The Desert Island Game

by Cat Voleur

The world has ended. Now what?When Bea wakes to discover she and her lover, Evian, are still alive after the apocalypse, things seem too good to be true. Soon, she begins to suspect they are. The more concerns she voices about their survival on an island paradise, the easier their lives become. Her attempts to ask questions are met by disinterest and anger from her partner.

Why can she not remember key details about her life before coming to the island? Why is she seeing and hearing things that aren’t there? How well does she really know Evian?

As suspicion and distrust continue to mount, Bea realizes the apocalypse was the least of her worries.

But is there a way off the island, and is paradise really Hell?

Genres: Horror, Queer

116 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 15, 2024

Reviews

[John Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world has ended, with Evian and Bea the only ones to make it out alive. The pair are on Evian's private island, living in the lap of luxury, with romance blooming. But all is not as it seems.

This book is relatively short, but it is a mind-bending trip where you never really know what's real and what isn't. That is a theme that runs through the entire length of the story, which ends with more questions than answers.

I have let this one percolate in my brain for a few days after reading and am still somewhat on the fence about how I feel about the whole thing. it's wonderfully written and filled with tension and angst, but it's one that is sure to be very divisive.

[Eryn McConnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful story. There were so many layers, so much happening. Voleur led me so neatly through the story, I was absorbed from the first page.
Excellently structured, disturbingly existential horror. Wonderful.

[Paige Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick sapphic horror read that left me in a daze. It was a total and utter mindfuck in other words! I enjoy these types of stories very much. I still wasn't quite sure what happened by the time I finished it.

Cat Voleur has quickly become a fave to read for me. I really enjoy her writing style and how she keeps her stories a mystery for readers. It makes it a rather enjoyable experience and I really like books that make me think and keep me thinking afterwards.

I highly recommend this one. You can knock it out easily in one sitting!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a creepy sapphic novella. It is about Bea and Evian, who are together on an island after the world ended. However, Bea starts to question if everything on the island is too good to be true. Both Bea and Evian feel like real people in the way they interact and behave with eachother. I will definitely reread this and seek out more of Cat Voleur's work.

[Leon Peter Blanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When there is no way to separate reality from what is imagined, the human mind will either crumble, or create pathways to reason, roads to rationale where no logical explanation exists. That is what Bea is wrestling with throughout the tension-building nightmare from author Cat Velour, The Desert Island Game.

Within the first few pages, you, the reader, find yourself woefully tangled in a disconnected web of deceit and surrealism with Bea and her inapproachably beautiful lover, Evian. Something isn’t right, but Bea only has the border of the puzzle; all the center pieces are missing, or hidden from her. The big picture is lost.

Confused. Frightened. Every turn taken is the wrong one for Bea. So much so, you as the reader begin to doubt yourself, “ Did I read that correctly before? What am I missing? Where am I?” Only to have the entire crystal palace slam into focus moments before it shatters to pieces.

Velour writes every scene and character with a sharp quill full of dark ink. Thoughts and emotions motions bleed from the printed page.

Fast paced, thrilling, queer horror from a brilliantly talented writer.

[Robert C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a tension filled story that it was literally hard to put down! An unrelenting story of confusion and bewilderment. You're left wanting to know more because the reader is left with just as many questions as Bea. Another fantastic story by Cat Voleur who is steadily becoming one of my favorite writers.

[Horrorble Opinions · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's that time again, Horrorble People. Time to play the-world-is-ending-so-let's-get-klnky game! The world is ending…right? Oh…we are still alive…well this is awkward…no, no, you stay in bed you beautiful thing, I'm going for a swim in the lava water while reviewing The Desert Island Game (2024), written by Cat Voleur. Should sunscreen also protect you from gaslighting? What CONSENSUAL bedroom moves have you been waiting for the end of days to bust out? When have noodles ever been sexy food? Where in the house is your off-limits room? Could you just try to get along with your one-night stand for more than a day? Who keeps applying makeup to themselves on an empty island? Why can't you just accept that ignorance is bliss? Get your desert island list, check it twice, and let's relax on the beach under a fire sky.

 

The Desert Island Game says you only get the best sex during the end of the world and then everything is over. One and done. So, what do you do when you and your lover wake up the next day and the world has not ended? Meet Bea and Evian. Evian is beautiful, self-assured, and was Bea's boss. Bea is not as beautiful, thinks herself overweight, and got to sex her hot boss crush when the world ended. In the words of a different host, "yeah, get It girl!" Now it's just the two of them on an island as the world burns. They have a very well stocked little house next to the beach, enough food and sparkling water to last, well, to sometime past 11:49 hopefully. Evian embraces their good fortune while Bea starts remembering the before times. And then dishes mysteriously get put away and everything deteriorates. It's a tale as old times you told someone they are crazy.

