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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
I would say this was a 3.5. I couldn’t decide between 3 or 4. Definitely worth the read. I really enjoyed learning about the mountain climbing. It is a world that I am completely unfamiliar with. It was a little thrilling although not as suspenseful as some other books I read. I had the murderer figured out about 3/4 of the way through the book. It was really fun though. I enjoyed it.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
This debut adult novel was the absolute perfect winter thriller for me! A journalist (Cecily) gets invited to join a team that is summiting the 8,000 meter (27,000 feet!) peak of Manaslu in Nepal. She has had her own failures on past climbs so she is nervous about undertaking this challenge (in exchange for getting an interview exclusive). As the story moves along two deaths happen under suspicious circumstances and Cecily is feeling less and less safe on this remote and frozen mountain. Although I didn't really love any of the characters, I was totally sucked into the mystery and felt chills and anxiety as the author described the weather conditions and the treacherous climbing feats. Most interesting is that author just summited this same mountain in 2019 - which gave her descriptions a true sense of reality. If you are a seasonal reader and want a wintery thriller - this is the one!
A grappling story about mountaineering with vivid and elaborate details on the mountain venture and all of its preparations and glory. McCulloch did an excellent job on writing Cecily’s journey to the summit, considering most were referenced from her own experience. I could feel the fatigue, the rush, and the beauty of the world above the clouds.
While the story was intriguing from the beginning to end, it was not the thriller I expected. I struggled to feel any of the anxiety and worry Cecily experienced. The redundant repetition of Cecily’s concerns and paranoia did not convey her fear to me as the reader.
Additionally, the characters were visibly archetypal and predictable. They lacked individuality. The beginning of the story had a lot of information dumping and I struggled to recognize each of the characters until the near end. While I understand and respect that McCulloch wrote a lot of this story based on real life experience, some of the intricate explanations of the mountaineering procedures droned on for longer than expected.
Overall, I did enjoy reading the story. While I did expect more thrill, I did not regret reading this book. I’d recommend it to people as an informative and pleasant read about mountaineering with a splash of mystery.
While the story was intriguing from the beginning to end, it was not the thriller I expected. I struggled to feel any of the anxiety and worry Cecily experienced. The redundant repetition of Cecily’s concerns and paranoia did not convey her fear to me as the reader.
Additionally, the characters were visibly archetypal and predictable. They lacked individuality. The beginning of the story had a lot of information dumping and I struggled to recognize each of the characters until the near end. While I understand and respect that McCulloch wrote a lot of this story based on real life experience, some of the intricate explanations of the mountaineering procedures droned on for longer than expected.
Overall, I did enjoy reading the story. While I did expect more thrill, I did not regret reading this book. I’d recommend it to people as an informative and pleasant read about mountaineering with a splash of mystery.
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Love me a good thriller! I loved the different setting of this story - and mountain climbing was a topic I didn’t know much about so I found this story very engaging. This one kept me guessing until the end.