Lead Review (Sweat)
- Book: Sweat
- Location: London
- Author: Emma Healey
I will be honest, I wouldn’t normally pick up a book with the title, “Sweat”, and a topic of physical fitness. But I received a proof copy of this book and I already knew that the author, Emma Healey, had written “Elizabeth is Missing”, which is a superb story, so… I promised to read and review it. And I am so glad I did!
Sweat is the story of Cassie, who has had a complicated relationship with her controlling ex-boyfriend, Liam. It details her attempts to recover from the time they spent as a couple. Their life together had been a constant quest to achieve physical perfection through extreme exercise and precise nutrition, with Liam in control to ensure Cassie didn’t skip a run or eat a morsel of forbidden food. Cassie describes the gaslighting and mental anguish she endured during the now-ended relationship, and it is apparent that she is scarred from the experience. So when the tables are turned, and Cassie finds herself as the one holding power over Liam, it is intriguing to discover how she will react. Will she continue to distance herself from him, to protect herself? Will she have a little fun at his expense? Or will she manipulate the situation to get revenge for everything he put her through? Perhaps a little of each?
Emma Healey’s writing is masterful: as a reader, I could see the problems that Cassie is facing and the risks she is taking. I might wish that she would protect herself better but I have to follow along as she hurtles along her self-destructive path. This woman no longer trusts anyone, even her own judgement. Her friends and family have doubts about what has gone on – her parents even dismissing her torment as an exaggeration or attention seeking. Even her best friend, Tanya, tries tough love and cuts Cassie off until she promises to abandon any contact with Liam. Cassie therefore has nobody to guide her decision making and she struggles to resist the temptation to turn to the only person who has offered her warmth and professed love for her – Liam himself.
There are times when it seems Cassie will take her role too far. From time to time the chance to leave it all behind her pops up, offering Cassie an option to escape the situation which is apparently harming her more than helping. Then the situation changes again and now Cassie is tempted to get one over on Liam, and she can’t resist. Sweat is a rollercoaster ride of a book, which took my breath away and kept me guessing right to the end.
The author’s descriptive prose gives a great sense of the book’s setting, in the gyms and streets of London, contrasted with side-trips to the countryside of Surrey and the seaside. For a non-gym-goer like me, the book seems well researched and credible, without being too reliant on jargon. I can immediately picture the locations and lifestyle of the protagonists. Most importantly though, it is gripping. This book will have a wide appeal to anyone who enjoys psychological dramas, whether or not they are young gym bunnies. I found it surprisingly relatable, it’s so well written.
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