MrBeast, real name Jimmy Donaldson, can now add bestselling author to his résumé.
His new novel co-written with James Patterson, The Most Dangerous Games, debuted at No. 3 on The New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list.
The book also landed at No. 1 on Amazon’s mystery, thriller and suspense new releases list, No. 2 in action and adventure new releases, and made USA Today’s top 10 bestsellers list as well.
The mystery thriller follows 1,000 strangers invited to compete in a globe-spanning, high-stakes competition, only 100 of whom are ultimately selected, per the book’s official logline, it’s billed as “an unprecedented competition from MrBeast, the world’s #1 creator with more than a billion followers, and James Patterson, the world’s #1 bestselling author, where the stakes couldn’t be higher.”
The fictional contest moves through increasingly dangerous locations, beginning in Antarctica before continuing through shark-infested waters off a remote Chilean island, punishing desert heat, storm-battered mountains and pitch-black caves, all with a $1 billion prize on the line and no rescue or second chances for contestants.
According to Patterson, he constructed the initial story outline and then met weekly with Donaldson to review drafts and refine the narrative, effectively becoming a writing mentor as Donaldson learned the fundamentals of traditional storytelling outside the world of YouTube.
Donaldson has said the collaboration grew out of an initially guarded expectation on his part, he anticipated a more reserved literary figure and was surprised to find Patterson approachable, with the two beginning to float ideas for a joint project from there.
The book’s release was tied to a real-world promotional stunt: buyers of the hardcover edition can register for a chance to win $1 million by competing in an actual MrBeast-style challenge set to begin September 14.
Sources close to Donaldson’s company have confirmed active talks are underway around potential film rights for the book.
The launch wasn’t without early skepticism, some industry observers had speculated ahead of release that soft presale numbers pointed to a poor commercial debut, a narrative the book’s strong first-week bestseller-list performance appears to have complicated.
