Playground Review

content warning

Playground, I hate to say it, but I enjoyed it. I will be starting off with a content warning. If you have a weak stomach, don't like violence or gore I would highly suggest clicking off this review and maybe liking it because I gave you a warning.

This book is by Aron Beaurgard, a splatter punk author who I enjoy. I have read a few books of his and found them quite entertaining, but for some sick twisted reason Playground was my favorite. I think it had something to do with the challenges they faced, the hunger games like scenarios, except much more gruesome. Something about it made me really enjoy this book. It could be that this book was my introduction to splatter punk or just that I liked the story.

Playground will definitely not be a lot of peoples cup of tea as it does involve child abuse, but a technique I have learned in reading books like this is aging up the children in my head. Instead of little Jimmie being 13, he's now 25 in my head. The story begins with families being selected as targets for a “Playground trial” ; each family has children and each family that participates would be given money for their participation. Plot twist, there is no money. The parents of the children are placed in a movie theater type room facing the screen watching their kids play on the playground. As they play the parents talk to the host fully unaware or the life crippling events about to take place. Everything seems normal about the playground and they are beginning to believe this will be easy money.

This is until the hosts loyal and abused assistance releases two dogs into the play area closing the gate. The dogs began to chase the children, thrusting for their blood, even digging their teeth into one child's arm, slinging him around like a rag doll. All children run to the highest point of the playground forced to plunge themselves down a slide leading to a series of murderous tests, where the kids will fight for their lives. Each test is well thought out and described in such detail you can visualize everything. The challenges are very creative and I think my favorite is in the chapter TIK TOK warned me about. Chapters 6-8.

In this slew of chapters there is a murder that sticks out to me the most because I have had this exact irrational fear. The children are forced to go down a slide with spinning saws going in and out. If the children time it right they can avoid the ejecting saws. This was fine for almost all the children. Except for one who was desperate to be his fathers favorite. Listening to his father over the intercom trapped in the theater room, he picked one one of the children and used her body as a sort of snowboard, gliding down the gutting slide. The description in this scene is very vivid and I would strongly advise avoiding this book if my brief description is too much. This book is filled with content like the event described above.

Over all, without all the murder, the story line is great. As character traits begin to unravel you can see why these specific families were picked for the challenge. You see why the host was so demented to even create such a challenge. As a reader you see character growth, sick and twisted people, true forgiveness, mourning and a feel good revenge. I personally believe if the children in the book were adults this book would be tasteful to a bigger audience, but for me I didn’t mind. 10/10 for splatter punk fans. Content warning for everyone else. Aron Beaurgard I am definitely a fan, and look forward to reading and seeing more content from you. I will be putting more reviews of your books up soon.

I think one thing to note as a splatter punk fan, I read and watch so much horror that I have gone numb to it. I still love it, but it doesn't give me a reaction anymore. Reading splatter punk finally gives me the reaction I miss. It forces me to squirm in my seat, be horrified for the next word and read the absolute most unthinkable shit. When a book can give me a physical reaction where I have to put the book down, I throw up or throw the book. I enjoy it, so thank you splatter punk writers for being absolutely twisted.

I do apologize for the misspell in your name in the title Aron I got auto corrected and didn't realize -.-