Book Review :: The Island, by CL Taylor

The Island by C.L. Taylor
ISBN: 0008240590
Published by HarperCollins, HQ Young Adult
on 2021-01-21
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 384
Source: HarperCollins NZ
Find at Harper Collins NZ
Goodreads

Welcome to The Island.Where your worst fears are about to come true…

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday: a week-long trip for six teenage friends on a remote tropical island.

But when their guide dies of a stroke leaving them stranded, the trip of a lifetime quickly turns into a nightmare.

Because someone on the island knows each of the group’s worst fears. And one by one, they’re coming true.

Seven days in paradise. A deadly secret.

Who will make it off the island alive?

Last updated on 13 February 2023

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My thoughts on The Island

Having not read a C.L Taylor book before I wasn’t sure what to expect. But after reading the synopsis of The Island, and getting thoroughly intrigued, I picked it up. And read this Young Adult Thriller in one sitting.

Six teens, Jessie, Danny, Honor, Milo, Meg, and Jeffers, head out onto an island in Thailand, as part of a birthday celebration. They have to Bear Grylls it for a week, with nothing but the few things they brought with them, and their Thai guide. But when disaster strikes and their guide suddenly dies, the teens are left to fend for themselves.

With tensions running high, suspicions that there might be others on the island that they don’t know about, and a pair of rowdy, obnoxious tourists to deal with, the six have to survive on the island by themselves … how hard could it be?

The Island was a thrilling book. It’s told from the perspective of a few of the kids and had me be gripped the entire way. Taylor writes the characters incredibly well, with their backstories coming through; you quickly figure out who you like and who you don’t, that’s for sure.

The whole concept was also a lot of fun, despite it being a thriller and there being a death in the first few chapters. The only reason it wasn’t a 5-star for me is that I figured out what was happening, so what was meant to be more of a shock, was less impactful. However! It was still an incredible read – and a fast one! – and I’m now going to check out Taylor’s other YA novel, The Treatment.

Have you read The Island?

Thank you to HarperCollins NZ for a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. This does not affect my review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.