A letdown after Little Bee...the story's not really compelling, the characters are rather one-dimensional. I also felt that the plot development was a bit formulaic, but unlike Little Bee, what was meant to be a surprise element near the end of the book was not that surprising after all. Too bad.

The plot is more linear and better than the previous 2 books. But the thesis is less compelling, and the characters are thin and more one dimensional. Kate is a saint. Zoe is aggressive to no end. The ending is just too Hollywood. The only interesting character is the 8 year old Sophie.

Well written, a little tragic, but an interesting concept and story

I was a little reluctant to start this novel as I'm not a big sports fan, but boy am I glad I read it. The plot does revolve around 2 British women, Olympic-level cyclists, but it is about them as people. That's not to see I didn't learn a lot about competitive cycling that I didn't know (admittedly I didn't know much), because there is definitely information on that here, but it is woven seamlessly into the plot. We see the training, the structure and support behind the competitors, and the long road to success. Kate and Zoe are the two women, and they met at the age of nineteen at a national training program in track cycling, the kind that is done in the velodrome, where they also began training with their coach Tom, and met Jack, Kate's future partner. As the book begins, they are 24 and Zoe, Jack, and Tom are at the Athens Olympics, while Kate is back in England with baby Sophie. The book goes forward from there, with the background story brought in through the characters' looking back. The main action takes place in the lead up to the 2012 London Olympics, with both Zoe and Kate training for the events, Zoe struggling with her drive, her history, and her fame, and Kate struggling to continue to be a good mother to her fragile daughter. For both women, this is their last chance at an Olympics. Next time, their age will mean they won't be able to vie against younger competitors. We see Zoe as she struggles with her emotions, her anger, her guilt, her strong competitive drive that has her taking crazy risks, even off the track. Kate is a natural rider and has the drive, but has been sidetracked before by her love and concern for her family. Jack tries to be a good father, but Kate isn't always willing to step away, and Jack often feels that he is more the fun parent. Sophie has health issues, but she wants her parents to do well too, and hides the extent of her illness when she can. This book is about drive, friendships, love, and just being human. The characters come alive for us as complex people, not just the Olympic stars we see in the news. A great read.

If Chris Cleave hadn't written this, I wouldn't have picked it up, bored as I was with the Olympic cycling. It gave a picture into the art and psychology of the sport and the lives of three friends, their coach and their daughter.

i loved this book i thought i would not because one of the characters was sick but it was amazing i cannot wait to read another one of his books

I loved Little Bee and was very excited to read Chris Cleave's latest book, Gold. I was not disappointed. The topic of this book was very different from Little Bee. The basic gist of this book is about two cyclists competing for Olympic Gold and their relationship through their journey within the race and in everyday life (which includes one of them caring for a sick child). The twists and turns throughout this book really keep you engaged, I couldn't put it down. It was also interesting to read it while the London Olympics were on.

Sometimes I worry when I like a book that the next one by the same author will disappoint me. Not true. Loved Little Bee and Gold is just as gripping with a marvelous surprise twist. Wow.

This book made me cry and if a book can do that, it's a winner for me. I wanted the characters to open up and reach out to each other but in true human fashion, for fear of becoming vulnerable, they keep their true feelings and fears to themselves and remain closed to each other resulting in almost devastating consequences. And brave little Sophie brings a human, down- to- earth element to the book that would otherwise be missing in the other characters quest for Olympic gold. Definitely worth reading.

Not nearly as good as Little Bea or Incendiary.