Small Game
A Novel
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5.0 • 3 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A gripping debut novel about a survival reality show gone wrong that leaves a group of strangers stranded in the northern wilds
Four strangers and six weeks: this is all that separates Mara from one life-changing payday. She was surprised when reality TV producers came knocking at Primal Instinct—the survival school where she teaches rich clients not to die during a night outdoors—and even more shocked to be cast in their new show, Civilization. Now she just has to live off the land with her fellow survivors for long enough to get the prize money.
Whisked by helicopter to an undisclosed location, Mara meets her teammates: The grizzled outdoorsman. The Eagle Scout. The white-collar professional. And Ashley, the beautiful but inexperienced one who just wants to be famous. Mara’s unusual, rugged childhood has prepared her for the discomforts and hard work ahead. But trusting her fellow survivors? Not part of Mara’s skill set.
When the cast wakes one morning to find something has gone horribly wrong, fear ripples through the group. Are the producers giving them an extra challenge? Or are they wrapped up in something more dangerous? Soon Mara and the others face terrifying decisions as “survival” becomes more than a game.
A provocative exploration of the comforts, rituals, and connections we depend upon, Small Game is a gripping page-turner and a poignant story about finding the courage to build a new life from the ground up.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A reality show goes from dramatic to deadly in this riveting debut thriller. Experienced outdoors guide Mara is one of five contestants on a Survivor-type show called Civilization. Mara’s castmates include a carpenter, a former Eagle Scout, a teacher, and an aspiring TV star hungry for fame. When the show’s crew mysteriously disappears, the cast must decide whom to trust. First-time author Blair Braverman is an adventurer and long-distance dogsledder, which comes across in her descriptions of the wilderness and survival techniques. Her gripping and intense plot made us feel like we were right there, hearing every twig snapping in the darkness. Even if you’re not a reality TV fan, Small Game is a tingly nail-biter of a book.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Braverman's spellbinding debut follows a cast of five as they film an ill-fated survival-reality series called Civilization. Mara works as an instructor at a survival-style camping school, which comes easily to her after having been raised by prepper parents. She joins Civilization hoping the prize money will improve her life. Her fellow cast members, all handpicked by the show's producers for their archetypal value, include gorgeous, inexperienced Ashley, who wants to be famous; validation-seeking Eagle Scout Kyle; gruff carpenter Bullfrog, who hopes his estranged daughter will see him on TV; and James, who books it soon after filming begins at the show's unidentified wilderness location. Clashes with insecure Kyle ensue, though Mara doesn't anticipate falling for Ashley, whose sweet demeanor has a dark side. Mara also surreptitiously accepts food from Tom, a crew member who takes a shine to her. Braverman does a good job demonstrating how Mara's expertise is constantly undermined by touchy would-be survivalists both on and off the show, and how the cast members' relationships change once things get real and the crew mysteriously disappears. With danger setting in, the author keeps up a terrific sense of suspense about whether the crew's abandonment is intentional. Like the best TV, readers won't want this to end.
