Reviews

Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton

gemlobz's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

jasje2000's review against another edition

4.0

Het meest interessante aan dit boek vond ik dat het zich niet heel erg focust op de gebeurtenissen van de school shooters, maar met name op de reactie van de mensen eromheen. Ik vind dat er heel mooi beschreven wordt hoe snel je in zo'n situatie je medemens kan gaan wantrouwen en hoe je als ouders snel een schuldige wilt aanwijzen, ondanks dat je geen weet hebt van de situatie. Daarbij komt dat de achtergronden van de personages goed worden uitgewerkt, met name de achtergrond van rafi wat een hele extra dimensie aan het boek geeft.

nicquinn25's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

sarahalland's review

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

liliya_klein's review against another edition

5.0

There’s no audiobook for this book so I had to read the actual book

margaret21's review

4.0

This fictional account of a plot for a school shooting, England's answer to the Columbine High School Massacre is both compelling and believable. We follow those 180 minutes from the first intimation that something is dreadful is about to take place when this free-thinking Somerset school's headteacher is shot through to the culmination of the event (not the end, that's for sure. But the beginning of the end) some three hours later. We're privy to the story from the viewpoint of a few of the pupils, a couple of teachers, and one parent in particular. We see it unfold as the pupils access how the world is looking on, horrified, via WhatsApp, Facebook , Twitter and so on. It's no coincidence, dramatically speaking, that pupils in the Drama wing are dress rehearsing Macbeth. It's relevant that two pupils are Syrian refugees. It engages with real headlines doing the rounds at the time, such as right wing fear of Muslims promulgated by the likes of the Daily Express and Katie Hopkins and Donald Trump.

It couldn't happen here? Read this book. It might change your mind for you.

shelleys_book_nook's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book blew me away and it's such a timely read with the politics in the USA and around the world. Donald Trump has allowed these despicable racist cretins to come out of the woodwork and voice their terrible feelings towards Muslims and immigrants in general. The world is an awful enough place without having someone like him as the leader of the free world.

This is such a high tension, thought provoking story and the person I felt the worst for was Jamie's mother. What she went through and what was going on in her head (through internal dialogue) was heartbreaking. Lipton writes amazing real life characters and develops them throughout the plot as their situations changes every one of them. The reader starts to care for them and hopes they get out alive. It was traumatizing. 

I loved the backstory of the brothers Rafi and Basi. They fought so hard to leave Syria for the United Kingdom only to face another hellish war for the fight of their lives. Rafi was such a smart soul whose love for his girlfriend, Hanna is only surpassed by his love for his brother. This book broke my heart, made me very angry and was unputdownable. I was so tense while reading this. This is my first book by this author and it won't be my last. What a way to end 2023. 

___puddin's review

adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Very poetic prose, and at least two very lovable characters that you will route for. Touches on a powerful refugee of war journey to a safer land - always my favourite type of story to hear - along with the extremist far right response that incorrectly places the blame for the want and disenfranchisement of their lives on to those travelling to safer lands, just trying to survive. 

letkris10sing's review against another edition

sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

opinionhaver69's review

4.0

stressful!