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A review by midwifereading
Breathless by Amy McCulloch
4.0
I started this book before bed last night, and essentially didn't put it down until I finished it tonight! The author's ability to create tension is excellent, and I found myself holding my own breath until she finally loosened things up just in time to crank it up again. Eesh. What a ride!
Cecily Wong, the protagonist in the story, was wonderfully relatable to me. I found myself resonating with her insecurities and desires to prove herself.
I found myself assessing and reassessing who the murderer might be, and while I was 90% sure I had figured it out early, it didn't matter. The journey to the summit and the extra layers of intrigue kept me turning pages, hoping I was wrong. I wasn't wrong, but the journey was woh it. The storytelling moved at a great pace, and things unfolded in surprising, but believable ways.
I do wish the ending chapter had been given a little more time, but it was still fitting. I would have loved some time to cry at the end.
Last, but not least, the depth of technical, experiential, and personal detail had me thinking that the author is either a mountaineer herself, or is hella good at research. Turns out she herself has actually summitted Manusla, the 8th highest mountain in the world (over 8,000 meters), and the setting of this book.
I felt like I was there. The descriptions, details, and atmosphere drew me in, and I swear I could feel the cold, smell the snow, and see the yawning crevasses before my eyes. Totally immersed!
Dudes. I can't even. I loved it!
Cecily Wong, the protagonist in the story, was wonderfully relatable to me. I found myself resonating with her insecurities and desires to prove herself.
I found myself assessing and reassessing who the murderer might be, and while I was 90% sure I had figured it out early, it didn't matter. The journey to the summit and the extra layers of intrigue kept me turning pages, hoping I was wrong. I wasn't wrong, but the journey was woh it. The storytelling moved at a great pace, and things unfolded in surprising, but believable ways.
I do wish the ending chapter had been given a little more time, but it was still fitting. I would have loved some time to cry at the end.
Last, but not least, the depth of technical, experiential, and personal detail had me thinking that the author is either a mountaineer herself, or is hella good at research. Turns out she herself has actually summitted Manusla, the 8th highest mountain in the world (over 8,000 meters), and the setting of this book.
I felt like I was there. The descriptions, details, and atmosphere drew me in, and I swear I could feel the cold, smell the snow, and see the yawning crevasses before my eyes. Totally immersed!
Dudes. I can't even. I loved it!