Title: The Survival Game
Author: Nicky Singer
Pages: 384
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Release Date: 26th July 2018
Blurb from Goodreads:
In a world full of checkpoints and controls, can love and hope
defy the borders? A searing, timely story, as arresting as it is
beautiful.
Mhairi Anne Bain owns only two things: a gun with no bullets and
Mhairi Anne Bain owns only two things: a gun with no bullets and
her identity papers.
The world is a shell of what it once was. Now, you must prove
yourself worthy of existence at every turn, at every border
checkpoint. And if you are going to survive, your instincts will
become your most valuable weapon.
Mhairi has learnt the importance of living her own story, of speaking
to no one. But then she meets a young boy with no voice at all, and
finds herself risking everything to take him to safety.
And so Mhairi and the silent boy travel the road north. But there are
rumours that things in Scotland have changed since she has been
away. What Mhairi finds there is shocking and heart-breaking,
but might finally re-connect her to her sense of self and to the
possibility of love.
An extraordinary story about survival and what it costs, about the
power of small kindnesses to change everything.
My Review:
*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Hodder Children's Books and NetGalley*
Mhairi Anne Bain lives in a future where the world is divided.
Mhairi is travelling back to Scotland alone when she meets a young,
mute boy. She finds herself travelling north with him, risking
breaking the law.
But the Scotland Mhairi knew has changed and, despite being home,
survival might be harder than she expected.
Do Mhairi and the boy have a future in Scotland?
The Survival Game portrays a bleak future where the world is
divided and isolated due to climate change and over-population.
Mhairi was an interesting protagonist. She had been through a lot
and travelled a long way to get back home.
The setting was thought-provoking and scarily realistic -
it's easy to imagine a future where countries are fractured and so
isolated.
The plot was good but didn't grip me.
The writing style wasn't one of my favourites but it was easy to
follow and unique.
The ending will definitely stick with me for a long time.
Overall this was an enjoyable read.
