To lose the game is to lose your life in bestselling author L.J. Smith's THE FORBIDDEN GAME.
To capture the love of Jenny Thorton, Julian--a vis...
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Nov 02, 2011
Sunny
rated it: 
Okay, this is the weirdest review I have ever done, so don't give me a hundred "not helpful votes" please. I am just trying to be honest.
The first part of the book Jenny is looking to buy a game (at a game store) because she is having a group of friends coming over to her house to hang out. At the game store she chooses the most "unusual" game to buy because the "guy" at the game store talks her into buying this particular game. Fast forward a little - Ju More...
The first part of the book Jenny is looking to buy a game (at a game store) because she is having a group of friends coming over to her house to hang out. At the game store she chooses the most "unusual" game to buy because the "guy" at the game store talks her into buying this particular game. Fast forward a little - Ju More...
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(33 people liked it)
Jan 12, 2011
Initial thoughts: Oh my goodness, why hasn't THIS become a TV show?! I could really see this as a show (even more so than The Vampire Diaries).
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(22 people liked it)
Sep 11, 2011
Regan ♥
rated it: 
First off, I have to say: L.J Smith is a genius.
I've never read anything like this, or heard anything like this before (well except for Jumanji, but this is different). Its so unique and well thought of!
I liked all the characters. Jenny can be a bit TOO good sometimes though, and with Julian you have a love/hate relationship with. I really think the author did a great job with the whole friendship aspect of it, but I don't think theres many groups like that anymore. Espec More...
I've never read anything like this, or heard anything like this before (well except for Jumanji, but this is different). Its so unique and well thought of!
I liked all the characters. Jenny can be a bit TOO good sometimes though, and with Julian you have a love/hate relationship with. I really think the author did a great job with the whole friendship aspect of it, but I don't think theres many groups like that anymore. Espec More...
Jun 22, 2011
Michael
rated it:
The Forbidden Game was a whole new experience for me. Not in terms of reading young adult but in terms of young adult with such dark themes. The Forbidden Games is split into three parts the hunter, the chase and the kill and centres on a young girl Jenny who decide's to get a game to bring to a party. But when she finds a place after being chased in a bad neighbourhood she is greeted by the incredibly handsome Julian who recommends a game in a plain white box. What she doesnt know is what is in
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Oct 18, 2011
Flame
rated it:
I’ll give the reviews for each book individually first then later, sum up everything.
The Hunter
I liked this book a lot. I never once found it dry and the Game was absolutely riveting. I must admit though, there were times at the beginning that I got kinda freaked out. I mean, it was just kinda scary about them facing their worst nightmares. I can’t say too much without giving away the plot of the book, but for me, every page I read just got me more and more engrossed in More...
The Hunter
I liked this book a lot. I never once found it dry and the Game was absolutely riveting. I must admit though, there were times at the beginning that I got kinda freaked out. I mean, it was just kinda scary about them facing their worst nightmares. I can’t say too much without giving away the plot of the book, but for me, every page I read just got me more and more engrossed in More...
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Oct 15, 2010
Amber
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(9 people liked it)
Dec 01, 2010
Aileen
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Jenny Thornton starts out being the typical YA heroine: magnetic, beautiful, and universally adored. If she giggled more, she might be Cher Horowitz. She has a jock boyfriend and a group of friends that could be models for a Gap ad. She throws a party for her boyfriend and buys a game from a beautiful, alien-like boy named Julian. As you may guess, Julian is a supernatural who is madly, deeply, insanely in love with her and has been since she was a child.
All of this may seem off-puttin More...
All of this may seem off-puttin More...
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Jun 22, 2010
Maggie
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I recommend reading all three books in this trilogy right after each other in order to fully appreciate the story, which is exciting, creepy, and emotionally-charged. The first two books are very fast-paced (actually all three are) and end with cliffhangers, and the third book finally ties everything together. But it isn't until the third book that you get a better glimpse into the villain, who is juicy but also scary and it's hard to sympathize with him. I might even say that the plot is a bit
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(7 people liked it)
Aug 02, 2011
Fatio
rated it: 
To Start off, this was a book series that was completely different from all the other L.J. Smith books I've Read. I really did enjoy the whole idea of the plot, it gave off this Alice in Wonderland vibe but a little more edgier, creepier and eccentric. I Liked that. Especially how all these freakish games put nicely together come up by none other than Evil Julian. I found third book of the series especially creepy that got me excited because of the Shadow Men, the books and spells she witnessed
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Sep 04, 2010
Indigo
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Dec 31, 2010
Tatiana
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I came across L.J. Smith's name on one of the Twilight forums. Her books were regarded very highly, so I decided to give one of her series a try. My first available book happened to be The Forbidden Game trilogy. A little bit about each of three books.
The Hunter
In a few words, this is a story about Jenny, an ordinary good girl, and Julian, a "Dark Prince" who is in love with her. To lure Jenny in his world, Julian tricks her and 6 of her friends to play The Game, wh More...
