by Ally Wilkes
Published by Atria Books Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ
Format: ARC, eBook
Published by Atria Books Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ
Format: ARC, eBook
I don’t know why I am intrigued by books set in the cold, there is a certain thrill and danger to it, I suppose that I enjoy. Being without help, left to your devices, with the sheer painful cold that chills down to your bones. The atmosphere of a cold environment – ice and snow for as far as the eye can see. I’m in every single time. All the White Spaces follows Jonathon Morgan, a trans teen who stows, with his friend Harry’s help, away on ship voyage to the South Pole. Still grieving the loss of his older brothers, Jonathon wants to prove his worth and go on an adventure. Meeting his idol, James “Australis” Randall, is a plus. When the crew enters the Antarctica’s frozen Weddell Sea, things become eerily wrong. It becomes clear that something isn’t quite right. This place is not marked on a map, others have ventured into the area to never be seen again. Once could say that is the peril of sailing to such a cold environment, but the men on this expedition know it is something quite different. This book strongly remined me of The Terror and it was difficult not to compare this book with that book. There are differences of course, but at its core it about men on a ship, fighting the cold, stranded, up against danger, up against the odds. What I enjoyed about this book is having a trans young man as they main character, trying to find his way, leaving home for the first time to find himself and a new life. I did feel that parts were slow in this book and waited for the you-know-what-to-hit-the-fan. It does but for me it took a little too long for it to happen. Overall, an enjoyable read that I would have liked to have moved much faster along. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own. |