The Ice Marathon by Rosen Trevithick

The Ice Marathon Reviews

• 
  Kath Middleton

  This is the story of Emma, a young woman of 30-ish, who suffers from bi-polar disorder but who manages it with medication. She is set up with a date by her flatmate and the two of them don’t get on. The evening (or early next morning) ends with a brutal but mutual sex act which results in her pregnancy. To save the baby from harm, Emma has to give up her lithium which keeps the disorder at bay. Emma and Simon get together again in an off and on way and I really found I wanted to know what happened.
  
  To me, the clever part of this story is that it is a first person narration by Emma and we see her bipolar disorder begin to creep up on her. Because she is telling us about it, we can see her rationale for her over-excited, hysterical behaviour, all the reasoning behind her fear and despair. We know where things are heading before she does. If this were described in the third person we’d only see the results, not the reasoning. This aspect is extremely well done. I also found some of the writing very funny – even in desperate situations, Rosen Trevithick can pull a funny out and I found myself highlighting a phrase or two that made me giggle.
  
  There’s an exciting and ultimately satisfying ending to this story. Very enjoyable.
  
• 
  B J Burton

  None of my family has ever suffered from depressive mental illness, so I have no personal experience of coping with the effects. I have watched various television programmes and read celebrity accounts describing the alternating bouts of depression and hyperactivity, but I have never felt that I had any real understanding.
  This extraordinary book has changed that.
  Emma is an intelligent, funny, caring, raunchy young woman with just one problem – bipolar disorder. She has learned from bitter experience how to control it with medication and a life regime that includes plenty of sleep. Pregnancy means the medication must stop and childbirth puts an end to the undisturbed nights.
  The author brilliantly puts the reader inside Emma’s head as her world falls apart. As we only see through her eyes, like Emma we don’t know who she can trust and who she can’t.
  This is a stunning novella: cleverly-constructed, well-paced – and very informative. I read it in a single session and felt as if I’d been pulled through an emotional mangle.
  
• 
  Maria

  Working for Shelter and living with a friend are about the only things that Emma lives for. Her personal life is riddled with mood swings, caused by her bi-polar disability. When a late night rendezvous with a man she despises results in pregnancy, Emma has a lot more to consider than just getting through the day.
  
  Emma's personality really shines and matures throughout the novel as she accepts the responsibility of her pregnancy. Formerly a strong advocate for a woman's right to choose, Emma can't possible punish the baby growing in her womb for a poor choice she made. While some men would refuse to acknowledge an unplanned pregnancy, Simon accepts full responsibility and even finds a house for Emma and his child.
  
  Emma is an unfortunate victim of our modern mental health guidelines. Being a bit too emotional, she's labelled bi-polar and put on medication. Because of the risks of lithium to the unborn child, Emma is weaned off the medication but wonders how she'll survive. At one point, overcome with fatigue and the desire to assemble cribs for the baby, Emma breaks down into tears. She accuses herself of being unfit to care for her child, but her emotional roller coaster is simply a hormonal rush due to the pregnancy, something that any halfway decent doctor should know. Emma is far stronger than she believes.
  
  After the baby is born, Emma forces Simon to compete in a marathon is Antarctica. Miserable without him, though, she's anxious for his return. Suddenly the demands of an infant are overwhelming, and Emma loses faith in herself. She falls into her previous state of mind and requires assistance from others.
  
  After a sudden crisis, though, Emma snaps out of her pathetic self and is determined to solve her own problems. With concentration and determination, not medication, she is able to focus.
  
  This novel is well written and fast paced. It's enjoyable and hard to put down!
  
• 
  Elaine

  This is an extremely well written sinister tale that stayed with me after I finished reading it and had me pondering in the middle of the night, wondering whether it "really could happen like that". It is a very quick read, with the story moving on at a very good pace and by the time the main events unfold the author puts you right inside the head of Emma, a new mother, and you are with her every step of the way, sharing her fears, anguish and paranoia over who she can and cannot trust. It is extremely hard to review without giving any of the story away, but I think any mother will certainly identify with Emma, as it does evoke memories of those early days of motherhood and the strong feelings of protectiveness towards your child that wash over you, especially when its your first born. The only thing I will say about the plot that isn't in the product description is that Emma suffers from a mental health problem, which is handled very sensitively and in the tale, giving the reader a really good, realistic glimpse into how it must feel during episodes of illness and having to try and cope with daily life at the same time.
  
  There is one graphic scene of rather rough sex in the book, which had me open mouthed at one point, and I didn't think much surprised me anymore but I think it was because I wasn't expecting it from this particular author, having read quite a bit of her work already - although I do still have a couple of her books in my TBR pile. It definitely isn't Pompomberry House - it is a a lot darker and much more sinister read.
  
• 
  David Wailing

  The Ice Marathon is another high-quality read from Rosen Trevithick. It's a tense tale of unexpected motherhood and the even more unexpected nightmare that every parent in the world gets chills even thinking about.
  
