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A review by melbsreads
Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Trigger warnings: hostage situation, gun violence, school shooting, blood, gore, ,spoiler>Islamophobia, white supremacy, online radicalisation
Okay, so here's the thing: I am fully aware that this is a much beloved thriller and that I have a very unpopular opinion where this book is concerned. But also where this book is concerned? I am straight up channelling Benoit Blanc in Glass Onion yelling "No! It's just DUMB!"
I'm not gonna lie, a huge number of my problems here come from working in a school. This is not how lockdowns work. This is not how evacuation plans work. This is not how TEENAGERS work.
You cannot tell me for a second that THIS many kids would have phones on, like, 25% battery or less at 9.30am. You cannot tell me for a second that a school would think it's a good idea to evacuate primary aged children down a cliff face to wait for police evacuation BY BOAT. You cannot tell me for a second that a teacher who's been through dozens of lockdown drills AND who knows that this lockdown is the real thing would be getting their class to read poetry or do a dress rehearsal of Macbeth.
You cannot tell me that an art teacher with a roomful of 9 year olds and a gunman outside is taking the time to make little clay tiles to block the window. You cannot tell me that a school library has no technology at all. And you cannot tell me that teenagers would try and block the door with BOOKS. As a school librarian, I can tell you that literally any time I turn my back, my kids are moving the goddamned furniture around. If you're taking the books off the shelves anyway, they'd be blocking the door with THE SHELVES.
Essentially, I could not suspend my disbelief for a single second. And the big dramatic plot twist? It honestly felt kind of cheap.
I feel like I've been extremely negative for a 3 star review. I did like the characters and the writing. I just couldn't deal with the actual plot. Not for a second.
Okay, so here's the thing: I am fully aware that this is a much beloved thriller and that I have a very unpopular opinion where this book is concerned. But also where this book is concerned? I am straight up channelling Benoit Blanc in Glass Onion yelling "No! It's just DUMB!"
I'm not gonna lie, a huge number of my problems here come from working in a school. This is not how lockdowns work. This is not how evacuation plans work. This is not how TEENAGERS work.
You cannot tell me for a second that THIS many kids would have phones on, like, 25% battery or less at 9.30am. You cannot tell me for a second that a school would think it's a good idea to evacuate primary aged children down a cliff face to wait for police evacuation BY BOAT. You cannot tell me for a second that a teacher who's been through dozens of lockdown drills AND who knows that this lockdown is the real thing would be getting their class to read poetry or do a dress rehearsal of Macbeth.
You cannot tell me that an art teacher with a roomful of 9 year olds and a gunman outside is taking the time to make little clay tiles to block the window. You cannot tell me that a school library has no technology at all. And you cannot tell me that teenagers would try and block the door with BOOKS. As a school librarian, I can tell you that literally any time I turn my back, my kids are moving the goddamned furniture around. If you're taking the books off the shelves anyway, they'd be blocking the door with THE SHELVES.
Essentially, I could not suspend my disbelief for a single second. And the big dramatic plot twist? It honestly felt kind of cheap.
I feel like I've been extremely negative for a 3 star review. I did like the characters and the writing. I just couldn't deal with the actual plot. Not for a second.