White Hell follows the harrowing journey of Peter "Peanuts" McEwan, a white frontiersman heading west to California in 1846. Along the way, he forms an unlikely bond with Violet, an escaped slave, and becomes her protector against the rising tide of prejudice among their fellow travelers. As their journey is brought to a brutal standstill by an unforgiving snowstorm, Peter must face not only human cruelty but the unimaginable horrors that desperation can breed—including the threat of cannibalism.

Loosely inspired by the infamous Donner Party tragedy, Sean Tyler’s novel defies easy categorization. It’s part western, part romance, part social commentary, and part survival horror. With deft storytelling, Tyler blends these genres into a riveting, emotionally charged narrative that builds toward a chilling and unforgettable climax. White Hell is a genre-bending epic that grips you from the start and doesn't let go.

I enjoyed the prose of this book, and I felt it was a very well written piece of historical fiction, but I was a bit taken aback by the dialogue at times. It often felt too modern and at times immature, especially from the protagonist, and it felt a little jarring. I would have enjoyed more focus on the horrors of cannibalism and survival, but overall I found this a solid read, especially for fans of historical fiction.

A disastrous tale of pioneers travelling overland to California in 1846, and the collapse of human comradeship & social norms.
I enjoyed the overall story and the diverse personalities of the various quirky characters. However, the dialogue of the main protagonist, Peter McEwan, is that of a modern teenager, not a young adventurer from that period. Due to this, unfortunately, I can only give the novel three stars.

*I read the version before the last edit*
This book was weird. I knew nothing of the author before reading, and it all made too much sense after learning about him. It felt like a massive virtue signal of college student in 2024 instead of the pioneering man it should have been. The plot itself was really good, but the virtue signaling got in the way of it. The voice of the MMC was completely out of touch for a pioneer headed west. That disconnection took away from my enjoyment of the book. I just wanted this book to focus on the actual plot, the journey and the cannibalism and not the “I’m different from all the other white guys” vibe.

I have tried multiple times to read this ARC but I have simply decided that it just was not for me. I read through the first 1/3 of the book and the cadence of this story was so strange. The sentence structure itself and the POV just felt so shallow in terms of development. I could not get over how juvenile and lacking the writing felt while contrasting such a serious and grim matter.

This year I have been trying to read outside of my normal genres but I may need to retreat back to what I know.

Thank you Netgalley and Level Best Books for this arc.