Cover Image: Holdout

Holdout

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Holdout gripped me from start to finish. And at the end it prompted me to research: how much was true and how much was fiction? Depressingly, this novel is a very thinly veiled image of our rainforest as it is: on fire. I was left inspired by the main character’s calm perseverance, but more importantly, I could not put this book down. I gulped t down in one sitting and I’m thinking I’ll read it again in a few months. The twists were great, but I think the book will hold up for re-reading. I am very impressed!

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*3.25 stars*

At the beginning of the novel one of our main characters, Belka “Walli”Beckwith, demands to stay on the International Space Station in protest of what is happening on Earth; she uses a sporadic space collision to launch a spontaneous environmental protest against the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

We have a multi-character storyline building up to the ending of the novel, and I felt very disjointed at times - when I could finally get into a character, the narrative changed perspective. I almost wish the chapters were separated by character/perspective. It may have helped with the flow of the novel and made it a bit more concrete.

I went in expecting a space centered story. But since this is a mix of politics and environmental issues as well, only about 30% of the novel is set in space. This feels less like a space thriller, and more like a political thriller (if a thriller at all) - since most of this is involving international politics and countries.

While this wasn’t my favorite, I think the message of saving the Amazon was a great premise, and it’s a well-written book that I think a lot of people will really enjoy. This would be a great action-packed screen adaptation, and would really shine on a silver screen.

*Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley for the eARC of this novel!*

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As someone who has always been interested in space, I really wanted to love this book. The first 20% of the book was fantastic, but after that, it became boring and almost too political. However, I am still giving it three stars due to how much knowledge about space is in the book. Kluger has a lot of experience writing about space, and one of his other books was the basis for Ron Howard's Apollo 13 film. If you're a space lover, I would recommend this book based on just that alone.

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This book is so clever. The story is about an American astronaut Beckwith, that when the rest of the crew has to abandon the ISS due to a technical crisis, she decides to stay behind to raise awareness about Brazilian president's plan to push native amazonian people out using fires. Beckwith's neice Sonia is in Brazil on a humanitarian medical mission.
I'm not a huge SciFi reader but this book caught my attention from the cover and I enjoyed it all along the journey. The characters are very relatable (yes!; even the astronauts) because their inner conflicts are deeply humane. I enjoyed particularly the likeness of some specific characters with their real life counterparts (i.e. Jair Bolsonaro) and how, in essence, the book is a wake up call and a critic from an unexpected point of view.
Highly intense but easy to read. A page turner.

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Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Holdout by Jeffrey Kluger is an exciting political thriller that focuses on a female astronaut in space and then expands to worldwide repercussions. Although this book is categorized as science fiction, I respectfully disagree and say that the book is very realistic. I would categorize it instead as a thriller in space or a political thriller instead. The story revolves around Walli Beckworth, an astronaut on the International Space Station, who lives and works with two Russian colleagues. After a terrifying incident and the evacuation of her colleagues, Walli decides to stay aboard against the wishes of the American and Russian governments. Why did she decide to stay? That question is at the heart of this book.

Here is a chilling excerpt from the beginning of Chapter 1:

"Walli Beckwith had no way of knowing that she probably had just under an hour to live. If she had known, she likely could have calculated exactly how much under an hour it was. By now she understood well-nigh all there was to know about how a spacecraft at a particular distance with a particular mass moving at a particular speed behaves, so she could also understand precisely when the one coming at her would arrive and what it would do when it hit. But the spacecraft was, at the moment, keeping all that a secret from Beckwith, as well from the other two crew members aboard the International Space Station. If a mindless machine with no one aboard could be said to be acting with devious intent, this one was—and its intent was to kill them all."

Overall, Holdout is an exciting political thriller that will appeal to fans of space thrillers like Passengers with Jennifer Lawrence, Gravity with Sandra Bullock, or Interstellar with Matthew McConaughey. If you enjoy reading about astronauts in zero gravity in dire circumstances and limited resources, then you will enjoy this book. There are also plenty of scenes that take place "on the ground" so if you're not a fan of space, then there is still plenty to enjoy. Another aspect that readers will enjoy is the political nature of this book. Without spoiling anything, let's just say that the actions Walli takes in space will have repercussions on people on earth. If that sounds intriguing to you, or if you're a fan of thrillers in space, then you should check out this book when it comes out in August!

