The Stranger Game by Peter Gadol

Good morning, readers! It's October 1 and I'm a stop on the TLC blog tour for Peter Gadol's The Stranger Game.

It's been over two months since Rebecca heard from her ex, Ezra. Even though they're separated they've never gone this long without speaking. And when Rebecca turned up at Ezra's apartment, his landlord said he'd missed his rent, so she knows something's up. 

The police don't seem terribly worried, though. In fact, when they find out he'd been playing the stranger game, they're even less worried. 

The game, designed under the auspices of connecting people in this disconnected digital world, intrigues Rebecca and she begins to play herself, following strangers and abiding, mostly, by the rules laid out online. But as she continues to play, she finds the game has become something more and the people who are playing aren't necessarily interested in the rules at all. 

I expected much more of a thriller out this one based on the description.

And it is a thriller, in a way. But it's also much more of a literary slow burn and a social commentary.

It's also creepy from the very start - the idea that there are people out there randomly selecting strangers to follow. It seems innocent in the beginning. They're not supposed to interact at all. They're never supposed to follow the same person more than once. And the game appeals to Rebecca especially because she's already had plenty of experience imagining the lives of those around her, something the game allows her to expound upon even more.

And you can't tell me, readers, that the thought of someone randomly stalking you - even innocently - doesn't scare the ever living pants off of you! You can see the appeal and the thriller aspect, then.

But the idea that the game is supposed to connect people in a time when everyone is so obviously not connecting does also kind of force you to think about the current atmosphere. And it's almost as uncomfortable a feeling as the idea someone might be watching you!

The Stranger Game is an odd read, but one that is undeniably hard to put down and hard to shake once you've finished.

To see more stops on the tour be sure to check out the official TLC tour page here. And for more on Peter Gadol and his work you can visit his website here.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble