Wow! The Island is a fast-paced psychological thriller perfect for young adults, but with crossover appeal for adults. The premise is awesome. Six teens go on a week long trip on a remote tropical island. They get stranded when their guide has a stroke and dies. Soon each of their deepest fears begin coming to life. Who is trying to make this trip a living hell? And will the teens all make it off the island alive? Each characters has secrets. Several important themes get explored such as bullying, grief, self-harm, etc. The setting is well-written. If you enjoy YA thrillers, be sure to check out The Island! This is one not to be missed!

ARC Review

Overall an enjoyable read, that held my attention throughout. The story follows a group of 5 friends, who's parents met in an anti-natal class, they take yearly holidays as a group and this year its to Thailand!

Pros
-All the characters are really interesting are reasonably well developed. Each has a distinct personalities and backstory.
-The mystery isn't predictable (a big plus for me, I didn't call the end of this one at all)
-The book deals with some heavy issues, phobias, grief, loss, mental illness, abusive relationships, PTSD etc all in a very age appropriate and sensitive manner. I could see this resonating well with those who have been in similar circumstances.

Cons
-Only 2 (well 2.1 with a single chapter) POV's. 5 characters and we stick with just Danny and Jessie. I think it would have heightened tensions to have included the whole group.
-It lost it's wind a bit near the end. The book charged along at a nice steady pace until about 85% and then it was almost moving at a snails pace. As it was the conclusion of the thriller I was impatiently waiting for the big reveal.
-I felt the romance between Jessie and Milo was totally unnecessary and brought nothing to the story. The already establish romance of Danny and Honour, was such a strong way to develop their characters and also give us insight into their mental states, in comparison Jessie's felt like an after thought.

Six teenagers meet as they do every year when their respective families gather for a holiday. This year’s vacation takes them all to Thailand where, after a few days all together, the teens of the families sail off with a guide to spend a week on a deserted island, surviving on their wits and living off the land.

They get rather more than they bargained for when tragedy strikes and surviving on their wits becomes more of a matter of life and death. Once over the initial trauma, there’s a great deal of camaraderie between the group but this is very slowly worn away as the days drag on, tempers fray, discourse sets in, and doubts surface as to who can be trusted.

There are exciting moments in the book as well as a good deal of introspectiveness. The story is told through the eyes of two of the teenagers which makes for a great balance to the narrative. And there are many relevant issues covered - from grief to loneliness to depression and mental health.

All in all, a well told story and one I would recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley and HQ YA for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Six friends end up stranded on a deserted island as one by one watch of their deepest fears come true... The Island is a psychological thriller with plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing!

I wasn't particularly keen on any of the characters in this book, but I thought the mystery aspect was brilliantly well done. Kept guessing right to the end, I really enjoyed it (except when I foolishly tried to read it at night while I was home alone - don't make that mistake!)

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Ooh - I do love a good psychological thriller! I also adore books based elsewhere, travel based. A combination of the two, and I’m sold.

The Island fits this bill completely. It’s written for the YA bracket, but don’t let that put you off if you’re no longer in this category. Set on a deserted tropical Thai island, with a group of 17 year olds on a survival week whilst their parents remain on the mainland. The book explores the relationships between older teenagers, who’ve know each other since birth, along with traumas some have had in their lives, and the psychological effect on them in an isolated situation. With time to think, mixed in with a death (but who?), it promises an explosive tale.

CL Taylor is one of my go to authors and The Island is one of her best. A gripping page turner with a true escape factor.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Immediately I loved the premise of this story and as it is by an author I trust to produce a good tale I couldnt wait to get stuck in.
A group of six teenagers are on their annual holiday, this year to Thailand, but this time they seem to be a bit disjointed and not as close as usual, perhaps they are drifting apart or just going their own way in life. They have been friends forever as they are connected through their Mums who became friends when they were born and have remained in contact ever since.
They leave their parents behind in a luxury hotel on the mainland to sail with a guide to a small uninhabited island. Here strange events occur leading to mis trust among them and chilling repercussions.
I warmed to most of the characters in this book and it certainly kept be busy trying to second guess just who was responsible for the nightmare and fear that these youngsters endured.
My thanks to Net Galley for the digital copy of The Island.

