Rating: 5 Stars
If I had not known in advance this was a debut novel I would have said, “No way.” The prose is as polished as any seasoned writer. Beyond the Point, by Claire Gibson, takes the reader into the world of West Point where we meet three young women athletes, Hannah, Dani and Avery, recruited to play basketball.
When they first meet they do not become friends immediately. Avery and Dani develop a fierce rivalry on the basketball court. Dani is an incredibly gifted player and is given a place on the varsity team as a freshman. Avery finds this hard to handle and it fuels her own personal insecurities. Over time Hannah the shy and faith driven women, who tends to be the anchor of the group, brings them all together and slowly a fierce friendship is formed.
You might think this book is about how women endure the rigors of a male dominated school like West Point. It is that and so much more. It is ultimately about how three strong women forge a long lasting friendship and face the hardships of West Point together. The friendship they have not only makes them stronger; they draw upon this strength to navigate the world after West Point when tragedy strikes.
This book is strongly character driven. Dani, Avery and Hannah are all portrayed very realistically and are fully developed. I especially loved that the author gave me both their strengths and their weaknesses.
The story is told form all three points of view. So we get a window into the interworkings of each of the main characters. The plot is not slow or fast. It does meander some as the author, especially later in the book, keeps flashing back to things that happened at West Point that sheds light on to a current situation or event.
I am really excited to see what else this author has in store for the future and expect that this is just the being of many good things to come. I highly recommend this book to readers who like a character driven story especially those with strong female characters.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.