THE ESCAPE GAME, by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, April 7, 2026, Hardcover, $22.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
Teens set out to win a reality TV escape room competition and solve last season’s murder in The Escape Game, by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss.
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 just in this competition—they’re deadly. If these teens want to win—and survive—the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of all: who killed Alicia Angelos? —Synopsis provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Escape rooms have become the latest greatest activity, and the trend has extended to books. The Escape Game, by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss, is the latest offering in the genre, and the authors have done an admirable job capturing the excitement of solving puzzles and making it out of a “room.”
The story unfolds from the alternating viewpoints of Adi, Carter, Beck and Sierra. There are a lot of moving parts to the story, and using multiple points of view actually helps when trying to keep everything straight. Each character is well-developed and feel unique within their world.
Meyer and Moss are a strong writing duo, making it near impossible to tell where one left off and the other started. Their setup of one overarching mystery with mini puzzle/mysteries within works better than expected.
The Escape Game moves quickly, and there’s enough happening that you want to keep reading. And while much is resolved, Meyer and Moss have left an opening for what promises to be an entertaining sequel.
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