Amazon.it:Recensioni clienti: Hostage: The jaw-dropping, edge-of-your-seat Sunday Times bestselling thriller (English Edition)

Michael N.

** Spoilers ** A Clever Story Almost Cancelled Out By Its Clever Ending

Recensito nel Regno Unito il 28 giugno 2021

This is a slightly flawed and, in the character sense, fussily busy book (several passengers are redundant, and so are several villains), but Clare Mackintosh is a born writer who figuratively handcuffs you to the story with her robust and unyielding narrative; somehow, she makes all the components taxi together beautifully, and before you know it, two days have passed, and you've done barely anything else in that time but read, the contented captive of the author. However, the twisty ending here, while raising a wry smile, makes you question the credibility of the plot's mastermind, and furthermore darkly suggests that adoption is ultimately pointless, not least in this case because it's not only the hijacker who can never be redeemed. This unnecessary - almost retroactively negating - epilogue for me rules out 'Hostage' as being worthy of five stars. And that's a pity, because it's a fine concept, fully and cleverly realised by a fantastic author who has done her technical research while inventing an immersive adventure with well-rounded and compelling principle characters.

2 persone l'hanno trovato utile

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Peliroja

Fasten your seatbelt...

Recensito nel Regno Unito il 9 luglio 2021

Acquisto verificato

Excellent! I have read all of Miss Mackintosh's books and loved all but the last one, when she went all Sliding Doors on us and I just got confused.

This, however, is a masterclass in thriller writing. She has all the right ingredients - characters we like enough to get behind, two different race-against-time scenarios, playing out over 20 hours, a twist (albeit one I actually guessed, though that didn't spoil it for me) and, as far as I can tell, tip-top research into her subject.

Ok, so there is the necessity to suspend belief just a smidge and there will be the odd reader for whom the only thing missing is a nun with a guitar, but it's well done and totally terrifying - do not read if you are about to fly is my advice.

I loved the way the two main characters narrated each part of their story in shortish chapters, often leaving us with a cliffhanger to make us want to read on - I read this book in record time. There were also interludes from various passengers on the plane, giving us information as to why they were travelling to Australia and snippets into their personal lives. This is the only part I found confusing at times as there were a lot of them and they were referred to by their seat numbers. As they were brought into the story later I found I had to look back to try and remember who was who, though it actually didn't really matter that much to the plot.

I will skirt over the ending (the actual ending I mean, not the twist before the ending) as I felt the character involved needed to be older for it to have any credence. But I loved the idea so am letting it go.

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable read, full of suspense and exceptionally well plotted and well written - which isn't something I can say very often these days with some of the stuff that gets past the proofreaders. So put your seat in the upright position, buckle up and adopt the brace position. You're going to need it.

Una persona l'ha trovato utile

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A nail biting read!

Recensito nel Regno Unito il 6 ottobre 2021

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Hostage by Clare Mackintosh is such a tense, nail biting read, and it opens with an explosive first page which paints a terrifying picture in your mind. I’m a huge fan of Clare Mackintosh’s books and I think this is her best book to date. It made me think that this is something that could happen which made it even more terrifying. It has made me think twice about getting on a plane, especially a long-haul flight any time soon.

We’re introduced to Mina, a flight attendant who is about to travel on the first ever non-stop trip from London to Sydney. Mina did originally want to become a pilot, but her plans changed. The flight is getting a lot of attention from the press; influencers and celebrities are among the passengers traveling in business class. The thought of being on a flight for twenty hours fills me with dread. The longest flight I’ve ever taken is when I flew to Japan a couple of years ago which was fourteen hours. As the flight gets underway it becomes clear to Mina that the flight has been taken hostage. Mina is faced with an impossible decision that will affect the lives of everyone on board.

I really had no idea how things were going to pan out for Mina. I could feel her fear as she comes to terms with the decision she has to make. It made me wonder what she was going to do, and it made me think about what I would do if I was in her position.

What I really liked about this book is that parts of the book are told from different passengers who are onboard the flight. They all have their own individual, unique backstories which I thought Clare Mackintosh crafted so well. It made me question everything about them and I felt as though I couldn’t trust anyone who was onboard.

Clare Mackintosh also tells the book from the point of view Mina’s husband who is at home with her daughter. I thought these scenes were done very well and they added to the tension in the book. I really liked Mina’s daughter. She is very bright, and I thought that Clare Mackintosh brought her personality to life really well. Mina’s husband is a very mysterious character and I wanted to find out more about him, especially as things for Mina begin to escalate.

Clare Mackintosh is a writer who knows how to deliver on tension. The plan creates the perfect, locked room setting and it also gives the book a very claustrophobic feeling. I loved this book and I devoured it in just a couple of sittings. I thought the ending was done very well and it wrapped the book up in a very satisfactory way on a chilling final note. Psychological thriller fans, you have to read this book! I highly recommend it!

