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A review by katykelly
Girl on a Plane by Miriam Moss
4.0
Based on the author's real-life experience, this is a terrifying prospect - being passenger on a plane taken over by terrorists.
An element of danger is taken away by the fact that, of course, the author lived to tell the tale, but it is still a tense story at times.
Anna, 15 and on her way back to her English boarding school, has left her family in Bahrain to fly solo, and after joking about planes being taken hostage, finds herself in that exact nightmare of a situation.
The prospects of a terrifying psychological battle with captors, of threats, negotiation, shootings... never really materialised. The story focused much more on the boredom, shortages and stifling heat of a desert prison plane. After the initial terror of being taken hostage, Anna and her fellow captives are taken in the plane to await negotiations in the desert, and the long process of sitting still and letting others decide their fate begins.
I did enjoy the read, but it did feel as though more could have happened (even if this is actually a true account of the situation). The ending felt a little rushed as the situation 'ends' (I won't spoil it by saying how). After reading Nick Lake's Hostage Three, about a teenager similarly taken but on a boat, a comparable relationship with a terrorist petered out to nothing and the tension here dissipated without much satisfaction.
It's still a great idea for a story, with a lot to discuss about how the hostages cope, how the staff manage their charges, why the terrorists are doing what they are doing, but it felt a little anti-climactic.
The parts of the story that looked at how the group cope with very little food and water is quite a scary section, and the descriptions of the desert air, whipping storms and cloying heat are excellent.
One for ages 11-15 (no violence other than the initial threat as the plane is taken), good for class discussions.
An element of danger is taken away by the fact that, of course, the author lived to tell the tale, but it is still a tense story at times.
Anna, 15 and on her way back to her English boarding school, has left her family in Bahrain to fly solo, and after joking about planes being taken hostage, finds herself in that exact nightmare of a situation.
The prospects of a terrifying psychological battle with captors, of threats, negotiation, shootings... never really materialised. The story focused much more on the boredom, shortages and stifling heat of a desert prison plane. After the initial terror of being taken hostage, Anna and her fellow captives are taken in the plane to await negotiations in the desert, and the long process of sitting still and letting others decide their fate begins.
I did enjoy the read, but it did feel as though more could have happened (even if this is actually a true account of the situation). The ending felt a little rushed as the situation 'ends' (I won't spoil it by saying how). After reading Nick Lake's Hostage Three, about a teenager similarly taken but on a boat, a comparable relationship with a terrorist petered out to nothing and the tension here dissipated without much satisfaction.
It's still a great idea for a story, with a lot to discuss about how the hostages cope, how the staff manage their charges, why the terrorists are doing what they are doing, but it felt a little anti-climactic.
The parts of the story that looked at how the group cope with very little food and water is quite a scary section, and the descriptions of the desert air, whipping storms and cloying heat are excellent.
One for ages 11-15 (no violence other than the initial threat as the plane is taken), good for class discussions.