Their Vicious Games — Content Guide for Parents
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Religious themes
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
A Black teen desperate to regain her Ivy League acceptance enters an elite competition only to discover the stakes aren’t just high, they’re deadly, in this “spine-chilling thriller” (Publishers Weekly).
You must work twice as hard to get half as much.
Adina Walker has known this the entire time she’s been on scholarship at the prestigious Edgewater Academy—a school for the rich (and mostly white) upper class of New England. It’s why she works so hard to be perfect and above reproach, no matter what she must force beneath the surface. Even one slip can cost you everything.
And it does. One fight, one moment of lost control, leaves Adina blacklisted from her top choice Ivy League college and any other. Her only chance to regain the future she’s sacrificed everything for is the Finish, a high-stakes contest sponsored by Edgewater’s founding family in which twelve young, ambitious women with exceptional promise are selected to compete in three mysterious events: the Ride, the Raid, and the Royale. The winner will be granted entry into the fold of the Remington family, whose wealth and power can open any door.
But when she arrives at the Finish, Adina quickly gets the feeling that something isn’t quite right with both the Remingtons and her fellow competitors, and soon it becomes clear that this larger-than-life prize can only come at an even greater cost. Because the Finish’s stakes aren’t just make or break…they’re life and death.
Adina knows the deck is stacked against her—it always has been—so maybe the only way to survive their vicious games is for her to change the rules.
Frequently asked questions
Is Their Vicious Games appropriate for a 7-year-old?
The book is described as involving a lethal competition where survival is at stake, indicating a high level of violence. The narrative is compared to brutal competitions like 'Battle Royale', suggesting graphic elements. The book is categorized as a horror-thriller and is described as dark and campy, appealing to readers who enjoy social horror, indicating it contains scary elements.
Does Their Vicious Games have violence?
The book is described as involving a lethal competition where survival is at stake, indicating a high level of violence. The narrative is compared to brutal competitions like 'Battle Royale', suggesting graphic elements.
Does Their Vicious Games have scary content?
The book is categorized as a horror-thriller and is described as dark and campy, appealing to readers who enjoy social horror, indicating it contains scary elements.
Does Their Vicious Games have religious themes?
No religious content or themes are detected in the search results for 'Their Vicious Games'.
Does Their Vicious Games have racial/cultural content?
The narrative explores themes of privilege and racism, particularly through the experiences of a Black protagonist in a high-stakes competition, indicating that race is a central theme.
Does Their Vicious Games have profanity?
No profanity is indicated in the search results for 'Their Vicious Games'.
Does Their Vicious Games have climate change?
No climate themes or discussions are present in the search results for 'Their Vicious Games'.
Does Their Vicious Games have sexual identity?
No sexual content or themes are mentioned in the search results for 'Their Vicious Games'.
Does Their Vicious Games have gender roles?
The story involves a competition that is framed as a battle for survival rather than traditional feminine etiquette, suggesting a critique of gender roles, but the framing is not deeply explored in the sources.
Does Their Vicious Games have lgbtq+ themes?
No LGBTQ+ themes or characters are mentioned in the search results for 'Their Vicious Games'.