  Right from the beginning, narrator Emma is a lively and immediate character, drawing us into her life with ease. Crucially, she doesn't always come across as likeable, which raises questions about her behaviour and what might be causing it. But at all times she is three-dimensional and believable, especially when her fears and paranoias start to kick in.
  
  Her explosive meetings with Simon, the father of her child, make great reading and I was surprised at how much humour there is in the early part of the book. Then as the story darkens, I was pulled along very quickly and found myself racing to the finish.
  
  If there's any criticism, it's that this meant the book finished a little prematurely for me. I would have welcomed a longer novel with further complications and mysteries. But that is also testament to how easy I found it to read. It's takes a lot of work to make writing look easy, and as always, Rosen delivers an emotional, satisfying story.
• 
  Claire

  From the outset, main character Emma was endearing, and the supporting characters well written and interesting. The dinner party really showed everyone's personality well, so I felt as if I got to know all the characters much better. The ensuing scene in the kitchen was laugh-out-loud funny and cringe-worthy all at the same time, not to mention the aftermath and then Emma and Simon's reunion.
  I did not have a clue that the pregnancy was coming, so that was a real shock to me, but the whole duration of it was written with sensitivity as well as humour. The description of Emma's bipolar disorder, and how going without her medication, was described so well, in addition to her experiences as a mum of a very new baby such as the lack of sleep.
  I was rooting for Emma and Simon from the start, but little did I anticipate the huge twist in the story that has Emma questioning even best friend Nicky's loyalty.
  A great shorter read. This was my first experience of reading Rosen Trevithick, and I'll be looking out for more of her work.
• 
  L.K. Jay

  I really must have words with Ms Trevithick about this - I keep starting her stories, with the intention of reading a few pages before I must do something else, such as sleeping, eating or work, and then finding I can't put the damn story down.
  
  This is another page turner from Rosen. The characterization is spot on, the pace is perfect and she is the mistress of suspense. I honestly didn't know what was going to happen until I reached it's conclusion. I really liked the insight into Emma's mental illness and the way the other characters deal with this. There is a sex scene, which I thought was done with verve and humour, and the consequences of which create the sinister twist that drives the story on.
  
  A gripping tale that is well worth a download.
• 
  Jud

  This is a fantastic story, if a little clichéd.
  
  Emma's flat mate likes to try and set Emma up with friends of hers and her boyfriend, she just wants Emma to be as happy as she is (and get a little sex to boot). However, she doesn't seem to know what kind of guy Emma actually likes. The latest blind date is nothing short of a disaster, with repercussions that will last long after that one evening.
  
  This is a story with real passion behind it, I was able to relate to Emma right from the beginning and really felt for her the whole way through the book. It may have been a bit of a daft story line but it is written superbly and as I was reading it it was 100% believable.
• 
  Joan

  I picked this up purely on the blurbs mention of 'Antarctic expedition' but what I thought was a serious Antarctic 'expedition' ( hopefully with a dramatic account of what happens to Simon) turns out to be an expensive (full registration fee $13,000..??) jaunt with full support. Not something I was expecting.
  
  The actual story is in first person which always my heart sink for some reason. I struggled throughout the whole thing. And no, not because I don't understand mental illness, but because there were so many inconsistencies and some fairly ludicrous moments that had me cringing.
  
  Not rating, for now.
• 
  Julie Powell

  I do like this author's writing style and sense of humour; and although this story deals with serious issues such as mental illness, the wonderful collection of words make for an entertaining read.
  
  There are many levels to this story, but I don't give spoilers, so can only say that this one is a clever mix of romance, illness, various levels of relationships and love, together with mystery and suspense.
  
  Recommended.
• 
  Elaine

  This novel starts off with an explicit rough sex scene. And then much to her chagrin, Emma discovers she's pregnant from a guy she didn't like in the first place.
  
  Other than that bit of vulgarity, with a bit of mystery, the book was pretty good.
  
  Sometimes in life things happen that have you questioning the people you thought you knew. Such is the case with Emma.
• 
  Andrew Lawston

  Not really my sort of thing, it must be said, but a rollicking good read nonetheless. Actually finished this ages ago so the date is very approximate, I've got very lazy about keeping this up to date. Forgive me, books :(
• 
  Shaun

  A well written story that addresses bipolar disorder in a realistic way. Well defined characters and a flowing narrative that switches between comic and poignant as we follow Emma and her unplanned pregnancy, and how her condition affects her situation.
• 
  Gemma

  I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down. I know it's just a 'novella' but it was too short - I was really drawn into Emma's world and dealing with her bipolar disorder, but I was disappointed with the ending.
• 
  Rosen Trevithick

  I wrote this. I've decided to give it five stars even though writing it made me cry, because let's face it - if a writer doesn't think her book is worth five stars, she shouldn't publish it.
• 
  Dylan Edwards

  Just wished this had not ended so quickly ....You are drawn to Emma's plight but the end left me feeling short-changed
• 
  Penny O'shea

  A great book that also raises awareness of mental illness. Two birds with one stone!
• 
  Liz

  this book gives an insight into bi-polar disease and makes you think.
• 
  Colette

  Not my usual genre but an enjoyable short read.