There are three things I want to touch on: the book itself, one I loved, and one I didn’t like at all. I can’t do the third without dropping a spoiler. It won’t spoil the end but will reveal the purpose of the hijacking so if that’s something you want to avoid, skip the final 3rd. But please engage with the other two.
In terms of the book itself: it’s an entertaining thriller. This is my third one from Clare Mackintosh and she really knows how to deliver. Keeps the suspense up while still engaging with the characters. It suffers from the limits of the genre but while it doesn’t elevate, it at least is of a better quality than most.
Deep breath. Okay.
One thing I absolutely freaking loved: the portrayal of adoptive parents in this story. Before the story begins, Mina and Adam adopt a child at 5 months, one who suffered major neglect from her first family. Out of this came several behavior changes. And Mackintosh is quite honest about the struggle to adapt to this, the frustration it leaves you, the self-loathing when you think you’re not good enough. Mina and Adam aren’t heroes for what they did, they’re imperfect parents raising a child with specific needs. It was so refreshing to see them be imperfect/bad to their daughter because it’s a very difficult scenario. It’s painful to read at times but it is on the money with the reality of adoption.
One thing I did not like
(again spoilers)
Is that the hijackers were climate change activists looking to take over the world’s record longest commercial flight for the purpose of getting nation-states to reduce CO2 emissions through airplanes.
Look, I’m very glad Mackintosh did not go the route of religious/racial/ethnic minority Big Bad. There’s not a real sensitive way to do it and this was true before 9/11. The people have to stand for something and I’m fine with the something being a cause.
The problems here are numerous though. I understand the book can’t really allow its characters to grapple with what’s going on; after all, they’re on a hijacked plane! But the examination of climate change is surface-y. Filtering it all through airlines? I get that planes are bad, you don’t need to tell someone with a real fear of flying. But it just felt like an ineffective way for these people to make a point.
Also, the rationale of the group didn’t make a lot of sense either. It takes a lot to convince someone to put their lives on the line for a cause. I can’t imagine folks are going to do it for some governmental concessions that they have no possible way of enforcing.
On top of that and more importantly: I live on the east coast. It was 61 degrees this past Saturday. In December. On the east coast. Our style of life is going to change drastically in the coming years because of rising sea levels, along with continued record storms and heat. A negligence in addressing climate change is actively poisoning our planet. Handwaving it away because you need an excuse for your villains to jumpstart the plot is not a good look now and most certainly will not age well.
So yeah, it’s a good book but I can’t get over that. Your mileage may vary.
