In 'Island of Shadows,' the idyllic setting of Kauai becomes a backdrop for a gripping tale of loss, trauma, and the haunting power of the past. Annie Lin's journey is one of resilience as she navigates the challenges of rebuilding her life amidst personal tragedies. But as mysterious reminders from her past resurface, the tranquility of her new home is shattered by a sense of unease and the unsettling presence of a stranger. With each revelation, the boundaries between reality and illusion blur, leaving Annie—and readers—questioning what is truly happening on the island. 'Island of Shadows' is a captivating psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the final, chilling conclusion.

This book was SO disappointing. After reading the synopsis for it, I was super excited to have received a copy. The cover is beautiful and I was excited about the Hawaii setting. Sadly, the book did not live up to its expectations. It was not thrilling or exciting at all. Rather, it was boring and drawn out. The ending was also a major letdown. After around 20-25% in to the book, NOTHING HAPPENED. I kept waiting for something, ANYTHING, to happen! Maybe if it was condensed into a shorter story it would have been better...

The main character Annie was really frustrating and annoying. The way things panned out after her inviting a stranger into her home was just so unbelievable that it made for a difficult read. Annie was just so dumb and wishy washy it was really annoying to read.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley of the copy in exchange for an honest review..

Thank you to NetGalley and Mercer books.

Unfortunately this one did not work for me. The main character was hard to relate to and her choices were frustrating as a reader.

But the settings and premise of two strangers in a house may work well for other readers.

This is one of those those situations in which it is painstakingly obvious this a debut for the author. Unfortunately I didn't find this particularly well written or plotted which made it even harder to put up with the constant thriller cliches. I was hoping a book published in 2023 would shy away from the binge drinking, memory issues. lack of awareness, etc. that plagued so many protagonists of thrillers in the previous decade. It's overdone and frustrating at this point.

I enjoy thriller books but sadly this one wasnt for me and I had to DNF it. The writing wasnt very good and the plot, which sounded interesting from the synopsis, failed to grip me.

So chilling and intense! I could feel the vibes coming off the pages. A story of family and facing demons.

A new life in paradise should have healed her wounds. But for a woman struggling to hold on to her family and her sanity, one stormy night could change everything.

Blow by blow, Annie Lin’s life crumbles. Her dance studio goes bankrupt. Her mother and beloved dog are gone the same year. Then a terrible accident leaves her young son traumatized.

It’s time for a change.

Palm trees, mai tais, peace and quiet—Annie should be at ease, safe in her new Kauai home with her husband and son. She hopes proximity to her family can provide them all with a sense of belonging and calm. But soon items from her past start turning up—her dog’s collar, a bracelet that disappeared years ago—and she has the unnerving sensation she’s being watched. Reality begins to fracture, and Annie’s panic attacks return. When, during a brewing storm, a woman appears on her doorstep looking for shelter, Annie is relieved to have the company and feels an unexplainable bond with her visitor.

As the night progresses, Annie realizes the woman is no stranger. Their lives are inextricably intertwined—and Annie might just lose everything.

This is a thrilling read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

Nothing about this was quite for me. Plot twists were ridiculous and I was very disappointed. The cover is gorgeous and the setting is great but other than that, this was a huge miss for me.

Annie moves to Hawaii for a fresh start after a terrifying accident involving her son leaves her struggling with her mental health. One night during a tropical storm, a woman knocks on her door seeking refuge for the evening after her car broke down. Annie immediately connects with the woman and is genuinely thrilled at the prospect of having finally made a new friend. The woman however seems to know way too many intimate details about her life, details she knows she hadn't shared.

This was a decent book. I loved the twists and it was fast paced and easy to read. Thank you netgalley for making this book available to read.

I read a ton of thrillers and I enjoyed this book, but it did end up being slightly predictable. It was a bit drawn out to me a took a while for me to get into. Overall it was a solid 3 star and I would recommend it to casual thriller fans.

It is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the unraveling of a woman's life amidst haunting secrets and mounting tension. A captivating read that keeps you guessing until the very end.

Holy smoke, my eyes are wide open now!

Lyn Liao Butler, is coming out hot and let me tell you, I am here for it!

Someone Else’s Life, is an exceptional debut that will send chills up your spine. You can attempt holding your breath but Butler is just going to knock it out of you.

That’s how I felt during the entire book, I was sucker punched with every reveal exposed and just look at this stunning cover, it screams “pick me up!”

The whole Kauai setting was just stunning. Although, after what I just read, I doubt I’ll be visiting any time soon.

