All the White Spaces

by Ally Wilkes

In the wake of the First World War, Jonathan Morgan stows away on an Antarctic expedition, determined to find his rightful place in the world of men. Aboard the expeditionary ship, Jonathan may live as his true self―and true gender―and have the adventures he has always been denied. But not all is smooth sailing: the war casts its long shadow over them all, and grief, guilt, and mistrust skulk among the explorers.

When disaster strikes in Antarctica’s frozen Weddell Sea, the men must take to the land and overwinter somewhere which immediately seems both eerie and wrong; a place not marked on any of their part-drawn maps of the vast white continent. Now completely isolated, Randall’s expedition has no ability to contact the outside world. And no one is coming to rescue them. In the freezing darkness of the Polar night, where the aurora creeps across the sky, something terrible has been waiting to lure them out into its deadly landscape…

Genres: Horror, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Queer, LGBT, Historical, Adult

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 25, 2022

About the author

I write supernatural, cosmic, and weird horror, and I'm particularly fascinated by Polar stories and the exploration Gothic, despite suffering from seasickness and loathing the cold!

My debut novel All the White Spaces, set in the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration, will be out in January 2022 (UK) / March 2022 (US).

My short fiction has been published in Nightmare Magazine, Three Crows Magazine, and I'm also the Book Reviews Editor for Horrified Magazine, the British horror website. I live in Greenwich, London, with an anatomical human skeleton and far too many books about Polar exploration...

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why I am intrigued by books set in the cold, there is a certain thrill and danger to it, I suppose that I enjoy. Being without help, left to your devices, with the sheer painful cold that chills down to your bones. The atmosphere of a cold environment - ice and snow for as far as the eye can see. I'm in every single time.

All the White Spaces follows Jonathon Morgan, a trans teen who stows, with his friend Harry's help, away on ship voyage to the South Pole. Still grieving the loss of his older brothers, Jonathon wants to prove his worth and go on an adventure. Meeting his idol, James “Australis” Randall, is a plus.


When the crew enters the Antarctica’s frozen Weddell Sea, things become eerily wrong. It becomes clear that something isn't quite right. This place is not marked on a map, others have ventured into the area to never be seen again. Once could say that is the peril of sailing to such a cold environment, but the men on this expedition know it is something quite different.

This book strongly remined me of The Terror and it was difficult not to compare this book with that book. There are differences of course, but at its core it about men on a ship, fighting the cold, stranded, up against danger, up against the odds.


What I enjoyed about this book is having a trans young man as they main character, trying to find his way, leaving home for the first time to find himself and a new life. I did feel that parts were slow in this book and waited for the you-know-what-to-hit-the-fan. It does but for me it took a little too long for it to happen.

Overall, an enjoyable read that I would have liked to have moved much faster along.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[Constantine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Horror + Historical Fiction

All The White Spaces is the story of a transgender main character during World War I. Jonathan Morgan loses two of his brothers during the war. He wants to prove himself as a man who can be as a hero as his brothers were. Along with his friend Harry he decides to join an expedition going to Antarctica. During this journey on the ship, Jonathan faces many challenges be it by the crew or the dangerous climate. But what the crew did not expect is the horrific force they are going to face that brings them fear and terror.

This book was very atmospheric. One of my most favorite tropes is being stuck somewhere in the cold. This book has this trope and I think the author has used the climate perfectly as a force of terror. I feel that was the biggest challenge that the crew faced in this story. I enjoyed a lot this atmosphere that the author has created. However, I felt the pace was too slow. The plot takes a long time to reach the supernatural horror. The historical part of it is very well done. The horror part is mainly depending on the climate itself. Yes, the isolation itself is horrific but I expected more than that and with a faster pace. Another thing I truly wish the author concentrated more on was the transgender aspect. Yes, there are mentions here and there but they were not enough. In the middle of the story, I completely forgot that I was reading about a transgender character. It would have been great to see how a transgender character would have felt and thought about in that era. I think the book will be most suitable for readers who enjoy a story that is a slow burn and needs some time to move forward.

