The White Road
Sarah Lotz
Mulholland Books 2017
304 pages
The White Road by Sarah Lotz is very enjoyable, and highly recommended.
Si Newman is a thrill-seeker. He is not the fit, driven, on-a-mission type, but rather one who jumps in with both feet regardless of the consequences. The White Road on Kindle
The White Road begins with Si in a cave; not just any cave, but a veritable cavern of death. He sneaks into Cwm Pot; a dangerous labyrinth of passageways; some of which are barely negotiable by a snake on an exhale. His grim objective is to locate casualties of a previous expedition, and post the footage on his website, Journey to the Dark Side.
An uncomfortable presence, Si’s guide Ed is a tough ex-army, with a gruff personality and a drinking problem. He knows where the bodies are.
Everything goes horribly wrong. The traumatized Simon is lucky to be alive. His footage goes viral.
What could be a better second act than “the dead zone” of Mount Everest, where the adventure of a headstrong and intrepid female climber is intertwined. Si and his companions follow in her footsteps.
The White Road gets the adrenaline running from the get go. For those with even a hint of claustrophobia, the twists and turns in the dark, damp cavern with apparently no escape, provide many visceral “share the tension” moments.
Sarah Lotz’s excellent descriptions allow you to feel the fear. You must read on.
Her use of the third man syndrome, defined as the perceptual experience of an unknown presence or watcher when the body and mind are under extraordinary stress, is particularly haunting and compelling. You can decide what is real.
The White Road is exciting, thought-provoking, and just creepy enough to cause pause. It is interesting, well-written, and an all-around addictive and entertaining read.
Also by Sarah Lotz and reviewed here: Day Four