the setup…
Mina is a flight attendant with a London-based airline who is launching its inaugural 20-hour, nonstop flight to Sydney, Australia. It’s a high profile event with lots of press attention and public anticipation. Not long after the flight begins, Mina gets a message that threatens her family…her 5-year old daughter Sophia…unless she complies with demands that will certainly mean the takeover of the flight by persons unknown. Will Mina put her daughter before the lives of those on board the plane?
the heart of the story…
We learn a lot about Mina before she boards that flight. She’s separated from her husband Alex and they are the parents of Sophia who they adopted when she was 10-months old. Sophia has been a difficult child as she is still suffering from the effects of separation anxiety. Mina is feeling guilt for having looked forward to some time away from the daughter she loves and she’s also keeping a big secret that’s reshaped her own life. Husband Alex, a police detective, also has a secret life that’s brought some huge threats to his career and family, so big that he’s allowed Mina to believe a false reason for their separation. So, the threat on that plane takes on even larger meaning and danger as those involved have layers of complexity and angles. Every time I thought I knew who might be involved and what was around the next corner, a new revelation would blow that to bits.
the narration…
I liked the narrator’s storytelling skills and her pacing. However, she didn’t provide voice distinctions for the characters, except for Sophia, and I couldn’t always tell whose point of view I was hearing at the time. I’m still glad I chose the audio format as she told the story in a way that made it more exciting.
the bottom line…
I don’t want to share too much more about the details because to experience that firsthand is crucial to the enjoyment of this story. The hijackers have a unique approach that made this even more confounding. They have a mission tied to an ideology that often is highly educational and enlightening but evokes little sympathy regarding their methods. I really liked how Mina’s struggles with her own family and the decisions she faced were presented because the resolutions weren’t so clear. The tension was so high I fought hard to resist just going to the epilogue and learning the outcome (don’t do that!). And speaking of the epilogue, read it carefully because it’s highly loaded. I had to go back and reread it to make certain I got it right. I never, ever saw it coming. Hold on because this is a bumpy ride.
Book Info
- Release Date: June 22, 2021
- Narrator: Vinette Robinson
- Audio Length: 11 hours, 41 minutes
- Publisher: Random House Audio
Blue Mood Café 
Ooo…I can definitely see where the tension would run very high in this story, especially since the bad guys involved the 5 year old daughter. Whenever a kids targeted that automatically ramps up everything. And I love that the epilogue is full of information. That’s very intriguing. Excellent review, Jo!
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Thank you, Tessa💜 I only touched the surface of all the things going on. Sophia was always in the background no matter what so I had a lot of angst!
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Excellent review! I feel in suspense from your review so I’m guessing the book would make me very tense at times.
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Thanks, Anne💜 You’ll feel tension throughout the story after ~30% in.
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Great review Jo 💜 glad you enjoyed this one!
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Thank you, Nicki💜
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Wow, this sounds really intense. Glad it was a great read for you.
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Thanks, Suzanne💜 Intense is a great word for the experience!
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Hi Jonetta! I just found your fun blog via the One Great Summer Read collab. This book sounds like a tense page turner. I might have to check it out. I enjoy audiobooks, too, but it is tough when the narrator doesn’t distinguish between voices. That might drive me crazy, so I’ll look for this book in print. Thanks for the rec!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
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Thank you, Susan💜 Great to meet you! It’s definitely a tense story and though I enjoyed the audio version for a lot of reasons, I did struggle at times to figure out who was at bat. Hope you enjoy!
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Fab review! I’m glad you enjoyed Hostage as well. The audio version sounds great!
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Thanks, Yvo💜 The audio experience definitely heightened the tension.
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Wonderful review, Jo. I am glad the audiobook was still a good experience even if the voices were not well differentiated. Did you read Fallen? It sounds like a similar story with nail biting scenes. I always get pulled in when kids are threatened, and this sounds like one that would do that.
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Thanks, Carla💜 Yes, I’ve read Falling and this is a much different story. Children at risk always make me nervous!
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Thanks Jo, I will see if I can find it then,
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This sounds like a mental nailbiter with all the secrets and difficult choices for the heroine and her husband.
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That it was, Sophia💜
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