I was so busy this month with arcs and e-arcs that I actually never got to finish this book. I only got to around 40%, but you can bet your ass I will be continuing this story, for many many reasons.

First off, the prologue of this book…oh my god. It’s so dark. And I loved it. I actually had to take a day or two after reading the prologue, just to recover.

Tracey’s writing style is melodic and beautiful, and she definitely brings the eerie-ness, and mystery to this novel.

The author on twitter had mentioned it was like The Goonies, which is one of my all time favorite movies. While this novel is a bit more darker, it still has the elements of goofyness and magic that the Goonies did. It also reminds me of National Treasure a bit too, with some of the things the riddle has them do to find the treasure.

I haven’t read much but…the characters in this novel are so lively and have unique voices that spring from the page. Charlie, Elliot, Gabe, Ruby, Ann and this myterious Cooper…I love them all and I want to protect them with my life.

If I can already adore this much of the novel from not getting to even halfway through a book, you know you should all read it. I will one hundred percent be continuing this weekend, and will post a full review when I actually finish it.

I know this book will blow me away, the ending will probably leave me breathless. I cannot wait to continue and I cannot wait to see what else this author brings us, in regards to future novels.

I wasn’t expecting this book. And by that, I mean I think I went in with more expectations for action, adventure, the standard fantasy elements that I always look for but this book just isn’t that.

I loved that this felt like a mysterious treasure hunt and combined with the beautiful writing that reminded me a bit of The Court of Broken Knives, both books featuring a very lyrical, almost flowery style. It definitely slowed the pacing down but not in a bad way so much as world slowed (rather than bang-bang-bang action).

Gray Wolf Island is one of those books where I can’t really get into the plot or risk too many spoilers. The mystery is beautifully woven throughout the plot and each of the characters had their secrets that made me invested just because I wanted to know more. That wasn’t the only reason I loved these characters but it sparked the initial interest.

But this book wasn’t perfect (I don’t think any book is). I wasn’t a huge fan of the protagonist, Ruby. She wasn’t a bad character or anything but something about her just didn’t click for me. That being said, the secondary cast was also stunning and interesting and I was just so happy with that. I love books featuring groups adventuring. They’re like candy, I can’t get enough, and to see the secondary cast developed as well as the protagonist was so exciting.

Y’all don’t want to let this book go to the wayside. It’s a bit of mystery, a bit of magical writing, and a lot of amazing characters that you can get behind. Definitely get Gray Wolf Island on your list!

Rating: 3.5

Well, color me surprised. This book was not what I expected. Even now, I am not sure what to make of it but turned out to be a lot more interesting than I thought it would be.

I expected a standard mystery novel about a group of friends on a mysterious island and a search of an ancient treasure. And yes, it is technically about that, but it's also so much more!

As the book does revolve largely around the mystery of the island and the treasure that it holds, I will not be discussing much of the plot, and will instead focus on all of the other little things that made this book wonderful. Starting, of course with the wonderful cast of characters.

While I admit, I was not a huge fan of the main character and narrator, Ruby, I absolutely loved everyone else. They were each so alive and real and magical.

You've got Gabe, a virgin-born boy, who feels the need to prove his masculinity to all who question how he got his Y chromosome. There is Charlie, a boy who knows his own death and is determined to live as much as possible before his time comes to an end. Then there is also Elliot, a genius bad boy who has devoted his life to the treasure. Lastly, there is Anne, whose family prayed for more time in her day and thus was cursed with never being able to sleep. 

Together, with the help of a mysterious map, and an even more mysterious poem full of riddles, these charters embark on a trip to find a treasure that no one in over two hundred years has been able to locate. 

Along the way dark secrets are revealed, relationships bloom, and friendships are tested, and yet, our heroes find a way to overcome it all.

As for the treasure, I must say that I truly enjoyed the hunt. I loved the riddles and clues and the suspense that hung over every action they took. I honestly did not know what to expect next, and the mystery of it all kept me guessing until the last page.

In the end, it was a great debut, from a fantastic new author whose work I greatly look forward to in the future. 

If you like mystery, magical realism, and treasure hunts, I greatly suggest picking up a copy of this book. I highly recommend!

Amazon | Barnes & Nobles

**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**

If you had a chance to go with your friends on a search for treasure and a journey filled with mystery, secrets, death, and unpredictable consequences? If you said yes, this is the book for you! Huge thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Books for the opportunity to read this masterful tale!

Ruby is fulfilling her twin sister's dying wish to search for a mysterious treasure that is hidden somewhere on Gray Wolf Island. She joins a group of strange friends in order to find this treasure and uncover the truth behind it. I had to read this book twice, it was so good!