Many thanks to the publisher Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book.

[Tammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

All The White Spaces, a horror/historical fiction book, was a solid 4 star read.
The book centers around main character Jonathan Morgan-a young man trying to make his way in the world, especially after his two older brothers are killed in the war. Desperate for adventure and to feel “closer” to his fallen brothers, he stows away on a ship bound for an Antarctic expedition. Jonathan gets way more adventure than he anticipates, as the crew is forced to abandon the ship and fight to survive in the frigid conditions.
All The White Spaces is a well-written book that is highly atmospheric. I enjoyed the full cast of characters (there is a helpful detailed crew list in the beginning of the book) and the twists and turns throughout-it’s much more than what it seems. Highly recommended to fans of horror and historical fiction books. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Allegra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave up on the ARC and purchased a copy from the UK to read instead. Maybe this was a mistake, because now I'm stuck with this paperback of a book I don't plan on rereading.
The book was _okay_. The blurb said it was a mixture of The Terror and The Thing and it really wasn't either because both of those things are scary and intense and this one just sort of plodded along middlingly. I knew the stakes were high because obviously when you're in Antarctica, it's a matter of life and death 100% of the time, but they never truly _felt_ high. I wasn't really all that concerned with the survival of anyone in the book. And listen, if I had to read about those ding dang brothers one. more. time. I was going to scream. WE GET IT, THEY DIED IN THE WAR. MESSAGE RECEIVED. And honestly, they sounded like dicks so I don't understand why Jonathan was so hung up on them. His motivation for stealing away on this entire expedition was both stupid and unclear.

Honestly, having a trans MC added nothing to this story and should have been taken out if the author wasn't going to delve into it completely. I never TRULY felt like the MC was a man. He sounded like a woman (which is maybe because he was written by a woman) and the danger and risk he was taking simply by posing as a man was not fleshed out in the least. Where did he learn to walk like a man? It was set in the 1920's, so he would have grown up wearing all sorts of restrictive Edwardian fashion, but it's simply not brought up. The book never talks about him learning to _talk_ like a man. He blushes (like a girl) whenever anyone brings up anything ~suggestive. What the devil did he do when he got his period??????????? He didn't mention like, rolling up a sock and hiding it in his underwear to give the appearance of having male anatomy. He shaves his head and that's about it: masculinity accomplished.
The whole angle of a trans character felt performative in this case, and if you want a story that's Actually Really Good and goes into all the above details of a FtM trans MC in historical fiction, read the Leo Stanhope series by Alex Reeve.

And listen, if people kept dying while they were on watch because of the haunted-ass aurora australis, maybe STOP HAVING PEOPLE GO ON WATCH THEN? Batten down the damned hatches and stay inside until the thaw with the dumb dogs.

Honestly there are better cold horror books out there. Give this one a skip.

But really, what did he do when he got his period in Antarctica surrounded by dudes & really limited washing opportunities??

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for a book of horror and fiction, set in Antarctica in 1920. The narrator, Jo, sister to 2 brothers killed in battle in WWI, is determined to fulfill her 2 brothers lifelong dream, i.e. to explore Antarctica. She disguises her self as a man and stows away abroad an Antarctic expedition ship. She is eventually discovered, but the expedition leader allows her to stay.
There is a supernatural evil presence in Antarctica, luring men to their deaths. I don't usually read paranormal books, this one had too much paranormal for me. It was also too long. I thought that the description of Antarctic conditions were accurate. I probably won't read any more books by this author. It was a slow read for me, 9 days.
One quote: "But now my brothers would never see Antarctica. Never know a clear day on the South Atlantic, or the jeweled ice of the floes. Their dreams had come to nothing, but I was the last Morgan sibling, and I knew where I'd find them.
I knew where I had to go."
Thanks to Maudee Genao from Simon & Schuster, for sending me this eARC through Edelweiss.

