Cargo by Ruth Anna Evans

Cargo Reviews

• 
  Peter Topside

  A very intense and heartbreaking experience. This was kept very short, simple and very broad, which made everything that much more eerie. Marilee is a very young girl living through some ugly, horrific experiences that should never happen, but does unfortunately. Real world horror can be as scary and disturbing as any monster, demon, or other horror staple, and this takes full advantage of that. The entire story just makes you wanna crawl of your skin and weep at the same time. This was my first outing with Ruth Anna Evans and I look forward to seeing more of her works.
• 
  Leeanne 🥀 The Book Whor3 🥀

  Oh wow, this made my heart weep.
  
  Twelve year old Marilee, has been split from her family on Earth, which has become barren and lifeless with hordes of walking dead, and is travelling in a metal container, with others, to another planet called Centauri C.
  
  There is no air in the container, except for a small hole in the side, and with the amount of bodies, and no water for 10 days, people are dying.
  
  Once at Centauri C, the survivors have their hands bound, by guards, who seem to relish the suffering of these refugees. They are separated, and each day, await their turn to be ‘chosen’, for what, Marilee doesn’t know...so plots her escape.
  
  This novella is heartbreaking, and shines a light on what refugees of today endure, to escape a life of war, persecution and terror.
  
  I received a free ARC of this from the author, in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
  
  Ruth Anna Evans sure knows how to weave a heartbreaking tale, full of horror and despair.
  
  Available now via Amazon
  
  5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  
• 
  Karla Kay

  "If you die with someone, are they still a stranger?"
  
  12 year old, Marilee, has been sent away by her mother, hoping she will be provided with a better life. Their planet is dying, everyone is starving, and life is hanging in the balance for them all.
  
  She is among many others being shipped in a cargo container upon a ship flying them to another planet. Their journey is harrowing and when they arrive it becomes an even bigger nightmare. They have been thrust into a darker pit of despair than the one they just came from.
  
  The descriptive atmosphere produces a claustrophobic enduced feeling of anxiety and dread. I could feel the desperation as I journeyed along, wanting to give them the air they needed, water to drink, and a brighter future at their intended destination. The journey they have been forced to embark on is horrifying and heartbreaking, deep within the core of the heart and soul.
  
  Beautifully written and utterly tragic!
  
  I need to mend my heart now!
  
  Thank you so much, Ruth Anna Evans, for providing me with a complimentary copy, much appreciated!
• 
  Aiden Messer

  This was impressively depressing! I nearly started crying on page 2 already, then laughed with horror, then cried again. A lot. This story feels very realistic, like something that could already be happening (at least the first part) which adds to the horror. It's short but incredibly emotional and well written
• 
  Monica

  I hate to leave hints about my reviews before I get a chance to write them, but when I marked the book as finished on Goodreads late last night, I couldn’t help myself. I tapped those 5 stars and went to sleep. I remember seeing Cargo, by Ruth Anna Evans in the Books of Horror Freview group. I didn’t request an ARC because I’m behind as it is, but I did find it available on KU and tucked it away for the right moment. Turns out, that moment was last night right after finishing a Shrek based erotic fanfic. Don’t judge me. I chose this one specifically because it is a short read, clocking in at 88 pages. I could read that before bed, I thought, and I did.
  
  This book is straight up terrifying. As I read, my mind made comparisons to real world human trafficking situations. I live in deep south Texas right near the border. Every so often there are stories of cargo trucks packed with people who paid a high price for a chance to start a new (safe) life in the United States. You hear about their treacherous journeys that don’t always have a happy ending. Given the year round heat in this region, those truck rides are sometimes a death sentence. Sometimes the destination is worse than their starting point. I spent the entire time fearing that Marilee, the 12 year old main character, would suffer the kind of fate that women and young girls often do both in the real world and in every fictional post apocalyptic scenario.
  
  This story takes place on a version of Earth that is nearing its death. The planet is a sweltering hell hole. There are no natural resources left, only dirt and grass. Humanity is dying out. The last generation of humans are barely surviving, having learned to keep their bellies full on dirt and tree bark. Everyone is starving and hiding from those who have chosen to avoid starvation by resorting to cannibalism, and those people seem to take great pleasure in this choice. Because this world is such a shitshow, people are willing to pay their way off the planet. This entails agreeing to be packed in metal cargo containers with as many people that fit, with only a janky ventilation system, a water tank, and a bucket to poop in for 10 days. Even if everything went as planned, it’s not an easy journey. And to top it off, no one really knows what they are getting themselves into. They just assume it has to be better than Earth.
  
  Of course nothing goes as planned. The ventilation system quits on them. The people in Marilee’s container nearly suffocate before she finds a tiny crack. The poop bucket filled up way before the end of the trip. People are dying and the living are struggling to remain civil to one another while they take turns sucking in breaths through the crack. When they arrive at their destination, whatever bits of hope they had are quickly dashed. Every new development is worse than the last. This book is all anxiety and claustrophobia.
  
