Book Review: "All the White Spaces" by Ally Wilkes

Yes, I have been reserving stuff at the library and I didn't think I'd like this one to be honest. I was on the fence about it but then again, I didn't understand myself. I enjoy Arctic horror and I've loved books like The Terror by Dan Simmons in the past and so, cold chilly horror should be my thing. I was shaky at first but I reserved it anyway after learning how long it was and so, it would give me a good day or so of reading. And reader, here's the conclusion: I really damn well enjoyed it. It was brilliant.

Jonathan is a transgender man who is grappling with the loss of his two brothers who have been killed in World War 1 and so, he makes a plan. Jonathan joins the Arctic expedition that he knew his brothers wanted to be a part of by stowing himself away on a ship called the Fortitude. He keeps making these steps in the knowledge that his brothers probably would have been proud of him whilst also being cautious that not everyone understands exactly who he is. I love this intertwining of various themes. First of all, we have a grief-of-war novel, then we have an LGBT character with those themes, finally we have the danger of the ice that resonates the atmospheres found within the first part of Frankenstein and most of the novel The Terror. All this mixed together makes for a very compelling novel.

Jonathan’s journey aboard the Fortitude is fraught with secrecy and tension. Although he is eventually discovered by the crew, he manages to convince the expedition leader, James “Australis” Randall, to let him stay as an unofficial member. As the ship sails deeper into the frozen Weddell Sea, Jonathan tries to navigate the masculine world of polar exploration while maintaining his disguise. There's so many dangers in this book that it becomes more and more interesting with each page. First we have a very macro-threat, the threat of the weather and the place - for example: the possibility of being stuck in the ice. Then we have the micro-threat which is more specific to our main character: the fear of being found out and having his identity put on trial.

A devastating fire aboard the Fortitude forces the crew to abandon ship in the unforgiving Antarctic environment. With little food or equipment, they are stranded far from civilisation. They take shelter in the remnants of a previous German expedition camp that had mysteriously vanished years earlier. The men are cold, hungry, and traumatised. But more than that, there’s something deeply wrong about the place. The supernatural themes are coming out to play and honestly, this is where the book starts to get really good. All the threats start to come out of the woodwork and we see what everyone - no matter their identity - is truly afraid of: they're afraid of the very place they happen to be in. The writer incorporates fear into every chapter in a slow, steady and bubbling intensity that captures every sense of the reader.

As the Antarctic winter sets in, darkness and isolation begin to take their toll. The men report seeing apparitions and hearing voices in the wind, and some even wander off into the white wilderness, never to return. Jonathan, haunted by memories of his brothers, begins to suspect that their spirits might be among the icy phantoms tormenting the expedition. This is where the novel also starts to become more psychological. One thing I always questioned is whether Jonathan was projecting his own fears of inadequacy in his brothers' eyes upon the supernatural forces at play in the Arctic. But to find the answers you're going to have to read the book for yourself.

I was quite surprised I enjoyed this book as much as I did, but there is simply so much going on in this book. Not just a horror novel, this book is also a history as much as it is a psychological thriller. It includes hauntings as much as it does PTSD and as much as it does the difficulties with coming to terms with your true identity. It was a fantastic, compelling and immersive read.