[Miya (severe pain struggles, slower at the moment) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a journey. The representation...yes yes yes! The human emotions and experiences being dealt with on top of the eerie suspense of what is happening to the crew of the expedition absolutely keeps you engaged...submerged. One of those books you think about for a while after it ends. Really enjoyed it!

[Michelle]

DNF @ page 65 - will not be included in my 2022 reading challenge

I was hoping for horror but what I'm getting is a very technical book about a sailing expedition. I admire the knowledge of the author, I love the trans representation, and the atmosphere is on point but the technical details along with the multitude of characters has me really struggling to continue. I may come back to this at a later date but for now it's going back on the shelf.

[3 no 7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the White Spaces” opens on December 1918. In a first-person narrative, Jo relates the duty, the sacrifice, and the horrors. The War had ended, but Rufus and Francis were still in France, incapacitated by their wounds, badly septic, from the thick mud of the battlefield. Then, the telegram that changed everything arrived with handwritten words and sentences; “Deeply regret to inform you.” Her brothers had left her behind.

Jo knew their stories so well, those explorers of Antarctica; there were monsters in the corners of the map, hiding in all the white spaces. Jo’s war-hero brothers, off on their adventure to the great white continent, were invincible, laughing, triumphant, leaving her behind, but now all that had changed. She was the last Morgan sibling, and she knew where she had to go, Antarctica. Of course, “Jo” is discovered, but that does not stop the mission, the pull of Antarctic that all on the ship feel.

The narrative is foreboding and sinister; activating the senses. Winter comes with its darkness and the wind whips over the surface of the ice. The coal-black sky blots out the stars. The hull is frozen into the shore ice like an almond in a bar of nougat. There were faint smells, thick, sweet, like rotting peaches. The settling snow crunched under boots. The wind moaned ceaselessly over the ice. The moaning of winds over the ice was ceaseless. The mountains were angular dark slashes of ink on a white-and-blue page. There came a gunshot, then silence.

“All the White Spaces” is a complex mix of historic fiction, mystery, suspense, and outright horror. Is the setting, Antarctic itself the villain in the story, or is something else? I received a review copy of “All the White Spaces” from Ally Wilkes, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and Simon &Schuster. It was somewhat slow to read because it is filled with compelling details. The book also contains a convenient list of the 1920 British Coats Land Expedition in the front.

[Bon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit of a rant incoming.

I'm upset at how poorly executed this brilliant premise was. I had my issues with The Terror, a lot of which was probably due to a cishet white male author, but overall enjoyed it. I thought this premise could only improve upon it; a different polar region, a transmasc protagonist, a different time period.

No.

First, the pacing. This book was horribly slow, passages weighed down by nautical technicalities and mental monologues by the protagonist. It's bizarrely broken into only five chapters, too. And Jonathan's two dead brothers were such an exhausted topic by the end of this book. I had to really make myself finish, it was that bad, bogged down by a lot of telling not showing, and a complete lack of spooky atmosphere.

The narrator had a bizarre choice of accent, no idea what that was. It was semi-British but not, and the book delivered in such a hushed tone that it was like they recorded it in secret, under the bedcovers, past bedtime. Zero inflection and it all just ran together. I don't even know what the explanation was, in the end.

Lastly, yes, it's annoying to see reviews saying "a girl dresses as a boy and stows away-" when no, this is a trans man protagonist, let's call it as the author intended. That said, like other reviewers noted, it was almost tokenism because the character's transness was never really addressed beyond vague allusions to deadnames and not being accepted for who they were at home in 1918. I spent the book wondering how they managed to conceal so much - particularly menstruation? The realism was entirely lacking, and so I found it hard to take this as genuine representation. On top of everything else wrong with the book.

The things it did well? Uh, treatment of the dogs on the expedition, some of whom actually survive whatever the hell happened in this book. A weak shoutout there.