Tracey Neithercott is a masterful storyteller with her debut novel! The prose and delivery is fantastic. I connected with each of the characters and couldn't help but want them to succeed in their search. If you haven't added this to your Goodreads TBR list or ordered it, do it!

My feelings about this book can basically be summed up in one word: disappointing. I really enjoyed the first chapter and I did like the chapters from Cooper's POV, but once the book really began, I just felt greatly disappointed. The book had a lot of potential, I just ran into the problem of not really caring about these characters enough once the plot started. I feel like this should've been a lot longer to really build up the reader's relationship with the characters as well as the characters' relationships with each other. As it is, things started happening to people I just could not care less about. The ending was also incredibly rushed and I feel like there are some big plot holes. The character those potential plot holes are about just says, "I'll tell you about it later, " which might satisfy the other characters but it was extremely unsatisfying to me. I think it was just because this book had so much potential that I was so unhappy with it. It could've been a lot more, but it just wasn't. So far I seem to be in the minority and others are really enjoying it, so if it sounds interesting to you, I would still try a couple chapters to see if it works for you.

I tried so hard to like this book but it just wasn't able to keep me interested. I tried for days to get into it and it just wouldn't work. I like the idea of the book and the synopsis but it fell apart at the beginning and was just too flat and uninteresting for me to keep reading. I had to DNF this book. I plan to try again soon and hopefully will be able to push through and maybe even like the book.

Tracey Neithercott’s debut novel Gray Wolf Island is whimsical and deeply mysterious tale that will sweep you into a tale of wonder, adventure and unexpected discovery.

Seventeen year old Ruby has a secret about the day her twin sister Sadie died, a secret that keeps her from being able to move on. All Ruby can think about is that day….and the one thing Sadie wanted she never had the chance to do; find the treasure on Gray Wolf Island. After finding a mysterious treasure map, Ruby sets out with a band of unlikely friends who join her on the hunt; a boy allegedly born to a virgin, a girl who cannot sleep, a boy who has foreseen his own death and a boy whose whole life seems to have been searching for the treasure. Together the unlikely group delve into Gray Wolf Island, but with the island determined to see the teens reveal their truths, will Ruby’s grief keep her from truly living?

Heading into Gray Wolf Island, I think I had a specific picture in my mind of what I thought the novel would be. I envisioned something more fantasy-like in nature, maybe set in a fantasy world with elements of magic or something like that. Instead Gray Wolf Island is set in a small modern day town and takes place near the coast of Maine. I’ll admit; this threw all my thoughts of the novel out the window and instead left me with something similar to Maggie Stievfater’s The Raven Cycle series.

Gray Wolf Island had that aura of wonder and light-hearted innocence woven together with mystery that really keeps you thinking throughout the story. Neithercott does a good job detailing the story, although the pace of the novel is slow, even if the prose itself beautiful and lyrical.

The characters were decent enough to follow including main character Ruby whose eyes the majority of the story unfolds through. Elliott, Gabe, Charlie and Anne all join Ruby on her travels to Gray Wolf Island and there’s also the mysterious individual called Cooper whose motivation and importance readers will definitely wonder about.

I don’t want to give away spoilers, but Gray Wolf Island isn’t what is seems and no one is as they appear. There’s a few unexpected revelations—especially the surprising ending that will leave you shaking your head; possibly in exasperation, possibly in disappointment. Personally, I was a little bit underwhelmed with the conclusion of Gray Wolf Island. For everything that happened during the story, I was just expecting something a bit more impressive with the ending.

Overall, despite my issues with the ending, Gray Wolf Island is a unique and lyrical tale worth a read and is promising until it’s somewhat lackluster ending. I’ll be interested to see what Tracey Neithercott writes next however as I think she has a lot of potential.

The very first thing I heard about this book was that it gave off a Raven Boys vibe.

All it took was those three words, and I was IMMEDIATELY sold on Tracey Neithercott’s upcoming debut novel, Gray Wolf Island. A bunch of slightly mystical teenagers on a quest to find treasure coupled with that spooky book cover and for fans of The Raven Boys? I NEEDED TO READ THIS BOOK.

I got through the entirety of this 330-ish paged book in a little less than a day and I can honestly say that while Gray Wolf Island isn’t the BEST book I’ve read in 2017, it comes pretty close. There were a few drawbacks, however, so let’s go more into detail:

THINGS I LOVED:

1. THE CHARACTERS: What’s a story without good characters, really? It took me all of three chapters to get used to Ruby, Anne, Gabe, Elliot and Charlie and slip into their mystical world, and within the next five I felt like I knew them as well as I knew anyone I’ve known for years. I loved the playfulness, the banter and the camaraderie between all five treasure hunters. I LOVED that Elliot was a know it all and I ADORED the chemistry between Ruby and Elliot. Tracey Neithercott’s characters were some of the best characters I’ve read in terms of the way they jumped out of the page and connected with me and I can’t wait for more from her.

