was accessible and felt natural, with a good flow. The supporting characters were well done as well.

The ending was incredibly solid. I enjoyed the climax quite a bit as well as the wrap-up, which held a couple of good punches as well. Crafty, clever, and a good time. A very near 5-star read and definitely a reason for me to pick up more from Diana Urban. Thumbs up and highly recommend.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *