What is your opinion?
Dystopia, in all its glittered glory
"Your book reminds me of why I loathe “reality tv.” You managed to mash together the concepts of The Handmaids Tale and The Hunger Games and create a wonderful work of satire. What made it work so well, besides the complex plot, setting, and characters, was the plausibility of the game. I read it and thought, yeah, there are people who’d love doing just that to women and society. "
For life to be a game, it must have knowable rules.
"When I started this book I made the connection to the story, The Running Man by Richard Bachman, aka Stephen King. While the movie with Schwarzenegger covered the same idea, the book was much more detailed and dire. The plot of the book is about women who reach the age of 25 but remain unmarried, they are drafted into a game funded by the Government that puts a group of women through tasks with the purpose of winning the game and being matched to a single male participant. Our MFC is a game designer, computer games, who doesn't want to participate but has no choice in the matter, who shows her passive aggressive side by refusing to play along with the hosts and producers of the game. Then we get a shift in the plot, she meets up with her Muay Thai instructor and possible love interest who helps her deal with the game and offers a solution to get her out of it. This is when the story evolves, but also lessens. She get's caught by the government who changes the rules of the game to allow for more than one winner, which in my mind destroys the suspense inherent in the story. The constant thoughts of..would she survive this challenge and make it further now seem like a given. The author will have to invent a new narrative to take over from the uncertainty to inject life back into it. I can honestly say I lost interest once this development landed. I am just waiting now to finish it and see where the finish lands. The book is finished now, and with a wholeheartedly sad ending, almost an unfinished feel to it. There's no HEA, although I'd argue that it was never the point of the story to begin with. You don't fight a monolithic entity like a Government and expect to come out a winner and certainly not in so few chapters. The ending is both predictable and not, some things happen the way I expected them to. She finds her husband in the end, yet there are also uncertain parts of it too. The main female villain and fellow contestant just amps up her treachery and damage to both the game and her fellow contestants in a way that strikes me as scripted. I have a hard time believing no one was whispering in her ear to do what she did, rather than just being a vindictive POS who thought it up all on her own. Yet the tells are there in the beginning to suggest that maybe she did it all herself. In the beginning of the game, Sadie seems hell bent on shaping it to her whims and needs, yet as the plot progresses we see a changing in her feelings, a sense of ..."what's the point?" drifting in. She is changed by it so much that you begin to wonder if she will survive the carnage and come out alive. The ending is set up for a sequel, yet I am not sure it needs one. Not all stories have happy endings, sometimes evil does prevail, but I say this more because I can't see a good ending in two books, unless book two tops 100 chapters and that's too long in my opinion. It was a decent offering, I read it and enjoyed it to a point. It's just not rereadable in my opinion. Once was enough. to the author, I know you have been cycling cover art the last little bit...but that smile on the brides face just looks creepy. "
Twist filled satire with a dash of humour and love.
"Balancing humour and honesty is the keystone of satire. Sadie, as the main character, has a very distinct voice and opinions that suit her perfectly. Sassy yet genuine, she just wants to lead her life on her own terms. The Collective had other ideas. The sinister, dystopian world set up gave off low-key 'The Handmaid's Tale' vibes. Throw in a reality TV show, seeking love in a 'The Bachelor' style setup, has many twists to keep things fresh and interesting. The mean girls vs friendships that develop, Hunger Games-like moments of rebellion, and a surprising love interest, all make for a fun yet deep read. I highly recommend it, and look forward to seeing where it goes. "
Amazing story!
"Only reading the first two chapters and I already can't put it down. Feels like a dystopian book I'd read in one sitting. You feel like you're in the story and feel what the characters feel which just makes it 10 times better. Truly recommend for people who enjoy books like the Hunger Games because this is trutly amzing."
Lights, Camera, Blood
"It has a very interesting plot with a forbidden love story, villainess, and shadows to the queen that will gradually be stripped away. Overall I love it so far 😌"
Loving it so far
"Reallying loving it so far! The plot is so different and it's keeping me engaged. Loving the Hunger Games vibes I'm getting!"
