Reviews with content warning for Blood - Small Game

Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Small Game by Blair Braverman

25 reviews

aqtbenz's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Content Warnings

maggies's review

Go to review page

adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Back when I still used Twitter, Blair Braverman was one of my follows, and I loved her threads about dog sledding and the outdoors. She's an incredible storyteller, and Small Game, her first novel, really lived up to that for me. While I would never participate in a show of this kind and I'm not outdoorsy by any stretch (I always say I'd prefer to go first in an apocalypse), I was captivated by Mara and the other "survivors" and their creativity and problem-solving. In an episode of You're Wrong About, Blair said—paraphrasing here—that nature doesn't feel any animosity towards us and that's comforting to her. After reading this book, I can absolutely see what she means. I wouldn't quite call this a thriller, but it was very thrilling just the same.

Content Warnings

mals_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

i went into this with the expectation of a thriller/horror story which was wrong — this book’s strength lies in its characters and their journey tackling the crisis of being abandoned in the wilderness while filming a reality survival show.

very much a literary journey, but i really appreciated all of the characters’ perspectives and their differing styles when it came to both the game show and the survival aspect once they were on their own. only qualm is

i wish she had done more with Tom’s character? he seemed he would have played a much, much more important role than he ended up playing, but i understand the interactions with him and small glimpses.

it might feel like light work if you’re used to reading exploration thrillers or disaster stories, but i think there’s something rich about the way Braverman describes her characters and the stakes they face, the potential consequences of every decision staring them down each chapter. i devoured this.

Content Warnings

princess_marie's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

Content Warnings

caseythereader's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

erinoconnor's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I read an advanced uncorrected proof copy - so I’m not sure if anything changed with publication, that being said - I really enjoyed the story. I wanted more and wish there was a more fleshed out ending, but I appreciate the mirror image of the beginning at the end. Some things seemed rushed and not fully answered - I want to hear EXACTLY what happened to Lenny and the crew, while I think it’s probably their last theory about money but STILL! - but I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Content Warnings