✨Have you ever read a book with a twist so jaw-dropping that you automatically want to go right back to page one and figure out what you missed? Welcome to 59 MINUTES, my friends.

✨The tension was palpable, the action was relentless, and I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

✨While this book deals with difficult subject matter, it’s handled responsibly and is written with depth, heart and so much emotion. You’re going to need a Kleenex for sure.

✨Definitely one of the most profound and thought-provoking books I’ve read.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Stories of deep sacrifice for family
✨Motherhood narratives
✨Survival fiction
✨Action thrillers
✨Intense page turners
✨British settings
✨Multiple points of view

My thanks to @atriabooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

Holy smokes, this book kept me enraptured and on the edge of my seat as the minutes counted down. 10/10. Do yourselves a favor and pick this one up!

59 Minutes was my first read by Holly Sedona, and I was immediately drawn in by the premise—an apocalyptic thriller set against the ticking clock of an imminent nuclear threat. The setup is gripping: a world on the edge, choices that matter, and a chilling countdown that gives the story its urgency.

Sedona delivers solid tension throughout, especially in the first and final acts. The stakes feel real, and the fear of nuclear war looms over every page like a shadow. The novel also stands out for its cast of strong, capable women navigating impossible circumstances, which brings heart and grit to the high-stakes plot.

The pacing does take its time to build, and the middle sags just a little as character development slows the momentum. But by the end, it’s clear Sedona was planting seeds all along—there’s a payoff, and it works.

Overall, 59 Minutes is a solid read for fans of apocalyptic fiction. The tension is well-maintained, the themes are timely, and Holly Sedona shows serious promise. I’ll be watching for what she writes next.

Thank You NetGalley and Atria Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If you knew the world was going to end in an hour, what would you do? This is the premise for the novel as we follow characters through that hour. I did get a little muddled with the relationships betwwwn the characters and it want until the end that I figured it out. I didn’t enjoy this book a lot!

Imagine knowing you had 59 mins left to live, what would you do?

Really loved the idea behind this. This follows 3 story lines of different women trying to get to their loved ones in time. They receive a text and chaos erupts. Somewhere between the middle - end got a little slow & the time jumps were a bit confusing but over all I enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Well……… that was STRESSFUL. 😂😂 existential dread aside I really enjoyed this book and the premise. 59 minutes until a nuclear attack? What are you doing with the time you have left? Holly Seddon really hit home with this the characters literally pop off the page and the book has a very unique twist. Definitely read this one!

This was an interesting thriller. what would you do if your world was ending and you had one hour to live. I liked the different povs throughout the book, but the time jumping around was confusing.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

I already want to read this again! What a roller coaster ride this book was! First of all, the premise is right up my alley and I could not wait to get my hands on it. However, it delivered way more than I had hoped and had much more depth and the writing was phenomenal. I really grew so fond of each character as I read on and the author’s ability to build tension while evoking such strong and varying emotions was so artful. This is one of those books that will stick with me forever. I found myself spaced out thinking about it throughout my days reading it, because it was that impactful. Don’t hesitate to pick up this one when it comes out, but make sure your schedule is clear because you won’t want to put it down once you start it.

Nuclear missile threat to South England. 59 minutes until impact. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a test.

This book was so crazy! Imagine only having 59 minutes to live. What would you do? Can you right all your wrongs?

While this book made me anxious, it did so in the best way possible. Such an exhilarating ride!

“59 Minutes” by Holly Seddon is a unique and consuming thriller unlike anything else I have ever read. The book opens with the warning of a nuclear threat to South England, 59 minutes to impact. Seek Shelter immediately, this is NOT a test!!!
The book follows the journey of 3 characters during the countdown, and while following their story I must admit I was thinking about what I would do for my family and friends in those remaining minutes the entire read. The subject matter terrified me and the author did a fantastic job of dealing with both the good and truly evil parts of humanity, as well as the sobering but hopeful aftermath of such an event. This is a book everyone should read. It’s dark, scary, and emotional with a satisfying and surprising ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Altria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

With only 59 minutes before mass destruction three different woman try and get to their loved ones. This book is heart racing and exciting. I felt like I was there with the characters. The writing and storytelling is impactful and captivating. This story will stay with me for a long time. I also can not wait for more books from this author.

This was a well written, knowledgeable (frighteningly so) account of what could happen when a large country's entire population was told that the world as they, you, we, know it will end in right under an hour. It was spectacularly written & really heartfelt. There were times when it was a bit difficult to follow (from one protagonist / timeline to another) but well worth it! I can't say I just LOVED this book - the subject matter alone terrifies me but I did really enjoy 59 Minutes. It's so immersive & impressively shows both the best and worst of humanity in everyone..... not just "good" people or "bad' people but people like me, you, the person in the next building over. I do recommend this book, highly!!

