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bgamgee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
cammieo's review against another edition
4.0
this is not at ALL my cup of tea as far as book go. My aunt wanted me to read it and because it was a short book I gave it a go. All about a theoretical ISIS attack on America. It's a tough read, it has some ugly things in it, but it is very interesting to see how the planning and thoughts play out on the side of the terrorists ONLY because it makes you aware that something like this really could happen on American soil.
vikingwolf's review against another edition
5.0
Bob is a paranoid man who follows the news and takes seriously what is happening in the world, especially the rise of ISIS. He carries an illegal weapon to school where he works and where his child goes, in case anything happens there so he is not left helpless. He has seen so many school shootings in the past that he is willing to risk losing his job to keep himself and the kids protected. On this day, he takes his twelve year old daughter Wendy to school, leaving his wife Kathy at home with the baby.
ISIS are planning a Day of Wrath in America to strike fear into the population and cause maximum death. They are gathered in hotels preparing for their mission, ready to take out soft targets. They are about to attack selected schools that are close to highways, taking everyone by surprise. Having a POV from the terrorists through this story shows just how easy they found it to plan this kind of attack, and being with them through the attacks was totally chilling.
News about terrorist activity is on the TV, alarming Kathy at home, and she starts thinking that Bob may have been right and tries to contact him about it. Bob gets into a verbal spat with a fellow teacher who refuses to let him view the news when he is alerted to it. But what is on TV and the trouble the spat might cause him pales into nothing as Bob glances out of the window, and he sees ISIS terriorists with guns running towards the door of his school, and he realises that his worst fears are about to come true. Now he is in a panic to find Wendy and either find somewhere to hide or a way to escape...with only a small gun to fight with.
The book just takes off after this. Kathy becomes aware that a terrorist attack is happening at Bob's school, so she leaves the baby with a neighbour and thinks only of getting to the school to find her husband and daughter. The media are telling people to stay away from the affected schools but panicked parents aren't listening and are pouring onto the interstate to get there quickly. As the traffic backs up and people become stuck, new teams of terrorists appear on these interstates to start slaughtering the parents. It becomes utter mayhem and Kathy has to abandon her vehicle and run for her life.
Back in the school, Bob is running to where Wendy's class are and he finds her quickly in the corridor as gunshots ring out. Bob ushers the screaming kids into a classroom and tries to persuade everyone to climb out of the windows and run for the woods. The kids are panicking and their teacher is convinced that staying is the better option. Bob struggles to persuade them as the terrorists come closer and a confrontation becomes inevitable. Is Bob really going to be able to shoot the terrorist to save the kids? Is there any way to survive?
The tension level hits the roof as Kathy has to leave her car and run while Bob faces possible death at the school. We witness what is happening to the people being slaughtered on the interstates and see it through the media reports and the eyes of the gleeful terrorists. It is a disturbing read and what bothered me the most was the thought in my head of how little there was that could be done to stop this kind of ramage, especially the killing of the parents. It is a twisted plot and the death toll would be massive. How exactly could we put in measures to prevent that from happening? I certainly don't have the answers. It was pretty unsettling to realise just how unsafe we could be and how easily this could happen.
My only complaint is the great big plot spoiler at the end of chapter one which basically tells you what is in store for Bob and Kathy by the end of the book and I really hate that! Why authors insist on bad spoilers instead of just letting us read the story and finding out for ourselves as we go through it, is just beyond me! It does take some of the tension out of the story which is a real shame and is not necessary. It didn't make me enjoy the book any less though.
This is such a well written book. It takes a look at what happens when pure evil is unleashed on the innocent and how crippled the emergency services are. It shows how helpless the parents feel when they see that their kids are under threat and how the terrorists use parental instincts to trap even more victims. It is shocking, rivetting and scary because of the subject matter and the author's writing is so good that you are hooked from start to finish. It is a cliche but I really could not put this book down.
I'm a firm believer in being aware of your surroundings and keeping an eye out for any kind of trouble. I admit that I do think about what I would do in emergency situations so I really got into this book in a big way. I cannot wait to read more by this author and I can't recommend this book highly enough.
ISIS are planning a Day of Wrath in America to strike fear into the population and cause maximum death. They are gathered in hotels preparing for their mission, ready to take out soft targets. They are about to attack selected schools that are close to highways, taking everyone by surprise. Having a POV from the terrorists through this story shows just how easy they found it to plan this kind of attack, and being with them through the attacks was totally chilling.
