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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
inspiring
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
I know it is hard to not compare an author's previous work their current work but it worked out well for me because I read "Little Bee" at least ten years ago so I've had time to separate Cleave's work.
I thoroughly enjoyed "Gold" and I know I did because I could not put it down. I was thrown into the cycling world with Kate and Zoe, both are world class cyclist vying for their last shot of Olympic gold... get this, they are also long time friends.
I loved how fast paced the book was, my only draw back was how devoid of character development in the book was. I really wished Cleave spent another 50-60 pages developing the characters. I cannot say I cared for Zoe and Kate on a personal level but I did enjoy plot.
A thrilling read.
I thoroughly enjoyed "Gold" and I know I did because I could not put it down. I was thrown into the cycling world with Kate and Zoe, both are world class cyclist vying for their last shot of Olympic gold... get this, they are also long time friends.
I loved how fast paced the book was, my only draw back was how devoid of character development in the book was. I really wished Cleave spent another 50-60 pages developing the characters. I cannot say I cared for Zoe and Kate on a personal level but I did enjoy plot.
A thrilling read.
Great read. Loved the characters. I think this one will stay with me for a while.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
Gold is about two women cyclists who are training for the 2012 Olympics and who also happen to be best friends. One, Kate, has a daughter with leukemia; the other, Zoe, has intense hang-ups.
Cleave's writing has really improved and it's noticeable. His prose has better flow and he can alternate points of view without rupturing that flow. I do think he hasn't mastered character voice, as many of the characters sounded the same (except for Tom and Sophie). Overall, Cleave has vastly improved over [b:Incendiary|10118117|Incendiary|Chris Cleave|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320532685s/10118117.jpg|688038], and even [b:Little Bee|6948436|Little Bee|Chris Cleave|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344401905s/6948436.jpg|4126074]. I did find the pacing to be a bit slow, though-- the book builds up to the two women racing each other for a spot at the Olympics instead of the actual Games .
As for the characters, I liked them all, but they were not overly descriptive. I think the coach, Tom, was the most fleshed out; whereas, with Zoe and Kate I'm confident I can describe them in one word. It's true that they get more dynamic as the story goes along, but I just don't think their characterization was as nuanced as it could have been.
I liked the ending, which I didn't think was overly sentimental compared to Cleave's first two books. I also really liked the glimpses into the pasts of characters, Tom and Kate especially.
Gold is about two women cyclists who are training for the 2012 Olympics and who also happen to be best friends. One, Kate, has a daughter with leukemia; the other, Zoe, has intense hang-ups.
Cleave's writing has really improved and it's noticeable. His prose has better flow and he can alternate points of view without rupturing that flow. I do think he hasn't mastered character voice, as many of the characters sounded the same (except for Tom and Sophie). Overall, Cleave has vastly improved over [b:Incendiary|10118117|Incendiary|Chris Cleave|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320532685s/10118117.jpg|688038], and even [b:Little Bee|6948436|Little Bee|Chris Cleave|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344401905s/6948436.jpg|4126074]. I did find the pacing to be a bit slow, though
As for the characters, I liked them all, but they were not overly descriptive. I think the coach, Tom, was the most fleshed out; whereas, with Zoe and Kate I'm confident I can describe them in one word. It's true that they get more dynamic as the story goes along, but I just don't think their characterization was as nuanced as it could have been.
I liked the ending, which I didn't think was overly sentimental compared to Cleave's first two books. I also really liked the glimpses into the pasts of characters, Tom and Kate especially.
I love sports books. I don't know if I could get a guy to read this, but for my teammates past and present, this is now on my list of books I'm trying to get them to read.
This book moved me like no other.
The text on the back is vague but after reading it, i understood it and can say that gold truly „will make you feel glad to be alive“, and „it will make you cry“.
It’s the first book i read by the author, and I was impressed by the way he told the story. Not linear but with a complex chronology to get the most out of every little story.
In the end the characters are exposed to the reader and you hope and dread their decisions and feel for each one of them as if it was for yourself, even if at the beginning you thought that you could never identify with that persons.
It shows that there are sometimes no right choices but only bad ones, and that once you’ve decided the one thing, you have to live with that.
A fantastic book, I was able to read it in a few days during my holidays and didn’t want to stop, no matter how sad or ‚conflicting‘ the story got.
The text on the back is vague but after reading it, i understood it and can say that gold truly „will make you feel glad to be alive“, and „it will make you cry“.
It’s the first book i read by the author, and I was impressed by the way he told the story. Not linear but with a complex chronology to get the most out of every little story.
In the end the characters are exposed to the reader and you hope and dread their decisions and feel for each one of them as if it was for yourself, even if at the beginning you thought that you could never identify with that persons.
It shows that there are sometimes no right choices but only bad ones, and that once you’ve decided the one thing, you have to live with that.
A fantastic book, I was able to read it in a few days during my holidays and didn’t want to stop, no matter how sad or ‚conflicting‘ the story got.
Thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the storyline. Good pace and unique perspective.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A novel about friendship, rivalry, love and parenting all in the context of competitive of cycling. It was really interesting to get a glimpse into this world and the main characters were wonderfully real; It was great to see them and their relationships evolve over the years. There is lots of heartbreak in this book, it is very sad but also hopeful.