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agrippinaes's review against another edition
5.0
I pretty much loved everything about this book. The writing is gorgeous. I’ve read all of Lupton’s works and had mixed feelings about them, but I can’t fault her writing. The books are well-written and very engaging.
It was, after a point, a very fast-paced book that was hard to put down. The story moves really quickly - I suppose necessarily, because the story is set over such a narrow time frame. The story moves around a lot between the perspectives of different characters. Normally, I find I want to follow one person’s story and get impatient when I’m taken to a different POV. But I didn’t have this here. Each perspective had equal value; each added something, even the smallest of snippets. I didn’t necessarily notice that I hadn’t read a particular person’s POV in a while, so it was a pleasant surprise when I suddenly came across them again.
The storyline is very gripping. It’s a difficult read - it covers a wide breadth of topics, all of which are complicated, but I think the book covers them with skill. They all fit very neatly - there are even hints of back stories of smaller characters which are not part of the wider story, but are beautifully told in the context of it.
A main theme of the story is love. Having read Lupton’s other books, this is a recurring theme of her work and one I have found a bit too sentimental in her previous works. However, all the different stories of love in this book, interwoven with the acts of hate being committed against the characters, combined in a way that made me feel very emotional. I’m not an emotional book reader, but this one made me tear up on a few occasions, for the acts of bravery as well. It was just an incredibly emotional book. And the ending - whilst possibly a little unrealistic - was what finally did me in. It was just beautiful.
I also admired Lupton’s commitment to the political message that she was conveying in this novel. It truly was a story about love triumphing over evil, wonderfully told, and incredibly gripping.
That said, I found it a little slow to start, but once I got into it I couldn’t put it down.
I would recommend it if you want a fast-paced but hopeful thriller novel.
Content Warnings:
It was, after a point, a very fast-paced book that was hard to put down. The story moves really quickly - I suppose necessarily, because the story is set over such a narrow time frame. The story moves around a lot between the perspectives of different characters. Normally, I find I want to follow one person’s story and get impatient when I’m taken to a different POV. But I didn’t have this here. Each perspective had equal value; each added something, even the smallest of snippets. I didn’t necessarily notice that I hadn’t read a particular person’s POV in a while, so it was a pleasant surprise when I suddenly came across them again.
The storyline is very gripping. It’s a difficult read - it covers a wide breadth of topics, all of which are complicated, but I think the book covers them with skill. They all fit very neatly - there are even hints of back stories of smaller characters which are not part of the wider story, but are beautifully told in the context of it.
Spoiler
One example of this is when the teacher in the pottery room is trying to build up a defence on the windows and she thinks of a (presumably) deceased partner. The scene is lovely and heartbreaking, and the courage of the character really shines through. There are lots of moments like this.A main theme of the story is love. Having read Lupton’s other books, this is a recurring theme of her work and one I have found a bit too sentimental in her previous works. However, all the different stories of love in this book, interwoven with the acts of hate being committed against the characters, combined in a way that made me feel very emotional. I’m not an emotional book reader, but this one made me tear up on a few occasions, for the acts of bravery as well.
Spoiler
The teenage romance between two characters who never actually appear on-page together; a teacher’s grief over her dead partner as she packs clay into windows alone to protect her children, the story of two brothers; refugees from Syria and everything they’d already had to overcome; the teaching assistant with her nail gun, ready to defend her school children…I also admired Lupton’s commitment to the political message that she was conveying in this novel. It truly was a story about love triumphing over evil, wonderfully told, and incredibly gripping.
That said, I found it a little slow to start, but once I got into it I couldn’t put it down.
I would recommend it if you want a fast-paced but hopeful thriller novel.
Content Warnings:
Spoiler
School shooting, explosives, injuries, murder, gun violence, Islamophobia, white supremacy, racist language, rape, rape fantasies, mentions of date rape drugs, descriptions of the Syrian refugee crisisSpoiler
Two of the main characters are from Syria. Their pasts are explored in detail, including the murder of their family, abuse they suffered from the hands of the authorities in various countries, their passage by lifeboat to Italy, their experiences in a refugee camp, including references to human trafficking and child sexual abuse.ekarptatham's review against another edition
5.0
Intense and thought provoking read that keeps you hooked. A whole wild ride of emotions throughout the book to be felt!
horsley123's review against another edition
3.0
This was not a comfortable read. The school setting, children in peril, Islamaphobia and Trump's tweets are too close to home. I did speed through the book - it does after all cover a three hour time frame, most of which I spent squirming in my seat.