 

I really enjoyed this story. Voleur's writing is confident and smooth. We see this world through Bea's eyes and we both notice the cracks. I never felt like I had figured everything out and was just waiting for Bea to catch up, it is together that we have revelations and plot what we should do about it. The major mystery had me guessing everything from sci-fi to supernatural to spiritual, and when the story ended, I did have an answer but also had smaller questions which don't have clear explanations. That means tunnel snakes, Horrorble People. – Ryan

[Milt Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was very weird: a book I finished and read quite carefully, yet still have no idea what exactly went on. The writing is excellent, the story quite fast-paced, the atmosphere thick with dread and mystery; surely, it takes great talent to have all these in a short novella and yet craft a tale whose workings remain unclear long after you've closed the book. In fact, I'm not even sure about the ambiguity itself. All things considered, it may that I indeed missed something, and there's no ambiguity at all.

Still... The story takes place after the world has ended; does it though? I'm not sure. It features only two characters, Evian, a movie star, and Bea, her assistant; does it though? Hm... I'm neither 100% sure Bea is just an assistant, nor that they're alone on the island. The setting, a house on a private island, is reminiscent of a theatrical play; it may actually belong more to a reality show, however. The characters are romantically involved; are they really, though? Uhmm... They're both ciphers, tough nuts to crack. Reaching the end, I felt I had a good grasp of what was going on; the final page threw me off entirely. It'd seem that reality itself is a character in this story; either that or someone is tripping. In either case, this is the kind of book demanding personal involvement and offers an amazing reading experience!

[Sharron Joy Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Bea and her lover Evian wake up on an island paradise she realises they have survived the apocalypse. As she questions what has happened, how have they survived and why is her life before so hazy Bea realises something is not right and Evian may be not who she claimed to be
How does she escape the island, is there a way or is she trapped?

This is a mind bending existential horror that is a beautifully layered story of the structure of reality. Bea and Evian feel real but their environment is fluid, dreamlike and as Bea questions what is true and what is fake, her sanity snaps and she doubts her own mind. Evian seems confident but frustrated, she is desperate for a happy ending.

An apocalyptic almost cosmic journey into the nature of reality, I suspect this will be one you love or hate but like all great art it provokes a response.

[N.J. Gallegos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up on a whim and glad I did! Bea (formerly Evian's personal assistant) and Evian find themselves on a well-stocked island and in timely fashion too as the end of the world has occurred. But things aren't quite adding up. Evian is too... flippant regarding their circumstances and there's eerie occurrences such as eggs that keep replenishing. Bea starts questioning everything and Evian... well Evian is none too pleased.

Love the sapphic relationship and the premise. I will read more of Cat's work!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the beginning. We are put into insecure Bea’s headspace as she navigates the end of the world with her beautiful lover, Evian. We feel all the confusion, the guilt, the heaviness, the worry right along with Bea. As the plot builds, strange things are happening as we watch Bea try to find a logical explanation. The ending will leave you speechless…this book could be about obsession and mental illness as much as 2 lovers going through the post apocalypse. Another hit from Cat Voleur and I cannot wait to read another one!

[Remy Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly cinematic story that will make you want to read it multiple times to make sure you uncovered every detail. These two characters keep you questioning everything you read. The tension never subsides, and I honestly imagined every chapter as a scene in an indie film with lots of quiet, artistic flashbacks (e.g. Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead films).

P.S. I wish I could write dialogue like Cat Voluer. Let's see a film adaptation!

[Lauren Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not Cat (or better yet her characters) gaslighting me throughout the book

THE DESERT ISLAND GAME was a toxic, sapphic dream that had me shook till the very end - a fantastic read as always from Cat

[Karm Barter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not even sure what I read lol

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novella that starts off unsettling and tips into a full-on nightmare as the layers peel away. Great tension and character building in a short span of pages.

[Sophie Ingley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh!
This book!
This bloody wonderful book!
Seriously, this twisted my melon and gave me a serious dose of the WTFs.
I adored this so very. 🖤
Go read it. Now!!!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

the ending was very good, a lot of potential from this author

[Wesley Winters]

This was a brisk thrill ride that caught my attention early on and kept me curious throughout. I wasn't sure what to expect but the frequent underscore of dread was intoxicating. The ending wasn't what I would have preferred, but I enjoyed the novella so much otherwise. The writing was great, the story was twisty and quick, the premise eerie and full of possibilities...I definitely recommend this one!


**I'm not scoring books that are published by my publishers. Nevertheless, this review is my honest opinion and has not been influenced by my connection to the author.**

[Geoff Parrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Desert Island Game kept me guessing, and at points saying, "That doesn't make sense to me" until I reached a reveal that made me feel stupid and left me marveling in the genius of Cat Voleur well done!

[Petri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cool quick sapphic horror novella. Had couple really well written horror moments but I overall left me wanting more. Still a worthwhile read and I'm interested in reading other works from the author as well.