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After a docking accident the crew of the International Space Station are ordered to abandon ship. When American astronaut Walli Beckwith refuses to leave she becomes the title holdout. She has her reasons, which are spelled out in the first few chapters. It's all caused by the Consolidation, a horrendous clearing and burning in the Brazilian rain forest. It is clearly visible from space, yet no other nations have moved to oppose it. Beckwith has a personal connection as well, in the form of her niece Sonia (she was so much a surrogate mother that Sonia often calls her mama).

Of course both the American and Russian space agencies disapprove of her actions, and immediately set about trying to get her to agree to a rescue flight home, using both coercion and argument. But in the meantime Walli has become an international hero, giving her a powerful soap box for her cause as well as a certain amount of immunity from threats from the ground.

The whole situation creates opportunities for real-world commentary--on U.S. domestic politics, international politics, the state of the space program, and of course ecological crises and climate change--which Kluger takes full advantage of. But not at the expense of an exciting story, as there are plenty of twists and turns in the twin narratives in space and Earth's surface.

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What I love most about reading is takes me to new places without even leaving the house. And Holdout by Jeffrey Kluger took me out of this world and into outer space!

This is not my usual kind of read. There is a lot of science, engineering, terminology, and politics in the book. A lot of informations dumps. I would have liked to submit this review without a star rating because my personal reading preferences are not a reason to dock a book stars. I probably would not have picked this off the shelf but an opportunity was given to me to read an egalley and I thought I’d try something different.

That being said, I LOVE space and fiction set in outer space. I did enjoy Walli and her journey in space and her quest to help save the people of the Amazon rainforest. But felt as a whole the story wasn’t as gripping as I thought it could be.

Immediately after reading I immediately followed @nasa and looked through some pages of real astronauts. It was so cool to see pics of inside of a real space station, and have a picture in my head of Walli in space. I love when books make me want to learn more about a subject.

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This book was clearly inspired by The Martian. However, it's less about survival and more about political and social protest. It hits a lot of the same story beats, but the stakes seem a lot lower since Beckworth can leave pretty much whenever she wants, unlike Matt Damon- I mean Mark Watney.

Interesting read but not the wild adventure and intrigue of The Martian. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC.

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Oh man, I was so excited for this book. Jeffrey Kluger’s first novel!! And there are some really great things about the book. Kluger is an accomplished storyteller of real space adventures - he writes books about Apollo 13 and 8. So I trust that the space stuff in this story is spot on. It’s also so neat to envision a scenario as wild as the one Kluger dreams up, at least in regard to how NASA and Roscosmos would handle a catastrophic collision and a hostage situation. Also and most importantly, for space nerds like me, any book set on the ISS is fascinating because omg living in space is so freaking cool!

Unfortunately, there are plenty of other aspects of the book that didn’t live up to my expectations.

First, I didn’t find the plot compelling - it feels more like a poorly executed political statement than a space thriller. It tries to tackle the question of whether the US should be the world’s policeman and seems to suggest we should be - the anti-interventionist president is portrayed as a crass, misogynistic idiot. At the same time, Congress’s ultimate decision to intervene in a South American humanitarian crisis is presented not as the moral high ground, but as the result of calculated political alliances and promises from one self-interested politician to another. I was left feeling icky about both sides!

Second, the characters are universally one dimensional with no growth throughout the story. On top of that, the main characters rarely interact and when they do, it feels stilted and inauthentic. I think the story would have benefited from flashbacks to build up the relationships and make them seem more real.

My overall rating is ~ 3 stars. I’m glad I read it and I enjoyed it, but it could have been a GREAT book with mass appeal. Instead, it’s a good book that I’d only recommend to my space nerd friends.

Thank you to Dutton Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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When a routine supply drop goes awry, the three person crew on board the ISS is forced to evacuate. Belka “Walli” Beckwith, the sole American on board, would prefer not to. Suddenly alone onboard and breaking countless laws (in at least 25 countries) Walli becomes an overnight internet sensation. Why did she stay on board? Was she unfit this whole time? We quickly come to learn that she is fighting for one of the most precious resources on Earth - the Amazon rainforest - and also someone she cares deeply for.

The novel is split between two point of views, with Sonia Bravo-Beckwith, Walli’s niece, being introduced as a young doctor on the ground in the Amazon. She is working with an NGO and becomes caught in the midst of the Consolidation, an effort brought forth by the Brazilian government to displace native tribes and steal the land for the sake of capitslism. From space, Walli gets a birds eye view of the raging fires that the government is using to drive the natives from their homes and into horrible camps that dirty and full of disease. People are dying in these fires and these camps and it’s up to Walli and her newfound fame to show the world what the government so desperately wants to hide.