The Hunter
In a few words, this is a story about Jenny, an ordinary good girl, and Julian, a "Dark Prince" who is in love with her. To lure Jenny in his world, Julian tricks her and 6 of her friends to play The Game, wh More...
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Jan 03, 2012
I saw this in the library today and couldn't help but think :Ummm, Zathura much? Because it was written by LJ Smith and I absolutely despised her writing in The Vampire Diaries (don't get me wrong....I love the TV show. Ok, ok I love Ian Somerhalder. Let a 15 year old girl live a little! Anyway, I didn't have my heart set on reading this but the librarians weren't given me their normal "Holy shit she's borrowing 50 books again" looks (I was down a couple books) so I decided "Why n
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Feb 06, 2009
Lindsey
rated it:
I read this in 7th grade, in just a few days. I remember sneaking it into school and reading it during English class, feeling like such a nerd rebel. Now that I'm older, it kind of reminds me of Labyrinth, with David Bowie. A chick and all her friends get swept up into a deadly game because some hot evil magic guy has fallen in love with her and wants to make her his "Queen of Shadows" and will do anything to win her. Why that's such a problem is beyond me...
Summary is kind More...
Summary is kind More...
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Jul 22, 2008
Mai
rated it:
What is amazing about this series is how easy it would be for L.j .Smith to have given into fans and just let Julian have Jenny and turn her into a prop. Instead, Jenny grew stronger as a character - something that the feminist in me loves. Her friends are not merely props to make Jenny look better, in fact, they have their own subtext and growth. Tom, the boyfriend, isn't made to look like some abusive boyfriend, but learns to appreciate Jenny.
And then, there's Julian, who is evil More...
And then, there's Julian, who is evil More...
Oct 05, 2011
Soa
rated it:
Демоны, призраки, духи, мифические существа - сон или видение?
Если бы вы только знали, какого было мое удивление, узнав я о том, что «Запретную игру» переиздали. Это был всплеск искрящихся эмоций в мурлыкающей от удовольствия тишине. «Царство ночи» я сознательно не приобретала из-за старинных, мягких обложек, отталкивающие своим никудышным образом создать подобие нормального арта на тему темного мира. В стране много прекрасных дизайнеров и художников, где же они, когда мы так в них нуж More...
Если бы вы только знали, какого было мое удивление, узнав я о том, что «Запретную игру» переиздали. Это был всплеск искрящихся эмоций в мурлыкающей от удовольствия тишине. «Царство ночи» я сознательно не приобретала из-за старинных, мягких обложек, отталкивающие своим никудышным образом создать подобие нормального арта на тему темного мира. В стране много прекрасных дизайнеров и художников, где же они, когда мы так в них нуж More...
Aug 13, 2011
Connie
rated it:
The Forbidden Game is a stunning, well-written story, and I can easily give it a 5.
Jenny is a mature character, the kind of girl you want to be friends with. SHe cares deeply for her friends and family, although i do have to say that she's a bit absorbed with her boyfriend, Tom. It kind of ticks me off that she'll choose Tom over her friends in a heartbeat.
All the characters were enjoyable, each having their own specific characteristics that determines who they are. I LOVE J More...
Jenny is a mature character, the kind of girl you want to be friends with. SHe cares deeply for her friends and family, although i do have to say that she's a bit absorbed with her boyfriend, Tom. It kind of ticks me off that she'll choose Tom over her friends in a heartbeat.
All the characters were enjoyable, each having their own specific characteristics that determines who they are. I LOVE J More...
Aug 01, 2011
Benedene
rated it:
To every and anyone who had ever been afraid of the shadows under the bed or the monster in the closet, Who had heard of Little Red Riding Hoods Big Bad Wolf, or the Fairies in the woods, prepare to see it all in a whole new way. The Shadow Man's way.
This is an incredible story with everything from touching heart felt moments to suspense of the highest order, the characters are of the bravest fascinating and scary, the Plot it tight and never lets down, it's an emotional roller-coaster. Y More...
This is an incredible story with everything from touching heart felt moments to suspense of the highest order, the characters are of the bravest fascinating and scary, the Plot it tight and never lets down, it's an emotional roller-coaster. Y More...
Jul 02, 2011
Sabrina
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Apr 08, 2011
Shutii
rated it:
Okay.. this series was superb!! I loved it thoroughly..
Julian .... he was simply phenomenal!!! :D His character was totally lovable one.. you love to hate.. and then you love to love too.. :D hahaha... and the climax... his vulnerability.. everything was was very touching.... best villain turned hero.. :D
Jenny.. was sweet and nice girl... simple and majorly not a bimbo.. :D I wish she had reciprocated Julian's feeling.. it would have been nice...
Tom.. aka Tom More...
Julian .... he was simply phenomenal!!! :D His character was totally lovable one.. you love to hate.. and then you love to love too.. :D hahaha... and the climax... his vulnerability.. everything was was very touching.... best villain turned hero.. :D
Jenny.. was sweet and nice girl... simple and majorly not a bimbo.. :D I wish she had reciprocated Julian's feeling.. it would have been nice...
