A review by waksawak
Gold by Chris Cleave

2.0

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.