59 Minutes

by Holly Seddon

59 Minutes was chosen as our January Buddy Read Book Club read and coincidently, I was lucky enough to win a copy via a giveaway over Christmas, so I had no reason not to join in.

What a rollercoaster of a read!

Told from the point of view of three women of different ages, living different lives in different parts of the country but all suddenly faced with the same trauma of being away from their loved ones/homes when they receive an alert from the government warning system about a nuclear missile due to hit the south of England in 59 minutes.

I can’t even imagine! It must be terrifying!

As I followed each of the women through their journey back to their nearest and dearest I felt their increasing panic. The increasing panic of those around them. Some trying to be kind and helpful, others just trying to fend for themselves. Disaster does often bring out the best in some people and the absolute worst in others. It’s scary how quickly some people resort to looting and losing all sense of respect for their community, and their neighbours. Although, I can understand that they are facing nuclear fallout and would be unlikely to be thinking rationally. As I said, I can’t even imagine. I’m not sure I want to imagine. It doesn’t bare thinking about does it, even though it is a very real threat to us all realistically. I live in hope of those in charge having the sense not to start throwing nuclear missiles around!

I can understand these women recognising the grand scheme of things as things fall apart around them. We are all guilty of complaining about the most unimportant things. It’s just human nature but when catastrophic things happen in life they tend to put things into perspective. At the same time, we learn to appreciate the little things in life which we should all be doing always, but we often forget to.

None of us can know how we would deal with such trauma unless we had to face it, but it’s interesting to think about how we hope we would react. I’d like to hope I wouldn’t resort to stealing and throwing others under the bus so to speak, but who knows. I know I would be panicking if I was elsewhere, away from my husband and children. I would absolutely want us to be together if the end was imminent. I wouldn’t want any of my loved ones to face it alone.

This is such a thought-provoking story. One which I am sure will stay with me and one I will talk about often. I did not foresee where the story would lead and end. A truly compelling read. Fast-paced with very short chapters which helped to propel the story forward. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend.

Great choice @x_charlieeexbooks_x

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**Many thanks to Stu Cummins for my paperback copy via his giveaway**

If you knew you had fifty-nine minutes until everything and everyone you love would be lost forever, what would you do with that time?

It’s an ordinary evening. People are coming home from work, cooking dinner for their children, cuddling on sofas with their lovers. And then the message arrives, shattering everyone’s worlds:

Missiles are set to destroy England in fifty-nine minutes. Everyone should seek immediate shelter.

59 minutes follows the journey of three women trying to make it home to and protect their families. The journeys should be simple, but with a lost schoolchild seeking help, a teenage daughter suddenly going missing, and dangerous criminals on the prowl, there is peril at every corner.