Jeffrey Kluger does a great job of explaining the more technical parts of this book in a way that is easy to understand. It never feels clunky. The pacing was a bit slow at times and it did take me awhile to get into the story, but towards the middle I was hooked. I loved the strong female characters and was surprised by how easy it was to connect with Sonia. The subject matter was very relevant to current world issues and it really did make me stop and reflect on what is happening in the world today.

Thank you so much to Dutton & NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

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DNF. Another white author who can't describe POC accurately and uses stereotypes. Hard pass. I genuinely don't know how shit like this makes it through editing.

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While the premise of this book was enticing, the slow pace of the story and the shifting perspectives, sadly, did not engage me. Others may find it more appealing than I, however.

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This was a mix of mystery, contemporary, and a touch of science fiction. There is a good amount of science in it, but not nearly as much as Project Hail Mary and not nearly enough to steer non-science lovers away from this. The one thing that shocked me the most was how political it was. A little too much for my liking, especially for having it advertised as a science fiction novel. Not a bad read, but not something I would pick up again.

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Suspense in Space

Happy #PubDay to this knockout sci-fi book that seems more real than, you know…me burgers.
I’ve read a lot of sci-fi recently and Holdout by Jeffrey Kluger is stellar.

Graduated with high honors from the Naval Academy, an accomplished fighter jet pilot, and with 300 days spent in space, Walli Beckwith, our main protagonist, is the model astronaut. Everyone is surprised though, when a routine supply ship crashes into the International Space Station and although she is ordered to evacuate with her Russian crew mates, she refuses to leave the station. Her reason…to save a significant part of our world, the Amazon Rainforest, and also save the life of someone she loves.
Ruining her career, undergoing scrutiny from the world, and possibly facing a life sentence in prison from multiple countries, it’s a race against time to seek justice and help change the course of Earth’s future.

This book felt so true to real life, it was shocking. The author, Jeffrey Kluger who currently works for Time magazine has written multiple nonfiction space books, including books on Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 and the details he included in this fiction book are incredible.

It reads like a sci-fi suspense with an emphasis on environmental conservation that also includes high octane political intrigue.
Holdout has a slow-paced beginning, but quickly picks up the pace with a fiery finish that I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy for review.

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“Walli” Belka Beckwith, an American astronaut, is doing a tour on the international space station with two Russian colleagues. When something unspeakable occurs, Walli refuses to leave the space station. Because of the internet age, the world is informed and tracking Wall’s every move. Some are outraged by and some are in awe and support for Walli’s protest in order to bring light to disasters happening on earth.

The blurb on this book is kind of vague so I don’t want to give away too much information. I expected this to be a story fully taking place in space but it actually ended up being half in space and half on earth split between two points of view; one an astronaut on a space station and one a doctor working in the Amazon.
It kind of played out like a movie with perfect cliffhangers when switching between the space storyline and the earth storyline. There was a good amount of space elements as expected and an unexpected social justice aspect to the book as well involving the mistreatment of the people and land that makes up the Amazon Rainforest.

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*3.5 stars rounded up. If you are a fan of Andy Weir's books, I think you will enjoy this space adventure too--a first fiction novel by journalist and space expert, Jeffrey Kluger.

Three astronauts, two Russians and one American woman scientist named Walli Beckwith, are on an International Space Station, awaiting the next supply shipment. The docking goes awry and the three are injured, the station damaged. The crew is ordered to return to earth but Walli stays behind, saying simply, "I prefer not to."

Everyone wants to know why and eventually Walli makes a statement for all the world to hear--it's a protest over something terrible that is happening back on earth. Soon she is a social media star with a huge following and people organizing protests to support her cause.

Meanwhile, Walli's niece Sonia, who has just finished four years at Baylor College of Medicine, is working for Health on Wings and volunteering in the midst of the problem area, sending dire reports to her aunt in space.

Don't be afraid--there is lots of science and technical stuff but it doesn't get in the way of a good story. Kluger has created two very strong, intelligent, stubborn characters in these two women. They face one disaster after another, often forced to make quick decisions to save themselves and others. The rest of the cast of characters are well developed as well, but those two woman make the book worth reading. The topic is a timely one: the earth and its inhabitants being endangered by giant greed. There is lots of exciting, edge-of-your seat action so I dare to predict a movie will be made someday. Good script material!

I received an arc of this thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity.

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What happens when a rogue astronaut decides to hijack the International Space Station? That's the story that Jeffrey Kluger gives us in Holdout.

