Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (5000)

Content

Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Three Hours in Books

Jan 1, 2020

This was an intense book dealing with some deep issues.

Covering a three-hour time span where a siege of a school in England occurs I fell short of getting as emotionally invested as I think I should have been.

The book jumps between multiple POVs with students, staff, police, and parents all focused on the unimaginably terrifying scenario of a school on lockdown and under attack. For a book that jumps straight into the action and only covers a short time period I really struggled to get into this one, it’s never good when I keep finding myself updating the shopping list mid-chapter…... Although the jumps in POVs were clear and well written I just failed to become invested (or particularly interested in the characters.) I liked the mother of one of the students and her internal dialogue with her teenage son, it felt very genuine; but most others fell flat for me.

I’m glad I persevered though as the second half picked up for me with more on the police and their investigation. The set up of such an attack in England that just happens to be when a snowstorm hits never quite jelled as a setting for me despite attempts to explain it all.

I feel this book tried to deal with too many hard-hitting topics, without managing to pull me in with the story leaving a feeling of having a slightly preachy tone.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGallry for the ARC.