2. ALL THINGS TREASURE RELATED: This isn’t much of a spoiler since you find it in Chapter two or Three but Ruby finds a treasure map in the back of Treasure Island which coincidentally is one of my favourite treasure hunting books of ALL TIME. I read it back when I was eleven and I’ve loved it since. This only boosted the fact for me that this book was ALL ABOUT HUNTING FOR TREASURE. The clues, the riddles, the mistakes, the suspense was all really well done and I loved it.

THINGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

1. THE MYSTICISM: For all its talk of a mystical island that housed an unimaginable treasure and characters with such mystical backgrounds (A boy born to a virgin and a boy who has seen visions of his own death?!) I DIDN’T REALLY FEEL THE MYSTICISM? I loved the concept, and the book had me believing it too, but for some reason, the mysticism like I felt with The Raven Boys or even Spellbook Of The Lost And Found just didn’t hit me and I SO WISH IT HAD.

2. THE ENDING: I honestly believe that endings should be the best part of a book. Even though my heart breaks, cliff-hanger endings are GOOD endings to books. Closed endings are the good but the ones with a little grief and a lot of happiness are the BEST. I feel like after doing everything so BRILLIANTLY the ending to Gray Wolf Island was very rushed, and I didn’t like it. The big reveal in the end wasn’t properly explained and I WISH IT WAS. Maybe even a few more pages and I could have gotten that ending I so desperately need.

At the end of the day, if you’re a fan of magical realism, treasure hunting and BRILLIANT sassy, know it all characters with gorgeous backstories, Gray Wolf Island should be on your TBR piles!

TBH I found this really confusing? Mostly with the two stories and how one bled into the other at the conclusion. I didn't really Get what happened or what the point was? The magical realism also didn't really work for me. It was TOO similar to our world but with certain aspects of magic that no one questioned? I needed more explanation or something, I think. Especially with the magic of the island.

I did stay through with it to the end, and it was in nice short chapters.

I received this book for free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not really sure how to put my feelings about this book into words. This was honestly one of the best books I have read in awhile. I absolutely loved this book, and I could not put it down.

I loved Ruby, Anne, Gabe, Elliott, and Charlie. I loved going on this adventure with them. Each character had unique personalities, and while they might have been considered "flawed" to others, they found friendship in each other.

I was captured into this book. The writing was amazing, and I did not expect what happened. I actually reread a chapter because I wasn't sure if I was reading it correctly, and I never reread chapters. This book was amazing, and I highly recommend it.

This book was so utterly beautiful and heartbreaking. A story of the love and friendship. A tale of adventure and self-discovery. A journey toward forgiveness and understanding what truly matters in life.

When I went into this book I never imagined the journey it would take me on, or how much it would move me. I am happy to say, all the time spent on this journey was worth it. And I will continue to remember it fondly.

3.5 stars

Neithercott creates a story that slowly sucks you in and pulls you along this tale of adventure with a hint of magical realism.

Gray Wolf Island centers around a group of misfits who join together to find the hidden treasure on an island near their home. Even though the plot revolves around a treasure hunt and an island full of secrets, at times the story feels quite whimsical and maybe even a little haunted. There's a dark undercurrent throughout it and as it progresses that darkness slowly rises.

I actually didn't like Ruby (the MC) that much, but I loved the quirky mix of secondary characters. Each was so unique, with a great backstory and the right amount of flaws. I also loved the dynamics of the group, although I could have done without the romance. It felt forced and was unnecessary.

Overall, I was impressed with this debut novel.

Ruby's dying twin sister Sadie was the world to Ruby, so when she asked Ruby to discover the treasure on Gray Wolf island that she will never get, Ruby can't say no. There was another darker request Ruby also had to perform for Sadie, one that has haunted her for the last year. Trying to make good on her promise, Ruby finds a treasure map and through no fault of her own, she ends up with a ragtag group of kids who plan to help her in her treasure hunt- despite her protests. It appears as if the loner Ruby may have inadvertently gotten friends to adventure with- now the hard part will be them surviving to make it home.

