It's Only a Game - by Sam Rebelein (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

An emotionally charged and propulsive puzzle box novel by Sam Rebelein, where a recently split couple must solve a haunted escape room together--or die trying.

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A year after a bitter breakup, Julian and Millie are thrown back together by a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: an invitation to play a legendary 72-hour survival experience with a huge cash prize. The challenge: solve a series of elaborate puzzles inside the remote and reputedly haunted Clate Hill Lodge. Only one other contestant has ever successfully escaped, and Julian and Millie are desperate to make history.

But as the weekend begins, the line between performance and paranormal quickly blurs. The puzzles are impossible, the ghosts feel undeniably real, and the hotel seems to have a mind of its own. Caught between confronting the horrors of the hotel and the unresolved issues of their own past, Julian and Millie begin to wonder how much of the Lodge is only a game and whether the prize isn't money--but their own lives.

Sam Rebelein's newest is both a satisfyingly inventive puzzle box and an equally terrifying thriller that readers won't be able to put down until the final clue is solved.

Review Quotes

"Rebelein sprinkles his wild and unpredictable narrative with pop culture references and a gleeful smattering of profanity, setting his voice apart." - Publishers Weekly

"Edenville marks a riveting debut that positions Rebelein as a noteworthy talent in the horror genre...an essential read for horror enthusiasts, especially fans of Grady Hendrix and Paul Tremblay." - Booklist

"Rebelein (The Poorly Made and Other Things) takes readers on a wild ride, asking them to buckle in while also offering a pointed critique of organized religion and unquestioned faith. The book draws on lots of late-2000s nostalgia and shows readers (or reminds them) what it felt like to be a teenager in 2009." - Library Journal

"A Sam Rebelein book is guaranteed to scare you sh*t less and give you a great time. Rebelein creates such rich and unique worlds you'll start to wonder if they're real" - CJ Leede, USA Today bestselling author of American Rapture

"Marvelous. An epic novel bursting with imagination, about the slippery nature of faith, grief, and enduring courage, brought to life with spectacular prose and exceptional heart and I'm certain pure magic, by Rebelein's signature strange, brilliant voice." - Rachel Harrison, USA Today Bestselling author of Play Nice and So Thirsty

"Taken on its own, each tale is horror perfection, as dread seeps in slowly until it explodes, and readers are left in breathlessly horrifying awe...A stellar collection." - Library Journal (starred review)