  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me. This is really good as is but I also wish there were more details. I want to know more about this terrifying Earth. I want to know more about the fates of the people who end up on this new planet. I want more.
  
  You can buy Cargo, by Ruth Anna Evans on Amazon for a couple bucks or read it as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription. Get it.
• 
  Diana Richie (Indie Book Addict)

  Cargo follows a twelve year old girl named Marilee through a very dark period in her life. She flees home looking for better, but unfortunately, is met with even more horrific events.
  
  Evans starts things off in a cargo container. She did a great job of creating a bleak and claustrophobic environment. You can feel the anxiety and desperation right along with the characters. Imagine no food, very limited water and bodies piling up around you. No idea of what is coming next and knowing nobody is coming to save you. Marilee’s situation is so heartbreaking, and Evan’s captured it well. I thought Marilee was a wonderful character and such a strong girl for her age. Cargo was gripping from start to finish and is sure to leave a mark on anyone that reads it.
  
  "Here there was only room for silence and fear."
• 
  Kate Victoria RescueandReading

  THIS STORY WAS SO FANTASTIC!!! I need more in my life; Ruth Anna Evans please tell me there will be a sequel?!
  
  If you want dystopian horror science fiction, this is your book. The cargo scenes were giving me claustrophobia and were eerily reminiscent of modern day refugees trying to flee to better shores in whatever method of transportation they can find.
  
  I absolutely could not stop reading once I started and carried my phone around with me during errands so I could keep stealing glances to find out what was next with Marilee.
  
  Well written, likeable main characters, great world building, and a brutal plot. Pick this book up right now!
  
  Thank you to the author for a copy!
• 
  Milt Theo

  This is a white-knuckle science fiction tale, the best kind of science fiction there is, speaking directly about the social problems of today. Whether intentional or not, the story brought to my mind the current refugee problem in Southeastern Europe, where babies and toddlers drown at sea trying to find a better life, and the survivors end up in government camps, the so-called 'hotspots.' Here the sought after paradise is the planet of Centauri C, and the hellish trek to it lasts ten whole days, people from a devastated Earth hiding inside cargo containers, trying to make do with little food and water. The story starts with the air vents malfunctioning and the container running out of air. Everything is told through the eyes of twelve-year-old Marilee, whose powers of observation may seem unnaturally high for her age, but trying to save yourself all your tiny life will probably get you some uncanny survival skills. Don't expect easy solutions here: the author keeps everything very realistic, and, inevitably, quite terrifying. This is an absolutely gripping novella and worth every minute of it! Ruth Anna Evans has, once again, made it difficult for me to end this review; I wanted to say so many things about the story, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it properly. Thank you, Ruth Anna Evans, for the ARC. Highly recommended.
• 
  Rachel M

  While I did enjoy this one, it lost me a little in the middle, I was expecting more of a story but it kind of got lost explaining the water situation, there was a great part of the book that focused on water rations, for me I found that a little repetitive and just willing the story to move on. But all in all a great little read again from Ruth.
• 
  Chiara Cooper

  This is a chilling story of desperation, hope, tragedy and above all survival, all wrapped up in a credible (not that far away) dystopian setting!
  
  We follow Marilee horrifying journey as she is shipped in a container to escape an inhabitable world leaving behind everyone she cares about, traveling with nothing except her hope for a new and better future. But no matter how much hope she has, things begin horribly as she doesn't know if she'll make the journey for a start and progress to be even worse (if that's possible).
  
  I truly applaude Ruth Anna Evans for this amazing but merciless story that in a few pages (88) grips you from the start never letting you go, shoving punch after punch leaving you utterly breathless until the end.
  More than once I thought to myself "Surely that won't happen" and yes it did all the time!
  This left me emotional and shaken not only because of all the vivid imaginary conveyed by the author but also because of how true it is, happening every day under our noses, albeit in a different setting.
  If you like a terrifying tale set in a dystopian future with twists and an unexpected ending, then you have to read this short story!
  
  Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read it and this is my honest review.
• 
  Brett Mitchell Kent

  whoa.
  
  This was an intense ride from the first sentence to the last. Not a moment or scene went to waste, pulling us through on this unexpected rollercoaster of almost-highs and dreadful lows. In such a short time I managed to love so many of the characters we met.
  
  Spoiler:
  Ruth Anna, please write a follow up so we can see what became of Lizbeth 🥺🥺🥺 I want her to have gotten her happy ending 😭
• 
  Beverly Laude

  WOW, what a heart wrenching story! It beings with a cargo container full of people, desperately trying to survive with a lack of food, water and air. The MC of the story is 12 year old Marilee, who has been sent away from her home by her mother in hopes of her gaining a better life.
  