An enjoyable thriller with a interesting twist, although probably not quite satisfying enough for an adult reader.

I was excited to get the chance to read this latest book by C.L.Taylor, I've very much enjoyed her previous books. The Island is written for the Young Adult market but certainly transfers well as a fiction read, it also gives me the chance to read a book I can happily recommend to my nearly 15-year-old niece.

So what's the book about?
A group of friends goes on holiday with their families every year, this year they are holidaying in Thailand. For a birthday surprise, the teenage children are treated to a 'survival weekend' on an island. The children already have well-developed relationships, as their parents have known each other since the children were born.

They ship out to the island with a local survival expert Anuman. Some of the characters embrace becoming the next Ray Mears, whilst some are less than impressed they have no mobile phone coverage. But things soon take a serious turn... death, equipment going missing, lack of water, food and shelter, divisions in the group. But who is to blame and what can they do about it.

My thoughts on the book
Through the use of the survival weekend, the author tackles many subjects that have touched the lives of the children, including bullying, love, the death of a loved one, mental health issues, and self-harm. All of which are captured and told in a balanced way.

This book is well-paced, will keep the reader engaged and eager to read more. There was nothing overtly sexual or violent within the story.

Why have I waited so long to read another YA book.

I scored this book 3.5 / 5 stars on Goodreads.

I’d give this one a 3.5 bit I’d rather round it up than down.

This one was a young adult book which I didn’t initially know however, I soon guessed given the age of the main characters. The thrill content doesn’t quote match up to that of an adult thriller book however that being said I still enjoyed this one. I found some parts fairly predictable but I liked the different personalities and relationships of the characters and I like how the writer touched upon the loss and bereavements of lost ones. Definitely worth a read in my opinion.

This is a fast paced page turner. 6 teenagers go on a survival retreat but what starts off as an idyllic holiday quickly turns much darker when their guide dies. All the teenagers have secrets of their own and past trauma making it hard to know who to trust. Lots of scares and twists made me want to keep reading and I liked the way things were resolved.

The Island hooks you from the first page, dragging you along, even if you don't want to be. Full of twist and turns that keep you turning the pages as you try to figure out the next twist, A compelling read that is extremely fast-paced and exciting.

rattled through this, it was HIGHLY addictive and I had a love hate relationship with all the characters- which this author always does to me whether shes writing adult novels brilliantly or young adult novels brilliantly.

A disparate group of teenagers all stuck on a desert island, trying to hang on until rescue but somebody seems determined to make that extremely difficult- but who and why?

Well you’ll eventually find out but before then you’ll have a rocketing read that will entirely grip you, it’s a bit like the Adventurous Four on acid – but also has some emotional themes explored really well so its a really clever and intense read that does genuinely keep you guessing.

I enjoyed it thoroughly and to date this author has never let me down no matter the target audience. Excellent stuff. Very much recommended. Put it on your 2021 lists immediately.

This is a well written easy to follow full of suspense story! As with all of C. L. Taylors books, I just couldn’t put it down. Full review up on my blog 21st Jan

Really different for both YA and C.L Taylor. I was initially worried about it being typical teeny fiction, but I had nothing to worry about. It's YA with Callie's thriller twist. It was fantastic and the ending I didn't see coming at all!

A gripping and cleverly written book.

This book is shown through two points of view as a group of friends take a trip to a private island. Their guide dies from a stroke and they at left to fend for themselves for a week, hoping that they parents will send a boat to look for them when they don't return when planned.

But things take a spooky turn when one by one, the group's phobias come to life.

This was gripping from the start and I found it very easy to lose myself in this story. This is a great read for fans of YA mystery books.

I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. I did guess what was happening as I neared the end, and I did have a moment of 'oh no, please,' but I was very surprised with the ending and I am really glad it ended how it did.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HQ for giving me an ARC of #TheIsland by #CLTaylor in exchange for my honest review.

