Author: James Frey
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Endgame
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian
Pages: 461
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Goodreads • The Book Depository
Twelve thousand years ago, they came. They descended from the sky amid smoke and fire, and created humanity and gave us rules to live by. They needed gold and they built our earliest civilizations to mine it for them. When they had what they needed, they left. But before they left, they told us someday they would come back, and when they did, a game would be played. A game that would determine our future.
This is Endgame.
For ten thousand years the lines have existed in secret. The 12 original lines of humanity. Each had to have a Player prepared at all times. They have trained generation after generation after generation. In weapons, languages, history, tactics, disguise assassination. Together the players are everything: strong, kind, ruthless, loyal, smart, stupid, ugly, lustful, mean, fickle, beautiful, calculating, lazy, exuberant, weak. They are good and evil. Like you. Like all.
This is Endgame.
When the game starts, the players will have to find three keys. The keys are somewhere on earth. The only rule of their Endgame is that there are no rules. Whoever finds the keys first wins the game. Endgame: The Calling is about the hunt for the first key. And just as it tells the story of the hunt for a hidden key, written into the book is a puzzle. It invites readers to play their own Endgame and to try to solve the puzzle. Whoever does will open a case filled with gold. Alongside the puzzle will be a revolutionary mobile game built by Google’s Niantic Labs that will allow you to play a real-world version of Endgame where you can join one of the lines and do battle with people around you.
Will exuberance beat strength? Stupidity top kindness? Laziness thwart beauty? Will the winner be good or evil? There is only one way to find out.
Play.
Survive.
Solve.
People of Earth.
Endgame has begun.
…no matter how you look at it
Okay, so the Calling is a pretty not-exactly-a-new new book, so there’s been enough reviews to get the general – and probably – biggest nitpick of this whole shabang. It’s the Hunger Games without the Hunger, and a whole lotta emphasis on End.
The Hunger Game isn’t literary’s equivalent to the wheel, I get that (I’ve read pages and pages of hater reviews saying just that, so I know) but since it’s an uber-famous book with fantastico movies to boot, you cannot deny those blatant parallels.
You wanna get a list?
In this world we call Panem Earth, we have twelve districts lines where they each put forth a tribute player in a battle to the death.
Wait….
Wait a minute…
Or better yet, look at this fabulous review:
“In a world similar to Earth,”
(In a world similar to Panem)
“there are 12 bloodlines”
(There are 12 districts)
“Each bloodline has a champion between the ages of 13 and 17”
(Each district has a tribute between the ages of 13 and 18)
“And then one day they’re called to fight, and all the bloodlines but the winners will be exterminated. They’re fighting to be the last race.”
(And then one day they’re called to fight, and all the tributes but the winners will be exterminated. They’re fighting to be the last tribute.)
– Gillian http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20510241-the-calling
okay, fine, I get you’re name is bob
I’ve got this (un)healthy thing for names, right? Like, I love them. I spent days choosing out to decide what to name my dogs, making sure that they got rememberable, unique names. (In case you’re wondering, they got named Spot and Fluffy*)
But it’s so unpleasant to read the names in Endgame: the Calling because of how often it’s repeated.
I’m on the first page, and every other fcking sentence has the person’s name
Every.
Other.
Sentence.
It’s like Frey doesn’t want us to forget the names (which is totally plausible since there’s twelve POVs and then some) but he’s constantly shoving it down our throats, every sentence starting with Sarah Sarah Sarah or Jago Jago Jago or whatever the name is.
*nah i’m kidding. they got named griffin and saber
who r u?
there’s twelve POVs and then some
I was not kidding. Nope nope nope nope
Nope.
We’ve got Sarah and Jago and Marcus and Maccabee and Baits and Chiyoko and An and Christopher and Kala and Alice and Shari and (was that twelve? Oh… wait, missing one. It’s thirteen, actually) and finally… Hilal.
Was I kidding? Nah man. I was DOORNAIL SERIOUS.
It’s worse because you’ve gotta remember who tf are you + what do you look like + what’s your line name (since that’s how they reference each other half the time [“The Cahokian” “the Olmec” “the Mu” “the Minoan”]) and how close are you to dying because trust me there’s a shit ton of that here.
loves diversity like nothing else
This book is diverse.
The settings are diverse.
The characters are diverse.
Holymotherofguacamoley this book is so. damn. diverse and I love it love it love it love.
it.
Characters are from everywhere and the settings are scattered around the globe and it makes me happy just so so happy.
Happy Claudia is a good Claudia.
bottom line?
THE VERDICT.
THE FINAL SAY.
Was it good?
Or was it… not?
YES OKAY FINE I LIKED IT.
I did. I actually did. Despite many of the misgivings I had in the beginning, I ended up enjoying it. The tension is pretty decent, and even with the amount of transparency we get by reading through all the POVs the book still had me wondering and predicting who’d end up dying.
There’s a lot of dying.
anyway. this book was good. it was pretty good. i wouldn’t say great, because it’s not really greeaat, but i liked it.
yeah.
#awkwardendings byeeeeeee
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She likes to think the reviews provided help you pick out the good books from the bad, because it would be a crime to read some of those books, and being the good citizen she is, will try her best to help you steer clear of those books.
While she knows that there are many blogs like this out there, as I’m sure you also know, she’d like to point out that her blog is different- you will never find someone quite like her. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to you to decide.
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I recently got this one for Christmas and I’m excited to check it out! I’m a big fan of the Hunger Games, though I mean at this point, who isn’t? Anyway, I’m hoping that the amount of similarities don’t have a *huge* impact on me when I read. I’ll try to appreciate it as its own separate thing! I absolutely loved your review by the way. I’m kind of excited to check out the book now! 🙂
Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian
Krystianna recently posted…Stacking the Shelves (87)
This book has always struck me as having an interesting premise, but more one I would’ve really liked a few years ago, back when I was super into larger competition books like The 39 Clues and such. If I ever feel like that kind of thing again I might just pick this up. Thanks for the great review!
Tamara @ Tamaraniac recently posted…Top Ten 2015 Releases I Meant to Read
I love the author’s I am Number Four series, so I’m sad this was a bit meh for you Claudia. 🙁 I can completely understand where you’re coming from though – originality is so important in books, especially for avid readers like us who read so many books, and it’s never fun to feel like you’re reading a book you’ve already read before. Nonetheless, I’m glad you still found it entertaining and enjoyable despite the similarities it had to The Hunger Games. Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous review! ♥
Zoe @ Stories on Stage recently posted…Their Fractured Light
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