Tag, You're Dead is a gripping thriller that introduces readers to the world of Anton Frazer, a teen social media influencer who stages a citywide game of Tag with a deadly twist. In this high-stakes competition, the prize is the chance to become one of Anton's live-in personal assistants, and his fans eagerly join the live-streamed event.

Equipped with body cams, GPS trackers, and pressure sensors to monitor disqualifications, the contestants are divided into Chasers and Runners, released into the night-covered urban jungle to hunt each other down while the whole world watches. The tension rises as the game unfolds, with unexpected twists and turns that keep participants and viewers on the edge of their seats.

Amid the thrill of the game, four contestants harbour secret motives for joining—ranging from the pursuit of money, obsession, and fame, to revenge. As the night progresses, these hidden agendas come to light, revealing that for some, winning is not just a desire but a necessity. One of them is determined to emerge as the ultimate victor, regardless of the risks, turning the adrenaline- and fear-fueled night into a battle for survival.

Perfect for fans of intense psychological thrillers, "Tag, You're Dead" promises knife-edged tension, unpredictable twists, and a cast of contestants willing to do anything to win—even if it means facing something deadly.

It delivers a pulse-pounding thriller that grabs readers from the first page and doesn't let go. The concept of a citywide game of Tag with deadly consequences is both unique and chilling, setting the stage for a suspenseful and unpredictable narrative. The storytelling prowess shines as she weaves a tale of high-stakes competition, where social media, obsession, and the desire for revenge converge in a dangerous game. The use of technology, including body cams and GPS trackers, adds a modern and ominous layer to the story, amplifying the sense of urgency and danger.

The characters, each with their secret motives, add depth to the narrative, keeping readers guessing about their true intentions. The pacing is relentless, creating a tension-filled atmosphere that escalates as the night unfolds. The twists and turns are masterfully executed, with revelations that will leave readers questioning everything they thought they knew. It is perfect for fans of psychological thrillers will find themselves engrossed in this heart-pounding tale of survival and deception.

Anton Frazer—teen reality “star”—whose reputation precedes him, has a new trick up his sleeve after a disastrous death that happened on his watch: a massive game of Tag. And not the kind we used to play in school, either. This is on a different level—live-streamed, town-wide and worth it’s incredible prize to be a part of his live-in crew, a coveted position that many would do anything to achieve.

More than a few people want to be in with a chance of winning, all for their own motives. We get to read the POV of the reasons behind four players intentions as they are each donned in GPS trackers, cameras and sensors. As soon as they’re ready to compete against one another, it’s clear what is at the forefront: revenge, money, obsession and fame—with Anton tied to the root of it all. And with their motivations at an all time high when the game begins, they’ll stop at nothing to be the winner, even if it means going above and beyond their prior intentions.

Overall, Tag, You’re Dead was a smart and calculated read with a killer storyline that shows the dark side of fame and playing with fire. I was captivated by the entire premise, reading it in just over two days (or nights) time, pulled into the mystery easily. Even though I found it hard to initially get into, which is the case for thrillers sometimes as they require a lot of tension building, by the end of the book, I was totally in awe of the story as a whole and how much it surprised me at every turn. I’m considering myself a newfound fan of Kathryn’s, and can’t wait to read more from her!

2 stars.

As quickly as I made my way through this book, I couldn't help but be disappointed by it. Don't get me wrong, it was an easy read, and if you're after an easy read then this book could be it. But the plot was lacking the substance that I thought it really needed. And the plot twist at the end felt kind of underwhelming.

The characters, too, were mostly underwhelming. Of the three main characters that we cycled through, I only really liked one of them. I didn't like Erin too much, her personality just felt bland. Meanwhile, I thought the way that Charlotte's character was so overwhelmingly obsessed and 'fangirl-y' was something that made me really uncomfortable. The only character I really liked was Grayson.

Rose's death and the mystery behind it, and then consequently the game that has been set up, could've been far more interesting had it been mildly different. For me, it just felt like it hadn't been organised properly. Maybe it's just because I'm a big fan of mystery books and this didn't really fit that vibe. Either way, maybe the intended teenage audience would have enjoyed it far more than I did.

Excellent premise but poor execution is the only way I can sum up how I felt while reading this book.

My biggest issue was how flat each of the characters felt, most were cliches apart from Erin and even she wasn’t all that great. This book is also written in first person which I usually like better than third person but since the characters lacked individuality I kept getting confused and forgetting who’s perspective I was reading.

Next the plot, this book has such an intriguing premise about an influencers game of tag but that’s forgotten about a third of the way through. Instead this book is actually about uncovering a murder plot which is fine just misleading. The execution of said mystery was also lacking because I almost immediately solved one of the plot twists and the other wasn’t surprising as much as frustrating.

The problem with the second plot twist was that it completely changed a characters personality which doesn’t make sense considering we’ve read their internal monologue. They claim repeatedly in earlier POVS that they weren’t there the night Rose died because saying they were would ruin the plot twist but thats their internal monologue. Why would they be lying to themselves and pretending they didn’t commit a crime they later admit to and try to cover up? This is just a massive plot hole and is incredibly frustrating switch of character.