Reviews

One year ago Carrie's husband, Sean Miller, went missing on Mount Everest. He had been part of a small group aiming to reach the summit, but was never seen again after the final push for the top. Carrie is determined she is going to find her husband's body & bring him home for burial, & their friend Tom, Sean's best friend & former climbing partner, volunteers to accompany her. Their Sherpa guide gives Carrie a journal left behind by Sean, & she reads this whilst they start their journey. It seems that Sean was haunted by something up there on Everest & spent the last few days feeling watched by something unseen.

The narrative is mostly told from Carrie's point of view in the present, whilst we get Sean's view from the expedition where he went missing. I'm not gonna lie, I was hoping it was going to be a lot scarier than it turned out to be. The book does discuss the strange things that can happen on the mountain whether it's due to oxygen deprivation or something more supernatural (i.e. Third Man syndrome) but I felt a lot more could have been done with this. The majority of the book seemed to be Carrie being a pain in the ass. Could have been better.

aelyssei_reads's review

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mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“There is no such thing as an accident on the mountain.

There is only the goddess and her will, the sacrifices that fuel her. And she will always have the final say.”

I couldn’t put this down. It’s a slow burn eerie horror novel told through the present perspective of Carrie and her husband Sean’s journal entries the previous year before he disappeared on Everest.

There aren’t any jump-scares or gory details, which I appreciate. The horror is in the feeling of uneasiness T.L. Bodine creates with her writing. There’s an overall sense of impending doom that both the reader and the characters feel.

bravesirtoaster's review

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dark emotional sad

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

koppiejo's review

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

caitsidhe's review

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

fictionlostandfound's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Neverest by T.L. Bodine was in incredibly emotional and unsettling slow burn of a book. Carrie's husband Sean has vanished after reaching the peak of Mount Everest and she cannot rest until she traces his steps to try to understand what happened. She is confronted with feelings of grief, guilt, curiosity, and physical exertion throughout the story. There is a very unsettling feeling that lurks in every page that continuously propelled me forward, needing to know what would happen next. Although there are no outright jump scares or scenes of blood and gore, the slow burn of horror is present in this story.

I had never read any of this author's work prior to this, but I will be seeking her out now! Thank you to Ghost Orchid Press for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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