Kate Francis gives us gives us multiple points of view in this novel, but more often than not we are with Ana, whose twin brother, Danny, was killed in a fire at their school.
Seven school friends are invited to go on a luxury holiday on the anniversary of the fire. However, they end up ay at a motel that has seen better days. The rooms are in need of refurbishment, the swimming pool is empty and there is no food available. Not long after they arrive the bus explodes and the bus driver crosses the line that surrounds them and is shot.
They are invited to participate in a Balloon Game. At the end of each hour they have to vote for who should cross the line and get killed.
As we slip into each point of view we realise that all seven are partly to blame for what happened. Ana teases us and hangs on to her secret the longest.
The young people do fight back and Ana is able to crack the code to the bunker form which the antagonist works. It is the father of Karl Hunt. Karl is believed to have started the fire. Mr Hunt is collecting evidence to show that Karl alone is not guilty. Ana manages to destroy his evidence.
Even here all is not what it seems. And there are more surprises for the guilty seven.
They do manage to come to terms with what they’ve done. Should they be forgiven and can they forgive themselves?
The paperback edition is 351 pages in a standard font and with standard formatting. Chapters are short and the pace sis fast. Tension is high. It is not difficult to keep reading.
