Beyond The Point by Claire Gibson
Book Summary of Beyond The Point:
Three women are brought together in an enthralling story of friendship, heartbreak, and resilience. Set at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, this is a fantastican amazing debut novel.
Duty. Honor. Country. That’s West Point’s motto, and every cadet who passes through its stone gates vows to live it. But on the eve of 9/11, as Dani, Hannah and Avery face four grueling years ahead, they realize they’ll only survive if they do it together.
Everyone knows Dani is going places. With athletic talent and a brilliant mind, she navigates West Point’s predominantly male environment with wit and confidence, breaking stereotypes and embracing new friends.
Hannah’s grandfather, a legendary Army general, offers a stark warning about the dangers that lie ahead, but she moves forward anyway, letting faith guide her path. When she meets her soul mate at West Point, the future looks perfect, just as planned.
Wild child Avery moves fast and doesn’t mind breaking a few rules (and hearts) along the way. But she can’t outpace her self-doubt, and the harder she tries, the further it leads her down a treacherous path.
The world—of business, of love, and of war—awaits Dani, Hannah, and Avery beyond the gates of West Point. These three women know that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. But soon, that adage no longer rings true—for their future or their friendship. As they’re pulled in different directions, will their hard-forged bond prevail or shatter?
Beyond the Point is a heartfelt look at how our closest friends can become our fiercest battle buddies. After all, the greatest battles we fight rarely require a uniform.
Publication Date:
April 2nd, 2019
My Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
My Review:
When I first read the book summary of Beyond The Point it really wasn’t on my reading radar. The subject matter isn’t something I have read a lot of, to be honest, and I initially didn’t have a strong pull to read it.
The Power of Bookstagram…
Fortunately, I am very easily persuaded by amazing reviews, especially because I kept seeing recommendations for this book by many of my reading friends who love so many of the same book genres as me. Sometimes I am a little wary of overly hyped books because I can feel a little let down when they are just “okay” but this was just as good as I had hoped it would be.
Early Adulthood and Life at West Point:
Beyond the Point is narrated by three women who come to West Point to play basketball. We follow Dani, Hannah, and Avery over the course of seven years through their introduction into West Point and as they navigate early adulthood. The writing is beautiful and makes you just want to keep reading and I was fully immersed in the lives of these three women.
Military Life, Strength & Resilience as Individuals
The aspects of military life were powerful and a great reminder for me as a civilian about the sacrifices so many thousands of women and men make that serve our country every single day. While this was a powerful piece of this book the story really is about their interpersonal lives. The characters were flawed and real. Gibson did an amazing job speaking to their strengths and resilience as individuals and also weaving their stories together. I loved learning about their pasts and how they played a part in who they are and who are yet to become.
The story is a journey of their relationships both with themselves and with each other. There are aspects of love, loss, discomfort, growth, and forgiveness. As someone who does not know a lot about military life, I learned so much about cadet life in an academy.
Flashback to the early 2000s…
I also connected personally with their three women. As someone who started adulthood around the same time as they did, I love the flashbacks to life in the early 2000s. The references to technology and how different life was not even 20 years ago was spot on. There were some Christian themes but it felt natural and worked for me as the reader. Faith was a part of the storyline for one of these characters in particular and I thought it added another thoughtful dimension to this writing.
I highly recommend Beyond the Point and I can’t wait to read what Claire Gibson writes next.
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