by Rosamund Lupton
Put forward by our book group, and voted for by me, this book is described as a “literary thriller”. I was at a loss for something to read that would really grip me, while going through some tough times in my personal life. This book looked like it might hit the spot.
It did indeed. I could hardly put it down.
The plot is a good one: three hours pass between the time a terrorist (or more than one) attacks a school, wounding the headmaster (possibly fatally) and holding the entire school to ransom. The school is a co-ed independent school in the middle of a wood, with children aged from 3 to 18. There are several buildings dotted around the site.
We gradually learn of the experiences and actions of the different people, and groups of people, on the school site – and some on the outside. Who are the terrorists and how many of them are there? Are they Islamists or far-right extremists, or is it a case of a disaffected pupil holding his former school to ransom? Are the decisions made by the different members of staff on the inside, and police officers on the outside, going to save the situation or jeopardise the hostages still further?
I was able to utterly believe in the situation and the characters. As with so many thrillers, the job of tying up loose ends evidently posed a puzzle for the author. She does this well, but perhaps some elements are glossed over too quickly.
I missed the now-familiar thriller ending, where someone is placed in particular jeopardy and only reprieved at the last minute. But perhaps that would have been too much to ask in this particular situation.
I loved the way the most unlikely characters came into their own when under duress. The deputy head, only recently returned from sick leave after depression, takes command and makes decisions at a critical juncture. The older children care for the wounded headteacher even as they try to protect him and themselves from further attack. The art teacher distracts the younger children by making the whole experience into something of a game. And the drama teacher stages the dress rehearsal of ‘Macbeth’ that was timetabled for this day, and which seems oddly appropriate in the circumstances.
A great book group choice! Though I do wonder how much we will find to talk about this evening.
Written on 21 March 2024
A rug and a book 