Their Vicious Games

by Joelle Washington

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

I really enjoyed this book, stories featuring a final girl and/or hunger games-esque vibes are some of my favorite reads especially when the main character or characters are black.

I wasn’t expecting to read through this book so fast. I got it yesterday and basically spent my whole night reading, I didn’t want to go to bed and honestly wouldn’t have put it down if I didn’t have work the next morning.

This book is a portrays powerfully how corruptive money can be and the type of callousness, classist and racism our money dominated country breeds. The level of dehumanization these characters exhibit not only towards poor people but each other is unbelievable. The main character and saint made me instantly hooked I love their dynamic throughout the finish but also as individual characters.

Adina has all the desirable traits of a great main character, she’s kind, empathetic, smart, cunning, and self-aware. She never truly steers away from what makes her, her even when pushed to extreme breaking points. She even finds a way to turn the game in her favor but also holds so much understanding and empathy for these people who just want her dead. She refused to be another puzzle piece and really stood her ground which is so admirable.

My favorite quotes and sayings

- Have to be twice as good to get half as much - such a common black proverb and I always love the different iterations that come from it in media.

- “That’s what makes you so dangerous, don’t you know? You see all of this and you still want. When has a girl ever been allowed to want?”

5/5 would recommend and another book on my list that I wish was a series.