Tom.. aka Tom More...
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Mar 10, 2011
AnEyeSpy
rated it: 
* "The Forbidden Game" (Hunt, Chase, Kill #123) by L.J. Smith starts with 16-year old Jenny enchanted by a white box of danger for Tom, her forever boyfriend's 17th birthday party, bought from Julian, an alluring phenomenon with incomparable blue eyes. The central lead may be female, but she repeatedly wimps out and her success depends on Julian. My overwhelming emotion was impatience for the obvious end, not terror. In part one, trapped in a disney-style haunted house miniature, the s
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Feb 21, 2011
Mary-Beth
rated it: 
A collection of the three books, this one disappointed me for the most part. The first book was fairly interesting, with the premise being that evil spirits tricked Jenny into buying and playing a board game that was real. The game pitted Jenny and her friends against their nightmares, some of which were actually frightening.
However, I quickly grew tired of several things. For one, Jenny's little fingers tingling every time she encountered the supernatural. That's . . . pretty ridic More...
However, I quickly grew tired of several things. For one, Jenny's little fingers tingling every time she encountered the supernatural. That's . . . pretty ridic More...
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Feb 14, 2011
Anna
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Jan 30, 2011
Nicole
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The Forbidden Game by L J Smith is an all around great book which kept me turning the pages the entire time. It starts out when a girl named Jenny goes shopping for a board game to entertain her friends at her boyfriend's 17th birthday pary. After that they are swept into the game- literally. Turns out that the boy who sold her the game, Julian, is a shadow man who has been in love with her since she was five. He takes them to the shadow world and tells them that the only way they can lea
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Nov 13, 2010
SJH (A Dream of Books)
rated it:
'The Forbidden Game' by L.J. Smith is actually 3 books in 1. This volume contains The Hunter, The Chase and The Kill. This is another re-release as the trilogy was originally published in 1994 but it's now been repackaged by Simon Pulse and brought out for a new audience. I think it's great that the popularity of the paranormal/supernatural genre has breathed new life into a lot of authors who you could say were ahead of their time. I've certainly been interested in checking many of these au
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Nov 11, 2010
Anna
rated it:
I got this one just because it had LJ Smith's name on it (Did you know her full name is Lisa Jane Smith?). That's pretty much how I got this one. Little did I know that it had just released a week before and it was her new bind up of some old books. They turned out to be some sort of good books.
I really enjoyed the characters in this story. And the whole time I was crushing on Julian. Even though he was trying to trap Jenny into being with him forever and he almost killed her friends More...
I really enjoyed the characters in this story. And the whole time I was crushing on Julian. Even though he was trying to trap Jenny into being with him forever and he almost killed her friends More...
Oct 30, 2010
P.E. at Tantalizing Illusions
rated it:
L. J. Smith is one of my favourite authors. I love every book she has written for YA, so when she said that Julian from the Forbidden Game was one of her favourite characters, I knew I had to read this book. Fast. It took an agonizingly long time to get The Forbidden Game though it was worth it.
First if all, we start with Jenny, sweet, nice, Jenny, who I found a little boring. She was a girl made for her boyfriend and so typical. But there was something about her, I mean she couldn't stay More...
First if all, we start with Jenny, sweet, nice, Jenny, who I found a little boring. She was a girl made for her boyfriend and so typical. But there was something about her, I mean she couldn't stay More...
Sep 29, 2010
Ariel
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Jul 08, 2010
Gabrielle
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"The Forbidden Game" by Lisa Jane Smith is a modern fiction book, written with fast-paced, beautiful language. I've read four other of her series (which all seem to be bind-ups) and I definetely think this bests them all.
The main character, Jenny, was likeable and courageable (at least, at the end). Throughout the book you could feel her personality developing. From the way it was written, I can say that Jenny was a highly realistic character, believeavble and someone you could More...
The main character, Jenny, was likeable and courageable (at least, at the end). Throughout the book you could feel her personality developing. From the way it was written, I can say that Jenny was a highly realistic character, believeavble and someone you could More...
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Jul 06, 2010
Emma
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Sep 29, 2011
Melisande
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Je tiens tout d'abord à remercier les éditions Michel Lafon pour m'avoir permis de lire ce livre. Il s'agit d'un intégral, je ferai donc une critique de chaque tome, de manière brève avant d'en parler de manière générale, comme une série. J'en parlerai donc davantage après avoir terminé le 3e tome.
Le 1er : Le Chasseur, nous montre Jenny, une jeune adolescente en quête d'un jeu pour animer une soirée chez elle. Rien de très palpitant, sauf qu'elle se retrouve dans une rue peu fréquentable et More...
Le 1er : Le Chasseur, nous montre Jenny, une jeune adolescente en quête d'un jeu pour animer une soirée chez elle. Rien de très palpitant, sauf qu'elle se retrouve dans une rue peu fréquentable et More...