  However, she soon learns that things aren't any better on Centauri C (and in fact, are probably worse). Marilee is determined to survive and fights to do just that.
  
  The story was reminiscent of tales in our modern time of people trying desperately to reach the US in hopes of finding a better life. At least, their tales aren't as horrific as Marilee's (or, at least I hope not!). Well-written and quick paced, I will definitely be looking for more books by this author!
• 
  Daniel Lorn

  An absorbing and fast-paced read which is both horrifying and heartbreaking.
  This story unfolds through the eyes of a 12-year-old refugee girl in a dystopian future. The horrors detailed in 'Cargo' are sadly reminiscent of the horrors many refugee families face as they flee their countries!
  Although it is fast-paced, the author has managed to pack a great deal of emotional horror into this short story. Additionally, the writing is brilliant, immersing you deep in the heart of this nightmare.
  Not the usual type of story I tend to read, but I was glued to this book.
  Highly recommended!
  
  
• 
  Joan Smith

  Thank You Ruth Anne Evans
  
  I really enjoyed this story. I did get the concept of the story early on. It's a new spin on a retelling of what fates could happen during the Apocalypse.
  
  I Love the Twists within this well written short story.
  
  Can you guess which Vintage 1970's movie this story reminds me of? I Recommend this 4 star 🌟 short story.
  
  Science fiction
  Graphic/ Gore
  Dystopian
  Coming of Age
  
  Trigger Points
• 
  ania | hellishreads

  Such a well-written but absolutely heartbreakingly sad and bleak story of a young refugee girl trying to survive in the distant future. While it’s not set in our time, it’s all too realistic with how refugees are treated now — how people are only seen as “worthy” and acceptable refugees if they can be commodified in one way or another. If they can’t, they’re send back. Cargo is definitely an impactful read!
  
  ARC courtesy of the author for an honest review.
• 
  Sophie Ingley

  Wow, this novella was so good!
  From the first chapter, this dystopian horror had me hooked. Just when you think things can’t get any worse, the story takes a turn down even darker paths. Seriously, Cargo is relentless. The horror is sometimes subtle and often harrowing. The ending definitely made me yearn for more.
  I loved this novella very. 🖤
• 
  Kelsey

  This was my second Evans book, & just like the first, it was incredible. Ruth packs so much character & story development, emotion, & tension into so few pages. I was on edge from the very first page, & truly felt the claustrophobia, terror, & uncertainty that the MC & others were experiencing. Not only was it a truly terrifying dystopian story, but it drew a lot of parallels to what past & current refugees might experience, making it all the more horrifying.
• 
  Becks

  This was a heartbreaking dark sci-fi short that follows a 12-year-old refugee as she travels to what she hopes is a better planet and a better life. Evans is skillful at creating horror that feels like it could really happen and “Cargo” is no exception. I would love a sequel, honestly!
• 
  Mia

  If you aren’t reading Ruth Anne Evans, what are you even doing with your life?
  
  Cargo is 88 pages long and tense from the jump. The writing is concise and shows off Evans’ mastery of short horror fiction. As a mother this story is even more terrifying. I lost sleep just to finish this.
• 
  Cat Voleur

  When I say that I want Ruth Anna Evans to make her short stories into longer stories, this right here is what I'm picturing.
  
  Read Cargo.
  
  Go in blind.
  
  Keep a box of tissues nearby just in case.
  
  Thank me later.
• 
  Nikki

  2024 PopSugar Reading Challenge Prompt #5 - Read a book by a self published author.
  
  When I chose this book, I didn’t realize how short it was. Coming in at 88 pages, this short story packs intensity into every page. It’s a story of survival and being in the unknown where survival is all one can strive for. I was very surprised by this one. But also wondering what happens afterwards.
• 
  Cassie

  Cargo packs in more plot twists than you think you could in the space it utilizes, and every last one of them is heart wrenching. This is a true Evans offering, playing with your emotions and ripping them to shreds. A heartbreaking read.
• 
  Jeff Atam

  Loved Ruth Anna Evans short story! Can't wait to read more!!
• 
  Sara Ferrarese

  Intense and gripping
  
  Cargo starts off in a shipping container packed with refugees and quickly running out of air. If you think that sounds like the ending of a story, you'd be wrong. That's just the beginning. This was an intense, emotional, and harrowing tale which follows Marilee, a young refugee girl as she struggles to survive with all the odds stacked against her. This story takes all of your preconceived notions and prejudices about refugees and turns them on their head, reminding you that Marilee is not so different from you, after all. This story packed an incredible amount of tension into only 88 pages, and kept me gripped from start to finish. Ruth Anna Evans was a new author to me, but I'll definitely be checking out more of her work.