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Talia

A breathtakingly brilliant, big screen read

Recensito nel Regno Unito il 17 luglio 2021

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I eagerly awaited the publication of this novel as I love Clare Mackintosh’s work. Her books are all so different, yet all so similarly brilliantly written. As we haven’t been able to travel, setting foot into this plane was an immensely incredible experience.

It felt like I was reading the plot of a big screen film. Such intense scenes made me hold my breath as I read. Mina is a flight attendant on a maiden flight of 20 hours from London to Sydney. She shouldn’t be on the plane but she has swapped shifts to give herself a break from her breaking marriage problems at home. However as she starts the flight, that’s not her only problem. Someone on the plane has threatened the life of her child if she does not help to ensure that this plane never reaches its destination. What does she do? Ensure her child is safe and put at risk the hundreds of people on the plane? She is in a dreadful situation. She knows her child is safe at home with her police officer father, but for how long?

At the same time that Mina’s life is unravelling in the air, her husband’s life is about to implode as his huge gambling debts have come to find him. Her daughter is under threat from his addictions and only us readers know about this twist in her life.

This is a wonderful read, extremely tense and the consequences terrifying. There seems to be no way out for anyone caught up in this hostage situation. Being trapped at 30,000 feet is breathtakingly dreadful. Being trapped at home by people desperate to take a huge gamble on your life is also unthinkable. This is a tense read, with a fabulous twist right at the end. You will not need a reason that keep reading as you won’t be able to put it down.

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Elizabeth B

This is a mind blowing thriller

Recensito nel Regno Unito il 19 maggio 2022

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WOW I really enjoyed this exciting thriller which should be made into a movie. Clare keeps us all at the edge of our seats from beginning to end. This is a roller coaster which carries on in the skies and also on land.

Mina is a flight attendant on a twenty hour long haul non stop flight from London to Sydney. When Mina receives a note telling her to comply with everything it says otherwise she will be endangering her five year old daughter Sophia's life.

Can Mina save the day or not when the plane is hijacked by fundamentalist extremists whose mission is to make a difference in the way we leave our carbon footprint on earth. Pandemonium breaks out when events take a turn for the worse.

At home Adam, Mina's estranged husband comes home to their adopted daughter Sophia who is being taken care of by their new babysitter but is she all that she appears to be. Adam is a compulsive gambler and he has chosen not to tell Mina how bad things have got. There are menacing men chasing Adam down to retrieve their dues. There is a nail biting situation that arises which is connected to what is happening on board a Boeing flight 777 carrying 353 passengers including Mina and also the situation at home where both Sophia and Adam are in danger.

Sophia has an old head on young shoulders and questions everything around her. She learns about how to save the planet in class. There is someone on board flight 777 who is the instigator of the hijack but keeps it from everyone. The ending is mind blowing in more ways than one and will chill you to the bone.

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Susan George

Expecting to be hooked but disappointed

Recensito nel Regno Unito il 29 luglio 2021

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I have really enjoyed Clare Mackintosh’s other novels but unfortunately couldn’t get into this one. It was confusing with so many characters and jumping backwards and forwards in time. I carried in reading it because I kept hoping it was going to get better but was disappointed. The final’twist’ just seemed pointless.

3 persone l'hanno trovato utile

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Herts bookworm

Wow, what a rollercoaster!

Recensito nel Regno Unito il 2 marzo 2022

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I read this in two days - it kept me on the edge of my seat and I hardly dared to breathe at times. Clare Mackintosh always delivers a classy read and her thrillers are just what it says on the tin. This one is part locked room mystery and part thriller told from the viewpoints of separated married couple Mina and Adam, a flight attendant and a detective sergeant respectively, interspersed with the thoughts of multiple passengers on the plane. These are labelled with the seat numbers occupied by the passengers and describe their reasons for being on the first non stop flight from London to Sydney. Whilst carrying out her duties, Mina finds some unsettling items connected with her adopted daughter Sophia, and later receives an anonymous note telling her that she must allow an unidentified passenger access to the flight deck or her daughter will die. Meanwhile, at home Adam has problems of his own…

I absolutely loved this book, especially the twist at the end and am looking forward immensely to Clare’s next novel due in August.

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Laura (TheBookishHermit)

Edge of your seat stuff!

Recensito nel Regno Unito il 15 agosto 2021

Acquisto verificato

The story begins with an intriguing prologue which is partly explained in the first few chapters. We then move to part one where we meet ‘Mina’ a now single mother of adopted five year old ‘Sophia’, who has attachment issues.
Mina and Sophia’s father ‘Adam’ have split up due to him potentially cheating with their childminder ‘Katya’ - however, this is not confirmed, Adam blatantly denies the accusation and this is where the mystery element of the story begins! Many strange things regarding Adam are revealed as the chapters roll by and I have to admit, I really started to dislike this character! (In a good way).