"Astronaut Walli Beckwith is a crew member aboard the ISS. When an accident forces an evacuation she stays behind, holding the ISS captive. She feels strongly about her reasons but few others on the ground feel the same way. On her own several emergencies force her to the rescue rocket. She only hopes it's not too late for the tribes in the Amazon but she has little choice anymore."

I was a little worried about the writing in the early part of the book. I am not a fan of semi-colons and multiple commas in a sentence. Too many thoughts in one sentence tend to slow the reading. It's okay to write another sentence.
Kluger has a lot of expertise and experience with the Space Program. That is evident is his descriptions of the different parts of the ISS and the Soyuz rockets. But it never overwhelms the story.
Kluger finds his stride about 20% in and the story gets better and more fast-paced. There are several perspectives the reader gets to see. Pretty easy to see how Kluger feels about this issue.
The bigger picture is, what would a President do if this really happened? Who has jurisdiction over the ISS? And what's really going on up there?

A good thought-provoking story from Kluger.

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Wow, What. A. Ride! I read the synopsis and saw the words astronaut and space station, and that the author was Jeffrey Kluger. I was all in. I loved his Lost Moon: The Perilous Journey of Apollo 13 (the movie Apollo 13 with Tom Hanks was based on the book) and read it several times.

So when I saw that Kluger was trying his hand at fiction, I knew I had to read it. I don’t typically read non-fiction so if I loved a non-fiction so much that it’s one of my favorite space books, well, I was sure his fiction would be good.

And yes. Yes it was! Walli and her two Russian crewmates on the space station experience a collision with a supply ship and have to evacuate the space station. But Walli makes the decision to stay behind as the sole astronaut and hijacks the space station.

Meanwhile, back on earth in the Amazon, a young American doctor is caught up in fires destroying the jungle and killing or displacing the tribes.

For the first half of the book, I’ll be honest and wasn’t sure it was my cup of tea. It was very political and… a bit boring. I was in because of the space bits and there was not much there.

But oh my… Halfway through, Holdout kicked it into high gear and the action never stopped, both on the space station and in the Amazon. I was on the edge of my seat and stayed up way past my bedtime to flip pages as fast as I could. Probably not the book to read when I was trying to wind down and go to sleep. Holdout had my heart racing that entire 2nd half of the book.

I was pretty emotional at the end and ended up LOVING this story. Jeffrey Kluger is now one of my new favorite fiction writers!! If you enjoy Andy Weir’s books, I think you’ll enjoy this story.

*Thank you so much to Dutton Books and NetGalley for the advance copy!*

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When an accident causes an evacuation at the International Space Station, Lieutenant Commander Walli Beckwith seizes the opportunity and refuses to leave, taking control of the station. In Brazil, Sonia Bravo-Beckwith (Walli's neice) is fresh out of medical school and working with a medical NGO. Both women are experiencing the Brazilian president's drive to push native tribes from their homelands and seize and destroy the rainforest in the name of capitalism and corporations--Walli, by watching the fires move across the Amazon basin and Sonia, who is trying to protect people from the fallout of the Consolidation. Walli uses her unique position as the only human in space to press for an international response to the human rights tragedies Sonia shares with her.

I have to admit that Holdout wasn't what I expected--when the term "evil forces" is used right away in the description, it makes me think there's something fantastical at hand. There's not--it's pure, realistic sci-fi--but that didn't make me enjoy the book any less. Holdout weaves together technology, space, politics, family, and justice to tell a comprehensive story about two women and their impact on the world.

My biggest issue was related to pacing, especially for the sections that focused on Walli. It seemed like something was going wrong every five minutes, which took me out of the action a few times to just thing "AGAIN? Does anything on this station ever work correctly?" Sure, these incidents taught us a lot about space exploration, but it got to the point where it was all seeming improbable. the pacing led me to have a weird relationship with this book. When I was into it, I couldn't put it down. Then I'd hit a lull and set it down for multiple days, that drive to see what happened forgotten.

Still, Holdout was an often-gripping read about two women trying to bring about real change through their very different circumstances. I learned a lot, which is a sign of good science fiction, and I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested in space or social justice movements.

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Jeffrey Kluger's HOLDOUT did a phenomenal job keeping suspenseful pacing through serious topics such as international politics, healthcare, and issues of responsibility and rank. This novel was an unexpected favorite of the summer, providing well-crafted characters to root for and against and shedding light on relevant issues through the sheen of science fiction. While the writing could be overly technical at times, I found this book informative and entertaining.

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