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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
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
How many thrillers have you read that take place at 8000 meters? For me, that answer had been zero.
I very much enjoyed the writing in this book. It didn’t feel forced or unnatural.
There were quite a few characters, but it wasn’t so many as to be confusing. The main character, Cecily, was very relatable and I was definitely rooting for her to make it to the summit.
Red herrings are the name of the game in this book! Just when I thought I had things figured out a wrench was thrown in the works and I had to rethink things. There are a lot of pieces to this puzzle and I really enjoyed trying to work it out.
I thought to myself several times how well researched this book was and then at the end of the book the author shared that she had actually climbed the mountain herself. She did a spectacular job conveying that!
This book was atmospheric and creepy in the best way! I could *hear* that whistle.
I very much enjoyed the writing in this book. It didn’t feel forced or unnatural.
There were quite a few characters, but it wasn’t so many as to be confusing. The main character, Cecily, was very relatable and I was definitely rooting for her to make it to the summit.
Red herrings are the name of the game in this book! Just when I thought I had things figured out a wrench was thrown in the works and I had to rethink things. There are a lot of pieces to this puzzle and I really enjoyed trying to work it out.
I thought to myself several times how well researched this book was and then at the end of the book the author shared that she had actually climbed the mountain herself. She did a spectacular job conveying that!
This book was atmospheric and creepy in the best way! I could *hear* that whistle.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Blood
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
tense
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Cecily Wong is a woman facing an over eight thousand meter climb and her own insecurities. Oh, and btw, people are also being killed. The narrative spends a lot of time focusing on setting the scene and what a scene it is! A beautiful but brutal mountain full of hazards and challenges for even the most experienced climber. It is no surprise that the author is a climber herself. Which, btw, Cecily is not. She spends a good portion of the time questioning her own abilities and asking herself why she was invited on this elite climb. All of this plays into the mystery as it slowly unfolds, moving from the background to front and center by the climax of the book. I figured out the murdered pretty early on but I am not sure if it was obvious or the guess of someone who reads a whole lot of mysteries! As much as this book was a thriller, it was also a beautiful tribute to the wonders of nature and a the journey of a woman to find herself.
Thanks To NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks To NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
If you like adventure and are interesting in mountain climbing, this book is perfect for you. I have zero interest or knowledge of mountain climbing, so this fell flat for me. There was a lot of mountaineer language that I didn’t know, and I wasn’t invested enough to look it up.
I was intrigued in some of the mystery elements and it got really intense towards the end, but I just wanted to finish the book and move on! However, I think that if I was more interested in mountain climbing, I would have been hooked.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC.
I was intrigued in some of the mystery elements and it got really intense towards the end, but I just wanted to finish the book and move on! However, I think that if I was more interested in mountain climbing, I would have been hooked.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC.
Breathless by Amy McCullough, is a true thrill for mountaineering fans. The author is a seasoned climber and includes her experiences in the author's notes. It is a very interesting read. I can only dream of climbing a mountain like Manaslu in Napal. It is 8163 metres above sea level, so it is fascinating to read all the aspects of the adventure.
Synopsis:
Cecily Wong, needs one good break for her career as a journalist take off. Charles McVeigh (a world renowned mountain climber) is going to make his last climb. He invites Cecily along and promises her an exclusive interview. There is only one small requirement... Cecily must make it to the top of Manaslu with Charles before he will give her the interview. What Cecily does not know is that a serial killer is on the climb with them and is picking off his victims one-by-one. Is Cecily the next to die?
Breathless is a great book for those with climbing and equipment knowledge. I feel my lack of experience made it harder to get into the story. It has some exciting moments and is definitely worth reading. (3 ⭐⭐⭐ rating)
Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, for the honor of reviewing this book. I appreciate your kindness. Breathless will be published May 3rd.
Synopsis:
Cecily Wong, needs one good break for her career as a journalist take off. Charles McVeigh (a world renowned mountain climber) is going to make his last climb. He invites Cecily along and promises her an exclusive interview. There is only one small requirement... Cecily must make it to the top of Manaslu with Charles before he will give her the interview. What Cecily does not know is that a serial killer is on the climb with them and is picking off his victims one-by-one. Is Cecily the next to die?
Breathless is a great book for those with climbing and equipment knowledge. I feel my lack of experience made it harder to get into the story. It has some exciting moments and is definitely worth reading. (3 ⭐⭐⭐ rating)
Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, for the honor of reviewing this book. I appreciate your kindness. Breathless will be published May 3rd.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I was really intrigued by this novel because it's about mountain climbing, which is a subject I've never read about before.
Cecily is a journalist who is promised an interview with acclaimed mountaineer Charles McVeigh, providing she summits Manslanu with him. When deaths start mounting, Cecily is the only one who believes those deaths aren't related to the dangers of the mountain.
I enjoyed this very much! I learned so much about mountaineering, respecting the mountains, and the physical, and mental, strength needed to achieve such a feat. It felt slow at times, but I honestly think it helped me feel more immersed in the story. There's a lot of waiting around on such a trek: whether they are acclimating or waiting out the bad weather.
'Breathless' is advertised as a thriller; I'd call it more of an adventure with a thriller woven in. As a thriller lover, I preferred the adventure part. The thriller part was just an extra bonus.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC. I offer my review freely.
Publication date: 03 May 2022
Cecily is a journalist who is promised an interview with acclaimed mountaineer Charles McVeigh, providing she summits Manslanu with him. When deaths start mounting, Cecily is the only one who believes those deaths aren't related to the dangers of the mountain.
I enjoyed this very much! I learned so much about mountaineering, respecting the mountains, and the physical, and mental, strength needed to achieve such a feat. It felt slow at times, but I honestly think it helped me feel more immersed in the story. There's a lot of waiting around on such a trek: whether they are acclimating or waiting out the bad weather.
'Breathless' is advertised as a thriller; I'd call it more of an adventure with a thriller woven in. As a thriller lover, I preferred the adventure part. The thriller part was just an extra bonus.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC. I offer my review freely.
Publication date: 03 May 2022
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No