We soon learn that Adam works for the local police department and is concerned about his boss seeing his work phone's itemised phone bill - something that will apparently finish him off in the job.

Mina on the other hand is a flight attendant for World Airways and is about to head out on flight 79 - a London to Sydney nonstop flight (The flight is said to take 20 hours) - Pretty nerve racking in itself if you ask me!
On her way to work she is warned by a stranger that the flight is basically doomed. This causes Mina to feel a certain amount of anxiety before boarding the flight.

The author's unique ability to grab and literally drop you onto this flight is amazing, I felt like a passenger on the flight myself! I felt the nerves, excitement and apprehension of what was to come. The interior of the plane is described beautifully, creating a perfect feel of the surroundings and atmosphere.

We learn about individual passengers on the flight and what has brought them to this point in their lives - I found these parts really interesting and felt that they helped to break up the story.

The hijacking itself is perfectly written and I wasn’t sure which way things were going to go next, I just couldn’t stop turning the pages! I found the reason and planning behind the hijacking interesting - definitely something different!

There is a lot going on here and it’s all very easy to follow and beautifully written! If you are looking for something atmospheric, unpredictable, unnerving and anxiety inducing then this book is definitely for you!

A very easy five stars!

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Cathrynanne24

An enjoyable read!

Recensito nel Regno Unito il 30 settembre 2021

Acquisto verificato

Oh, I so wanted to love this book, but I think there was just too much hype about it which had me going in with huge expectations! Don’t get me wrong I did enjoy it and I read it super quick as it was a gripping read, but sadly I just didn’t rate it quite as highly as so many have. (Sorry to all Clare’s fans, please don’t come at me with pitchforks 😂)

Mina is part of the flight crew on the worlds first non-stop flight from London to Sydney. It is not long after take-off that strange things start to happen. Mina’s feeling of unease is fully justified when the plane is taken over by hijackers who hold the crew and passenger’s hostage.

To make matters worse a threat has been made against Mina’s daughter Sophia, so not only is she fearing for her own life, but she also has no idea if her husband and daughter are safe at home! The chapters alternate between Mina and other passengers on the plane and Mina’s husband Adam back at home.

What I loved about this story is that blood was shed, not everybody survives the flight, which helped to keep the story more interesting and hold my attention. I can’t fault the writing, Clare is hugely talented and clearly does her research as there was so much detail in this book about planes that you couldn’t know unless you worked on them yourself or had done extensive research.

The pace initially was slower than I’d have liked, and I think I’d have liked a bit more action. The reason for the hijack I was a bit disappointed with and sadly the twists at the end I didn’t like, and one was quite predictable. I feel like it is the kind of story that has been written to become a movie, it could work well on screen, but I think a few changes and a bit more action would be needed.

Although this book wasn’t a five-star read for me, it doesn’t mean it won’t be for you. This book has been very highly rated by many people, so I think I’m definitely in the minority. If you like the sound of the blurb then do give it a go.

I’m a huge fan of Clare’s first two books I Let You Go and I See You, if you’ve not read these then you must. I also have her other two books Let Me Lie and After the End still to read which I am very much looking forward to.

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Shirl D

You can be a Hostage in many ways...

Recensito nel Regno Unito il 27 luglio 2021

Acquisto verificato

Even before opening this novel, the word Hostage will mean 'held ransom, often in precarious circumstances' to Clare's readers. If those readers also follow the award-winning crime author on social media they, like me, will have awaited the June release of this aircraft-based thriller.

Hype, or pre-publication anticipation, can sometimes be a disappointment when the actual novel is read. NOT THIS TIME! For me, this drama played out as though happening in front of my eyes. Clare's publicity was spot on!

As I began to read, I needed to discover WHY, WHO, HOW and WHAT this particular Hostage situation was all about. There's far more to this story than some kind of dangerous fracas midway around the world...I am not about to spoil your pleasure in advance.

What I will say is: how many situations in life can hold us hostage at any particular time? Clare has masterminded a multi-faceted plot that includes many of the human dilemmas - careers, decision-making, parenting, relationships, health conditions, addiction - plus one big human conundrum with regard a global threat every one of us should be taking seriously.

Find out as you ride to Sydney from London on a non-stop, nail-biting flight that could change the future if we all 'listen' to Clare. However, you will also be entertained along the way, flipping those pages as fast as your eyes, fingers and time will allow. Enjoy.

Top Tip: I wish I had made notes about each passenger's plane position as I read their autobiographical pieces... you'll know what I mean when you see them. I might have solved some clues in advance, although I don't have much track history for successful armchair sleuthing.

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5 stelle		55%
4 stelle		29%
3 stelle		12%
2 stelle		2%
1 stella		2%

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