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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
Another very readable (couldn't put it down), very memorable, very visual and emotional book by Chris Cleave. Wow.
interesting live triangle, weird abrupt ending, not cleave's best work, but was good
I had to hang with this book for quite a while to get into it, it seemed surprisingly "chick lit"-ish at first, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I think it was the descriptions of how the characters felt when racing (Olympic-caliber track racing) which kept me engaged and reminded me what I had liked so much about Cleave's prior work. About halfway through, this narrative and the emotions which undergird it really started to resonate.
Plot-wise, the book was very good! I've become a bit of a sports' narrative junkie, and this hit the spot so satisfyingly. I've read some of the reviews and don't disagree that the characters are more archetypes than fully-fleshed out, but I don't think it affected the book at all for me. Cleave has a way of weaving words together in a way that tugs at your heartstrings, and this book definitely did that.
This novel centers around three characters, all of whom are olympic track cyclists. I knew nothing about the sport but did enjoy the book to some extent, though I'm not sure about the characters - Kate and Jack were just too perfect and annoyed me at times, but I can't really get into that without spoiling some key plot points so I'll just say I wasn't exactly rooting for them, although I felt like the author wanted me to. This was a quick and enjoyable to read, though. A good beach read for anyone with a passing interest in the summer olympics in London!
Zoe and Kate are cyclist at the very top of their game, with almost nothing to choose between them in their chosen discipline of the sprint. They have been rivals and friends ever since they were on the elite training scheme together.
Kate is married to Jack, another British cycling star who has been a gold medal holder in the past. With Kate they have a daughter Sophie, who is a Star Wars nut, but she is tragically suffering from Leukaemia. Kate and jack are flat out with her care and training and the strain is beginning to tell.
All three of these athletes have a complex personal relationship with each other. Jack is physically and mentally strong, Kate is a top performing cyclist who has missed medal opportunities because of Sophie's health, and Zoe is strong and uses psychological intimidation on her rivals to beat them before turning a pedal.
With the rule changes from the IOC it means that only Zoe or Kate can be selected for the Olympic sprint. As Sophie's health deteriorates, the personal pressure builds and the tension between them increases to almost breaking point in the race off they have to hold.
Cleave has written a completely believable story based around three athletes in the velodrome. He has managed to capture the thrills, tactics and brutal speed that the sprint competition has. The complicated relationships between the thee characters means that the plot has the same slow moments of a race, along with awesome speed at certain points. Parts of the story are where he looks back at past events in the characters lives, filling in the detail for the narrative that is unfolding. It is very nicely done, as these sometime don't work well.
Overall all it reads like the sprint race that the book is centred around; slow at times, moments of tension, and a truly breathing finale.
Kate is married to Jack, another British cycling star who has been a gold medal holder in the past. With Kate they have a daughter Sophie, who is a Star Wars nut, but she is tragically suffering from Leukaemia. Kate and jack are flat out with her care and training and the strain is beginning to tell.
All three of these athletes have a complex personal relationship with each other. Jack is physically and mentally strong, Kate is a top performing cyclist who has missed medal opportunities because of Sophie's health, and Zoe is strong and uses psychological intimidation on her rivals to beat them before turning a pedal.
With the rule changes from the IOC it means that only Zoe or Kate can be selected for the Olympic sprint. As Sophie's health deteriorates, the personal pressure builds and the tension between them increases to almost breaking point in the race off they have to hold.
Cleave has written a completely believable story based around three athletes in the velodrome. He has managed to capture the thrills, tactics and brutal speed that the sprint competition has. The complicated relationships between the thee characters means that the plot has the same slow moments of a race, along with awesome speed at certain points. Parts of the story are where he looks back at past events in the characters lives, filling in the detail for the narrative that is unfolding. It is very nicely done, as these sometime don't work well.
Overall all it reads like the sprint race that the book is centred around; slow at times, moments of tension, and a truly breathing finale.
Chris Cleave does such an amazing job of taking big things and making them really personal. With characters you can really feel for and a well paced plot, this book is really enjoyable, except when it is making you bawl your eyes out.
This book is well written, and the metaphores are beautiful. The storyline can be hard to follow at times, but when you do understand, it's really sad.
I won this in a giveaway.
I won this in a giveaway.
For me, Chris Cleave is three for three on completely engaging stories with Gold. I was riveted by Incendiary and Little Bee, and this tale of two Olympic cyclists was no different. Lots of plot twists and turns, intense scenes (I really felt the action of the racing scenes), beautiful metaphor and a little girl at the heart of it all that will win you over.
A compelling read with only five characters -- three cyclists, the coach, and the kid. Sort of a ghost, too, the dead kid brother who metaphorically haunts the one cyclist. Good tension and suspense and heart-wrenching without being ridiculous. Certainly could be made into a movie. A good example of a story that moves forward while the flashbacks help build a clearer picture of the real story as their timeline moves forward, too.
Recommended reading.
Recommended reading.