3.5 rounded up
I liked this book much more than I expected to. It hooked me early on and I was caught up in the drama. Great descriptions of Antarctica. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

This story is a mix of tropes, given that it is the end of the world and all. Rachael is a researcher who is asked by her boss to go with him to Antarctica that could save the world. Meanwhile, Rachael has a baby daughter and a husband that she has to leave, and there is a lot of tension. Into her research in Antarctica, removed from civilization with a small crew, Rachael and the team hear a recording that nuclear bombs have been dropped and for everyone to stay inside as the air is toxic. From here, the story grips you and legitimately makes it hard to breathe with the twists and turns that take place. The other issue is how past researchers have had hallucinations, given that there is no sunlight, removed from humanity, and it is winter in Antarctica. Rachael sees people such as her daughter while on this mission. As a reader, you have to wonder what is real at this point and what is a hallucination.

White Out is a book that I should love based on the description. A researcher is stranded in Antarctica when she gets a radio broadcast that nuclear war has broken out. This alone got me excited but I just was never sucked in.

Rachael left her family and her child to embark on this dangerous research mission even after her husband pleaded for her not to go. This was one of the main reasons I didn’t like the book. This just made me mad at Rachael and made her not relatable to me. With someone who is happily married with a kid on the way, there is no way I would leave.

The other issue I had was with how topical it was. It did not name the US president by name but it did use a lot of keywords so you know who it is. I go to my books to escape the real world so for me personally I didn’t like that reminder of real life but I know some people will love it.

Overall this is a good story and it’s well written but it just didn’t grab me. By no means do I think this is a bad book. I thought it would have been the target audience but unfortunately, this was not for me.

R.S. Burnett’s Whiteout takes the classic “last person on Earth” scenario and throws it into one of the most brutal, unforgiving landscapes imaginable.

Rachel is just trying to survive the Antarctic winter—until a radio transmission changes everything. Nuclear war. Silence. No one responding. Suddenly, the cold isn’t the only threat she has to fear.

Interesting points: extreme isolation, survival thriller, post-apocalyptic dread, Antarctica setting

Would recommend to anyone looking for a chilling (literally) survival thriller.

I went into Whiteout expecting a gripping, survivalist thriller—often described as the earthbound The Martian but unfortunately, it left me incredibly disappointed. The premise sounded fantastic: a lone researcher stranded in the deep, frozen darkness of Antarctica, possibly the last survivor after a nuclear war, battling dwindling supplies and isolation. However, the execution fell flat for me.

The main character, Rachael, was difficult to connect with, and her decision-making was frustrating. One of the first things that rubbed me the wrong way was her choice to leave her toddler behind for months. I get that people have careers, but in a story like this, it made it hard to root for her. Then there’s her relationship with a senior researcher—who’s significantly older—who either had a past fling with her or just exerts a weird, borderline groomer influence. It was never fully clear, but the dynamic felt off.

The entire world is supposedly wiped out in a nuclear attack, which should have dire consequences. We’re even told via a BBC emergency broadcast that nuclear winter is upon us, and any survivors must stay inside. And yet, Rachael is casually wandering around outside, doing whatever she pleases, seemingly unaffected. No radiation sickness, no environmental consequences—just vibes. That inconsistency made it hard to stay immersed.

I won’t spoil it, but if you have even a basic sense of storytelling, you’ll piece together what’s happening well before the book wants you to. That predictability sucked the tension out of the plot.

It was a quick read, and the audiobook narration was decent. If you go in with managed expectations—knowing it’s less of a scientific survival thriller and more of a psychological drama—you might enjoy it more than I did. But if you’re looking for realism and well-developed characters, this one might be a miss.

I didn't hate it....but I also didn't love it. I feel as though I wasn't connected to the FMC, Rachel, therefore I didn't really find myself rooting for her. I love a dystopian thriller, but this just didn't hit the mark for me. I had such a hard time understanding how you can just up and leave your daughter, randomly, and not return when you find out things might not be as they seem. The audio version of the book was well done and I really did enjoy the narrator!

