Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
I struggled through the beginning because I hate the "heroic child going through cancer treatment and hiding her pain from adults" trope. Whose eight-year-old does that?? Once I was able to move past my irritation, I flew through the rest.
Gold, Chris Cleave
Character development is the first thing I look for in a new novel. While it read like a Jodi Picoult novel at times with the changing points of view, Gold didn’t disappoint in rich characters.
Zoe’s character was different than any character I can remember reading about. She was broken yet determined, aloof yet obsessed. Her life was in shambles everywhere except on the race track. It was interesting to see how those around her held her up in different ways. Kate’s character was a little more predictable, willing to give up her own life to save her daughter’s. I was confused by Jack in his wavering between women. Despite his strength on the track, I saw him to be weak in life; not fighting for the one he truly loved and almost losing her, not speaking up about how sick his daughter was and almost losing her ... Speaking of his daughter, Sophie was my favorite character of the novel. I saw her to be the most mature, the most capable of standing outside herself to see how her actions affected those around her. I would have liked more from her point of view. To me, Tom, the coach, was the saddest of all, even in comparison to a sick young girl. It was heartbreaking reading about his loss at his own Olympic games, his estranged family, his lost dreams. The sacrifices he made for his sport crippled him, physically and emotionally. His love for Zoe, teetering between paternal and romantic, was the only thing propelling him from day to day.
Written with rare pauses for chapters, the book felt as though the story just kept on going, like it too was on the velodrome track. This was one aspect that I found tiring; I read through with the feeling that I wanted to take a break, but couldn’t find the right point to jump out of the story, off the track.In the end, while some things were left up for interpretation, I liked how full circle the characters stories came. Full circle, like a race track.
Character development is the first thing I look for in a new novel. While it read like a Jodi Picoult novel at times with the changing points of view, Gold didn’t disappoint in rich characters.
Zoe’s character was different than any character I can remember reading about. She was broken yet determined, aloof yet obsessed. Her life was in shambles everywhere except on the race track. It was interesting to see how those around her held her up in different ways. Kate’s character was a little more predictable, willing to give up her own life to save her daughter’s. I was confused by Jack in his wavering between women. Despite his strength on the track, I saw him to be weak in life; not fighting for the one he truly loved and almost losing her, not speaking up about how sick his daughter was and almost losing her ... Speaking of his daughter, Sophie was my favorite character of the novel. I saw her to be the most mature, the most capable of standing outside herself to see how her actions affected those around her. I would have liked more from her point of view. To me, Tom, the coach, was the saddest of all, even in comparison to a sick young girl. It was heartbreaking reading about his loss at his own Olympic games, his estranged family, his lost dreams. The sacrifices he made for his sport crippled him, physically and emotionally. His love for Zoe, teetering between paternal and romantic, was the only thing propelling him from day to day.
Written with rare pauses for chapters, the book felt as though the story just kept on going, like it too was on the velodrome track. This was one aspect that I found tiring; I read through with the feeling that I wanted to take a break, but couldn’t find the right point to jump out of the story, off the track.In the end, while some things were left up for interpretation, I liked how full circle the characters stories came. Full circle, like a race track.
2/5* - I HATED this book. Melodramatic and uninteresting from one end to the other. You may or may not get a review after I've digested Friday's bottle of wine, but it will NOT change the rating. Except possibly to a 1/5. There's an extra star added for the people who might actually enjoy this book. Can't believe I finished this. I feel sick just thinking about it.
******
Kate and Zoe, saint and sinner, both bicyclists hoping for a medal in the 2012 Olympics. They met when they were teens and have been friends since. Although "friends" is a bit rich, because Zoe doesn't know how to be friends with anyone, herself included. All she wants to do is win and she does what she can to psych her competition out. Kate is so caring she hardly remembers to have any ambition for herself. She has already missed out on two Olympics because she prioritized her daughter Sophie instead. Kate is also married to Jack, whom she met at the same time as Zoe. Of course there has been plenty of triangle drama going on up through the years. Jack and Kate's daughter Sophie has leukaemia. As the Olympics approaches, the question rises as to how Kate will prioritze this time.
The author skips back and forth between different episodes in the past and the present. It's not exactly difficult to follow, but the frequency of the skips made me dizzy. The over-emotional, sentimental undertone that permeated this novel grated on my nerves. I didn't really like any of the characters. Zoe's troubles interested me not a bit and I did not find her brother's death or mother's suicide any excuse for her intolerable behavior. Kate was such an underdog and so unselfish that she wasn't any more interesting either.
This was a serious waste of time on my part. I should have trusted my initial feeling and left it at page 20.
******
Kate and Zoe, saint and sinner, both bicyclists hoping for a medal in the 2012 Olympics. They met when they were teens and have been friends since. Although "friends" is a bit rich, because Zoe doesn't know how to be friends with anyone, herself included. All she wants to do is win and she does what she can to psych her competition out. Kate is so caring she hardly remembers to have any ambition for herself. She has already missed out on two Olympics because she prioritized her daughter Sophie instead. Kate is also married to Jack, whom she met at the same time as Zoe. Of course there has been plenty of triangle drama going on up through the years. Jack and Kate's daughter Sophie has leukaemia. As the Olympics approaches, the question rises as to how Kate will prioritze this time.
The author skips back and forth between different episodes in the past and the present. It's not exactly difficult to follow, but the frequency of the skips made me dizzy. The over-emotional, sentimental undertone that permeated this novel grated on my nerves. I didn't really like any of the characters. Zoe's troubles interested me not a bit and I did not find her brother's death or mother's suicide any excuse for her intolerable behavior. Kate was such an underdog and so unselfish that she wasn't any more interesting either.
This was a serious waste of time on my part. I should have trusted my initial feeling and left it at page 20.
Chris Cleave gets inside the head of three Olympic athletes, their coach and daughter in his latest book. The ups and downs of friendships among people who compete against each other and live for the win is explored. Completely different from Cleave's previous book, Little Bee, yet just as incredible. I really enjoyed this book.
Great book about 2 women training for the National Cycling Team.
I really enjoyed this book. One of those reads where you want so badly to side with a character, but you just can't do it - the "bad guy" and the "good guy" is just so unclear. Another win by Chris Cleave.