Thank you to Legend Press for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I'm so happy to be a part of this book tour! Make sure you check the banner below and go read everyone else's posts.
Goodreads Synopsis
As a sleepy town in rural Ireland starts to wake, a road subsides, trapping an early-morning bus and five passengers inside. Rescue teams struggle and as two are eventually saved, the bus falls deeper into the hole.
Under the watchful eyes of the media, the lives of three people are teetering on the edge. And for those on the outside, from Nina, the reporter covering the story, to rescue liaison, Tim, and Richie, the driver pulled from the wreckage, each are made to look at themselves under the glare of the spotlight.
When their world crumbles beneath their feet, they are forced to choose between what they cling to and what they must let go of.
Review
This book completely blew me away and I found myself fully invested in this story and these characters lives. At a first glance this is a story of a sinkhole and the passengers trapped inside but it is so much more than that. It is a story about grief, religion, relationships and belonging. We watch as the foundations of these people's lives begin to crumble, much like the ground that has now trapped this bus and its passengers.
It was interesting to see how these characters slowly developed in their own ways, whether it was Nina and Tim who by being in each other's presence again makes them come to terms with the way that they have been grieving for their late daughter, or Alina who is finding her identity again. These characters were so unique and were incredibly realistic in terms of the way that they act and think. Lucy, one of the passengers trapped on the bus, spends a good amount of time imagining life after the event and what talk shows she could be on in order to remove herself from her current situation. I really liked the way we saw the same conversations from overlapping perspectives but seeing how different elements of the conversation are pin-pointed and changed slightly depending on the person.
This book is so gripping and so beautifully written with a diverse range of characters. The premise was so unique and nothing like I've previously read. This is a moving and thoughtful debut by Grianne Murphy and I cannot wait to read more of her work in the future.
Rating: 4/5 stars