Thank you NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks for the ARC of this audiobook in exhange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

WOW!!!!!!! One woman alone in the Antarctic.. how interesting can it be??? WELL FIND OUT! This was a great read!!!

as the blurb describes.....

A researcher stranded in Antarctica receives a radio message that a nuclear war has broken out in this claustrophobic survival thriller, perfect for fans of The Martian, The Last Murder at the End of the World and Breathless.

It’s been four months since glaciologist Rachael Beckett left her husband and daughter to join an urgent research trip to a remote field station deep in the Antarctic. But after losing all communication with her crew at base camp, she’s trapped and alone – and running out of supplies. The only information she has about what’s gone so catastrophically wrong is an emergency radio broadcast playing on a a nuclear war has broken out, and Rachael might be the last survivor on Earth.

Abandoned and starving, all she has left is a fierce determination to stay alive in the extreme cold and perpetual darkness of the polar winter. The research she’s gathered about catastrophic climate damage means she holds the fate of the continent and the world in her grasp…if there’s even a world left to save.

Struggling with loneliness and grief over the unknown fate of her family back home, Rachael knows both her life and her sanity balance on a knife edge. As she battles to stay alive in unimaginable conditions, she soon discovers she’s not completely alone in the dark and cold–but she might wish she was…

I was surprised that this dystopian thriller had me completely intrigued. The premise of this novel was that a scientist is stranded in the middle of Antarctica because a nuclear war takes place, leaving her the last woman on earth. I thought to myself, how is the author going to create an entire story about this idea, but is totally worked.

When an environmental crisis arises, new mom and scientist, Rachael Beckett, has to make a choice whether to stay home with her newborn baby or come out of retirement to go on a five month expedition to Antarctica. Leaving her baby and angry husband behind, Rachael wrestles with the decision she made and why she made it, knowing this decision could ruin her marriage. In the middle of her scientific research, Rachael soon discovers that while she has been off-grid, a nuclear war has happened back home and with no radio signal, she believes she may be the last person on earth. This novel travels through two timelines, the present expedition and what lead to Rachael making the decision to leave her family. Not only trying to figure out how to survive the winter in Antarctica, Rachael has to deal with the loss of everyone she loves.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was a creative idea.

The narrator was fantastic and did a great job. Thank you NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #Whiteout

Wow I felt this. It was far too real! The stuff with the climate and the president is just too real. I love the narration. I think I need a few days to recover from this book.

My thoughts: wow oh wow… OK the first third of the book was a little slower paste and honestly quite frustrating but I’ll get to that in just a minute, but the rest of the book I was a literally holding my breath, at the edge of my seat, freaking out about what’s gonna happen! I couldn’t stop listening! So.Action.Packed I’m pretty sure I finished this whole audiobook in less than 24 hours 🩵 I love that I did this book in audio too! It made the action scenes so much more exciting and shocking. This narrator was wonderful!
My rating was going to be around three stars that whole first part of the book! And honestly, it was mostly because of the topic/content (it was written beautifully). But it hits on points that are very sensitive to me, especially living right now in the US with this new current administration… These European researchers talk about how America is pulling out of science based research because they “don’t believe in global warming” and it won’t benefit the pockets of all the rich politicians. And even this book is non-fiction, It hits way too close to home… Because the corrupt American administration that they don’t actually name in the book I know is now my current administration. It was making my blood boil while reading. Once you get past all the political talk and it moves to her survival part is where I really sunk into this book!
It does jump back-and-forth in time from before she leaves her home to join this mission to when she’s stuck and isolated… A few times it did completely confuse me, but after listening for a few more minutes I was able to catch up.
Honestly, if you like a fast paced, action-packed read then this is for sure your go to! I really loved it! Thank you @netgalley for the chance to listen to this phenomenal book!

