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Cold People

By: Tom Rob Smith
Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
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Summary

'An ambitious, cinematic thriller' Observer
'A talented storyteller' The Times
'A cinematic epic' Daily Mail

What if our only hope of survival becomes our greatest threat?

From the brilliant, bestselling author of Child 44 comes a suspenseful and fast-paced novel about a colony of global apocalypse survivors seeking to reinvent civilisation under the most extreme conditions imaginable.

The world has fallen. Without warning, a mysterious and omnipotent force has claimed the planet for their own. There are no negotiations, no demands, no reasons given for their actions. All they have is a message: humanity has thirty days to reach the one place on Earth where they will be allowed to exist… Antarctica.

Cold People follows the journeys of a handful of those who endure the frantic exodus to the most extreme environment on the planet. But their goal is not merely to survive the present. Because as they cling to life on the ice, the remnants of their past swept away, they must also confront the urgent challenge: can they change and evolve rapidly enough to ensure humanity’s future? Can they build a new society in the sub-zero cold?

Original and imaginative, as profoundly intimate as it is grand in scope, Cold People is a masterful and unforgettable epic.

©2023 Tom Rob Smith (P)2023 Simon & Schuster, UK
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What listeners say about Cold People

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    5 out of 5 stars

Just as you thought you'd read all possible disast

disaster stories ans there ould be no more variants, along comes a corker 😁 👍

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Terrific!

Such a beautifully written and hugely imaginative work. Kept taking me by surprise which is ideal for a novel depicting a world so different from mine.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Very enjoyable

What a fantastic concept. The story does not go into the detail of the mass exodus and why but more about the current situation of mankind 20 years later.
Great plot and character development.
I really enjoyed this title.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A different read

I'm not really sure what to make of this one. I feel it was a poetry of story. The real meaning about connections, love and loss, rather than science fiction.

If you want a story about what it is to be human and what it is to loss, struggle and love in the face of despair within themes of science fiction, then this book is for you.

If you're looking for a book about pure sci-fi, then look elsewhere.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Poor narration. Superficial

Felt like this book could have been much bigger and written in greater depth. Disappointing after all the hype.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Slow start.

Became more interesting and enjoyable towards the end. Slightly absurd main villain. 4 legs? Why?

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I loved this book

I’ve read lots of the other reviews that only give this one star for story. I disagree but that’s the joy of reading. You just have to suspend reality and other stories that have gone before and enjoy the ride.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Intruiging premise

Extreme setting and scenario gave an unusual context to the exploration of a variety of topics and kept me engaged for most of the novel, obvious loose ends notwithstanding. The narrator’s flat monotone didn’t enhance it much.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Interesting yet poorly written

An okay story with plenty of holes. Language and characters are uninteresting and the story doesn’t really build towards anything.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

More details needed

I enjoyed this book but it could have been so much more, not enough details about alien invasion, and just as it was getting interesting it ended - left wanting more- which might be the intention of the author - somehow missed being brilliant

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