[Thomas Wagner | SFF180 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

“Great God, this is an awful place,” said British explorer Robert Falcon Scott on his disastrous 1912 expedition to the South Pole, and Ally Wilkes has one of her characters say something almost identical in her absorbing alt-history horror debut All the White Spaces. If you’re going to write a horror story set in Antarctica, you pretty much have me at hello. And this isn’t just because, like anyone of taste and refinement, I have an enduring love of John Carpenter’s The Thing.

I’ve been a South Pole fanboy since I was a teenager, thanks not only to Carpenter’s film but the Masterpiece Theater miniseries The Last Place on Earth, based on Roland Huntford’s myth-shattering book about the race to the Pole in 1912 between Scott and Norway’s Roald Amundsen. From there I read Huntford’s book, which remains my absolute favorite work of nonfiction history to this day. I also devoured other books about the last great era of Polar exploration, including Ernest Shackleton’s own memoir, South, and The Worst Journey in the World, a firsthand account by one of Scott’s own men, Apsley Cherry-Garrard.

So, speaking as an Antarcti-geek, how well does All the White Spaces work? Not half bad, if I do say so. Sure, it has its share of debut novel hiccups, the most obvious of which is overlength. But mostly, this combination of high-seas adventure, survival horror, and coming-of-age story manages to hit its marks. Horror readers hoping for the kind of in-your-face shocks of The Thing or At the Mountains of Madness or even Dan Simmons’ The Terror might feel let down. The horror here is a cold slow burn, possibly a bit too slow. But it’s a good thing we’re not getting just another creature feature, nor another imitative “Oh no, who can I trust?” story. The book does deliver, without pulling a bait-and-switch or collapsing into sheer silliness.

It’s 1920 in an alternate history timeline in which neither Ernest Shackleton nor, presumably, Scott or Amundsen existed, and the deep Antarctic remains unexplored and the Pole undiscovered. The Great War has happened, however, and Jo Morgan’s two older brothers, Rufus and Francis, went off to fight and are not coming home. Jo decides to honor their memory by sneaking off, with the help of working class friend and surviving veteran of the trenches Harry Cooper, and joining the Antarctic expedition led by polar hero James Randall. Randall’s fame is on the wane, as the societal trauma of the Great War has sapped the public’s interest in the romance of exploration. Randall is also leaving for the south dangerously late in the season. So Harry easily buys his passage, while Jo stows away. (Continued...)

[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to Ally Wilkes, Atria and Netgally.
I really have no clue how I should rate this book.
It's everything that I love in these books. Cold, dark, supernatural and all kinds of messed up! ✔ Check
I loved how the "ghosts" came into play.
Especially at that historical time. WWI. Everyone must have had "ghosts."
It was just incredibly difficult for me to like any of these people.
Unfortunately, about the last 40% is when I started liking the main character "Jonathan" more. I blamed him from the Georgia Island about Harry. I finally let that go!
I found most of the ending satisfying. But, that's only with a few huge caveats. As in..so now what?
What happens to these fantastic character's after?
4* story. 3 1/2 ending. I'll round up, but that's subject to change. This story is going to stick with me for awhile.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always found the unknown region of Antartica fascinating and very creepy. I loved The Terror by Dan Simmons so I was very anxious to get started reading All The White Spaces.

It's good to know a little bit of the story before going into this one but I'm still going to be vague with the synopsis:

Set right after the end of World War I, All The White Spaces centers around 19-year-old transgender Jonathan Morgan(yay for representation!). Jonathan’s two older brothers were killed during the war but they always dreamed of visiting the artic. In tribute to fulfilling his deceased brother's dream, Jonathan hides as a stowaway on the Fortitude a ship set to sail for Antarctica. While on the Fortitude he meets his idol, the world-famous explorer James ‘Australis’ Randall who is the captain of the expedition. As the voyage progresses everything starts to go very wrong.

