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    Beyond the Point: A Novel
    Beyond the Point: A Novel
    Beyond the Point: A Novel
    Audiobook13 hours

    Beyond the Point: A Novel

    Written by Claire Gibson

    Narrated by Jayme Mattler, Janina Edwards and Emily Rankin

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    In this powerful debut novel set at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, three women—a nationally-ranked point guard, the granddaughter of an Army general, and a rebellious Homecoming Queen—are brought together in an enthralling story of friendship, heartbreak, and resilience.

    Duty. Honor. Country. That’s West Point’s motto, and every cadet who passes through its stone gates vows to live it. But on the eve of 9/11, as Dani, Hannah and Avery face four grueling years ahead, they realize they’ll only survive if they do it together.

    Everyone knows Dani is going places. With athletic talent and a brilliant mind, she navigates West Point’s predominantly male environment with wit and confidence, breaking stereotypes and embracing new friends.

    Hannah’s grandfather, a legendary Army general, offers a stark warning about the dangers that lie ahead, but she moves forward anyway, letting faith guide her path. When she meets her soul mate at West Point, the future looks perfect, just as planned.

    Wild child Avery moves fast and doesn’t mind breaking a few rules (and hearts) along the way. But she can’t outpace her self-doubt, and the harder she tries, the further it leads her down a treacherous path.

    The world—of business, of love, and of war—awaits Dani, Hannah, and Avery beyond the gates of West Point. These three women know that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. But soon, that adage no longer rings true—for their future, or their friendship. As they’re pulled in different directions, will their hard-forged bond prevail or shatter?

    Beyond the Point is a heartfelt look at how our closest friends can become our fiercest battle buddies. After all, the greatest battles we fight rarely require a uniform.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateApr 2, 2019
    ISBN9780062898708
    Author

    Claire Gibson

    Claire Gibson is a writer and journalist based in Nashville, Tennessee. Born and raised at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, she grew up captivated by cadets and always dreamed of writing a story that honored her childhood home and the women that inspired her there. Her stories have been featured in The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, The Tennessean and Entrepreneur Magazine, among many other publications.

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    Reviews for Beyond the Point

    4/5

    94 ratings20 reviews

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    • 5/5
      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.
    • 2/5
      This recording ended with 6 chapters still left in the book. It ends at chapter 34, and the book has 40 chapters.

