A review by ghiblireads
Small Game by Blair Braverman

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This was an interesting book. I can definitely understand why people don’t like it - I think it was marketed wrong because it is definitely not a mystery/thriller. It was a slowish paced survival story that focused a lot on the people and it turned out to be something that I loved. The writing was really good and I loved the descriptions of the nature. The set up was great: a group of strangers left to survive in the woods. The reality TV show part was fun and I liked just following the characters during their days. When the crew went ‘missing’ it got a lot more tense and exciting. Mara was a really good character although I didn’t love her relationship with Ashley - it could have been better developed. Bullfrog and Kyle were interesting too. It was a really atmospheric and strangely beautiful story about humans and their survival. This book did ambiguity really well and I personally loved the ending. It left me with questions but I still felt satisfied with it.