If you’re looking for a pulse-pounding thriller, this one is for you. Then find me, so we can chat about it !

Teaser:

A new life in paradise should have healed her wounds. But for a woman struggling to hold on to her family and her sanity, one stormy night could change everything.

Blow by blow, Annie Lin’s life crumbles. Her dance studio goes bankrupt. Her mother and beloved dog are gone the same year. Then a terrible accident leaves her young son traumatized.

It’s time for a change.

Palm trees, mai tais, peace and quiet—Annie should be at ease, safe in her new Kauai home with her husband and son. She hopes proximity to her family can provide them all with a sense of belonging and calm. But soon items from her past start turning up—her dog’s collar, a bracelet that disappeared years ago—and she has the unnerving sensation she’s being watched. Reality begins to fracture, and Annie’s panic attacks return. When, during a brewing storm, a woman appears on her doorstep looking for shelter, Annie is relieved to have the company and feels an unexplainable bond with her visitor.

As the night progresses, Annie realizes the woman is no stranger. Their lives are inextricably intertwined—and Annie might just lose everything.

This book was interesting. I think it is a great story; however, it was a bit slow at parts. I think this is a good book for anyone who enjoys a slow burn.

Great story about starting over, deadly paradise and mysterious strangers. The cover is also so gorgeous!

⭐⭐ -- This cover was the best part of the book!

I recently read Someone Else’s Life by Lyn Liao Butler and unfortunately, I have to give it a 2-star review. The book tells the story of Annie Lin, who moves to Kauai with her husband and son after suffering some traumatic events in their past. However, instead of finding peace and quiet, things start to unravel for Annie when, during a storm, a mysterious woman appears at her house looking for shelter.

While I did enjoy the cover art and loved the setting of the book, I found the writing to be quite repetitive which made it difficult for me to stay engaged in the story. Additionally, I had a hard time believing some of Annie's choices given what she had gone through prior to moving.

The twist at the end did shock me, but it wasn't enough to save the book for me. Overall, Someone Else’s Life was just an okay read that fell short in some areas.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! Slow at times but a good story. I wasn't completely taken in and read it slowly. I rate it a 3.1

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Someone Else's Life by Lyn Liao Butler was an enjoyable read for me. It was fast paced and I liked the mystery/thriller aspect to it. While it was a little bit predictable for me, it wasn't too bad where I didn't enjoy it.

Parts of it were a little unbelievable or far-fetched - or maybe it was just me because I couldn't imagine myself doing the same thing if I were in Annie's position (letting a rando into my house and then becoming bffs with them even though they were being kinda sketchy).

This book is great if you enjoy psychological thrillers and mystery.

Overall I'd rate it a 3-3.5.

First of all, love a good mystery/thriller with an Asian protagonist. There definitely needs to be more. There was some serious exploration of how mental health is treated in Asian families and how that impacted on Annie's life, the fact that she felt like she couldn't be open about it, couldn't look for support, and ended up internalising it to her detriment. I really liked how the author interwove Serena into the story too. It was a bit of a slow burn at the beginning, but in a good way, a chilling introduction into who Serena is, why she's so 'obsessed' with Annie, and I really loved how the author set this up. The numbing realisation on Annie's part as she realised that Serena wasn't just some random person she made friends with was also done really well. All in all, I really enjoyed this story!

Book Rating: 3/5
Audiobook Rating: 2/5

This is a hard one for me, and I'm still a little torn about my feelings surrounding Someone Else’s Life by Lyn Liao Butler. On one hand, it was (in my eyes) very original and ended with a pretty wild storyline, but then on the other hand it was also totally and completely unbelievable. I don't mind if a storyline is unbelievable, but some of the choices our MC makes just didn't jive with her other decisions in the book and it had me scratching my head. The majority of the book is set on one night during a storm, and through this, we learn more about Annie's past and the horrific accident that her son goes through. I loved the way Butler kept me guessing about what the accident was and how the stranger would come into play in Annie's life.

I think this book would definitely work for a lot of readers, but it is my personal opinion that you should at minimum avoid the audiobook at all costs. The narrator is Angela Lin and it made me nervous to listen to anything else she narrates. I would have loved her except for the fact that it sounded like she had a cold or something and it made her very hard to understand. She sounded very muffled like she was talking around a mouthful of cotton, and that just doesn't work when it comes to audio for me. If you love getting lost in an escapist read and want to read a book based in a gorgeous setting (hello Hawaii), then I would definitely recommend giving Someone Else’s Life a read.