2/5 stars
How’d I find it? I picked up my copy at Greedy Reads, drawn by a mention in a New York Times review of Girlfriend on Mars by Deborah Willis.
Why not 3 or more stars? A new reality TV show called Civilization gathers a group of hopefuls in a remote location so they can eke it out for six weeks to claim a cash prize. The reality television aspects are never developed or explored, main characters remain enigmatic to the end, and the anticipated reveal does not come. What might Braverman have said through Ashley, the contestant who leads with looks and charm, about the price of fame? How could the ill that befalls production have been fleshed out to illustrate the book’s themes of hubris, betrayal, greed, and perseverance? Instead, the book remains fascinated with wilderness skills and languishes with Mara, our disinterested protagonist, at its helm. A survival experiment gone awry makes for a titillating premise, one that Small Game only scratches at.