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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
“Oh, you know. The lingering sensation that in pursuit of my own exacting goals and objectives I might not have been as generous in spirit as I could have been with regard to the needs and dreams of the people I cared most about or for whom I was emotionally responsible.”
I just simply have not stopped thinking about this book... It follows the pursuit of Olympic gold by three cyclists as they all cope with complicated friendships/rivalries, the sickness of a child, and the fragility of their careers. I felt like every relationship (friendship, marriage, parent and child, coach and athlete) was not only addressed, but examined in a compelling way that added to the story and never felt overdone. I finished this book feeling like I knew the characters, understood their perspectives even if I disagreed with them, and developed an appreciation for the power of sport in the lives of athletes.
This is the first book in a long time that has kept me from going to sleep because I HAD to know what was going to happen. I could go on and on but I'm scared that y'all will read it and not like it, so I'm scared to boost it tooooo much ahahaha
I just simply have not stopped thinking about this book... It follows the pursuit of Olympic gold by three cyclists as they all cope with complicated friendships/rivalries, the sickness of a child, and the fragility of their careers. I felt like every relationship (friendship, marriage, parent and child, coach and athlete) was not only addressed, but examined in a compelling way that added to the story and never felt overdone. I finished this book feeling like I knew the characters, understood their perspectives even if I disagreed with them, and developed an appreciation for the power of sport in the lives of athletes.
This is the first book in a long time that has kept me from going to sleep because I HAD to know what was going to happen. I could go on and on but I'm scared that y'all will read it and not like it, so I'm scared to boost it tooooo much ahahaha
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't think it ever became predictable or cliché. Overall I think Cleave's writing is improving with each book. However, my book cover is way more symbolically relevant and significant to the story, as well as being graphically more interesting than whatever Nicholas Sparks-ified cover they chose for the Goodreads version.
When my husband, Will, did his guest stint on What Should I Read Next, he named this as his favorite book possibly ever—and so I made it a winter break priority. I LOVED it and read it in two days.
The story centers around two velodrome cyclists who are best friends and arch-rivals, training under the same coach for their last remaining shot at the London Olympics, while respectively navigating personal crises and the life-threatening sickness of a child (note that content warning, please). I was riveted as Cleave set out the complicated history between the two women and kept raising the stakes in the present. The story is told from multiple points of view to great effect; the coach's point of view made the book for me.
The story centers around two velodrome cyclists who are best friends and arch-rivals, training under the same coach for their last remaining shot at the London Olympics, while respectively navigating personal crises and the life-threatening sickness of a child (note that content warning, please). I was riveted as Cleave set out the complicated history between the two women and kept raising the stakes in the present. The story is told from multiple points of view to great effect; the coach's point of view made the book for me.
I selected this book to satisfy a prompt for the PopSugar Book Club 2020 Challenge - a book with Gold, Silver or Bronze in the title (in honor of the 2020 Olympics in Japan). I thought it only fitting to read a book about Olympic athletes, regardless of the Olympics being cancelled, in the spirit of the challenge.
I also recently bought a stationary bike for my home (because, Covid) and was intrigued to learn more about the sport of cycling and the bodies response to the excessive training that competitive cyclists endure. This book definitely delivered.
While it was an incredibly sad story, the ending was lovely and I wish that some of the darker chapters had been condensed to provide more of the story that unfolds in the final few pages. The characters are all well-developed and their story is told in a manner that makes sense, while keeping the reader engaged.
If you are triggered reading about sick children and difficult decisions that parents are forced to make, this is not the book for you. However, if you do enjoy reading about complex relationships, overcoming trauma and the power of family, this is a pick that I would recommend.
I also recently bought a stationary bike for my home (because, Covid) and was intrigued to learn more about the sport of cycling and the bodies response to the excessive training that competitive cyclists endure. This book definitely delivered.
While it was an incredibly sad story, the ending was lovely and I wish that some of the darker chapters had been condensed to provide more of the story that unfolds in the final few pages. The characters are all well-developed and their story is told in a manner that makes sense, while keeping the reader engaged.
If you are triggered reading about sick children and difficult decisions that parents are forced to make, this is not the book for you. However, if you do enjoy reading about complex relationships, overcoming trauma and the power of family, this is a pick that I would recommend.
3.5 stars. I suspect it would have been much different if written by a woman -- I really hated Jack's lack of agency throughout the entire novel; he wasn't made out to be responsible for anything.
No me esperaba tanto drama en la novela, pensaba que el libro se centraría solo en el ciclismo y encambio trata un tema bastante duro. A medida que iba leyendo se me escogía el corazón, aún así esta muy bien escrito, te atrapa desde el principio.
I really enjoyed this novel as it gave insight into what the training of an Olympic athlete looks like and how it affects their relationships.
a very interesting read of the inside life of an olympic cyclist. excellent writing and plot.
This book was a story about lives, about the choices we make, about painful pasts and presents, and about how we cope. I love stories like this and I especially love when a story like this is made so much more lovely by Chris Cleave's writing. I was hooked from the beginning and raced through the book. The only thing I felt to be somewhat unrealistic was the way Kate was so understanding and forgiving of Zoe, despite Zoe's really awful choices throughout the book, but as a forgiver myself, I can kind of understand that too. Overall a really good read.