I am not particularly interested in sport, neither as participant nor spectator so if I hadn't been swept away by Chris Cleave's previous writing, it is doubtful that I'd have picked up a novel with 3 Olympic cyclists as key characters. Anyone who passes over Gold for this reason is passing up on the chance of a whirlwind of a reading experience so don't let those miserable memories of despotic PE teachers put you off and give your brain a gentle work out in the process. So, let's set the (Olympic..) record straight, this is not a novel about sporting superhumans, even though they are pretty impressive...we dig deep and discover what makes real people tick when faced with adversary, when illness of a loved one brings you to your knees and you're powerless to do anything but hope that your child is one of the 9 in 10 who survive. Gold focuses on the experiences of five main characters - 8 year old Sophie who is fighting leukaemia, her parents Jack and Kate, Olympic cyclists preparing for the London games alongside their friend/rival Zoe and trainer Tom. All of the adults are nearing the end of their current careers and have one last shot at Olympic Gold whilst Sophie has the hardest fight of all, the battle to stay alive whilst undergoing aggressive treatment which lowers your defences even further. She uses her imagination and love of Star Wars to harness the Jedi force - anything which encourages a fighting spirit and a positive attitude is going to aid her in the ultimate battle - to stay alive. From the opening pages, I was fully engaged and committed to this story. Cleave doesn't pull on our heartstrings by thrusting sugary-sweet, put upon characters on the reader, they're all flawed, fully fleshed and make the same mistakes as the rest of us mere mortals. Sophie's story is presented in gritty technicolour - there's no soft focus when she experiences the side effects of chemo or as her last hair falls out. Kate and Zoe have diametrically opposed public personas when it comes to the media - Kate is the people's princess, Zoe, the wicked witch with a touch of glam. I loved how we are drip-fed snippets of their back stories to explain how they are what they are in the present day. Tom the trainer has made these cyclists his focus and his family for so many years but now he has to acknowledge the ravages of time and take another path, one which will put less stress on his dodgy knees. Jack seems to be slightly at a loss, a bit piggy in the middle at times. I was most pleasantly surprised by Gold - my only criticism is to do with the marketing of the novel rather than the novel itself. The whole device in the blurb about how this is where we normally tell you what the book is about but we're not going to tell you because you don't really need to know. For goodness sake, tell them what it's about and stop the superior self-importance. Gold is probably the closest I'm going to get to the Olympics but, more importantly, if we all had an ounce of the fighting spirit displayed by young cancer patients like Sophie, we'd all be winners. Thank you Mr Cleave for a story well told.

Zoe and Kate are cyclist at the very top of their game, with almost nothing to choose between them in their chosen discipline of the sprint. They have been rivals and friends ever since they were on the elite training scheme together. Kate is married to Jack, another British cycling star who has been a gold medal holder in the past. With Kate they have a daughter Sophie, who is a Star Wars nut, but she is tragically suffering from Leukaemia. Kate and jack are flat out with her care and training and the strain is beginning to tell. All three of these athletes have a complex personal relationship with each other. Jack is physically and mentally strong, Kate is a top performing cyclist who has missed medal opportunities because of Sophie's health, and Zoe is strong and uses psychological intimidation on her rivals to beat them before turning a pedal. With the rule changes from the IOC it means that only Zoe or Kate can be selected for the Olympic sprint. As Sophie's health deteriorates, the personal pressure builds and the tension between them increases to almost breaking point in the race off they have to hold. Cleave has written a completely believable story based around three athletes in the velodrome. He has managed to capture the thrills, tactics and brutal speed that the sprint competition has. The complicated relationships between the thee characters means that the plot has the same slow moments of a race, along with awesome speed at certain points. Parts of the story are where he looks back at past events in the characters lives, filling in the detail for the narrative that is unfolding. It is very nicely done, as these sometime don't work well. Overall all it reads like the sprint race that the book is centred around; slow at times, moments of tension, and a truly breathing finale.

I was recently reminded of the Robert Frost poem, Nothing Gold Can Stay. The idea that what we value most is impossible to grasp hold of permanently is strongly resonant of a lot of things in life. Gold: a soft, yellow, precious metallic element that is highly valued. We fight for gold - for the achievements it represents, for the monetary value, for the idea of perfection - but once we get there, what does it mean? And what do we have to sacrifice along the way? Chris Cleave’s new book is the story of two athletes fighting for gold. They are at the top of their sport, Britain’s number one and two in track cycling. Zoe has already won twice at the Olympics; surely it is Kate’s turn now. Over three simple days, Cleave builds up the story and all its tangled threads, all its tensions, lining us up for the starter gun on day four, the race, the climax, the question: who will win, who will lose. It is outstanding. Reading in every spare moment I could find, I was completely caught up by the rhythms of the race, by the rhythms of the lives of these two women and the others caught up with them, their trainer Tom, Kate’s husband Jack, and their poorly eight year old, Sophie. What do they race for? Are they racing toward something, toward their future, or are they racing away from their past? How far are they willing to go - do they put themselves first every time, or are they able to put others first when it really matters? Cleave’s writing is astounding. A race in itself, page by page he increases the momentum, until the wheels are spinning and the adrenaline is pumping. The story itself and the way he lays out the chapters resemble the strategies his cyclists use in their races, powering forward, hanging back, using the slipstream, the juxtaposition of storylines and character crises, then the final push to the finish line. And, just when you think it’s all over, another battle is there, waiting at the sidelines, ready to pounce. Kate, Zoe and Sophie are zooming towards crisis point and its anybody’s guess who will come out the other side, if anyone at all. Is it all worth it, in the end, for that one moment, that one instance, that one small piece of gold? The blurb for Gold says: “Gold is about the limits of human endurance, both physical and emotional. Gold is about what drives us to succeed - and what we choose to sacrifice for success. Gold is about the struggles we all face every day; the conflict between winning on others’ terms, and triumphing on your own.” The truth is, Gold is all of these things and more. It’s painful, it’s heart-pounding, and it will take your breath away.

Chris Cleave is one of those authors who can completely suck you in to a storyline from the start and Gold is one of those novels that will stay with you for a long time after you've finished it. Following the lives of three Olympic cyclists, their trainer and 8 year old Sophie's battle with leukemia, it is a fast-paced book telling the highs and lows of everday life, championship glory and friendship. It had me in tears at some points, it's not often that a book will have me rooting for *all* the main characters but somehow Cleave manages to make you empathise with everyone on different levels. Yes, initially I may have been drawn in by the beautiful cover (I know, you shouldn't judge them by that!) but I am so glad I read this book. As for the 'I nearly forgot where I lived...' I was reading it while walking home, got so caught up in what was happening at the time that I managed to walk past my house! A sign of a gripping read :) (even if the neighbours did look at me funny as I retraced my steps!)

Zoe, Kate and Jack are Olympic level cyclists all looking to win gold at London 2012. But Chris Cleave's novel is not just about the pursuit of victory, it is about friendship, loyalty, family and what motivates people to master their pain. As with all of Cleave's books it is better to avoid reading too much about the story beforehand. Enjoy the sharp and emotionally wrenching language, be pulled into the novel and feel for every one of the characters as they battle their demons and each other. Another wonderful novel from Chris Cleave.