Blair Braverman

I really struggled with what to rate this book. Braverman has a great narrative voice, which is what I look for in memoirs. And I do love her mushing stories. But a good solid 80% of this book is about sexual harrassment and rape in the great white north. Which, I mean — I certainly relate to that. The problem is that I relate to it too much; it was like reading about my own teen years, except colder. I was sort of hoping for a book about dogs and mushing. Instead it was about misogyny and show more rape.

Also, holy heck, this book is FULL of animal harm and death. (Though, note: the dogs all live. That was a relief.)

So, basically, this book was well written and well done, but just REALLY not for me. The fact that I finished it anyway is a testimony to Braverman’s skill, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is interested in memoirs and is fine with animal harm and death, and also misogyny and rape. show less

I'll be honest and admit that the entire reason I picked up Blair Braverman's debut novel is because her dogs are lovely and happy. Turns out, this may be an excellent way to choose a book. This is the kind of thriller that takes its time, develops the characters along with a sense of rising dread and then delivers a punch that really delivers.

Mara grew up as the only child of parents intent on living off the grid, which prepared her well for her job at a wilderness school, delivering show more expensive "survival" weekends for wealthy people. When producers choose her for a reality show sending a group to an undisclosed wilderness location with the challenge of surviving together, she sees a way to improve her life and maybe even live somewhere with solid floors and a dishwasher. Her skills are stretched in an unfamiliar place early in Spring and her fellow contestants have their own motivations for being there, but all that is far less important than what happens with the producers and crew.

Braverman clearly spent time and effort in crafting a thriller in which the many parts hold together. This is a story that is terrifyingly believable and still it surprised me. And no dogs were harmed. show less

What makes or breaks a survival novel for me is the author's felt presence. Omnipotent and uncaring god? Hopeful and silent? Vengeful and hungry for blood and entertainment?

We follow five reality TV survival show contestants as they realize their crew has disappeared. Each character is memorable for their reasons for applying and unique skillsets, and each harbors opinions on each other's priorities that could make or break the team. There is interpersonal drama, but at its core, the story show more is about finding a reason to keep living. It's touching, brutal, fast-paced, and has a satisfying end. I do have to dock points for some of the open-endedness of the resolution, though. If you need retribution for what the characters go through, you won't find it.

Braverman doesn't sanitize the horrors of survival, but doesn't condemn her characters to pointless suffering either. Her vast knowledge of the wild and experiences in the unforgiving North trail through every turning point and choice made in this novel. The sprinkling of her survivalist and botanical expertise makes the story honest and gripping. I look forward to reading about her lived experiences in her memoir! show less

Blair Braverman has always felt drawn to the north and the cold and the snow. As a teenager she lived in Norway and had some bad experiences but she went back, even further north, and made the life that she was looking for.

Content warning for abuse and sexual assault.
I enjoyed Blair’s outlook on life. She sees bad things that happen to her (cold weather survival, getting buried in snow, abuse from an authority figure, sexual assault) as just, things that happened, rather than signs that show more she is or is not on the right path. They’re not holding her back but they’re not particularly driving her either. I also really enjoy winter/cold, though not as much as she does, and in a world where I feel it’s always expected to love summer and heat Blair is, pun intended, a breath of fresh air. show less