Small Game, by Blair Braverman

March 31, 2023 11:59 AM

Five people sign up to be on Civilization, a new reality TV show where contestants have to survive for six weeks in a remote area with a minimal amount of clothing and only one tool each. A math teacher, a survival skills teacher, an Eagle Scout, a woodsman, and a charismatic person tossed out in the woods together, attempting to ignore the film crew. And then things... go wrong.
posted by The corpse in the library (7 comments total)

I read this all in one bout of insomnia, although I admit I skimmed a large part of the second half because it was too scary for me to read properly. I mostly enjoyed it, although I would have liked to know more about Bullfrog and didn't find Mara all that interesting other than her back story.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:01 PM on March 31, 2023

I loved the beginning and middle of this book, but then thought it just ... fizzled out.
posted by kyrademon at 2:21 PM on March 31, 2023 [3 favorites]

I agree that it pretty much fizzled out. I get why Braverman ended the book where she did, but as someone who finds the aftermath/recovery far more interesting than the action and trauma, it was disappointing.
posted by yasaman at 2:42 PM on March 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

> I get why Braverman ended the book where she did

Yeah, exactly. She wrote the book she wanted to write, reasonably concentrating on certain aspects of the story; unfortunately for me, I was looking for a slightly different book.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:38 AM on April 1, 2023 [1 favorite]

Based on her experience of competing on Naked and Afraid, right?
posted by merriment at 9:53 AM on April 1, 2023 [1 favorite]

I presume so. I liked that piece more than the novel, though. Again, nothing wrong with the book: it's my preference.
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:21 AM on April 1, 2023 [1 favorite]

I really enjoyed it, but then I probably like fictional action and trauma more than aftermath and recovery. I read a lot more genre fiction (mysteries and thrillers, mostly) than I do the literary kind.

It's probably fair to say she wrote the book she wanted to write, but I might also suggest that she wrote the book she knows.
posted by box at 2:02 PM on April 1, 2023 [1 favorite]