      The reading and recording itself were excellent. But really disappointed to not be able to finish listening.
    • 4/5
      Beyond the Point is a book about friendship and relationships. I will admit that I found the synopsis interesting because of the concept of women at West Point. I thoroughly enjoy a tale about strong women whether they are tackling a traditionally male bastion like the military college of West Point or the story of a Queen like Eleanor of Aquitaine.Three women come to West Point for different reasons. Dani, Avery and Hannah all play basketball and are recruited to the team but their reasons for wanting to be at this particular school are as varied as the backgrounds of the three girls. While they come to the school as strangers they will form a bond that will last through love, loss, war, injury and death.So much in this book was alien to me; I know very little about basketball and I really know nothing going into a military college. I always love a book that gives me insights into areas that were previously unknown to me. But at it’s heart this is a book about the bonds women form that last throughout their lives.Beyond the Point follows the three women as they leave high school, enter West Point and then go on to their careers. Their relationships are not always harmonious but when they need each other they are there for each other. I found myself quite drawn into the stories of all three and truth be told I was up reading until 3 in the morning. I didn’t quite finish but quickly did so the next morning. Or was that the same morning? It was a very compelling book with memorable characters.
    • 5/5
      The raw, beautiful genuine emotions Claire Gibson brings to the pages leaves me breathless with a tear streaming down my cheek for the story of Hannah, Avery, and Dani to the final page.
    • 3/5
      I requested this novel from Early Reviewers because my niece just graduated from West Point. The first third of the novel was great and just what I was hoping for, a good primer of the unique experience of West Point and follows the three main characters through their days in college. While the plot moved quickly and took me easily through the rest of the novel, the plot got a little looser after that and, in trying to follow three threads, didn't quite flesh any of the three out as deeply or well as the first third. Ultimately, the Evangelical Christian messaging that was the wrap-up was a bit of a turn off to me (although, if it had been a part of a single story, it would have worked better for me). I do think that my niece (who is a recent grad and and Evangelical Christian) would enjoy it very much. I intend to recommend it to her.
    • 3/5
      The audiobook stops at 34 chapters. There are 40. Otherwise 5 stars. I happened to have the book and noticed it when I went to look up something. Scribd. Redo.
    • 5/5
      This book needs more buzz! I totally did not expect this book to be as wonderful as it was. From the beginning of the book, I thought this was going to a predictable, but the author managed to catch me by surprise. This is definitely a book that needs to be read by literary fans. This isn't a story about women's empowerment or struggles in a maie dominated field, but rather their individual journeys through life and their friendship. This is told through three POVs, which seems like a lot but they were woven together seamlessly to be enjoyable. If you're looking for a character drive story, I'd highly recommend this.
    • 5/5
      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!
    • 5/5
      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
      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.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 1/5
      Hannah, Avery, and Dani were all different. However; it took me a while to differentiate between their stories once they actually being at West Point. That was one thing I wish was a little more distinct as I had to take a second to run through my brain on who was being discussed when talking about things. I cannot pin point why, but I kept wanting to put this down. Then again, I wanted to know what happened. It was like I had a love/hate relationship with the story. I was loving it and not enjoying it all at the same time. I really cannot even tell you why. It was just how I was feeling as I was reading. I ended up DNF this one.
    • 3/5
      Hannah, Dani, and Avery meet at West Point, the U.S. Military Academy. Together, they are going to face four difficult years--at a tough military academy that is even harder on women. Through the adversity, the three will forge a tight friendship. Dani has come to play basketball, but her body may not be on board with that plan. Hannah comes from a military family, but even her own grandfather isn't sure he wants Hannah at West Point. But Hannah forges ahead anyway, and at school, she meets Tim, the love of her life. And finally, there's Avery, who has come to West Point to escape her tough parents and get a free education. But once there, she finds the strict rules harder to follow than expected, especially when she can't help breaking a few hearts along the way. Hannah, Dani, and Avery are coming of age at West Point in the era of 9/11, facing war together, along with love, heartbreak, and more. Can their friendship survive all these things?This book took me forever to read; it's very long and detailed, starting with the girls arriving at West Point and going much past it. It actually begins with a series of emails, then dips back to West Point. I have somewhat mixed feelings about this novel, which is very sweeping in its content. I never felt a deep desire to get back and pick it up, but when reading it, found it interesting and compelling.Hannah, Dani, and Avery are intriguing characters, though it took me a little while to tell them apart. At times, they seemed a bit cliched. Other times, they seemed very in-depth. It was very interesting to read a book that went into such detail about military life. (While West Point clearly offered a chance at great friendships and future success, it seemed really scary sometimes!) It offers a lot of heartfelt moments, and I think it truly gave some insight to what military families go through.Overall, I liked this one - it was a very different read, and I really enjoyed the chance to read a book set at West Point. It's very poignant and often heartbreaking. It felt a bit long and uneven at times, but still very strong for a debut novel. 3+ stars.I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Librarything in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
    • 4/5
      Beyond the Point is a beautiful story of the power of friendship and faith in the lives of three women who met while studying at West Point. I love that this story shines a light on the fierce, courageous women who serve our country. This book made me think about all of the unique challenges faced by women in the military as well as the strength and perseverance required to complete their missions. It was inspiring to see the powerful bonds forged by women from such different backgrounds while in pursuit of a common goal. My favorite quote is “People remember who showed up for the shitty moments far more than they remember who showed up for the party.” That pretty much sums up the kind of friendship these women shared—always there when it mattered most.
    • 3/5
      The writing is good and reading g about women at West Point was interesting.. There was, however, just a little to much religion in this. Not my kind of read, borders on Christian fiction which is not my preferred genre. Just makes me uncomfortable.ARC from library thing.
    • 4/5
      Beyond the Point is a book about friendship and relationships. I will admit that I found the synopsis interesting because of the concept of women at West Point. I thoroughly enjoy a tale about strong women whether they are tackling a traditionally male bastion like the military college of West Point or the story of a Queen like Eleanor of Aquitaine.Three women come to West Point for different reasons. Dani, Avery and Hannah all play basketball and are recruited to the team but their reasons for wanting to be at this particular school are as varied as the backgrounds of the three girls. While they come to the school as strangers they will form a bond that will last through love, loss, war, injury and death.So much in this book was alien to me; I know very little about basketball and I really know nothing going into a military college. I always love a book that gives me insights into areas that were previously unknown to me. But at it’s heart this is a book about the bonds women form that last throughout their lives.Beyond the Point follows the three women as they leave high school, enter West Point and then go on to their careers. Their relationships are not always harmonious but when they need each other they are there for each other. I found myself quite drawn into the stories of all three and truth be told I was up reading until 3 in the morning. I didn’t quite finish but quickly did so the next morning. Or was that the same morning? It was a very compelling book with memorable characters.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed the story of Dani, Hannah and Avery...how they came to choose West Point for college, how they came together, what adventures they had and challenges they faced, how they grew individually and as friends, how life changes and strengthens relationships with time...it was heartbreaking at times and heartwarming at others. I couldn’t put it down tonight, although I did not enjoy how heavily the Christian influence was in parts of the book. I still highly recommend because of the great writing style and ability of the author to paint a vivid picture in your mind!
    • 4/5
      This is a fantastic debut novel about women and their friendships. It has three realistically written women as main characters who become friends and maintain that friendship during trying times. It's amazing that this is a debut novel and I can't wait to see what this author writes in the future.Dani, Hannah and Avery meet when they start college at West Point. They all play on the basketball team and become good friends as they struggle with the workloads at West Point. All three of them are faced with discrimination against women at West Point as well as in their lives when they leave college and go out into the world. Their friendship is what helps them all through their bad times.This is a wonderful novel about friendship and love and courage. I loved the three main characters and admired what they went through at West Point as well as in their lives in the military. I also like that the author wrote them so realistically and we see their flaws as well as their good points. I highly recommend this novel.Thanks to goodreads for a copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.
    • 3/5
      Beyond the Point is a good enough piece of chick lit with a military setting. Three girls bond on the women's basketball team their plebe year at West Point and grow up through graduation and into young adulthood. The insider's look at West Point (Ms. Gibson grew up there) was interesting and entertaining. On the other hand, I found it hard to take classroom discussions or religious insights very seriously. Nevertheless, I kept reading to a satisfactory conclusion.
    • 4/5
      This story of the three friends with totally different personalities and coming from different parts of the country was absolutely refreshing! It had a real plot, not just a sappy women’s friendship novel. I loved the inside story of what it would be like to be a woman at West Point, few novels touch on that. The story of the one friend who ends up in business was a realistic description of that corporate culture. The reader is given enough background that she can feel the pain and bitterness of one of the women when something she had planned for falls apart.There was a little too much emphasis on faith and religion thrown in, but not too preachy.