This isn't a game you can log out of, and there is no pause button.
Wow. Just… wow. This is one of those books that doesn’t politely leave your brain when you’re done. It moves in, rearranges the furniture, and lingers. I'm still trying to catch my breath.
Cass’s brother Sam makes a series of truly terrible life choices (as brothers in thrillers are wont to do) and ends up owing a dangerous group of people a frightening amount of money. The kind of people who don’t send polite reminder emails. Sam gets beaten, handed a deadline, and suddenly Cass is staring down a problem with no good solutions.
So she joins an app. An app that dares people to do things for money. Silly things at first. Then riskier things. Streaking. Kissing a stranger. Swimming across rivers. Pushing boundaries for cash and clout. It’s clever, it’s terrifying, and it feels way too plausible for comfort. Because of course people would download it. And of course it would go viral. And mob mentality is a thing.
Then it gets worse.
The same people Sam owes decide Cass should be the target of a dare and put a price on her head. Literally. From that point on, the book turns into a brutal, high-stakes game of hide-and-seek where every decision feels like it could be the wrong one. The tension doesn’t let up. Not once.
This isn’t flashy thriller nonsense. It’s relentless, claustrophobic, and emotionally exhausting. Cass isn’t a superhero. She’s smart, desperate, scared, and determined, which somehow makes everything seem that much more real.
This is not a cozy read. This is a stay up all night and then stare at the wall after finishing kind of read. If you like thrillers that crawl under your skin and stay long after the last page, Win or Die delivers.
Just don’t expect it to be gentle.
