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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
A gripping read which kept me guessing right up until the end. I really enjoyed the setting of this novel. The extreme cold and total darkness of the Antarctic winter added to the tension and suspense throughout the novel. Thanks to Emma Haughton and Pigeonhole for the ARC.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
This was a very tense and atmospheric read.
Admittedly, you did have to suspend belief at times, but it's fiction so I wasn't as bothered about that as some of my fellow readers were.
I liked the fact that I couldn't guess who the killer was and kept changing my mind from one page to the next!
The descriptive writing was really good..at times it seemed like I could feel the cold and terror the characters were feeling.
Thank you to Emma and PH for the chance to read this book.
Admittedly, you did have to suspend belief at times, but it's fiction so I wasn't as bothered about that as some of my fellow readers were.
I liked the fact that I couldn't guess who the killer was and kept changing my mind from one page to the next!
The descriptive writing was really good..at times it seemed like I could feel the cold and terror the characters were feeling.
Thank you to Emma and PH for the chance to read this book.
mysterious
slow-paced
i wished i liked the dark because the synopsis sounded like everything i ever wanted from a book. unfortunately, not even the setting - an Antarctic research station, couldn't save this one.
the novel is very weirdly paced. the first 50% of it is just set-up for the murder. i understand we need to know the characters and their dynamics, but it didn't even do that. it kept going in circles about the main character's pills addiction, without really addressing it. after the murder happens, it all unfolds very quickly.
the characters were all over the place. i genuinely didn't like a single one of them. the mc, kate, was such a stupid character that didn't think about what's she's doing until the deed was done and she was in a lot of problems because of this. she missed clues that were right in front of her - the book really didn't even try to keep the murderer a mystery. she just kept pointing fingers towards everyone without much evidence. the antagonist was such a joke. he didn't have a single reason for why he got up one day and decided to be a killer. it's just so annoying.
another thing stood out to me (idk how the editors didn't see this one) - the chapters are dated. at some point the characters are fighting and it's the 18th of June and someone says they have to get along because they have 8 months left on the station. a couple chapters after that, on the 22nd of June, during another fight, the station leader says they have 4 months left of the station. the math ain't mathing.
the pregnancy trope was handled kinda well, but i still wonder how a newborn could survive walking through minus something degrees for a good 10 - 15 minutes. but what do i know about babies?
all in all, i honestly regret not dnf-ing it because the ending was also a mess. the "mystery" got resolved so quickly. it wasn't even that much of a mystery tbh.
thank you to netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dank aan Luitingh-Sijthoff voor het recensie-exemplaar!
De tagline op de voorzijde van het recensie-exemplaar vraagt: "Ben jij bang in het donker?" Laatst heb ik een wandeling door de Maastrichtse grotten gedaan en dat was licht beklemmend maar bang... nee, dat niet. Antarctica is wel wat anders: 24 uur per dag duisternis, wetend dat er geen externe hulp is mocht er iets gruwelijk misgaan... dat is op een andere manier beklemmend.
De setting zorgt dus al voor heel wat spanning, maar het feit dat er een moordenaar rondloopt, maakt het nog wat spannender - vooral omdat tot ongeveer 50% alles nog oké lijkt te gaan. Het verhaal kabbelt dan vooral voort met vooral interne spanningen, waar Alex en Sandrine het brandpunt van vormen. Het verhaal gaat na 50% heel snel en ik kon het boek amper wegleggen. Ik had helaas de moordenaar al wel voorspeld maar de ontknoping bleef spannend!
Persoonlijk en ik geen fan van hoofdpersonen die onder invloed zijn (drank, drugs, medicijnen) dus dat was hier een minpuntje, mede waardoor het boek 4 sterren heeft gekregen.
Alsnog blijft dit een goed, spannend boek en zeker een aanrader!
De tagline op de voorzijde van het recensie-exemplaar vraagt: "Ben jij bang in het donker?" Laatst heb ik een wandeling door de Maastrichtse grotten gedaan en dat was licht beklemmend maar bang... nee, dat niet. Antarctica is wel wat anders: 24 uur per dag duisternis, wetend dat er geen externe hulp is mocht er iets gruwelijk misgaan... dat is op een andere manier beklemmend.
De setting zorgt dus al voor heel wat spanning, maar het feit dat er een moordenaar rondloopt, maakt het nog wat spannender - vooral omdat tot ongeveer 50% alles nog oké lijkt te gaan. Het verhaal kabbelt dan vooral voort met vooral interne spanningen, waar Alex en Sandrine het brandpunt van vormen. Het verhaal gaat na 50% heel snel en ik kon het boek amper wegleggen. Ik had helaas de moordenaar al wel voorspeld maar de ontknoping bleef spannend!
Persoonlijk en ik geen fan van hoofdpersonen die onder invloed zijn (drank, drugs, medicijnen) dus dat was hier een minpuntje, mede waardoor het boek 4 sterren heeft gekregen.
Alsnog blijft dit een goed, spannend boek en zeker een aanrader!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I really enjoyed this chilling thriller even if at times I felt like slapping Kate. It was a tense and gripping read which I would recommend.
dark
tense
fast-paced