Six strangers from across the world converge on the tropical island of Bali to attend a course designed to help them face their fears. Their backgrounds are as diverse as their fears - which range from flying, public speaking and heights, through to intimacy, failure and death...

Shocking, powerful and utterly gripping, Fearless takes you to the edge and makes you look down.

(Good Reads)

I won a copy of Fearless by Fiona Higgins in a Good Reads giveaway. It’s a book that’s outside my reading comfort zone, but I can say that after reading it I really did enjoy the story.

There are two distinct storylines that take place in this book - the backstories of the six characters we meet who attend the Fearless course, and then the disaster story which takes place in the last third of the book. The first story is a really interesting look at characters who come from all over the world and have experienced many different things that have left their mark on them. They’re all incredibly human, and that can at times make their stories heartwarming and heartbreaking. They’re all vulnerable, and learning to overcome their fears and there’s something compelling about reading those kinds of characters.

The disaster in this story shakes all of these characters and forces them - in ways their Fearless course can’t possibly achieve. Friendships and budding relationships are put to the test, people are pushed to the very limits of what they believe they can survive and the outcome is heartening.

Fiona Higgins has written a story that highlights the strengths and weaknesses of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances and it was an emotional ride.

I gave Fearless 4 out of 5 stars. It will be published in November, 2016 by Allen & Unwin.

title // Fearless

author // Fiona Higgins

publisher // Allen & Unwin

genre // Fiction

publication date // November, 2016