Book Review: Gold by Chris Cleave

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From the back of the book: What would you sacrifice for the people you love?

Kate and Zoe met at nineteen when they both made the cut for the national training program in track cycling—a sport that demands intense focus, blinding exertion, and unwavering commitment. They are built to exploit the barest physical and psychological edge over equally skilled rivals, all of whom are fighting for the last one tenth of a second that separates triumph from despair.

Now at thirty-two, the women are facing their last and biggest race: the 2012 Olympics. Each wants desperately to win gold, and each has more than a medal to lose.

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With the 2012 Summer Olympics beginning later this month, it is really no surprise that Chris Cleave's newest release Gold, which focuses on the lives of three Olympic cyclists, had a release date of July 2012. That said, I had the opportunity to read an advance reader copy thanks to Net Galley, and so I read the book just over a month ago, when the summer Olympics were barely a flicker on my brain...and I loved it.

I believe that Chris Cleave often writes the kind of books which are better the less you know going into them, so I don't want to reveal too much other than to say that Gold is about so much more than the Olympics. In fact, the Olympics themselves actually played a remarkably small role when you consider that the novel is about Olympic athletes. But that's probably because it's not about the Olympics. It's about friends, family, rivalry, and the sacrifices that you make for those you love. It's heart-warming. It's tragic. It made me smile, cry, cringe, and laugh. It's about life, and I thought Christ Cleave captured it absolutely beautifully.

Overall?

Disclosure Statement: I received an ARC copy of this book through my Net Galley membership. A copy of this review will be provided to the book publishers, but I received no compensation in exchange for my review, and all opinions are my own. I don't think I could lie about a book even if I wanted to, and obviously I don't :)