Hang onto your seats, All The White Spaces is one wild ride! Full of unexpected twists and turns, this book is full of entertainment. Mixed with equal parts of historical fiction, coming of age, thriller, mystery, and even horror this genre-bending novel is filled with so many elements that it's impossible to nail it down to just one.

Ally Wilkes created a superb atmospheric novel. At times I truly felt as if I was with Jonathan in the artic. I loved the fact that the main character is a transgender young man. I enjoyed following him as he became comfortable in his skin. As far as the element of horror, it's nothing violent or too graphic whatsoever.

I highly recommend this unique, genre-bending, atmospheric, coming-of-age story read to all readers! Ally Wilkes did an amazing job crafting this story and I will keep an eye out for whatever she comes out with next. All The White Spaces will be available on March 22. A massive thanks to Atria Books for the gifted copy!

[Dannii Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Antarctic expedition, at the close of the first world war, goes horrifically awry and untold horrors are revealed in this historical horror novel.

I appreciated how slow the horrifying elements this contained were to appear and how the reader was intimately introduced to the characters and this world first. I felt I understood ship life, the placement for each individual, and their interpersonal relationships well enough so that any initial confusion was waylaid long before the insidious elements were drip-fed into the novel.

I also highly appreciated all that occurring between and around each scene that was presented to the reader. Much was inferred about cultural and societal expectations, largely regarding gender, and many struggles were faced by these characters when they refused to be defined by these narrow margins or packaged into these tight boxes. I thought the author focused on these with a grace and sensitivity that never overshadowed the suffering of these character's historical counterparts and allowed their true selves to shine through from the confines of time and these pages.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Ally Wilkes, and the publisher, Titan Books, for this opportunity.

[Yodamom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great characters, extraordinary location descriptions/atmosphere, creepy mystery, danger and disaster. There was a young trans character as the main character that well written as he found his true self in this horrific tale.
This was a dark tragedy exploration to the Antarctic. Late travel to the Weddell Sea was just the beginning of the disastrous journey. Weather, light, food, muttany, and a possible paranormal unknown all want them dead it seems.
I loved it, the story, it was the slow pacing of the story that took some of the joy away. The middle part of the book seemed to take forever to get through. There was too much inner dialog for this reader. The beginning and the end was thrilling. The end, frustraiting ! I needed a couple more pages, to know if it was real, there was a lot of imagining going on.

[Andy Weston · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is something of an insult to Dan Simmons that this is compared to The Terror.
Possibly its equivalent if it was written for ten year olds, but I hesitate, as I know ten year olds who would dismiss this as drivel.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 stars
This story had a strong setup with a very sympathetic trans boy at the center of the story. The Antarctica winter setting setting was a great atmosphere but the middle section of the story was just way too long and slow. Eventually the story picked up but it was too late to regain my attention.

[Willow Heath]

Reminiscent of Dan Simmons’ The Terror and sections of Frankenstein, All the White Spaces is a chilling and immersive tale of exploration and survival in the white wastes of Antarctica. This is also an historical novel, set so close to the end of the Great War, the poppies had barely begun to bloom.

Our protagonist is Jonathan, a young trans man who never saw the front lines, but did lose two brothers to the war. All three had grown up reading about the exploits of arctic explorers, and coming to terms with the fact that his brothers would never get to set sail, Jonathan sneaks about a British vessel headed for Antarctica. Things go dreadfully wrong, almost from the outset, and eventually the crew find themselves stranded.

My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/best-horror-n...

