Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis
The “stunning and harrowing” short story, originally published in the anthology No Way Home, is now available as a standalone release and features an all-new foreword written by award-winning science fiction author, Lucas Bale.
Cara Stone is a broken woman: penniless, homeless, and hopeless. When given the chance to appear on television, she jumps at the opportunity to win a minimum of $5,000 for her family.
The state-run, crowdfunded series, Revolver, has been established by the nation’s moneyed elite to combat the increasing plight of class warfare.
There’s never been a Revolver contestant quite like Cara before. The corporate states of America are hungry for blood, and she promises to deliver.
Review
Thanks to the author for an audiobook copy, via Audible, in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this listening copy did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novella.
Novellas are always difficult to review, especially those that are under 100 pages, so I’ll keep this one pretty short and succinct.
Revolver is a harrowing glimpse into where our country could be headed if it continues on its current trajectory. With the way politics and exploitation are being shoved in our faces on a daily basis, it wouldn’t surprise me (hopefully beyond my years) if some form of Revolver, or even Robert Jackson Bennett’s ‘Vigilance’, comes to fruition. Gun violence is at an all time high, the nation as a whole is fighting over women’s rights, and the masses are glued to their televisions to see the latest massacre.
This sh*t is scary, y’all.
But as Hicks has done in previous reads, you are reeled in with a bloody hook and forced to pay attention to the subject matter. It is gruesome and shocking, but it is impossible to look away. And with a protagonist like Cara leading the way, you really just want to watch the world burn.
Kudos to the author for a gut-punch that is felt throughout the whole body.
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