100 Books in 2018

12/ the lifeboat by charlotte rogan

read: 09.02.18 - 11.02.18

book: The Lifeboat

author: Charlotte Rogan

blurb: In the summer of 1914, the elegant ocean liner carrying Grace Winter and her husband Henry across the Atlantic suffers a mysterious explosion. Setting aside his own safety, Henry secures Grace a place in a lifeboat, which the survivors quickly realize is over capacity. For any to live, some must die.

Adrift on the Atlantic, the weather deteriorating and supplies dwindling, the caraways scheme and battle, caught up in a vicious power struggle between ruthless but experienced sailor and an enigmatic matron with surprising powers of persuasion.

Choosing a side will seal her fate, but Grace has made her way in the world by seizing every possible advantage. As she recollects the unorthodox way she and Henry met and considers the new life of privilege she thought she'd found, Grace must now decide: Will she pay any price to keep it?

review: When I'm about 100 pages into a book, I go to Goodreads out of habit to see if the way I feel about a book is a universal thing. I had basically engulfed the first 100 pages of this book and couldn't wait to share my excitement with the rest of the Internet when I saw that this book only had a 3.25/5 rating. And to be honest, seeing that made me realise a huge and important lesson about reading. What we read, and how we view it is not only subjective, but it shouldn't be influenced by the views of others.

I adored this book, and it was one of those reads that came just at the right time. I haven't been this engrossed in a story for months now, and this was one of the first books recently that I could just sit for an hour and read solidly without getting bored or tired. The suspense in it was incredible, and the story progression was so exciting and gripping to me.

Gripping is the right word, actually, for this book. I was hooked. The characters were all interesting, and after finishing it I still don't quite know what to make of the character of Grace herself. Is she good? Is she manipulative and money-hungry? Emotionless? Who knows, it's all up to interpretation in this book.

It's probably not a book for everyone, some people have complained about the style or inaccuracy of the book, but to be honest those weren't really things going through my head when I was reading. I just enjoyed being wrapped up in a storyline that I loved.

rating: 10/10