Suspenseful, atmospheric, dark, and disturbingly prophetic in some ways, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and did not want to put it down. The descriptions of the setting had me shivering and the plot twists had me on the edge of my seat. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of the ending. It felt completely understandable on the one hand, but utterly disappointing on the other. The narrator of the audio version did an excellent job! Definitely worth taking the time to read or listen to this one.

Americans are stubborn and cause a climate change catastrophe and only one woman can stop it with a ridiculous and meandering plot and a hero that abandons her family and is extremely unlikeable with an assassin sent on a mission to kill but would rather kidnap and have his way with the main character and add tons of anti-American sentiment on top of it.
Does this review sound sporadic and ridiculous? Well... just read the book. It is comparable.

Not so much a thriller as a drama to me.
A stubborn scientist, Rachel, makes emotional decisions, is swayed easily by her husband and her mentor, and seems to run from a trouble into a different trouble.
Rachel’s emotions and thought processes are recorded vividly; when she is distressed, I felt her anxiety and confusion. The author excels at pulling the reader through Rachel’s confusion.
This novel rollercoasters from flashbacks to survival issues. Approximately half the book focuses on her marital issues and insecurities. The Antarctic survival scenes are quite tense; the intensity of life in an Antarctic winter is felt, rather than merely read about.
The narrator has enthusiastically read this book with amazing inflection.
Thank you to Crooked Lane. Oops and Net Galley for this recommended read.

What a great book! Whiteout by R.S. Burnett had me saying “what?” throughout most of the book. I was intrigued by the isolation-centered plot of researcher Rachael as she struggles with a failing marriage, love for her infant and desire to be a professional scientist again and help save the world while (mostly) alone in an Antarctic winter knowing a nuclear war has occurred.

It’s a fast paced, twisty turny, apocalyptic thriller that had me guessing the entire time I listened. The audiobook was very well narrated. I kept having flashbacks to other books, Earth Abides and The Martian, and was shocked at how badly I guess what’s going to happen.

My biggest compliment is this book makes me want to explore Burnett’s other works.

I was intrigued by the premise of this one but unfortunately the actual story fell short of my anticipation. I found the characters and subsequent plot to be quite flat and disinteresting. Ultimately I could have finished it but I didn't have much to say about it.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

When she left her husband and infant daughter at home in the UK for another research trip to Antartica, Rachel Beckett knew she'd be pretty secluded. She expected to be one of a handful of researchers on various bases, with limited communication in extreme conditions.....she did NOT expect to find out that a nuclear war has broken out and much of the UK was devastated. Now, stuck with the most extreme physical conditions on the planet and also the punishing anguish of knowing you weren't with your family at the end of the world, Rachel has to be tougher than ever.

I will say as an American coincidentally listening to this on Inauguration Day, some of the political commentary and extrapolation really turned my stomach. This might be a little tough for people to swallow during Trump's second term, either because you love him and the way the American President is painted will bother you, or because you don't like him and believe that it absolutely could happen this way. I unfortunately think it's perfectly plausible so it was a little heavy for me, but very quickly Rachel was on the plane headed to Antartica and after that the only political commentary was from brief flashbacks and it was more manageable.

Anyway, the story is great, the twists were good, and the terrain was definitely written in a way that made me feel cold. Rachel's mental state was also very well done. I can't even imagine how someone would feel in this position. For a little bit at the end I did wonder if the book had written itself into a corner and dreaded it would end with an 'it was all a dream!' type thing, but thankfully that wasn't the case and the ending was really good. Highly recommend this one across the board!

Tasked with preventing a historic environmental disaster, glaciologist Rachael Beckett leaves her husband and daughter for a critical research mission in Antarctica. Isolated in the frozen wilderness, she receives a chilling emergency broadcast about a catastrophic nuclear attack. As she grapples with the possibility of being the last person alive, the unforgiving cold and brutal winds pale in comparison to the guilt of abandoning her family.

