After the First Death

After the First Death is the story of the hijacking of a summer camp bus full of young children by a terrorist group. The story shifts from the point of view of one of the young terrorists, Miro, to the young girl driving the bus, Kate, to the son of the head of the anti-terrorist group attempting to stop the hijacking, Ben. Occasionally, one of the other characters, including Ben's father, tells part of the story.

When the action begins, everything is told moment by moment, almost in slow motion.

It's frightening to be inside the heads of each of these characters as the story develops, as the hijacked bus is parked on a bridge, as the terrorists give the children drugged candy to make them sleep, as one of the children dies from the candy, as the anti-terrorist soldiers assemble to try to take out the hijackers and save the children...

One of the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read.