Review: The Julian Game (ARC)

The Julian Game by Adele Griffin

Summary (from Goodreads): New girl Raye Archer is desperate for a way into the In crowd, so when ice-queen Ella Parker chooses her to get back at her ex, the gorgeous Julian Kilgarry, Raye is more than game. Even if it means creating a fake Facebook identity as “Elizabeth” so that she can learn enough about Julian to sabotage him. While a fun and dangerous thrill at first, what Raye hadn’t counted on was falling for Julian herself—and igniting Ella’s rage.

As Raye works to reconcile the temptress Elizabeth with her real-life self, Ella serves up her own revenge. Now it’s Raye who falls victim, as Ella creates an online smear campaign of nasty rumors and trashy photographs. Suddenly notorious, Raye has to find a way out of the web of deceit that she’s helped to build, and back to the relationships that matter.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this. I so could have been Raye. There was a time in my youth that I would have done just about anything to be part of my school’s equivalent of the Group. Of course, back then Facebook wasn’t around, and the Internet was in its infancy, but … All of that to say that I could relate. Not only to Raye’s desperation to belong, to be noticed, but also to her inner conflict. The wanting to be liked by Ella, despite knowing she’s a first-class bitch, but not wanting to betray her true friend, Natalya. I think many, many teenage (and preteen) girls will be able to relate to this book.

I love that this book also has a “moral” to the story. A warning of what NOT to do online. Don’t be someone you aren’t. Consider the unforeseen effects of something like that. Creating a fake online identity, using it to trick someone, not seeing where it could lead. And poor Raye, to find out that, while exaggerated, Ella’s comments about Julian weren’t all that off the mark. I felt bad for Raye – poor thing faced a lot of pain. But, I like that she learned her lesson, resolved NOT to stoop to Ella’s level, and figured out that perhaps the best response to all of that bullying is inaction. Way to go, Raye (and Natalya).

Natalya was one of my favorite characters. I like that she still stood by Raye after all that went down. There are too many books in which the main character loses all of her friends – old, not-so-popular, as well as new, in-crowd.

Overall, this was a great book with a lesson hidden beneath the surface of an interesting, and enjoyable, plot. I don’t know if I’ll read it again, but I enjoyed it enough to be glad to have done so at least once!

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Source: Received through Traveling ARC Tours for review.

Read It: The Julian Game is scheduled for release on August 26 of this year. You can pre-order it HERE. (This is an Amazon link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission. Your support is appreciated!)

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This review is part of Book Review Party Wednesday.

FTC Disclosure: All items reviewed were either obtained by me for my own enjoyment or sent (from the author, publisher, publicist, via tour sites, etc.) in exchange for an honest review. I receive no monetary compensation for my posts. All opinions expressed are my own.

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