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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
With the 2012 summer Olympics Mere days away it Is the perfect time to read Chris Cleave's new book "Gold". Follow Kate, Jack and Zoe as they seek to win Gold in cycling, while dealing with a child's illness, ghosts and relationship issues amongst all three. Not knowing really anything about cycling it took me a bit to get into but once in I was on the edge of my seat. Gripping page turner for sure!
3.5 I read this for book club and I’m looking forward to the discussion. I definitely learned things about biking and the story was interesting and well written.
I'm giving this 3.5 stars.
I had trouble getting into "Little Bee," but I took a chance on "Gold." I enjoyed the character development, though some of the plot was a wee bit cliche.
I had trouble getting into "Little Bee," but I took a chance on "Gold." I enjoyed the character development, though some of the plot was a wee bit cliche.
Cleave is very adept at using the formula of setting up the conflict and then back filling the story. Though I enjoyed this book I didn't find it as deliciouay complex and multi- layered as Little Bee. I found it a little predictable.
I really was sucked into the plot of this book. Chris Cleve is never drained of ideas. He knows how to engage the reader and carry them throughout the book. His twists are good and never too implausible. Gold offers wonderful characters and a great view into this world of competitive cycling. The book though tends to drift into very maudlin moments which are fine in small doses, but 2/3 of the way through the book it becomes melodramatic. The individuals begin to act for the drama as opposed to the drama guiding their actions. Cleve also tends to not let a subtle moment pass without having the individual talk about it. It lacks a subtlety. If one fo the characters storms off angry we have to see the other one comment about how she must have been angry and it must have been something she said. These moments pop up often through this book, when insight isn't needed it is forced upon us. Cleve knows his storytelling stuff, and I really enjoyed the book. It is built to withdraw emotion and it for the most part does it's job. It's impact felt minimal in the end.
Wasn't sure if I'd like this book, as I didn't care for "Little Bee" all that much, but the story sounded interesting and I'm a sucker for anything Olympics. Glad I read it because I really enjoyed it. The plot twists perhaps should have been obvious, but I didn't see them coming, which is unusual for me.
Apparently i started this book in 2013 and abandoned it. But I listed to what do I read next this week and she recommended it to a reader with similar tastes to mine and I immediately downloaded it. Deep in the world of Olympic cycling, friendships, parenthood and more it was a compelling story
I enjoyed Gold, but I had some misgivings throughout this story that also make me glad to be done with it. There were times that I doubted the characters' authenticity, for instance Zoe's character often seems contrived, and I had trouble relating to her. I think the author was overstretching his bounds a bit and trying to create such a complex relationship between Zoe, Jack and Kate and I get that, but if it brings you out of the story while you're reading it, it's very distracting. The crux of the novel is based on their relationship, which is just not believable. I think this is the major flaw.