Absolutely gripping, heart in mouth read. Amazing multi-viewpoint narrative of a terrorist attack on a school. Love & hate, bravery & indoctrination: wonderful.

All of my reviews can be found at https://damppebbles.com/

I have been umming and ahhring about writing my review. Why? Because Three Hours absolutely broke me. Never has a book had such a powerful effect on me. It’s a sublime read but utterly devastating. I loved it but it ended up changing my mood. It made me terribly sad and I hugged my kids just that little bit tighter because of it. Three Hours will stay with me forever.

On a snowy December day, oblivious to what is about to happen, the parents of Cliff Heights School drop their children off believing it to be just like any other school day. Only an hour later, the children start texting and tweeting their parents. There’s a gunman in the school. They’re terrified and hiding for their lives. The parents rush to the school but they’re turned away by the police, they feel helpless and can only watch from afar. The clock is ticking…

I’ve never read such a tense, compelling novel before. My heart was in my mouth from the very start and it stayed there throughout. I was living and breathing the story alongside the characters, like a movie playing in my mind. And the terror felt real. It was insane how deeply this book burrowed its way into my being. It was such an intense, emotional experience reading Three Hours.

I felt there were two sides to this story. You have the human side; the kids and teachers trapped in the school in fear for their lives, the parents being kept at a distance whilst being utterly helpless. And then you have the technical side; the police analysing every move the gunman makes, trying to pre-empt any demands and the reasons for carrying out such a horrific act. I loved the juxtaposition of these two faces – emotional versus technical and scientific. It’s a true race against time and I was on the edge of my seat throughout.

I had a feeling I knew where one of the plotlines in the book was heading but it still broke my heart into a million pieces when the truth was revealed. The author has written such an immersive, current and hypnotic novel. The bravery shown by the kids, the resilience and determination shown by the teachers, and the heartbreak shown by the parents makes for absorbing reading.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Reading Three Hours was such an experience for me that it will be impossible to forget. Beautifully written, full of drama and shedloads of terror-filled suspense. I devoured the book. It affected me greatly. Recommended.

Something about the writing made me feel like I was watching through a fishbowl rather than being connected to it, I did care a lot about Hannah and Rafi though so maybe it was just too many POVs

Also it takes more than 3 hours to read events that happen in 3 hours so it does feel very slow paced

An amazing fast paced book I really enjoyed this

Huey Lewis and the News once said that the power of love is a curious thing (stay with me folks), that it can make one man weep and another sing and that it can do amazing things such as changing a hawk into a dove, that it is more than a feeling, that is the power of love.

So we really need to remember that these days. Now more than ever we need that love.

This is a book that reminds us of all the hate in the world. Reminds us of what the cowardly and evil shits in the world are capable of especially when they are actively encouraged by media figures and politicians when told, in a very recent example, to stand by and stand back. But it is through this that this is a book shows us, like Huey Lewis, that love is better. It's way better. And it's powerful.

I shook with anger, had angry tears appear out of nowhere, and I don't think my heartrate will recover in the next 12 hours. This was phenomenal and heart-wrenching. I experienced sadness, empathy (

Spoiler

.for Jamie's mum)

, anger, literary fulfillment in Macbeth references, and everything in between.

I don't want to spoil this for anyone but I recommend.

(I also recommend [b:Sister|8196732|Sister|Rosamund Lupton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320189763l/8196732._SY75_.jpg|13043611] by the same author)

5 Stars from me

Oh my god - this book, this book, this book! 

#ThreeHoursNovel by Rosamund Lupton is absolutely breathtaking. I really can't recommend this book enough. Every page is powerful and beautifully crafted and I read most of the story with my breath held and my heart in my mouth.

The emotions within the book are captured perfectly and I was taken through the whole gambit from joy to fear to heartbreak and back again.

My heart broke for the poor mum who was waiting for news of her son, her emotions were tangible, palpable and I lived them with her. The emotive feelings from this stayed with me for days after I had finished the book.

The breaking of the story via Twitter and YouTube was cleverly delivered and again utterly believable and compelling. 

Without wishing to give the story away or drop any spoilers, the brain washing and manipulation was terrifying and heart breaking again in equal measure.

However, among the horror and awfulness of the hatred and intolerance a bright light of love and warm shone out. The spirit and strength of the school staff, the resilience and protectiveness of the students, the faith in each other was beautiful.

I had high hopes owing to the sheer brilliance of Sister and can definitively confirm that I was not disappointed. Three Hours is a must read of 2020 and I am truly honoured to be kicking off the blog tour for Penguin Books.

Three hours is 180 minutes or 10,800 seconds.

It is a morning's lessons, a dress rehearsal of Macbeth, a snowy trek through the woods.

It is an eternity waiting for news. Or a countdown to something terrible.

It is 180 minutes to discover who you will die for and what men will kill for.

In rural Somerset in the middle of a blizzard, the unthinkable happens: a school is under siege. Told from the point of view of the people at the heart of it, from the wounded headmaster in the library, unable to help his trapped pupils and staff, to teenage Hannah in love for the first time, to the parents gathering desperate for news, to the 16 year old Syrian refugee trying to rescue his little brother, to the police psychologist who must identify the gunmen, to the students taking refuge in the school theatre, all experience the most intense hours of their lives, where evil and terror are met by courage, love and redemption.

This book is amazing, stunning, fantastic. I honestly couldn't use enough superlatives to describe just how fabulous it is! I started reading it late one evening and my heart was racing within minutes. There's not a word wrong, the pace is perfect, the people reach off the pages into your heart and mind and the story is incredible. Wonderful!

Wow, the writing. A literary masterpiece. The author has a talent for making you uneasy, and I was anxious throughout the whole book. She is amazing at building suspense.
This is why I read books. My soul left my body.

I usually don’t read thrillers because I get scared easily. I read” this is where it ends “ by Marieke Nijkamp which is also a school shooting thriller but YA and it was so bad and disappointing. So, if you are thinking about reading that, just read this instead.

I just wanted to read a little thriller and got amazing social commentary. What a pleasant surprise. The author tries to combat Islamophobia and I think they did a good job. Those pages with only news headlines were so powerful. Our media spreads too much hate. They had a Muslim main character that had depth and was well written and not just a stereotype. His refugee story was so tragic. All the characters felt so real.

The students performing Macbeth was a bit ridiculous, but I understood why the author did it. Maybe it’s because i had to read Macbeth for school and I despise it.
They way she weaved in the Macbeth quotes really showed how talented she is. If you like Shakespeare, then check this out.
Maybe she should’ve added a plot twist right at the end because I’ve predicted everything, but it was a satisfying read.