Small Game

Great premise and a strong start whithers as a lack of exposition and real conclusion doom this book's chances. The vague ending is meant to feel edgy but comes across as lazy, or as if the author simply ran out of time and had to get the manuscript to the printer.

A thrilling read and a nice start to a new year of reading. Braverman paints the challenge that real nature presents with expertise. Some ambiguity may cause some readers to sour, but life is full of ambiguity.

This might not be the book for you if you need something to have all the loose ends tied off into pretty little bows. However, if you want something that will make you feel every emotion and struggle with character developments, and maybe feel a little drained emotionally at the end... then this book is perfect for you.
I really enjoyed each character. Their trials and tribulations. Every nook and cranny of the forest. There was always a wonder of what would be around the next corner. And to be frank, the book ended perfectly with how you never really knew what would happen next.

This was great. It was beautifully written and a real page turner! I loved the Survivor-esque reality show framing and how it's about not just surviving, but becoming and being.

More of a 2.5 rounded to 3.

I was excited to read this one as the premise sounded really great. Sadly, this one was a huge let down. It was boring, drawn out and overly dramatic when nothing was happening. I expected there to be something thrilling or, anything really, to happen.

It's also crazy to me how this ended. I get where the author was going with what happened, but seriously?! Not in any way, shape or form is that believable. If this was a dystopian or fantasy type read, then maybe....but this being a “suspense thriller”...just no.

I'm glad so many others enjoyed this book. It just wasn't for me.

Goodreads calls this a thriller, and while it has elements that are gripping, I wouldn't call it super fast-paced. Goes along at a steady clip, not breakneck gotta-know-what's-going-on. Survival reality show that turns real survival stakes when the camera crew up and disappears. I enjoyed it. Be aware there's not closure at the end if that's the kind of thing that bugs you. (It kinda bugs me, because I want to know why the crew up and left the survivors to fend for themselves, but it's fiction and I can live with it.)

I loved this book! Thrillers aren't my preferred genre, and I rarely find them memorable - I tend to enjoy them enough as I'm reading them, but forget them almost as soon as I'm done. Small Game was an exception: in fact, as soon as I finished it, I started again. A few reasons it stood out for me:

- Braverman is a strong writer - again, with thrillers I often find the actual writing to be secondary (if not tertiary) to the conceptual plot, and I was pleasantly surprised that wasn't at all the case here. (This is her debut novel, though she's written two nonfiction books - one a memoir that I've added to my TBR.)

- The story itself was propulsive and immersive. Another pleasant surprise: I felt like I got a stronger-than-usual sense for most of the characters, especially Mara, the protagonist - but in a slow and semi-stunted way, which feels appropriate given Mara's personality. She's quite introverted, and connection doesn't come naturally to her, but when it does it's real and deep. I found her not just believable but relatable.

- The blurb teases that “the cast wakes up one morning to find something has gone horribly wrong.” I personally loved the process of finding out what exactly it was that had gone so off-the-rails, and I was very satisfied with the resolution. I won't say more for fear of spoilers!

- I've seen a few reviews complaining that the ending felt rushed. Yes, it wasn't fleshed out, but I don't think it should have been. The story was about a specific experience from start to finish. I'd argue anything else doesn't belong.

Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone curious about survivalism in search of a well-written thriller they'll get lost in (metaphorically, though a bit on-the-nose considering the plot!). 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5. Thanks to NetGalley and Ecco for my ARC.

3.5 because the ending was a little abrupt for me.