Tried to listen to the audiobook on the way to work and then attempted to read the book. DNF.

A thrilling, atmospheric debut with the intensive drive of The Martian and Gravity and the creeping dread of Annihilation, in which a caver on a foreign planet finds herself on a terrifying psychological and emotional journey for survival.

When Gyre Price lied her way into this expedition, she thought she’d be mapping mineral deposits, and that her biggest problems would be cave collapses and gear malfunctions. She also thought that the fat pay cheque—enough to get her off-planet and on the trail of her mother—meant she’d get a skilled surface team, monitoring her suit and environment, keeping her safe. Keeping her sane.

Instead, she got Em.

Em sees nothing wrong with controlling Gyre’s body with drugs or withholding critical information to “ensure the smooth operation” of her expedition. Em knows all about Gyre’s falsified credentials, and has no qualms using them as a leash—and a lash. And Em has secrets, too . . .

As Gyre descends, little inconsistencies—missing supplies, unexpected changes in the route, and, worst of all, shifts in Em’s motivations—drive her out of her depths. Lost and disoriented, Gyre finds her sense of control giving way to paranoia and anger. On her own in this mysterious, deadly place, surrounded by darkness and the unknown, Gyre must overcome more than just the dangerous terrain and the Tunneler which calls underground its home if she wants to make it out alive—she must confront the ghosts in her own head.

But how come she can’t shake the feeling she’s being followed?

Only two characters appear in the entire story: a spelunker in an alien cavern and her guide and handler along the surface. Both young women have similar tragic backstories–losing their parents at a young age–both are exceptional liars, and both are chasing a delusional dream of reuniting with mothers that abandoned them. The only difference is that the one on the surface has the means to pursue her pipe dream, while the other is conned into risking her life in pursuit of the truth about what really happened to the surface girl’s family.

Both characters are unlikeable and I really, really tried to root for one or the other but all I could think of – girl, you let yourself get into this mess, get yourself out. And the voices of the two women sound the same. And there’s literally nothing going on but a constant descent, which could have happened anywhere on this planet (including caves)

Mediocre book. I lasted about half way through the audio book and managed to read a bit more of the physical book thinking that maybe, just maybe, it’s the narrator’s voice that’s boring me so much. The book is no better.

     Her pulse quickened. Had she turned back, somehow? Had she hallucinated the climb up the Long Drop? Dread pooled in her gut and she tried again to lift her hand, but the suit refused to cooperate. Had Em locked her in place to keep her from pushing still further into the bowels of the cave?

     There—a fingertip budged. But she could sense something, out beyond her helmet. Out in the darkness she couldn’t see. It was close.
        It was coming closer. Jennie? Or the cache thief? Isolde. She could almost see her against the glow, pale and desperate, and rushing, rushing—

     She woke up again, sitting straight up, the familiar vault of Camp Four above her.