The book starts out with a haunting prologue laying out the fates of some of the production team members that are part of the reality show. A disturbing beginning that is quickly forgotten as you are introduced to the reality show as it plays out for the viewers, which is sharply contrasted by other chapters which lay out the point of view of one contestant in particular who is now off on her own for a solo challenge.
Before I go forward, read this excerpt of the prologue –
The first one on the production team to die will be the editor. He doesn’t yet feel ill, and he’s no longer out in the field. He went out only once, before filming started, to see the woods and to shake the hands of the men whose footage he’d be shaping; asymptomatic transmission. He’s been back for more than a week now and is sitting alone in the editing studio, feeling perfectly well. His T-shirt reads: coffee in, genius out. He taps a key and images flicker across the thirty-two-inch screen dominating his cluttered workstation.
These contestants have been brought together for a survivalist challenge – what’s real? what’s not? At first it’s easy to tell, fake props, fake set ups. But as you get into the weeds of the solo challenge with the main character who you are watching, you do wonder…what IS reality here?
This book has stayed with me long after it’s over. I just finished it yesterday afternoon and it still isn’t over in my head. I think of what the main character saw and what she lived through. The book has chapters in third person that portray each of the contestants as reality show caricatures (Waitress, Zoo, Tracker, are some of the nicknames assigned to each of them) Each playing their part as reality show producers have created for them (either knowingly or unknowingly). Then there are chapters where have the first person account of a contestant off on her own (unsure who this was at first but after a while you do realize her former caricature; surprisingly, we don’t learn her real name until the end) as she figures out clues and where to go next.
This book was a surprisingly excellent and I’m not much of an outdoorsy person. But honestly this is as close as I will ever (and ever want to) get to living outdoors and being a survivalist. Although it does leave me with the feeling that I should brush up on my skills at least a LITTLE bit. There were some gruesome parts I had to flip past…some religious doubt/criticism that I wanted to skip past (and thought was mildly unnecessary, but didn’t distract me from the story when I did move beyond it). Again, the story stayed with me long after it was over. It was a disturbing and adventurous story all at once. Honestly the experience and the setting was so vivid for me that when the character became thirsty, I took a sip of water.
This is a highly recommended book for the summer and if you have any mild enjoyment of reality shows, outdoorsy or survivalist themes, or even mild apocalyptic type of themes, I highly recommend this story. I know it will take you by surprise.
Best of all, I get to giveaway this book to one of my lucky readers! All I would like you to do is to comment with what sounds interesting to you about this book! Ends 7/25.
The winner of my giveaway is Stephanie Matthis who I chose using Random.org.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review. I included an affiliate link with this post which I receive small compensation if you purchase through my link.
Hella yeah! It sounds seriously chilling. I love books that take what we are seeing on TV and morp it into a believably scary story that could actually happen. Maybe that's what makes it so interesting, the factory that this coild actually happen. :). Ooooo, I so wanna read it.
Yeah!! I thought the whole potential apocalyptic part was sublte enough that it wasn't impossible. I really liked that angle of it! And you realize things as the main character does, which is a very cool thing!
It sounds suspenseful, and i love its a book about reality tv. there are so many shows out right now i find it weird there haven't been more books about them. I am most excited for a book that has mystery and suspense though.
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It sounds like a nail biter… a bit of a modern day variation on an Agatha Christie tale. Excellent review!
Yeah! Also thinking back, it reminded me a bit of "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" too!
Hella yeah! It sounds seriously chilling. I love books that take what we are seeing on TV and morp it into a believably scary story that could actually happen. Maybe that's what makes it so interesting, the factory that this coild actually happen. :). Ooooo, I so wanna read it.
Yeah!! I thought the whole potential apocalyptic part was sublte enough that it wasn't impossible. I really liked that angle of it! And you realize things as the main character does, which is a very cool thing!
I stopped by your blog today.
Ann
This one definitely sounds like a real page turner. Kinda creepy but definitely interesting.
It sounds suspenseful, and i love its a book about reality tv. there are so many shows out right now i find it weird there haven't been more books about them. I am most excited for a book that has mystery and suspense though.
I am a reality show junkie so I love that it evolves a reality show. And I love how mysterious it sounds!