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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Read this if...you’re interested in learning more about mountain climbing and like atmospheric thrillers.
Cecily has been offered the opportunity of her life-the chance at an exclusive interview with Charles McVeigh, the famous mountain climber. The only catch? Cecily will be granted the interview if she completes the climb with Charles’s team and makes it to the peak of Manaslu, one of the world’s tallest mountains. Despite the extreme challenge, Cecily is determined to get to the top and make a name for herself as a journalist. But no amount of training could have prepared her for the dangerous climbing conditions AND the fact that there appears to be a killer on the mountain with them. After all, what better place to get away with murder than in the “death zone”?
I am so torn on my feelings for this book. Reading this felt a lot like Cecily’s experience climbing Manaslu-mostly slow and arduous, but with a climax that was everything I was hoping for and more. On one hand, the last third of the book was amazing! I couldn’t stop reading until I got to the end. It was full of suspense and twists that kept me glued to the book. But…I’m just not sure it was enough to make up for the rest of the read, which seemed like it dragged on forever. I knew nothing about the sport before reading this, so all of the mountain climbing terminology was new for me. I did learn a lot about the sport. The suspense was very slow to build and I found myself wanting to not finish a few times. Overall, I’m glad I read it, but I wish it had been faster paced.
(Kudos to the author for actually climbing this mountain IRL!)
A big thanks to the author and Anchor Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
My rating: 3.5, but I’ll round up to 4
Cecily has been offered the opportunity of her life-the chance at an exclusive interview with Charles McVeigh, the famous mountain climber. The only catch? Cecily will be granted the interview if she completes the climb with Charles’s team and makes it to the peak of Manaslu, one of the world’s tallest mountains. Despite the extreme challenge, Cecily is determined to get to the top and make a name for herself as a journalist. But no amount of training could have prepared her for the dangerous climbing conditions AND the fact that there appears to be a killer on the mountain with them. After all, what better place to get away with murder than in the “death zone”?
I am so torn on my feelings for this book. Reading this felt a lot like Cecily’s experience climbing Manaslu-mostly slow and arduous, but with a climax that was everything I was hoping for and more. On one hand, the last third of the book was amazing! I couldn’t stop reading until I got to the end. It was full of suspense and twists that kept me glued to the book. But…I’m just not sure it was enough to make up for the rest of the read, which seemed like it dragged on forever. I knew nothing about the sport before reading this, so all of the mountain climbing terminology was new for me. I did learn a lot about the sport. The suspense was very slow to build and I found myself wanting to not finish a few times. Overall, I’m glad I read it, but I wish it had been faster paced.
(Kudos to the author for actually climbing this mountain IRL!)
A big thanks to the author and Anchor Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
My rating: 3.5, but I’ll round up to 4
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
🗻 Cecily Wong is a journalist desperate for a break. She is invited on an expedition to climb Manaslu, the eighth highest peak in the world. If she is successful, she will have an exclusive interview with famous mountaineer Charles McVeigh, making her the envy of adventure writers around the world. When one member of their expedition dies, she becomes concerned. When the second dies in a freak accident Cecily cannot put her suspicions to rest. Caught on the mountain in a terrible storm she must find a way to survive without knowing who to trust.
🗻 Breathless is a thriller, murder mystery and somewhat of a horror novel rolled in to one. There are several characters to learn and keep track of as the story unfolds. While that is a challenge initially, it also means there are plenty of suspects when bodies turn up and that makes it a fun read. The climb to the summit of Manaslu is arduous, giving Breathless some lulls in the action and that could turn some readers off. When the book is moving forward, however, the momentum is quick and engaging. When the true antagonist is revealed it feeels a little like the conclusion of a Scooby Doo episode. Kudos to McCulloch for not ending the novel there, though, as Cecily is not out of danger yet at that point. There is a helpless quality to Cecily, especially in the beginning, and it can be a little tiring. She is not totally written out of that by the conclusion.
🗻 This one has gotten mixed reviews online. I enjoyed Breathless – the mystery aspect was well done with plenty of potential villains. The claustrophobic feeling even while surrounded by a vast and wide-open setting was well done.
🎵 My Breathless Playlist:
Pink Floyd – Atom Heart Mother
Various Artists – The Way of Enlightenment
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open
#amymccullochbooks #breathless #vintageanchorbooks #bookstagram #bookreview #bookofthemonth
🗻 Breathless is a thriller, murder mystery and somewhat of a horror novel rolled in to one. There are several characters to learn and keep track of as the story unfolds. While that is a challenge initially, it also means there are plenty of suspects when bodies turn up and that makes it a fun read. The climb to the summit of Manaslu is arduous, giving Breathless some lulls in the action and that could turn some readers off. When the book is moving forward, however, the momentum is quick and engaging. When the true antagonist is revealed it feeels a little like the conclusion of a Scooby Doo episode. Kudos to McCulloch for not ending the novel there, though, as Cecily is not out of danger yet at that point. There is a helpless quality to Cecily, especially in the beginning, and it can be a little tiring. She is not totally written out of that by the conclusion.
🗻 This one has gotten mixed reviews online. I enjoyed Breathless – the mystery aspect was well done with plenty of potential villains. The claustrophobic feeling even while surrounded by a vast and wide-open setting was well done.
🎵 My Breathless Playlist:
Pink Floyd – Atom Heart Mother
Various Artists – The Way of Enlightenment
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open
#amymccullochbooks #breathless #vintageanchorbooks #bookstagram #bookreview #bookofthemonth
A journalist who needs to summit one of the tallest mountains to get the story of a lifetime…just one problem: someone in her team is a murderer.
Not only must Cecily learn the proper techniques to climb and breathe once in the “death zone,” but now there is someone after her and the rest of her team.
I’m pretty sure I was freezing through most of this book.
Not only must Cecily learn the proper techniques to climb and breathe once in the “death zone,” but now there is someone after her and the rest of her team.
I’m pretty sure I was freezing through most of this book.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
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:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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