News about terrorist activity is on the TV, alarming Kathy at home, and she starts thinking that Bob may have been right and tries to contact him about it. Bob gets into a verbal spat with a fellow teacher who refuses to let him view the news when he is alerted to it. But what is on TV and the trouble the spat might cause him pales into nothing as Bob glances out of the window, and he sees ISIS terriorists with guns running towards the door of his school, and he realises that his worst fears are about to come true. Now he is in a panic to find Wendy and either find somewhere to hide or a way to escape...with only a small gun to fight with.
The book just takes off after this. Kathy becomes aware that a terrorist attack is happening at Bob's school, so she leaves the baby with a neighbour and thinks only of getting to the school to find her husband and daughter. The media are telling people to stay away from the affected schools but panicked parents aren't listening and are pouring onto the interstate to get there quickly. As the traffic backs up and people become stuck, new teams of terrorists appear on these interstates to start slaughtering the parents. It becomes utter mayhem and Kathy has to abandon her vehicle and run for her life.
Back in the school, Bob is running to where Wendy's class are and he finds her quickly in the corridor as gunshots ring out. Bob ushers the screaming kids into a classroom and tries to persuade everyone to climb out of the windows and run for the woods. The kids are panicking and their teacher is convinced that staying is the better option. Bob struggles to persuade them as the terrorists come closer and a confrontation becomes inevitable. Is Bob really going to be able to shoot the terrorist to save the kids? Is there any way to survive?
The tension level hits the roof as Kathy has to leave her car and run while Bob faces possible death at the school. We witness what is happening to the people being slaughtered on the interstates and see it through the media reports and the eyes of the gleeful terrorists. It is a disturbing read and what bothered me the most was the thought in my head of how little there was that could be done to stop this kind of ramage, especially the killing of the parents. It is a twisted plot and the death toll would be massive. How exactly could we put in measures to prevent that from happening? I certainly don't have the answers. It was pretty unsettling to realise just how unsafe we could be and how easily this could happen.
My only complaint is the great big plot spoiler at the end of chapter one which basically tells you what is in store for Bob and Kathy by the end of the book and I really hate that! Why authors insist on bad spoilers instead of just letting us read the story and finding out for ourselves as we go through it, is just beyond me! It does take some of the tension out of the story which is a real shame and is not necessary. It didn't make me enjoy the book any less though.
This is such a well written book. It takes a look at what happens when pure evil is unleashed on the innocent and how crippled the emergency services are. It shows how helpless the parents feel when they see that their kids are under threat and how the terrorists use parental instincts to trap even more victims. It is shocking, rivetting and scary because of the subject matter and the author's writing is so good that you are hooked from start to finish. It is a cliche but I really could not put this book down.
I'm a firm believer in being aware of your surroundings and keeping an eye out for any kind of trouble. I admit that I do think about what I would do in emergency situations so I really got into this book in a big way. I cannot wait to read more by this author and I can't recommend this book highly enough.
smb2017's review against another edition
4.0
This book gives a terrifying account of what an ISIS attack on America could look like. It was so current and realistic based on what is actually happening in our world today. It's a quick read and will definitely make you ponder the question "how can I keep my family safe?"
keppyboone's review against another edition
3.0
Other than the premise that the perpetrators were ISIS instead of disgruntled students, this was not really anything original. After reading One Second After, I had much higher expectations.
cainscr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
12140holmes's review against another edition
5.0
Mayhem on a grand scale. Very believable! The actions depicted in this book could happen.
zsofiaromvari's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.25
ncrabb's review against another edition
3.0
This is a horrifying look at what could happen if terrorists carried out a methodical well-planned attack on the nation's schools. The hero of the book is Bob Peterson who has a conceal carry permit and is a teacher. At the last minute on his way to school one day, he tucks his pistol into his clothes, knowing that he's not supposed to have a gun on campus. But he also knows that something doesn't seem right as he listens to the morning news. When terrorists attack the school in Maine where Bob teaches, he is able to save his 12-year-old daughter and a limited number of children.
This is a chilling look at a potential school attack scenario. If you aren't eager to read about pre-teen girls being raped and killed, this may not be your book. Except that no one is eager to read about that, and everyone needs to think through the possibilities that such a thing could happen. I've often wondered whether terrorist planners are watching with interest our preoccupation with COVID-19. We need to be preoccupied, but I wonder whether any group out there as seriously considered taking advantage of the current preoccupation and what that would look like.
Lastly, this is super-short and well narrated.
This is a chilling look at a potential school attack scenario. If you aren't eager to read about pre-teen girls being raped and killed, this may not be your book. Except that no one is eager to read about that, and everyone needs to think through the possibilities that such a thing could happen. I've often wondered whether terrorist planners are watching with interest our preoccupation with COVID-19. We need to be preoccupied, but I wonder whether any group out there as seriously considered taking advantage of the current preoccupation and what that would look like.
Lastly, this is super-short and well narrated.