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28 ratings | 5 reviews | avg rating:4.93

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Chris Cleave’s Followers (3,467)

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Chris’s Friends (253)

Tara

1,316 books | 2,001 friends

Marni Mann

385 books | 2,967 friends

Michele

30,425 books | 5,114 friends

Gina

1,357 books | 67 friends

Ava Catherine

5,035 books | 1,509 friends

Chelsea

4,853 books | 235 friends

Scott James

2,009 books | 525 friends

Anne

5,741 books | 644 friends

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Chris Cleave

Goodreads Author

Born

in London, The United Kingdom

Website

http://www.chriscleave.com

Genre

Psychology, Fiction

Member Since

September 2008

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/chriscleave

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Dr. Chris Cleave is an existential psychotherapist, practicing psychologist, and #1 New York Times bestselling writer whose work explores how human beings recover meaning, connection, and agency after trauma. His novels have been translated into thirty-five languages, and he has spent two decades writing about the inner lives of people under extreme pressure. Alongside his literary career, Cleave maintains a clinical practice in London. Find him at chriscleave.com.

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Combine Editions
Chris Cleave’s books

Average rating: 3.72 · 329,171 ratings · 33,166 reviews · 35 distinct works • Similar authors

	Little Bee 3.72 avg rating — 251,075 ratings — published 2008 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Everyone Brave Is Forgiven 3.75 avg rating — 46,358 ratings — published 2016 — 57 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gold 3.71 avg rating — 16,976 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Incendiary 3.62 avg rating — 14,072 ratings — published 2005 — 75 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gold: Sneak Preview with Bonus Essays 3.69 avg rating — 89 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Incendiary: A Novel 3.95 avg rating — 79 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Chris Cleave Ebook Boxed Set: Little Bee, Incendiary, Gold 4.03 avg rating — 65 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Something to Read About: A Book Club Sampler from Simon Schuster by Chris Cleave (Goodreads Author), Philippa Gregory (Goodreads Author), Sarah Pekkanen (Goodreads Author) 3.48 avg rating — 52 ratings — published 2011 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	chris cleave 3 book collection bundle set, (little bee, the other hand, incen... 4.33 avg rating — 6 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gull it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2006 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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100 posts
Chris Cleave's Blog: Human Again with Dr Chris Cleave

A shrug, but not a slump

This week I walked with my editor to a hill above London, and we looked out on a city cloaked in steam. The old metropolis, still glowing from the summer’s heat, had been slaked in the first rains of autumn. Now its towers loomed through a mist that a low sun made luminous. “Pastoral Bladerunner” was how my editor described it, thanks to the oaks that framed the view.

Autumn this year does have

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Interview with Chris Cleave

A novel of athletic and emotional extremes, Gold pits two close friends and cyclists against each other as they race for the chance to compete in...

Chris is Currently Reading

Chris Cleave rated a book it was amazing

Look At You

by Amanda Smyth (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jul 25, 2025 06:25AM

Chris Cleave rated a book it was amazing

Time Shelter

by Georgi Gospodinov

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jul 25, 2025 06:24AM

Chris Cleave rated a book it was amazing

The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World

by David Abram

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jul 25, 2025 06:24AM

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Chris’s Recent Updates

Chris Cleave wrote a new blog post A shrug, but not a slump This week I walked with my editor to a hill above London, and we looked out on a city cloaked in steam. The old metropolis, still glowing from the su Read more of this blog post »
Oct 24, 2026 12:15AM · like
Chris Cleave added a status update: Here's a short story I wrote this week, about the times we are living through. I hope you enjoy it! https://chriscleave.substack.com/p/ho...
Aug 01, 2025 05:41AM · 4 likes · like · see status
Chris Cleave made a comment on his status " Thank you, Heather! "
Aug 01, 2025 05:39AM
Chris Cleave wants to read Exophony: Voyages Outside the Mother Tongue by Yōko Tawada	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 01, 2025 05:38AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Exophony by Yōko Tawada. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Exophony by Yōko Tawada <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Chris Cleave liked Lillian's review of Exophony: Voyages Outside the Mother Tongue:
Jul 31, 2025 12:32PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Exophony by Yōko Tawada. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Exophony by Yōko Tawada <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Chris Cleave liked Chelsea’s status update Chelsea wants to read How to Change Your Mind: The New Science of Psychedelics
Jul 25, 2025 06:58AM · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Chris Cleave is accepting questions on their profile page.
Jul 25, 2025 06:50AM · Be the first to ask Chris Cleave a question
Chris Cleave rated a book it was amazing Look At You by Amanda Smyth (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 25, 2025 06:26AM · 3 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Look At You by Amanda Smyth. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Look At You by Amanda Smyth <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Chris Cleave rated a book it was amazing Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 25, 2025 06:25AM · 4 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Chris Cleave rated a book it was amazing The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World by David Abram	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 25, 2025 06:25AM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Spell of the Sensuous by David Abram. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Spell of the Sensuous by David Abram <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Chris's books…

Quotes by Chris Cleave (?)

“On the girl's brown legs there were many small white scars. I was thinking, Do those scars cover the whole of you, like the stars and the moons on your dress? I thought that would be pretty too, and I ask you right here please to agree with me that a scar is never ugly. That is what the scar makers want us to think. But you and I, we must make an agreement to defy them. We must see all scars as beauty. Okay? This will be our secret. Because take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, I survived.”
― Chris Cleave, Little Bee

tags: healing, scars

418 likes

“We must see all scars as beauty. Okay? This will be our secret. Because take it from me, a scar does not form on the dying. A scar means, 'I survived'.”
― Chris Cleave, The Other Hand

384 likes

“Sad words are just another beauty. A sad story means, this storyteller is alive. The next thing you know something fine will happen to her, something marvelous, and then she will turn around and smile.”
― Chris Cleave, Little Bee

173 likes

See all Chris Cleave's quotes »

Polls

April Side Read Nominations ~ Final Poll

Normal People

by Sally Rooney

11 votes, 29.7%

The Girls at 17 Swann Street

by Yara Zgheib

9 votes, 24.3%

Pachinko

by Min Jin Lee

9 votes, 24.3%

Everyone Brave is Forgiven

by Chris Cleave

5 votes, 13.5%

Scythe

by Neal Shusterman

2 votes, 5.4%

The East End

by Jason Allen

1 vote, 2.7%

37 total votes

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Between the Lines: January 2010- The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh	13	99	Jan 26, 2010 05:11PM
100+ Books in 2026: Beth K's 2010 Challange	2	120	Jan 27, 2010 10:29AM

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Chris Cleave

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