What an exciting book in both form and plot!
Four plane crashes happen at the same time in different places around the world and the only survivors are three children. A religious fanatic suggests they are the harbingers of the apocalypse. Can you hear that music – it’s thrilling (best onomatopoeic description – dee noo nee noo dee noo nee noo). It has just been nominated for the Mbokodo award.
The story follows what happens after the crashes through the words of the families and communities of the survivors. The children are ever-present but you don’t often get to hear from them, which just adds to their eeriness.
Lotz is a master at creating thick characters. In any story that is going to follows characters from different countries and backgrounds style and tone become so important.
In The Three each chapter features a narrative about the events told by a different character (some characters are repeated), and each character has a different voice. At no point in time was I confused about who was talking, despite them talking about similar issues, because the voices Lotz creates are so distinctive. You get a strong idea of the type of people that the characters are, when they are being disingenuous to you the reader (or to themselves), and can almost anticipate their reactions to the events from the first time you meet them. I wish I had made a point of counting how many narrators you meet just so you could realize how amazing this feat was.
I wish this book could be made into a movie. I think it would be gripping.
Lotz is a South African author, who has also written a few other books including Pompidou Posse, Tooth and Nailed and Exhibit A. She is also part of the threesome responsible for the Girl Walks into a Bar series along with Paige Nicks and Helen Moffett. She is also part of the horror duo S.L. Grey.
I’m looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.
Follow her on twitter @SarahLotz1
Jen Thorpe 