The Escape Game
Marissa Meyer and Tamara Ross
Publisher
Published April 7, 2026

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About The Escape Game

It’s all fun and games until someone ends up dead.

Six months ago, season four of The Escape Game ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set.

Now season five is underway, and new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test solving the show’s trickiest escape rooms. There’s Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the wannabe game master, and . . . Sierra Angelos, the girl who got away with her sister’s murder. Or so everyone believes.

But Sierra’s not just here to win. She’s here for justice.

When the contestants begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia’s true killer, it becomes clear that the stakes aren’t high in this competition, they’re deadly. If these teens want to win—and survive—the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of who killed Alicia Angelos?

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer and rising star Tamara Moss comes a twisty thrill-ride, filled with sabotage, betrayal, and puzzles to die for.

My Review

I’ve read several novels that tried to capture the sense of reality TV. This one really captures the production side of the process. The characters face situations manipulated by producers or watch edited recordings of themselves that spin a specific narrative.

The obstacles inside and outside the escape rooms create a bond between Sierra, Carter, Beck, and Adi. They start off as reluctant allies, but the story shows them grow together into a cohesive team. Each of them narrates different scenes, revealing secrets and showing how they view the other players.

The authors did a great job translating the escape room experience into text. Doing an escape room is such an immersive experience. Before reading this book, I wasn’t sure how it would translate to the page, but I think it really works. I also loved the way the escape room mechanics were woven together with the clues to solve the murder mystery.

I can definitely see reality TV fans and murder mystery fans alike devouring this book. It was a really fun read packed with great characters and unforgettable moments.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. References to a sexual relationship between an adult and a teenager. (Not shown on scene.)

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to murder. Someone leaves a bovine heart in a refrigerator with a threatening note. Someone traps characters in a dangerous situation. Characters discover the dead bodies of murder victims.

Drug Content
Someone spikes a teen girl’s drink, making her appear drunk. Poisoned wine leaves another character dead.

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