Small Game: A Novel
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.
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Community Reviews
it was ok. not super thrilling honestly, kind of slow. i came in with high expectations bc i liked blairs episodes on you’re wrong about.
First pet peeve - there is absolutely no reason given or suggested for the crew to have abandoned the survivor competitors. It doesn't make any sense in a production way. They certainly couldn't have made a television show with no competitors there to say it was tough, or that it was so challenging and they grew with the experience. It would have been a lot to go through if the sole purpose was to kill people by abandoning them in the deep forest. Just no logical sense to the basic plot point.
Second pet peeve - the author has a story going with plenty of detail, and makes us invested in the characters to some extent. She spends too much time lollygagging at the lake house, and then POOF! the story is wrapped up in one paragraph covering all the bullet points that the author apparently decided that she didn't need to write, including the lawsuits. NO. I want to know what happened with the lawsuits and why the stupid story happened in the first place. This is not some rom com where they decide to leave it up to the viewer/reader to decide how they imagine it is going to end. This is just "oh, good grief, I guess you got to your word count, and don't want to bother writing the rest and figuring out how to edit it to make it concise in the right ways."
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