Heather’s Bookshelf: The Trial Show
Author: Konstantina P
Released: 03/22/22
Genre: SciFi/Speculative Fiction
“‘Then you’re not sorry. You just feel guilty.
There’s a huge difference between the two. Guilt is a flimsy thing. People can live with it for years without lifting a finger to mend the situation that caused it. True, deep regret, though, comes with penance.”’
“The Trial Show” follows a group of young people who have formed a resistance against the central government. Some are known and wanted while others maintain double lives in order to gain the upper hand.
The main characters: Jay, Trent, Ava, and Parker each tell their side of the story interspersed with various other POVs. Parker and Jay have a complex relationship while running the resistance. Ava and Trent keep their allegiance with the resistance while working their normal lives as a public defender and an agent for the enemy.
Ava’s sister, Brooklyn, is also a key agent for Central Force. When she’s found dead and Jay’s mission goes awry, everything begins to fall apart.
Parker is captured and put on trial, which happens to be televised as part of a public-endorsed vote. The resistance and his role in it are put in jeopardy. Will he get out of it or will he and his friends lose their life-long mission?
Trigger Warning: violence, adult language, death, murder
Overall, I enjoyed this tale. The story is told through multiple first person POVs. I typically enjoy multiple POVs and the author does a nice job in giving each their own voice. However, there are so many of them that especially early on in the story, it leads to more confusion than is necessary. By the time I figured out who each of the main characters were and the role they played in the resistance, consequences were already in play. However, by the end of the story it works well to reveal secrets and clarify events. The story is also interspersed with memories which added a lot of clarity and character development and was quite effective in the way they were layered into the story. There are two main surprises built into the story- one is a little more obvious while the other felt more interesting and organic. The ending wraps everything up from the main tale while also leaving it open for additional stories.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A multiple POV tale about the people behind a resistance. While it starts out a little convoluted, it all comes together by the end.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Konstantina P.
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