[Mariana · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5
Siempre siento feo ponerle una calificación baja a una novela debut y más de una escritora de horror, pero la verdad este libro se me hizo ETERNO. Estuve a punto de no terminarlo, pues el ritmo de la historia se me hizo muy lento y pesado. Si bien los relatos sobre exploraciones antarticas como The Terror o En las montañas de la locura son relatos que me causan mucha ansiedad y desesperación, creo que funcionan porque logran transmitir la emoción de los exploradores o también porque hacen que te preocupes por los personajes, en este libro no me importó realmente lo que le pasaba a ninguno de los involucrados. Es más, ya quería mejor que se murieran todos, jaja. Le doy 2.5 estrellas muy bien ganadas por la representación trans y porque se nota que la autora investigó los términos náuticos.

[Renee Godding · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars

Ally Wilkes debut novel brought some genuine shivers to my spine, and they weren’t just because of the vivid Arctic setting…

Set in the twilight years following World War II, All the White Spaces is an Arctic, historical horror novel with a more modern-gothic twist. We follow Jonathan, a trans young man who stows away on an Antarctic expedition, in order to prove his rightful worth in the world of men. As a horrible disaster leaves the crew stranded ashore during the Arctic winter, with little means for survival and no hope of rescue. The men travel inland in hopes of finding refuge, but soon find themselves in the never-ending unmapped white-lands, where everything feels eerily wrong. In the Polar night, lit only by the chilling lights of the Aurora Borealis overhead, they soon realise they might not be as alone as they initially thought.

It’s not hard to see why this novel worked so well for me. I’m a sucker for modern-gothic horror with troubled characters who must face their personal ghosts and trauma’s. I’m also a sucker for all things set in the Arctic, so combining these two was a match made in heaven.
All The White Spaces delivers on all of these points: it’s highly atmospheric, claustrophobic and genuinely nightmarish at times. The combination of a supernatural threat, with the very real horrors of survival, isolation and war trauma, make for a powerful contrast that drives home both sides. Although the plot was slow to get started, and I have to admit that I was bored during the first 20% or so, the characters and their faiths really began to grow on my throughout. With a story that is, in its purest form quite reminiscent of the likes of The Terror and Who Goes There?, it’s the characters and especially the inclusion of a trans protagonist against a historical setting, that set this book apart from the crowd.
A few minor points of critique keep this novel from being a full 5-star experience for me. The pacing throughout the first half could’ve been improved, shortening the introduction a bit, to match the latter half better. I also found some of the dialogue to be a little clunky, but not to the point where it was bothersome.

Overall, an impressive and bone-chilling debut by an author whom interests and style seem right up my alley.

All the White Spaces is set for release on January 25th in UK and Europe, and March 22nd for American markets. Many thanks to Titan Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Alex Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I received an ARC of this book through a giveaway hosted on Goodreads. I was not compensated for this review, and the thoughts expressed here are mine and mine alone.

The blurb I saw for All The White Spaces suggested that it was a mystery thriller set on an Antarctic expedition. That blurb was wrong; this book is so, so much more than that. All The White Spaces follows Jonathan Morgan, a trans man in his late teens who stows away on an expedition to the South Pole as a tribute to his brothers who were killed in WWI and had always aspired to explore the world. He meets the famous explorer James “Australis” Randall, captain of the expedition (and the Fortitude, the ship they’ll take on the voyage) and finds his place among the crew. Throughout the journey, we see Jonathan come into his own personality and sense of self, dealing with the stresses of sea life and, eventually, the challenges of survival in Antarctica.

Ally Wilkes fills the crew of the Fortitude with memorable characters, from Jonathan and Australis to Clarke, Tarlington, Boyd, and Nicholls, among others. Her descriptions are vivid, and she paints the scenery of the polar continent in starkness, capturing the beauty and horror of the aurora australis, the overwinter, and, of course, all the white spaces.

The ending is ambiguous, or at least I found it to be ambiguous, and I loved it. I absolutely recommend this book. It’s well written, smart, and carefully done. 5/5.

