My Two Cents: THE RESIDENCY by Kayla Frederick

"One decision can change a person's life." This isn't just the opening line to author Kayla Frederick's "The Residency," but it's also the overall theme of this cautionary tale, a clever take on the "Battle Royale" horror trope. In "The Residency," a group of starving artists from a wide variety of mediums receive what seems to be the invitation of a lifetime: to participate in a weeklong program on a private island resort, sponsored by an enigmatic and seemingly magnanimous philanthropist. The trip comes with the chance to win not only recognition for their art, but $500,000 to boot, a cash prize none of the participants can afford to refuse.

Among these are Ira, a troubled painter whose gruesome subject matter overshadows her talents with a brush; Isabella and Isaac, twins who specialize in graffiti murals; Tonya, a haughty graphic designer; Derrick, an earnest caricaturist; McKenzie, an ingenuous tattoo artist; Cameron, an idealistic sculptor; and James, a gruff, middle-aged illustrator.

Of course, we all know the old saying about how if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, and it's a given from the first page that their would-be benefactor isn't quite as benevolent as he seems. In short order, the brutal, bloody truth behind his "contest" is revealed, much to the horrified dismay of his guests and once the game begins, there's only one way out: through it. As one by one, the contestants are eliminated (literally, as well as figuratively), alliances between the surviving players are forged and broken, sacrifices made, and horrific choices abound, all under the watchful, unflinching eye of the sadistic "Curator," their anonymous host.

I think the most difficult part of this book is that while all of the characters are flawed in some way, they're all also likable for the most part, and certainly relatable in their desperate determination to survive. It's hard to read about the terrible things that happen to them, because Frederick puts the reader inside each of their heads, giving us a birds-eye view of their perspectives, making us root for them even as she slowly, methodically picks them off one by one. There's no such thing as plot armor in "The Residency," and in the end, there can only be one winner. If one decision can change a person's life, Frederick forces us to question to just what lengths we might be willing to go -- what we'd suffer through -- to make that decision in the end.

Taut and suspenseful, with a truly despicable antagonist, and enough gore to leave you squirming in your seat, in "The Residency," Frederick delivers a fast, fun, bloody summer read you won't soon forget.

"The Residency" is available here.