From the cover of the book:
12 Contestants
20,000,000 Dollars
1 Survivor
The Park: Evenstad Media's newest reality show. There are no laws. There are no rules. The only goal is to stay alive. But in Evenstad's arena, things are far from simple. Outfitted with strange new weapons, trapped in the dark, afraid for their lives, it's only a matter of time before somebody takes the first shot.
And all the while, the world watches. Some in disgust, some rapt, but all feeding Evenstad, and all oblivious to the horrors they're helping fund. By the time anyone notices, will there be time to put an end to it? Or will it be too late?
***********
Twelve contestants find themselves dropped into a games arena modelled on a trailer park. Attached to each of the bemused contestants is a note explaining a single survivor will win $20,000,000. Food, drink, and a single curious weapon are the only provisions. Let the games begin.
This intriguing speculative novel is an enjoyable mix of Nerve meets Arnold Swarzenegger's Running Man, in which twelve contestants must fight it out to receive a life changing amount of prize money. The concept is simple, but the there is nothing easy about the game play.
The novel is almost entirely of the epistolary kind, as the plot unfurls largely via the journals of the contestants, bolstered by transcripts of emails, online blogs, news stories, ads, and corporate letters, so you have to put together all the little details of the plot yourself. And there is a lot of unsettling psychological fun to be had in the process.
The most interesting parts of the novel follow the shifting allegiances amongst the contestants, as the pressure of the game leads to murder, mayhem, and fracturing mental health. There is a lot more going on here that a cruel tv game intended to draw in millions for Evenstad Media too - a side order of real-world domination for one thing - which mixes up the premise nicely.
This a quick read, which really provokes your thoughts, and for the most part, the format works well. I would have liked a retrospective from the winning contestant to tie up the loose ends at the end of the novel though - particularly given their bold decision!
I rather enjoyed this. The series continues with further novels that follow the theme in different game settings (a mall, an inn, and in some tunnels), which I have not ventured into, but if this kind of sci-fi thriller is your bag then they are probably worth a punt.
The Park is available to buy now in paperback and ebook formats.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review.
About the author:
Voss Foster lives in the middle of the Eastern Washington desert, where he writes sci-fi and fantasy from inside a single wide trailer. He is the author of Tartaros, Zirkua Fantastic, and The Jester Prince.
When he can be pried away from his keyboard, he can be found singing, practicing photography, cooking, and belly dancing, though rarely all at the same time.
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