Hostage: A Book Review

Hostage is the latest release of Clare Mackintosh.

Mina is aboard the inaugural flight that flies directly from London to Sydney. Her life is complicated, and she is trying to balance her life with her adopted child Sophia and her husband, Adam. To keep her sanity, she accepts the crew offer for Flight 79 maiden trip.

Onboard the flight, the excitement is high. The launch of the flight included celebrities, journalists, and people who are waiting to meet their loved ones in Sydney as passengers.

Shortly after the flight takes off, Mina receives a threatening note that puts her at a crossroads. She can either choose her daughter or the 353 passengers on board. Mina’s choice will make a life or death decision.

Mackintosh created a story filled with thrill and adrenaline rush. The book differs from Clare Mackintosh’s earlier books. Adam and Mina are the lead narrators, and it interspersed these with narration from six passengers on the flight.

Adam and Mina’s marriage is going through a rough patch, and with a 5-year-old in the mix, the entire equation is off balance. But Mina’s strength is in her daughter Sophia and the in-between break she gets while traveling as a flight crew member.

Adam is a cop and loves his family, but sometimes love can fall short. He is not happy from within, but it’s much more than just unhappiness.

When Mina receives the letter, she is cruising at 35,000 feet and is isolated from the people. Packed inside the flight, she feels trapped in a box and in no condition to reach her daughter. Mackintosh’s writing creates a perfect atmosphere of tension and claustrophobia. The reader will go through various emotions, from thrill to jaw-dropping.

The readers will have an immersive reading experience. The readers can finish the book in one sitting.

The central theme of the book is climate change and the adverse contribution of the airline industry. But as the author explained in the note to readers, such topics cannot solve through radicalization.

Adam’s POV is sometimes a slow read to read but, the thrill keeps the reader going through until the end. Mackintosh has impeccable storytelling skills. None of her books will ever disappoint including, Hostage.

Hostage is one of those works of hers which will astound her readers by the end.

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Thank you, NetGalley and Little Brown Books, for the copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

My review of Clare Mackintosh’s other books:

1. I Let You Go
2. Let Me Lie
3. I See You

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