3 stars 🌟🌟🌟

Six teenage friends whose parents met at an NCT class before they were born spend every year on holiday together. This year their parents plan a trip to Thailand which includes a stay for the six teenagers on a remote island learning survival skills with just each other and their guide for company.

Not long into the trip their guide dies of a stroke and the teenagers are left stranded. Someone has cut the starter cord on their boat and they have no way of contacting the main land. They have no choice but to wait the week out until their parents come looking for them.

What should have been a dream holiday starts to turn into a nightmare pretty quickly as each of the teenagers worst fears start to become reality. Will all of the teenagers make it off the island alive?

I’ve read quite a few novels by C. L. Taylor and cannot recommend her work more. This is her first novel designed for Young Adults and I think she has pitched it just right. As hard as I tried I couldn’t work out how the book was going to end and when it did I found myself feeling a bit deflated. On the whole though the book was an enjoyable read and I think it is a great start for teenagers who are just starting to broaden their reading genres and a great introduction into psychological thrillers.

Welcome To Paradise.....
Welcome to paradise. Welcome to The Island. A trip to a remote, tropical island for a week for six teenagers should be the perfect holiday but soon turns deadly. Well written with credible characters, a tense storyline and twists and turns aplenty. Gripping YA suspense.

Many thanks to @Netgalley and @HQStories for the early review eARC of The Island by C.L. Taylor.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book which they bill as Lost meets The Hunger Games. Six teenagers who’ve known each other for life end up on a privately owned deserted island in Thailand for an adventure survival holiday with a hired expert guide. It’s paradise. But relationships aren’t what they used to be as the teens have all been through different struggles over the years. When things start to go wrong tensions grow and relationships strain. How will they survive the week?
This was a very fun easy read, a little bit spooky in places, a great YA thriller.
Definitely worth a read and I’ll be looking out for more books by this Author.

Six teenagers go on holiday to Thailand with their family’s as they have done all their lives as their parents stayed friends after meeting at antenatal class. The six get a Bear Grylls survival type experience on a deserted island. What could possibly go wrong?

This is a good YA novel which addresses a number of pertinent issues which teachers and parents could use to generate discussions around worrying problems for the young. It raises mental health concerns , dealing with grief, loss and phobias and does so very creatively and gives a positive message. The author also examines group dynamics which fluctuate as the problems of the teens on the island mount and I find this aspect especially fascinating. A number of problems arise on the island, some of which are very serious with the strain and panic of being trapped and marooned being well depicted. The jungle atmosphere is effectively used to create fear and tension which further tests the bounds of friendship. There are a number of mysteries and dangers to solve which is intriguing and becomes scary as you realise that someone is manipulating the group but you have no idea why.

My only reservations lies in the number of characters to get your head around although this does become easier the further you progress through the plot. I also think the end sort of fizzles out and is maybe a bit convenient.


However, overall I think C L Taylor has done a good job with this novel as I am sure it will engage and interest older teens and it’s a good adult read too. It’s well written and has a good pace.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ YA for the arc for an honest review.

The Island by C L Taylor - 21 January 2021

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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 turns into a nightmare. Because someone on the island knows each of the groups worst fears. And one by one they’re becoming a reality. Seven days in paradise. A deadly secret.

I have read a lot of Teen/YA books lately as it was not a book/genre that I had much experience with. I was drawn to it and I’m pretty glad I did. The relationships between each character were very well developed. Some nice and some questionable. It would be easy to identify with the characters especial Jessie and her cautionary approach to opening up, and deal with, the other guys she is with. For the most part I enjoyed it. However, it was very reminiscent of Lost the American drama and of Lord of the Flies also but just rewritten to fit into today’s society instead.

I felt also, that the ending was rushed too much. One minute you’re on the island and within a few pages it jumps to after they have been found. It lacked a good, clear ending. I’m super disappointed as I have read several books by this author and found them to be very enjoyable.