Scan barcode
caseythereader's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Gore, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Cursing, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content
twoesplease's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? No
4.5
A HARD listen, full of suffering and pain and confusion, but nonetheless gripping. Realistic people, set in the hardest situation possible. Would have loved a more fleshed out ending with closure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Animal death
Minor: Sexual assault
erinoconnor's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Blood, Animal death, Medical content, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Sexual assault, Rape, Blood, and Sexual content
ajdenson's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
My worst fears, all wrapped up in a single novel. Great writing, solid character development, the plot was pretty good. It's nice that the book ends on a happy note, as there's a lot of traumatic stuff that happens throughout the story and I stopped being hopeful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
tarshka's review
sad
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
2.0
A trigger warning for animal lovers: One of the characters kidnaps a infant deer because they wanted a pet, and then lets it die because they can't feed it. And no one seemed to care much or blame the character. I can accept hunting animals for food, it is a survival story after all, but this was just not okay to me.
The overall for me is that the story was boring and one part about an animal just made me sad and angry and stop caring if the characters survived at all.
The overall for me is that the story was boring and one part about an animal just made me sad and angry and stop caring if the characters survived at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal death
Moderate: Animal cruelty
centrifugepolitics's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Cannibalism
raybudbury's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Death
Moderate: Murder
kerstynleigh's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I chose this book because I heard Blair Braverman on You’re Wrong About, and I’m so glad I did. This was a great first book for the new year. Sad and strange and hopeful. I’m glad the ending wasn’t ambiguous— I felt like we deserved answers and as the book came to a close, I was worried that the author didn’t agree. I’m glad that wasn’t the case.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal death
filey's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
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
3.75
I expected this book to be closer to Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube and was initially surprised that it wasn't. As an #uglydogs fan and an occasional Survivor/Naked and Afraid enjoyer, I was excited to read Blair's (fictional) take on survival reality TV!
I burned through this novel in a single 3 hour session and thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. I don't know if Mara is meant to be a likeable protagonist, but I did like her a lot.
The ending did feel a little frustrating. I was less bothered by the missing resolution of the mystery—I think it's heavily implied that one character's theory was spot on —and more by the montage-like ending. Part of me feels like it was fine, because the characters had done what they needed to do by that point, but part of me wishes I could've joined them for that last stretch of their journey as well.
I burned through this novel in a single 3 hour session and thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. I don't know if Mara is meant to be a likeable protagonist, but I did like her a lot.
The ending did feel a little frustrating. I was less bothered by the missing resolution of the mystery—
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death and Animal death
Minor: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
xx_coco's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Halfway through this book I said to myself either something really interesting was going to happen or this would be a dud. Turns out it was more of a dud. The characters were all unlikable, some even entirely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, and I didn’t really care to know their fate. The concept of this story really grabbed me when I picked it up in the bookstore, but the execution fell very flat. There is no explanation as to how the survivors ended up being abandoned and the last chapter just ties everything together very nonchalantly after this group of people has experienced traumatic situations trying to survive the wilderness. Maybe it would have leant something more to this story to follow up on what happened following the survival experience. One star for the idea behind the story, though execution was lacking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit and Death