n rural Somerset in the middle of a blizzard, the unthinkable happens: a school is under siege. Children and teachers barricade themselves into classrooms, the library, the theatre. The headmaster lies wounded in the library, unable to help his trapped students and staff. Outside, a police psychiatrist must identify the gunmen, while parents gather desperate for news. In three intense hours, all must find the courage to stand up to evil and save the people they love.

Hardback | 320 pages

Publisher: Viking (9th January, 2020)

So many people have recommended this book to me and I finally got around to reading it!

It was easy to read but I read slowly because I began feeling like I was reading it to please other people and not for my own enjoyment.

The characters were strong, there is no doubt about that. They were fully developed and acted in a way that was believable and justly. The characters of Hannah and Rafi were especially in the forefront of my mind as I was reading.

The culprit was who I had difficulty with. It was the same problem I had in ‘Little Girls Sleeping’ by Jennifer Chase. I used to write in a similar style, by taking the easy way. It just irritated me.

This was easy to visualise. Though there were many characters, they all had distinct voices and detailed personalities. The scenes were small and easy to visualise without issue.

I’m split on this because I can recognise that the book is well written and deserves attention. This wasn’t the book for me. It’s hard to write a book on this topic but this was done well. I just couldn’t find a connection to the book, I couldn’t see past the pages and place myself next to the characters. Then I felt like the culprit was a dull explanation. This was a disappointment.

For the first part of the book, I was invested. I could see where the book was heading and I was content to let it push me forward. But somewhere along part 2 I got disinterested and had to pull myself along. It’s a shame.