Scan barcode
debirainbow's review
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.0
A fast, easy read - a school at siege. Deals with issues of troubled teens, internet , radicalisation & parenting. Author also deals with the experience of Syrian migrants. The writing is clumsy and repetitive in parts. Great descriptions of how police and teams have to make decisions quickly in these circumstances - some things were obvious to the reader. The author had a point to make - the headlines from the red tops were hard to read. All in all, not really a thriller but a good read.
toric90's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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? N/A
4.25
mushypeasonearth's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
katiewells's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
sslovesbooks_1's review
4.0
Listened to this as an audiobook. Was very well paced and was quite a distressing story which kept me attention the whole way through. Have read a previous book by this author I knew it would be a good read.
The story is one of a school who come under attack by gunmen during a winters day. The school is quite unique in terms of ethos and set up and throughout the book we experience the three hours from different characters perspectives. I willed the perpetrators to be caught and found many of the characters very appealing. From pupils to staff to police they all had the same objective to save as many people as they could and save themselves.
Hour by hour the story unfolds and by the end I knew what has going to happen but I thought it was done on such an emotive and heartbreaking way but yet one full of love and hope.
A great listen on my commute to and from work and would absolutely recommend it. Will get the paperback version when it is published.
The story is one of a school who come under attack by gunmen during a winters day. The school is quite unique in terms of ethos and set up and throughout the book we experience the three hours from different characters perspectives. I willed the perpetrators to be caught and found many of the characters very appealing. From pupils to staff to police they all had the same objective to save as many people as they could and save themselves.
Hour by hour the story unfolds and by the end I knew what has going to happen but I thought it was done on such an emotive and heartbreaking way but yet one full of love and hope.
A great listen on my commute to and from work and would absolutely recommend it. Will get the paperback version when it is published.
indiamelly's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
snzow's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Gun violence
robertjackson's review
4.0
Started slowly - couldn’t see me liking it! However the plot develops cleverly. The tension creeps along and then really picks up the pace.
I enjoyed the topicality and hope that Katie Hopkins and Donald Trump read this book! It shows the potential damage caused by hatred and anti-immigration tweets.
A very clever twist at the end rounded it off nicely.
I enjoyed the topicality and hope that Katie Hopkins and Donald Trump read this book! It shows the potential damage caused by hatred and anti-immigration tweets.
A very clever twist at the end rounded it off nicely.
janinevduijn's review against another edition
5.0
A very impactful read focused on a (fictional) school shooting in Somerset. We follow the perspectives of students, teachers and parents during the three hours on a snowy November day during which the school is under attack. It dealt very deftly with themes of racism, the refugee crisis, radicalization and other contemporary socio-political issues. Each character's voice felt true and the setting was excellent: the bone-chilling cold resonating with the fear the narrative induced.
What really struck me as masterful was the fact that some of the students are working on a production of MacBeth, and the intertexuality between Shakespeare's play and the issues in this book
echoing each other made it clear how these issues are of all times.
What really struck me as masterful was the fact that some of the students are working on a production of MacBeth, and the intertexuality between Shakespeare's play and the issues in this book
echoing each other made it clear how these issues are of all times.