Cyndi J. (cyndij) reviewed on 9/4/2018 + 1031 more book reviews

I love how Simmons took what must have been an epic story of survival and added this supernatural element to it. The very name of the ship must have inspired the idea. You'll need some dedication to make it through, because this is not fast-paced action-packed reading. There's enough going on to be sure, but there's a lot of information about the ordeals of daily life locked in the ice; all the awful physical ailments that happen not to mention just the mental toll it takes. And then there's the monster, made all the worse because it's completely unknown. The book starts off after they've been trapped for a year already, but there are several flashbacks so you'll need to pay attention to the dates at the chapter headings. And though we readers know that the two ships were lost for over a hundred years, the last couple chapters of the book give us a very interesting closure. It's also interesting (and sad) to take a look at the real history of this expedition. I've read several other non-fiction books about Artic survival in those days and I think Simmons did a brilliant job depicting what it could have been like (even without a monster).

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