This book went in a totally different direction than I expected - and I loved it. Ophelia is the perfect unreliable narrator and I was second guessing the truth the entire time. I felt as though the ending wrapped up too quickly for my liking, I was left with a few unanswered questions. I did not see the twist coming whatsoever (which is rare for me). This book is a strong 4/5 for me, it was a great read!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book! Unfortunately, this joins the few books I have DNF'd recently. I felt like the book was more character driven, which is typically not my preferred reading theme. I prefer a book more plot/situation driven and this book mainly revolved around characters, to the point I would sometimes forget what the book was actually about.

If you prefer a more character driven book, this would be an excellent read, I however, just do not prefer reading that way.

I am really glad I read this book. I love stories that involve cults and mystery. Most of all loved the main character, I love her and really cared about what happened.to her. Liv. She was a well rounded character who goes on a journey to face her past and find herself of someone totally new in the end. I won't give anymore away. This book is written in dual timelines and has a lot of twists and turns. I would definitely recommend to other.s

I was drawn to this story because the theme was cults, which I am a sucker for. But The Ascent was much more than that. How much does our childhood shape us? What can we overcome, and what pulls us back?
Ophelia grew up in a cult, and was the only one left after some sort of incident. She has spent her whole life trying to overcome this trauma, but has she finally found another survivor? Or is her past pulling her back in?

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an arc of this book. This unfortunately, was just not good. It really did not focus on the cult aspect as much as it should have. Instead it revolved around the main characters modern day family until around 55% of the way into the book when something interesting started to happen, only to be snuffed out by a completely chaotic and rushed ending. This should have been a DNF for me, but I stuck it out. I don't think I'm interested in anything else by this author unfortunately.

I have always been fascinated by cults. Jonestown. Helter Skelter, manic panic. But this time it’s brought into a new light. With the Ascent we see it from the pov of someone who lived there and had a somewhat normal upbringing. It is hard to imagine that being the case knowing the end all of these things, but it was a pleasant switch up from the darkness they tend to carry.

Ophelia is just a little girl when her family goes missing one day at the compound. 20 years later her sister returns to her.
A mother herself now, she will do anything she can to keep her daughter safe. Because things are not what they seem.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC
A really good read.

4 ⭐️

Thanks NetGalley for the free ARC! I honestly thought this was a great novel. It’s intriguing, entertaining and suspenseful. Great dialogue and storyline featuring a courageous female protagonist. I thought the ending was confusing, but definitely worth the read. I highly recommend,

A haunting and gripping thriller, The Ascent masterfully unravels a woman's past in a cult, blending psychological tension and maternal fear into an unforgettable, page-turning experience.