This had all the feels of the growing-up/adventure stories I grew up from the '80s and '90s such as Goonies, Now and Then and Wild America, full of action, danger, myths/folktales born of small towns that help to create the tone for the treasure hunt and learning who you are and being happy with what you discover. The story really pushed the importance of friendship and trust and letting go of past misconceptions and hurts. The book had adventure, action, mystery, danger in all forms, lies, truths, betrayals, heartbreak and a teeny tiny touch of romance. ​
This story had so many feels that I was sucked into! I was expecting a dangerous treasure hunt, but what I received was strongly motivated by character development and relationship dynamics with a treasure hunt as a background note. I knew I wanted to read the story when I first stumbled upon it, but I quickly discovered that I loved the book and could not put it down! ​

The story is narrated by Ruby, but all of the characters were given such personality and quirks, be it flirty 100 year old Doris, or patient kind Bishop with "Bart" (the fact he told "Bart" he was his greatest possession! Gah! sniffle, sniffle).
​We have Ruby the girl who thinks she is nothing without her twin Sadie, the twin she gave mercy to, who is such a quiet lonely girl who becomes her true self on this journey. Elliot the boy who is likely to go crazy and kill himself just like his father, covered in his bad-boy swagger trying to keep his intelligent mind secret; Gabe the boy who was born from the virgin and can bring good or bad luck to the town, and flirts his way through all girls but bakes like a pro; Charles the boy who saw his own death but lived life to the fullest every chance he gets, and Anne the girl who needed more time so didn't sleep, who makes the most insightful comments and is quick to forgive. What a cast of characters!​ They were equal parts endearing and intriguing, making me unsure what I really wanted to happen with the treasure, but convinced I wanted the best for them all, despite their secrets.


​The writing style​ really resounded with me, giving humor and heart at unexpected moments where I expected seriousness and potential despair. I have included a few interactions that were lovely and at times made me giggle. The banter between the characters was exactly how I want all character interactions: ridiculous, funny and endearing.

---​Elliot lounges beside him, bare-chested and graffitied up. Skin full of stories- that's what Sadie would say. I'm feeling particularly literary at the moment, so I quickly look away.

---Elliot has a look about him, like he has a mouthful of letters and is deciding which to swallow.

---“Don’t worry —he’s mostly harmless. Unless you’re allergic to brooding looks or clenched jaws.”
“You really never know,” Anne says.

---“I discovered a really great word one day when Sadie was sick: Ya’aburnee. In Arabic, it’s hoping you die before someone you love because you can’t bear to live without them. There’s no English word for it.”

---“If only she had a sword. Why don’t we ever have swords when we need them?”
“There’s not a single time in my life I’ve needed a sword,” Elliot says.
“Well, that’s because you have no imagination.”

---“Aw, look how happy you’ve made him,” Charlie says, wrapping his skinny arms around my shoulders from behind. “You have a beautiful brain, Ruby Caine.”
“Excellent rhyme,” Anne says.

As a side note, I really enjoyed the chapters told from Cooper (aka Bart) and the small bread crumbs that were dropped and then found again in the chapters told by Ruby. I was trying so hard to put things together right from the start, but the path the story took was perfect and it just made me want to hug the book to me (see, the FEELS!)

This is Tracey's debut novel and I am so in love with it. There was a little bit of everything here I could not imagine anyone being unhappy with what take from this story and it is wrapped up in a nice little stand-alone bow. Hands down, this will be the next book that I encourage and sometimes force on all my friends and family to read because how could I not? I am so excited for whatever Tracey wants to right about next. (oh and ps Tracey- it never hurts to throw in a Star Wars character every now and then).

I received this title for reviewing purposes. Come visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ for a chance to win some prizes.

I just. I really love this book. The camaraderie between the group, the mystery behind the island, the subtle romance, the EVERYTHING. I love it so, so much. Ruby was a WONDERFUL narrator and seeing things from her point of view was both haunting and hopeful! I cannot WAIT to read more from Tracey Neithercott!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2061032178

5 amazing adventure stars

Wow! What an amazing book. I don’t often give book five stars, but this one deserves every single one. It pulled me in from the very first chapter and swept me away to a magical place called Gray Wolf Island. When I finished the last page I didn’t want it to be over. The way Tracey Neircott wove words into prose gave me chills.

When Sandie, Ruby’s twin sister lies on her deathbed, she makes her sister promise to find the treasure of Gray Wolf Island. The legends and lore surrounding Gray Wolf Island abound in the small charismatic town of Wildewell, Maine. After Sandie’s death, Ruby is left devastated, being the shy introverted twin, she embarks on fulfilling her sister’s dying wish. Accompanied by four others; the son of a virgin, the girl who does not sleep, the boy who knows the island’s history and the boy who knows when he will die, she heads to Gray Wolf Island to uncover its deepest secrets. However, the island has a plan of its own and the five must each divulge their deepest secret in order to find the treasure. Some truths are harder to tell than others and could destroy everything. Will they manage to overcome the hardships and heartbreak the island has to offer them?

