This was a great read. The source matter of climate change is really relevant for today’s readers. It was fast paced and twisty. Really enjoyed it.

Rachael sits alone in her Arctic home, an insulated tent like structure, listening to the broadcast from London “…This country has been attacked with nuclear weapons. Communications have been severely disrupted and the number of the casualties and the extent of the damage are not yet known.” It repeats every two hours. When she left for this five month long mission, planned to convince world leaders that the damage from climate change had to be dealt with immediately, she left behind an unhappy husband and a 15 month old daughter. Now she fears they are dead with the rest of the world in a nuclear holocaust. No one answers the stations near her. Is she the last person alive?

Disaster after disaster follow Rachael. First her tent burns down. Then she begins the long walk to the nearest station, hoping to find the two surviving members of this ill planned winter mission. She must survive a blinding blizzard, hidden crevasses where one missed step leads to instant death, starvation and more. Even rescue comes with danger.

Whiteout is Rachael’s story. Physically, she fights to survive an unforgiving climate. Emotionally, she thinks about her marriage and possible divorce. Why has she pushed her husband away? The answers come but are they too late?

Whiteout is impossible to put down. Its’s a mystery and a thriller where the enemy is nature itself. The larger story of drilling for oil in the Arctic regions, global warming, and climate control is the reason for Rachael’s mission and the disasters that follow. Whiteout is well written and totally unique. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and R.S. Burnett for this ARC.

Despite being immediately drawn in by the synopsis of this book, I was a little apprehensive going into this one. Whiteout tells the story of Rachael, who is on an expedition to Antarctica to gather data which she hopes will prove to American law makers, including the President (a Trump-like figure), that global warming is coming quicker than anticipated. The melting of the ice caps in Antarctica has the potential to affect sea levels in an unprecedented way and Rachael, along with her boss, Guy, are determined to make the world take notice.

Unfortunately, soon after the expedition starts, things take a turn for the worse. Illness, call offs, and worse than imagined weather phenomena, mean that Rachael becomes isolated and has only the BBC World Service for company - a service which has just announced a nuclear attack in the UK where Rachael has left behind her husband and young daughter.

As I say, I was immediately gripped by the premise of this story but I was worried that this could develop into a woman wandering around in the cold for hours, days, weeks and could become a little repetitive and boring. However, I need not have worried. Although the story is told largely in the present day, we have flashbacks as to why Rachael wanted to go on the expedition, her life at home etc. and the book, as well as being a thrilling, twisty page-turner, also deals with themes of marriage, motherhood, women in work and the battle between being a mother or a worker.

The other really positive thing is the book is just under 300 pages. I think anything longer could have risked becoming a drag, given there are only a handful of characters in the book and it takes place mainly in one setting but the relatively short novel keeps you intrigued until a brilliant conclusion.

A debut novel which shows great promise and an author I will definitely keep an eye out for in the future

I loved the sound of this book, but unfortunately I just didn't connect with it or the main character. I found it to be hard going and I struggled to read it. I hope it is just me and other readers will enjoy it more.