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readingthething's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content and Body horror
Moderate: Transphobia and Vomit
gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Set in the 1920s, an Antartic expedition adventure quickly becomes deadly and frightening, when the crew become stranded and begin to see spectral apparitions.
I went into this thinking it was going to be horror from the start and was turned off when that wasn't the case and felt very heavy on the historical fiction, but I'm so glad I carried on, because I quickly ate this up whenever I picked it up.
It felt like like I was there with the expedition, feeling bone cold with the men and dogs out on the great expanse of ice and snow. I began to agree with their paranoia, thinking one or more of the crew had intentionally sabotaged the expedition, but to what ends and I grew insistently more anxious as to what supernatural forces were at play; why were the dogs going mad? Where was the German expedition? How longer would Jonathan be able to keep his privacy and will Harry, in a fit of rage, out him? How would they make it back home? ... If they ever would...
I adored this for the trans rep. I wasn't expecting it and to be in the head space of Jonathan, trying to navigate how he's always felt, whilst hiding on a ship he shouldn't be on, and trying to keep his body a secret when discovered was such a different experience. A perspective I thought was well explored (coming from a cis female).
This was such a great story. It felt pretty slow burn and psychological but when others confirmed sightings of ... <i> something </i>... it made me spiral as to how corporal these phantoms were and what they could do to the living.
A well written, well researched tale of isolation, desperation, identity and hope.
I went into this thinking it was going to be horror from the start and was turned off when that wasn't the case and felt very heavy on the historical fiction, but I'm so glad I carried on, because I quickly ate this up whenever I picked it up.
It felt like like I was there with the expedition, feeling bone cold with the men and dogs out on the great expanse of ice and snow. I began to agree with their paranoia, thinking one or more of the crew had intentionally sabotaged the expedition, but to what ends and I grew insistently more anxious as to what supernatural forces were at play; why were the dogs going mad? Where was the German expedition? How longer would Jonathan be able to keep his privacy and will Harry, in a fit of rage, out him? How would they make it back home? ... If they ever would...
I adored this for the trans rep. I wasn't expecting it and to be in the head space of Jonathan, trying to navigate how he's always felt, whilst hiding on a ship he shouldn't be on, and trying to keep his body a secret when discovered was such a different experience. A perspective I thought was well explored (coming from a cis female).
This was such a great story. It felt pretty slow burn and psychological but when others confirmed sightings of ... <i> something </i>... it made me spiral as to how corporal these phantoms were and what they could do to the living.
A well written, well researched tale of isolation, desperation, identity and hope.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Torture, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Deadnaming, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Gore, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Outing, Violence, War, Vomit, and Transphobia
jamielikestoread's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Minor: Transphobia
ninoshmino's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Loved the deep exploration of different kinds of masculinities, and the trauma, violence, and death men experience (and perpetuate) in trying to attain the impossible ideals of such, and finally what alternatives might exist.
Bonus that it’s set amidst a terrifying landscape, with a monster stalking increasingly desperate men, and in the aftermath of war. It’s cool shit!
I could not tell 90% of these characters apart, which dampened the effect when they started dying and/or losing their shit.
Bonus that it’s set amidst a terrifying landscape, with a monster stalking increasingly desperate men, and in the aftermath of war. It’s cool shit!
I could not tell 90% of these characters apart, which dampened the effect when they started dying and/or losing their shit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Body horror
Moderate: War and Animal death
Minor: Cannibalism
fictionalfabrication's review against another edition
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
There are scenes of frostbite and limb loss that are fairly brutal, I’m squeamish and they were rough for meanniereads221's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Grief, Homophobia, Murder, Misogyny, War, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Transphobia, Abandonment, Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Gun violence, and Suicide
thebakersbooks's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was one of only two books I managed to read during Pride month, but it was definitely a "quality over quantity" situation; All the White Spaces is a masterclass in survival horror and offered up all the trans-masc feels. Set in the wake of WWI, the story features protagonist Jonathan Morgan, who talks his best friend into helping him stow away on the Antarctica-bound ship of a famous explorer. Jonathan's fascination with polar exploration is largely impressed on him by proxy: his two older brothers, who died in the war, spent their lives dreaming of going to Antarctica. The expedition is thus fraught with not only Jonathan's desire to prove himself in such a masculine pursuit, but his need to fulfill his brothers' dreams however possible.
The aspect of this book I liked most was that Jonathan maintaining his gender identity and concealing his assigned-at-birth sex was not a main plotline. He occasionally has to remind his friend of his correct name, etc., but the dire straits in which the expedition finds itself, coupled with everyone being perpetually bundled up against the cold, render it a nonissue. As such, this was a story that centered the survival-horror aspect, not the MC being transgender.My second-favorite thing about the book is how the nature of the threat is left open to interpretation. In many books like this, the mysterious scary thing turns out to have a natural explanation, but in this case, the apparitions and voices in the wind are strongly implied to be supernatural.
Jonathan wasn't necessarily a relatable protagonist, but he was easy to root for. His sheer audacity and determination were a joy to watch. Author Ally Wilkes did a stellar job of establishing the atmosphere of the Antarctic (thinking about the aurora still freaks me out months later) and chipping away at all the characters' sanity over the course of their attempt to survive the winter. All the White Spaces is a fantastic read for lovers of survival horror, particularly in historical settings. Be ready for lots of gruesome deaths, though!
Content warnings: graphic depiction of death by frostbite; off-page implications of people eating dogs; setting-typical animal cruelty; accidental outing (not of main character); brief period-typical homophobia
The aspect of this book I liked most was that Jonathan maintaining his gender identity and concealing his assigned-at-birth sex was not a main plotline. He occasionally has to remind his friend of his correct name, etc., but the dire straits in which the expedition finds itself, coupled with everyone being perpetually bundled up against the cold, render it a nonissue. As such, this was a story that centered the survival-horror aspect, not the MC being transgender.
Jonathan wasn't necessarily a relatable protagonist, but he was easy to root for. His sheer audacity and determination were a joy to watch. Author Ally Wilkes did a stellar job of establishing the atmosphere of the Antarctic (thinking about the aurora still freaks me out months later) and chipping away at all the characters' sanity over the course of their attempt to survive the winter. All the White Spaces is a fantastic read for lovers of survival horror, particularly in historical settings. Be ready for lots of gruesome deaths, though!
Content warnings: graphic depiction of death by frostbite; off-page implications of people eating dogs; setting-typical animal cruelty; accidental outing (not of main character); brief period-typical homophobia
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Animal death and Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty, Outing, Body horror, and Homophobia
nike13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Great book! This book dealt with a lot of things, terrors and secrets we keep within us, hope, trust and its all brought out with the monster in the wastelands. Is it really a monster or just in everyone's head? The author did a great job keeping the atmosphere through the whole thing as each obstacle and limit was reached. The narrator was perfect keeping tone through-out too. Johnathan was a great character, you got invested in their growth and I'm really proud of how strong and resilient he was with the horrors around.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Animal death
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