SWEAT
EMMA HEALEY
*****
All Liam ever wanted was to help Cassie reach her full potential; to push her body to new extremes. Exercise, determination, being the optimum versions of themselves together forever. And Liam always knew what was best.
Nothing could break their intense love for one another, not Liam’s obsessive desire for physical perfection or his relentless control of every aspect of Cassie’s life. Until the day he pushes Cassie far beyond her limits, and she walks out of their flat and away from their toxic relationship for good.
Two years on and Cassie is stronger, fitter, healthier than ever before. And then she sees him – Liam – those green eyes, those stirring muscles. Something inside her flips.
But she holds the power now.
It’s Liam’s turn to sweat.
MY REVIEW
*****
Cassie has had enough with Liam and their toxic relationship focusing on food and exercise. But after she’s left him for good, he turns up blind at her gym and suddenly the roles are reversed. Is it a trap? Or will she finally be able to get her revenge?
I’ll say off the bat that Sweat is not a light read and needs trigger warnings to eating disorders, compulsive exercise and orthorexia, as well as abusive and toxic relationships. We first meet Cassie as a personal trainer at a gym where she meets Liam, but the narrative slowly reveals how they know each other and their history – which can be quite a tricky read at times. The switches from present day to flashback are done really well, with something in the present narrative sparking a memory which links to the next chapter set in the past.
The plot is a slow-burn thriller and feels claustrophobic and tense throughout. You are unsure on what is happening – whether Liam is as helpless as he makes out and whether what she is doing to him is entirely justified. As a reader you are kept off-balance and stretching out for the solution which is kept just out of reach until the very end.
Characters around Cassie - from her mother to her best friend, are so frustrating as they struggle to see things from her perspective. It makes a point on how easy it is to ignore what’s going on around us and makes us question if we would see the signs and believe our friends as well, especially in a society where romance and obsession are very easily confused. This does make it quite difficult to find a character to grip onto though, especially as Cassie can be unreliable and frustrating. At times she seems unstable, impulsive and bad at making decisions, but the more that we learn about her past, the more we empathise with her. I could not see how this book would end, and it gripped me as we went along, wanting to find out. The ending itself really surprised me, I’m still not really sure how I feel about it - I do think it’s the most realistic conclusion though, sadly. It certainly made me think about it long after I’d put it down.
Overall, Sweat is a claustrophobic, tense thriller designed to have your heartbeat racing but keeps you off balance and reaching out for the conclusion throughout. Thank you to NetGalley & Random House UK, Cornerstone and Hutchinson Heinemann for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
LINKS TO BUY