[Jordaline Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟

[Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few novels about doomed Antarctic expeditions during which supernatural shenanigans and weather woes battle to see which phenomena can make everyone more miserable, and the distinguishing feature in Wilkes' is the sweet, pure heart of this book that is narrator Jonathan Morgan. Come for the evocative writing that leaves the reader wondering if they're chilled because of the appalling climate, the grotesque descriptions of all! that! frostbite!, or because everyone is slowly being driven mad by the terrible wind and the aurora borealis, and stay for Jonathan's triumphant realization of his true self, complete with the trans experience of that good ol' tense inner monologue (it works for pronouns too): "Do I interrupt this conversation with my friend to correct him or what? He KNOWS my name." Did I tear up when Tarlington told Jonathan he'd like to have seen his brothers do better? Yes. Yes, I did.

[Katie T]

Dnf 12% this is feeling so boring so fast 😭

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It reminded me of the movie The Thing as well as this book The Dark by Emma Haughton. It was creepy, atmospheric and I found myself having to leave the lights on a few times. I have also seen it be compared to The Terror, by Dan Simmons, which is still on my TBR.

At the start of WW1, Jonathan Morgan is a determined to prove himself as a man. He decides to stow away in a ship bound on an expedition to Antarctica. Led by his hero James Randall, Jonathan is excited that he has the freedom to be himself.

At some point on the voyage the men need to disembark the ship. They land on a place that is creepy and strange and not marked on their maps. With no ability to call for help the crew is stranded in this isolated winter wasteland.

As the days and nights pass it gets colder and colder. The men begin to suspect something is watching them in the icy shadows. A supernatural force that knows their greatest fears, and preys upon their weakness.

I got chills reading this and chills again writing it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

The white spaces of the title represent where the compelling characterization was supposed to go.

Jonathan is a shockingly inert protagonist; after one act of bravery that kicks off the book, he spends most of the remaining three hundred pages passively observing other people's dramas. It's not until the book is ninety percent done that he rises to take actual action again, and by that point I was so deeply bored with him, I didn't really care. A protagonist who is more acted upon than acting isn't always a bad thing, but in a survivalist horror story, the characters need to be fighters. Wilkes is clearly a fan of both "The Terror" (the show, not the book) and "The Thing," but in both those stories, the protagonists are consistently struggling against their increasingly bleak circumstances. There's a reason that Hickey in "The Terror" remains a fan favourite: he may be a villain, but he's one who is always striving towards something. Jonathan isn't.

Jonathan's exterior blankness could work if his interior life was more developed, but it never really is; Wilkes' writing style holds the character at a remove, so that even though the narration is in the first person, I never really felt like I got to know him as a person. Even the pivotal relationships that shaped him - with his parents, with his brothers, with Harry - felt like half-finished sketches rather than anything that could help me understand the person I was reading about. I spent three hundred and fifty pages with this man and still couldn't tell you anything about him.

The characterization problems extend beyond Jonathan, though - most of the crew is similarly blank. I would say that Tarlington and Harry - the only two characters with semi-compelling arcs - would have made better leads, but I'm afraid that Wilkes wouldn't be able to nurture the seeds she planted if they were brought to the forefront. Beyond those two, I couldn't tell you ANYTHING about the rest of the cast. In a story like this, where the horror springs from characters being picked off one by one, the reader needs to at least know enough about them to notice when they're gone. I couldn't pick a single one of these men out of a lineup. If you're a reader who's more interested in setting than character, you might enjoy the descriptions of the ship and of the Antarctic. And Wilkes is definitely talented when it comes to evoking the tactile sensations of living in the bitter cold. I just wish the people in this book didn't feel as blank as the landscape.

[bookishcharli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wonderful book takes place during World War 1 and follows trans teen Jonathon Morgan, and his friend Harry, as they join an expedition to the South Pole. We soon learn that Jonathon recently lost his brothers and he wants to show everybody what he’s made of, and that he is capable of being a hero just like them. When the ship arrives in the Antarctica and enters the frozen Weddell Sea things quickly take a turn for the worse. You know that feeling you get when you know, something utterly terrifying is going to happen, and something is very very wrong? Yeah they start to realise that this place isn’t on any map in their possession and the only people to witness it before them were never seen again. But not only do Jonathon and Harry have to face the challenges of their environment, they also have challenges with their crew aboard the ship, but not a single man aboard could ever predict the horrors that they’re about to face.