The author manages to capture your heart with breath taking images of the island and the town, with the heartbreak these characters live through. This book is as heartbreaking as it is beautiful.

I highly recommend this book. Definitely a must read. This is Tracey Neircott’s debute novel, I hope it won’t be here last.

I received this ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. So thank you netgalley and publishers.
This is my first book by this author, I actually picked it out because not only did it sound interesting but my daughter's name is Ruby so I was like awhh I have to try this out and thankfully I won a free copy! :) This is a story about Ruby, and her twin sister Sadie that dies. Ruby has always lived in the shadow of her twin sister.  Now that she has died she has no choice but to finally step out of her sisters shadow. Ruby finds herself discovering the treasure hidden on neighbouring Grey Wolf Island, which was Sadie's dream, so ruby decides to go after it.  But she won't be as alone in her exploration as she wanted. Instead she now must explore with her village peers, who she never paid any attention to before. I'm going to end my review now because I don't want to spoil it for you all. All together it was a nice adventurous well written book. 3.5 stars

Ruby and Sadie are twins, Sadie is the outgoing more popular twin while Ruby has spent her life simply being Sadie’s sister. When Sadie get ill however Ruby would give anything to keep her sister in her life but when things take a turn for the worse instead Ruby helps end her sister’s misery. Right before she dies Sadie makes Ruby promise to finish off her hunt for the treasure on Gray Wolf Island.

A year passes with Ruby mourning the loss of her other half before she finds a sign that reminds her of her promise to her sister. Happening to cross upon the book Treasure Island Ruby finds a poem in the book that seems to be a map to the treasure that her sister was so obsessed with while she was alive. As Ruby sets off to do some more research on the island she ends up finding herself teamed up with a group of other teens that also want to find the treasure and off to the island the group goes.

Gray Wolf Island by Tracey Neithercott ended up not quite the book that I was expecting it to be when I picked it up. A young adult fantasy I thought that this one was going to be full of adventure and action but it really turned into a much slower story than I prefer myself. With Ruby spending a good portion of the story struggling with her inner turmoil over her sister’s death and the others in her group also sharing their own secrets it was a bit more of a sorrowful read than adventure.

I also think that this was bit more on the wordier side than I would like which also seemed to slow down on the pacing to me. None of this made it a bad read but just not what I had expected so that led to a bit of disappointment. In the end I’d say to me this one is about a 3 star Ok read but I’m sure other’s will probably love this book just the way it is.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Actual rating 4.5 stars.

Upon the death of her twin sister, Sadie, Ruby finds herself fading even more into the background of village life. Without the bolstering support of her out-going duplicate and still lamenting the loss of the one she loved the most, Sadie loses more and more of herself every day. But she is also haunted by a promise and a crime. And both were made on her sister's deathbed.

Eager to rectify and escape the past, Ruby finds herself undertaking the task of discovering the treasure hidden on neighbouring Grey Wolf Island. The much-sought loot was Sadie's dream and so, in her stead, it is now up to the remaining sister to fulfil it. But she won't be as alone in this engagement as she wished. Instead she now must explore with her village peers, who she never paid any attention to before. The unlikely band of adventurers set off hoping for treasure but return holding something of considerable less weight but considerable more value.

This felt like Swallows and Amazons for an older audience. I was expecting this to be nothing more than a fun, adventure quest; a quick-paced, passive read that wouldn't test the reader too much. Instead this delivered a poignant tale that dealt with issues such a grief and loss, knowing ones' self and the crisis of identity, societal-held beliefs and superstitions, and how those we come into contact with can shape the journey of our lives. This was a seamless amalgamation of a multitude of genres and used facets of each one to deliver a harrowing and unforgettable tale.

Wow. This book is just stunning. It had my heart from page one and never let go. It's got a Raven Boys feel to it with its mysterious island and a hunt for buried treasure that promises to change the lives of those worthy enough to find it. But at its heart are the relationships between the characters and how finding their own truths is more important than any treasure could ever be.

Loved, loved, loved this book! Neithercott expertly weaves magic with realism, good with evil and description with action to create this beautifully written, wonderfully plotted and unique novel. I haven't read anything like this book before, and would recommend to anyone who is sick of reading the same old, trope-filled YA novels. One tiny criticism I do have is that some of the wording and metaphors can be a little confusing and need to be read with care so as not to miss the point. Because of this, the book kind of reminds me of the complex narrative style of E. Lockhart's We Were Liars, which is one of my favourite books.