There is a level of chaos in the story which one would expect in the fraught situation, however I did come away with questions. Who was the third man? Why? Wouldn't the mobile and wifi be blocked to prevent news leaking in and out of the hostage site?
Saying that if you fancy a thriller set in Somerset featuring disenchanted teenagers this is the book for you. I am off the read Margaret Atwood's 'The Testaments' which will probably make me squirm even more
There is a level of chaos in the story which one would expect in the fraught situation, however I did come away with questions. Who was the third man? Why? Wouldn't the mobile and wifi be blocked to prevent news leaking in and out of the hostage site?
Saying that if you fancy a thriller set in Somerset featuring disenchanted teenagers this is the book for you. I am off the read Margaret Atwood's 'The Testaments' which will probably make me squirm even more
meg_johns's review against another edition
5.0
I've said it time and time again, this is one of the best books I've ever read and I can read it over and over. The story is gripping, you'll feel things you haven't felt in ages, it is brilliantly written and gives a you a true feeling of how important love and trust are
zoey_emma's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
rachel45's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bibliophilebookclub's review against another edition
4.0
I read Three Hours back in November, but it is still as clear as day in my head. I think that’s because of a couple of things. Firstly, it is a beautifully written novel, but secondly, it spoke to my heart as a parent. It took one of my worst fears, and realised it on paper. Albeit it in a stunningly eloquent and emotive way, but it really hit me hard.
I knew going into Three Hours that it was not going to be an easy subject to read about. School shootings are sadly becoming more prevalent in today’s increasingly warped world, and any book that deals with it is going to be an emotional gut punch. Bring that location to the UK, as the author has done, and it becomes closer to home (I’m in Ireland) and more tangible.
I, as a rule, tend to stay away from books that involve kids these days. I have no doubt that its since I became a parent. I am hard-wired to feel a constant fear of the “what if?” for my kids, and reading books in which there is the threat of harm etc ramps that up exponentially. So it was definitely with a little trepidation on my part that I picked up Three Hours.
Rosamund Lupton has written a thoroughly compelling book in Three Hours. I felt like I was right there with the characters the whole way through, and I was emotionally wrung out upon finishing it. I had tears in my eyes more than once while reading, and it takes A LOT to make me cry, so that is testament to the strength and depth of feeling in this book.
On the face of it, its about a school siege and told through their viewpoints of the various characters as the actual three hours pass. But it is also about resilience, bravery, honesty, and most importantly, love. Love is the thing. Immeasurable, messy, complicated in many forms, but the nuances in Three Hours will make you see love differently.
Heartbreaking, compelling and utterly brilliant, I loved Three Hours.
Highly recommended.
I knew going into Three Hours that it was not going to be an easy subject to read about. School shootings are sadly becoming more prevalent in today’s increasingly warped world, and any book that deals with it is going to be an emotional gut punch. Bring that location to the UK, as the author has done, and it becomes closer to home (I’m in Ireland) and more tangible.
I, as a rule, tend to stay away from books that involve kids these days. I have no doubt that its since I became a parent. I am hard-wired to feel a constant fear of the “what if?” for my kids, and reading books in which there is the threat of harm etc ramps that up exponentially. So it was definitely with a little trepidation on my part that I picked up Three Hours.
Rosamund Lupton has written a thoroughly compelling book in Three Hours. I felt like I was right there with the characters the whole way through, and I was emotionally wrung out upon finishing it. I had tears in my eyes more than once while reading, and it takes A LOT to make me cry, so that is testament to the strength and depth of feeling in this book.
On the face of it, its about a school siege and told through their viewpoints of the various characters as the actual three hours pass. But it is also about resilience, bravery, honesty, and most importantly, love. Love is the thing. Immeasurable, messy, complicated in many forms, but the nuances in Three Hours will make you see love differently.
Heartbreaking, compelling and utterly brilliant, I loved Three Hours.
Highly recommended.