What an absolute THRILL of a book, I really enjoyed the slow burn of the plot as it kept me gripped throughout and I feel like this is a story that shouldn’t be rushed. I loved that we had some trans representation in the form of the main character and I feel in love with him instantly. The bravery and kindness he showed throughout the book was more than warm enough to melt their icy surroundings. If you enjoy supernatural books, or the classic stuck somewhere cold please help me troupe then you’ll enjoy this one!

Thank you Titan Books for sending me a copy to review as part of their blog tour.

[Sam | reading.and.roaming · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have been striking out lately and ALL THE WHITE SPACES was a severe let down.

The intro to the book asks if I’ve locked my doors and turned on all the lights. I was ready and willing to be scared shitless by a historical fiction horror story. It did not deliver. If you’re going to hype yourself up with a “check under your bed” intro, I better wind up with fear-induced insomnia.

Instead, I got pages and pages and pages of a slog through an adventure story with a couple of creepy moments that did not stress me out in the least.

Honestly, I should have DNFed, but I was CONVINCED it would be worthwhile. ‘Twas not.

On a positive note, the writing was deeply atmospheric. I could feel the cold and the despair of this crew stranded in a brutal and unforgiving place.

I also appreciated having a trans MC who embraced the adventure to his core. However, many of the other characters were one dimensional and constantly making choices that seemed blatantly poor.

Had this book not gone so hard on setting itself up as a terrifying horror read, I might have enjoyed it more. The majority of the story was the adventure into The South and the disasters that occur to these adventurers. I wish it was being marketed as historical fiction with a creepy twist, rather than a heart-pounding horror story. Unfortunately, I feel like I was set up to fail with this one, which is just too bad.

[Parris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggle to see who this book is for. While I can appreciate the tying together of horror elements, survival, and trying to make an identity for yourself, this book was so fucking long.

It felt longer than A Little Life despite being half the length. Imagine a book being about driving a car somewhere. After the first 100 pages you get into a car crash. 200 pages of you contemplating the predicament you’re currently in. Then the car explodes and you’re on fire. 150 pages of you on fire. Then the car, on fire, teeters off a cliff. 100
pages of you on fire and falling to your death.

The characters are not very like able, and even though we’re supposed to be rooting for Jonathan, on his “journey”, he treats the people around him pretty shittily and lacks compassion when he’s also simultaneously hoping for compassion from others.

I feel like I could go on and on but this book was NOT for me and I should have dnf’d at some point but i’m stupid and wanted to have another book/number of pages added to my 2022 reads. I need a sappy gay romance to cleanse the pallet like ASAP.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

oh lawd.

This was one I should have DNFd early on. It was soooo friggen sloooooow but I hung on waiting and hoping it would get better because Queer! and Antarctica! and Horror! but when the "horror" part was finally introduced I was just so far beyond caring and to make things even worse, it wasn't even REMOTELY scary.

The audio narration wasn't helping it either. I wasn't a fan of the reader. I ended up setting it on 1.3 speed just to make it go by a little quicker.

It just wasn't for me.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Obvious comparisons with Dan Simmons' The Terror; A ship full of men, all beards and hands and chunky jumpers, freezing environment, disaster, unimaginable suffering, paranoia, madness, hallucinations etc etc.

The only grumble, and it's a slight one. I Wasn't really sure what to make of Johnathan, I didn't particularly like them, thought the relationship with Harry was strange and was confused by their reaction to Tarlington and Nicholls. Can't decide if the author missed an opportunity to do something amazing or if they were spot on with the character. Ponderings.......... the sign of good book. Will definitely read more from this author.