Through a series of flashbacks, we get more insights into Racheal’s life as a wife and mother which made me more emotionally invested in the story. Debut author R.S. Burnett also delves into the implications of climate change and global political landscape. WHITEOUT was a slow-burn but the ending had a fantastic pay-off.

READ THIS IF YOU:
-are interested in a post-apocalyptic story in a desolate place
-believe isolation is the purest form of torture
-enjoy a harrowing survival story

Such an impressive debut! This story seamlessly blends two genres (human vs nature & thriller,) and the narrator's voice acting was excellent. I highly recommend to fans of The Martian or suspense novels.

The plot: Rachel is four months into an emergency research expedition to the deep Antarctic in the middle of winter, leaving her infant daughter and husband behind. The glaciological study she's conducting with her three crewmates may be the only chance at saving Earth from cataclysmic drilling-induced environmental disasters. Three problems plague her: 1. She lost all communication with her crew weeks ago 2. Her survival supplies are rapidly dwindling 3. Her radio is transmitting an emergency broadcast indicating a nuclear war has broken out, suggesting she may be the last person alive on Earth. Rachel must fight against the forbidding cold, perpetual darkness, and her tenuous sanity to survive... especially when she realizes she's not as alone as she thought.

What I liked: This book was really cool to read - I enjoyed the flashback/forward structure, and I was in suspense until the very end. I wasn't quite sure how a survival book & thriller would come together, but Burnett managed this and more. Rachel was very well-developed, and her struggles with loneliness, hope, and her own identity were well-written. I think many mothers will see themselves in her struggle to understand who she is when not pursuing her career and trying to balance new family demands with her romantic relationship. I enjoyed the psychological thriller aspects and found myself questioning what was real alongside Rachel. The ending was very satisfying, although I am wondering what happened to a few of the important characters.. I'm looking forward to reading whatever Burnett writes next!

Thank you to Spotify Audiobooks & NetGalley for this ARC!

Well, this is terrifying and terrific! (And a debut!!)

Stranded after losing communication with her team, glaciologist Rachael Beckett faces extreme conditions and a chilling radio message about nuclear war. Completely alone and cut off, she must fight to survive.

There’s a good amount of science in the story, but it’s easy to follow even if science isn’t your thing (trust me, I failed science).

Rachael is incredibly resilient and likable—it’s impossible not to root for her. The dual timelines alternate between her current isolation in the Antarctic and the events that led her there, adding depth to the story.

Considering that much of the book focuses on a lone woman in such an extreme environment, it’s surprisingly fast-paced and exciting. The ending, while a little predictable, still delivers and left me super entertained.

I listened to the audiobook which was so fun - I felt like I was watching a movie - great performance.

Packed with thrilling, action-filled moments, this was not my usually read, but I’m so glad I took the chance - if you want to be entertained by a kick-ass woman in Antarctica- this is it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Spotify Audiobooks for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review

Rachael Beckett left her husband and daughter to join an urgent research trip to a remote field station in the Antarctic. After losing all communication with her crew at base camp, she’s alone, running out of supplies, and frightened. The only communication she has is a radio station with a repeating emergency broadcast stating that there has been a nuclear war. Worried for her daughter and husband, Rachael fears she may be the only person still left on earth. Knowing that her research could potentially save the planet from collapse, she fights to stay alive. But she soon discovers she is not alone. But she might soon wish she was.

This book feels like a mix between Andy Weir and T.J. Newman with the almost sci-fi elements mixed with natural disaster and feeling of despair like an old doomsday movie. It’s a wonderful apocalyptic thriller with all the classic elements but with one of the most unique earthly settings. It has elements of a psychological thriller that truly make this a unique and twisty read. This book is action-packed, gripping, and truly one-of-a-kind. I genuinely enjoyed this book and I hope Burnett writes more books because I will devour them like I did with this one.

Thank you Spotify Audiobooks for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.