Wonderfully written with poignant touches, Beyond the Point is one of the best books I've read this year. The characters will stay with me for a long time. I wish I had friends like Dani, Avery, and Hannah. ( )

I received copy of this book for free from the publisher as part of an Instagram book tour I did to promote the book.

Omg what a beautiful book! It definitely lives up to all the hype.

The story was mesmerizing. I became so invested in the lives of the three women. I felt like I personally knew them and that I was right there with them through their ups and downs. All three of them felt so realistic.

The author’s writing style is phenomenal. There’s something utterly captivating about it.

Some people mention that this book should be classified as Christian fiction because of the talk of God and religion. I have read my fair share of Christian fiction and I don’t think this book quite fits that. There are mentions of God, but that’s mainly due to one character being religious. Just because the Christian religion is discussed in a book does not mean it is Christian fiction. There is so much more to this book than that (friendship, love, grief, etc.).

My edition had a little bonus section at the end with filled background behind the novel, including interviews with real life West Point women. I enjoyed hearing their experiences.

Lastly, I wanted to share a quote from the book about love that really struck me. The author writes, “Love starts in the body. It starts with the tingling of toes and the rushing of blood and the lightness in the head. It feels a lot like pain…There are convulsions, nausea, heartburn, and breathlessness. There is a physical ache you feel when falling in love. It’s your heart making room for someone else, like a gardener is there, digging out a hole for a new plant. There is pain, and there is fear. The fear that the hole might stay forever” (pg. 151-152)

Overall, I LOVED this book and consider it a new favorite of mine. If you’ve been putting off reading this book like I did (it had been sitting on my shelf since 2019), just pick it up already and read it! ( )

This book is RAW. No, it's not dirty; it's just that the author has flayed the skin off of her three main characters and exposed them. Each of the three met her battles, sometimes well; other times no so well. ( )

4.5 stars.

Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson is a heartfelt and touching novel of friendship.

Dani McNally, Hannah Speer and Avery Adams are recruited to play basketball at West Point. Dani is highly intelligent and a stellar athlete. Hannah's grandfather is a West Point grad who would rather she go to college elsewhere. Relying on her strong faith, she ignores his warnings and excels academically. Avery is headstrong and not averse to breaking rules in order to get what she wants. Despite their differences and competitiveness on the basketball court, the three women forge a close friendship. But after graduation, is their friendship strong enough to survive the different paths they travel?

Dani is confident with a clear vision of her future. She is an outstanding athlete who shines on and off the court. Life throws her unexpected curves and her career does not go as she envisions. After graduation, Dani is the person who makes sure the three women continue to stay in touch.

Avery is dismayed to discover that she is not as athletically gifted as she believes herself to be. Self doubts set in and she flouts the rules in order to feel better about herself. Avery's poor decision making and lack of confidence follows her beyond West Point.

Hannah's faith in herself and God never wavers as she embarks on her career following graduation. She is soon married to Tim Nesmith, her college boyfriend, and despite the hardships of dual military careers, she is quite happy. Hannah is the first of the friends to deploy to Afghanistan where she works hard and counts down the days until she is reunited with her loving husband.

From the dramatic prologue to the poignant yet uplifting conclusion, Beyond the Point is a thoroughly captivating novel. Dani, Avery, and Hannah are wonderfully developed characters with realistic shortcomings and admirable strengths. Their friendship is heartening and strong enough to withhold the joys and sorrows of the lives at West Point and their first few years post-graduation. Claire Gibson paints a true to life, insightful and sometimes heartbreaking portrait of military life. A beautiful story of friendship and faith that I absolutely loved and highly recommend.
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Claire Gibson has done a very good job of describing the lives of West Point cadets who ascribe to the motto "Duty, Honor, Country." I am married to a graduate of West Point, so I have become familiar with the traditions and rigors, both academically and physically, of the cadets. The three cadet women featured were very different prior to their entrance as cadets, but formed a bond that lasted long after graduation. This life-long bond exists without question among my husband's classmates. The book's poignancy was heightened by the fact that they were cadets facing a world in crisis in the aftermath of 9/11. There is sadness and sacrifice in this novel that always exist in military life since deployment and its life-threatening situations are inevitable.

I hope that everyone will have an opportunity to visit one of the academies. The commitment of these young men and women is awe-inspiring, and ensures freedoms that should never be taken for granted. Perhaps books like this one and The Long Gray Line by Rick Atkinson will heighten an appreciation of the dedication by young people serving this country. ( )