I was very glad to be selected to read this book which offers a staggering look at three seemingly separate women's lives after they are told there is 59 minutes until an imminent nuclear strike. This story is nonstop intensity as each women spends their time trying in some fashion to get back to their family before the end of the world. A nail biter from the first page, I could not put this down and read late into the night. I had to find out who found who, who made it home and what would become of the brave women in this terrifying situation. Seddon hits the right notes of panic and chaos that such a warning would create especially as the public safety net is shown to be glaringly inadequate. It is a cautionary tale for a troubled time that really resonated with me.

The premise is interesting and creepy so I was hooked from page 1 of 59 Minutes, and I never put it back down. Absolutely makes you think about what you would do if you knew a world altering disaster was heading your way, and gave a really accurate and terrifying look into the different ways people and the government likely would respond. The characters are intriguing and each of their storylines and personalities felt distinct. I knew who I was following. Each chapter kept me hooked and wanting to get back to that POV, but I felt that about all 3 - hence why I could never put it down. Never been to London so I was a bit lost with the navigation and little details like Dartmoor Ponies, but it wasn't necessary to have full understanding to enjoy it. There was a part of the twist in the ending that I didn't personally enjoy, so that kept it from being a 5 star for me, but I know others will appreciate it.

What a trip! This is a new Author to me and I can't wait to read other books she has written. The premise is very cool and one the Author handles very well. Although I am not a big fan of time hopping - something this novel does quite a bit of and it took me on quite the ride. This story had it all - suspense (so much suspense), intrigue, family vibes, deceit, a tad bit of humor (knock knock) and so many more emotions! There's not a way to do a summary without giving away too much - especially the twist that so many mention. I appreciate the Author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

On a normal evening in England, the country receives notification that a nuclear attack is imminent and will occur in 59 minutes. The notification suggests seeking immediate shelter, but chaos ensues. The story follows three women, each with vastly different backgrounds and life experiences, trying to make it to their families and to safety.

Whoa, this was a wild ride! This story kept me on the edge of my seat through all the twists and turns. The concept, while scary, did grab me immediately and I raced through this book because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened. The story is told from multiple points of view and each of the characters is compelling. There were quite a few surprises that I didn’t see coming! I really enjoy Holly Seddon’s work, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next :)

Thank you to Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What if an emergency alert on your phone said that in 59 minutes, missiles will land. What would you do? Are you with your family or friends? Can you get home in time? The trains stopped running. The highways are closed or clogged with accidents. How far would you go to be with the ones you love?
Told by three different people. Connie just wants to be with her girlfriend and their daughter. Frankie and her boyfriend are on holiday and their world is turned upside down when she is forcibly separated from Otis. Then we have Mrs. Dabb, desperate to find her teenage daughter, who did not come home on the bus.
Chapters alternate between these three characters as time is running out. As you can imagine, none of them have an easy time. Most people are kind hearted, but a disaster also brings out the worst. All I kept thinking was talk about really bad luck. The world is about to end, and the message arrives at 5 PM when people are just trying to get home. Towards the end, there is one heck of a twist that I did not see coming. A scary concept and a book that kept me furiously flipping the pages.

Clear your weekend. Once you start reading this time-ticking thriller, it’s hard to put down. The pacing is fast and furious right from the start, and although at moments it might feel like a stress induced panic attack the rhythm soon becomes a large part of the appeal.
This book checks all the boxes for a creative worst-case scenario thriller (think any end-of-your-world blockbuster thriller), but it also has well flushed out character arcs that weave together in unexpected ways.
The author wrapped this book up with an ending that was surprising, authentic, emotional, and satisfying.

My fav book I’ve read by the author. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a fast paced thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Emily Bestler Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

59 Minutes is terrifying and likely a very real glimpse into what might happen if we got an emergency notification - that isn’t a test - that we were about to die. The focus of the book is on three characters during the countdown of the 59 minutes, with an epilogue of sorts one year and ten years after. The events during the 59 minutes are terrible with a sliver of hope, while those after reflect on what happened and provide more terror but also far more hope.

The book definitely stays with its reader and raises questions while the culmination of events was unexpected and expected both at once. I especially appreciated the peek into how England reacted long term. There were points where I was confused but that was largely cleared up when I realized one voice’s place in the story. Overall, this is an important story that should be read, but perhaps one you need to be prepared for as the scariest part of it is how real it is when looking at who people are when going through and trying to recover from this kind of world ending trauma.