SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read
TITLE: The Three
AUTHOR: Sarah Lotz
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Hodder & Stoughton
PAGES: 480
GENRE: Mystery, Horror, Thriller, Science Fiction
RATING: 3.5/5 Stars
Blurb:
'They're here ... The boy. The boy watch the boy watch the dead people oh Lordy there's so many ... They're coming for me now. We're all going soon. All of us. Pastor Len warn them that the boy he's not to--'The last words of Pamela May Donald (1961 - 2012)
Black Thursday. The day that will never be forgotten. The day that four passenger planes crash, at almost exactly the same moment, at four different points around the globe.
There are only four survivors. Three are children, who emerge from the wreckage seemingly unhurt. But they are not unchanged.
And the fourth is Pamela May Donald, who lives just long enough to record a voice message on her phone.
A message that will change the world.
The message is a warning.
What I Liked:
- The intriguing layout. This book was presented in a very unique style that I have not seen before in fiction. It is, in essence, a series of accounts, articles, interviews and conversations from various sources that when put together, paint a picture of the feeling surrounding an incident known commonly as 'Black Thursday'. I really liked the originality in the book's presentation and there was a lot of focus on this. It was clear that Lotz had really worked hard to create a new concept that is rarely found in novels and she pulled it off well.
- The underlying message of the book, and what it says about humanity. When remembering that the people that we encounter within the book have their own motives, it takes on a very sinister tone and highlights the lengths that some people will go to manipulate and distort things for their own end. The end result can be very chilling. It also holds a very special message about the power of media, and just how easily swayed and gullible people can actually be. How fear can sway the masses into very extreme opinions, and a minority into extreme actions. There's a lot of reading between the lines in this book and I did quite like trying to find the deeper meaning within what I was reading and connecting the dots as I was given more information.
- The plot in itself was very good, and I really liked both the actual events of Black Thursday, and the subsequent direction that it took afterwards. The mass panic and obvious spiral out of control was a really interesting direction to take. It was full of twists and turns and kept me reading more.
What I Disliked:
- The way the book is structured did throw me off a little at first and I felt a little frustrated that I wasn't given time to become attached to any characters, nor did I know who I was really meant to be trusting or liking. This book is not meant to be a book where you particularly like or root for anyone, but for me it took a bit of getting used to.
- Despite the fantastic build-up to solving the mystery of Black Thursday, I felt quite disappointed with the ending I received. It felt very vague and I really didn't understand the answers I was given. In fact I came away with a lot of questions about who was right, who was wrong and what exactly had happened to the children. I really thought the book was building to something spectacular but for me, it fell a bit flat.
Overall Conclusion:
As you can see, I was a bit unsure on this one. The middle of this book was great! Intriguing concept, original layout, plot twists and big build-up. My problem came at the beginning when I felt a little confused, and the end when I felt a bit disappointed at not really getting any answers. It does have a very chilling tone which is something I really wanted to see in this story so I was pleased with that. I did enjoy it, I just think some aspects could have been done a little better.
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