Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Vines by Shelly Nolden. This is very different but quite relevant in today's world.
The story takes place in two worlds - the past and now and takes us to a hidden island in New York. Just minutes away but miles away for a young man who explores an abandoned building only to find his future and much more.
good book - differernt.

3.5 stars.

The Vines
By Shelley Nolden

I DNF at 31%. This is a strange read. The characters felt very stiff, and the dialogue forced. The factual aspects were interesting and quite thorough, perhaps almost to the point of taking over the story. I never connected with the characters. It felt as though they were all either ill, full of malice and evil or barely mentioned. This one is a miss for me.

I really wish I'd enjoyed this book - it had such a promising premise! - but unfortunately the excitement quickly fizzled out from it being so very slow and meandering, and I DNF'd at 20%. Perhaps if Cora's past was introduced when the present-time story was further established, and wasn't so heavily detailed, it would read more as the exciting tale it's pitched to be.
This being said, the descriptions of the island in the present-time storyline are amazing - I felt like I was really there - and that cover is simply stunning!

Unfortunately this book was a total miss for me. It started out strong, but halfway through it lost steam, and I found myself skimming the last half. Such a bummer, I had high hopes for this one.

I absolutely enjoy this book. I found it interesting coz I discovered a lot of things while reading it and it commonly connected to what the world is right now. Actually this is the my first time reading a historical story and I loved it!

I was drawn to this book due to its timely subject matter, historical notes, and scientific angle. This story did not disappoint in that regard. It was mysterious, unfolding like an onion with each chapter. I enjoyed the plot and the pacing was good overall. The subject matter kept me intrigued and turning the pages. The ending was perfect, and kind of what I expected. The writing was good, and the style flowed well. The only real drawback was the dialogue. It felt stiff and unnatural in some instances. That might be due to the characters themselves, but it made it hard to connect with them, even though I did enjoy them a ton. However, I did appreciate the story overall. It was twisty and strange, piquing my curiosity throughout.

Not sure what I expected from this book, it surely wasn't this. Stepping back in time as far back as 1904 you are submersed into a story that a families quest to cure diseases comes at any cost.

I was bit freaked, intrigued and fascinated through out this entire book. The story was well researched and made you believe the history of it all.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for a splendid read

I really liked the beginning of this book and thought it was really interesting. About half way through however, I thought it got even more dark and twisted and it just didn't sit right with me and made me uncomfortable. The writing was pretty good and I did like how it shifted back in froth from past to present. It sometimes felt slow and like it was dragging on a little bit also. I did really like Cora's character a lot and liked reading about her. Overall, I did like the premise of the book.

i really enjoyed the use of North Brother Island as a setting, it really added to the mystery. I really think it added to the book. I look forward to more from the author.

Wow, a timely escape! The Vines seamlessly lifts us from the woes of 2020 and plants us neatly in the early 20th century in a New York City wrestling to control a different set of communicable diseases. The journey through generations of evolving medical ethics is personified in Cora, an intriguingly beautiful, scarred woman Finn discovers in 2007, living on North Brother Island, an otherwise abandoned bit of land a mere kayak-ride away from bustling New York City.
Nolden masterfully captures the history and mystery of this former home of Typhoid Mary, now housing a bird sanctuary in an overgrown forest that hides the ruins of Riverside Hospital, a morgue, and memories of the Slocum steamship fire in 1904, while focusing on the tale of one family’s quest to cure diseases – at any cost.
Like so many books today, the perspective shifts among characters and time periods, but each section is long enough for the reader to become totally engrossed. If you enjoyed Pete Hamill’s Forever and can suspend your disbelief just a bit, you’ll love the intersection of science and history of The Vines.
The Vines combines beautiful imagery, riveting characters, and a plot that twists and turns and ultimately resolves in a satisfying ending that left me wanting more. I can’t wait for the sequel – and, I hope, a film version!

I enjoyed this book and it is currently very fitting to today’s situation! The story speaks about coronavirus SAR and a variety of viruses, starting from 1901. A woman, named Cora is used as a ‘lab rat’ for different trials to find vaccines and cure the illnesses, throughout the book, it goes from past to present day to tell the story of Cora. It is scientific and really interesting. In 2008, which is the present day, we meet Finn, an explorer who finds himself on the island, where the adventure begins to try and find Cora and save her. Does she exist? What will Finn entail?

This historical story is interesting and full of suspense, survival, love and heartbreak. I liked that the storyline was set in a real abandoned place called North Brother Island, which is in New York City. If you enjoy historical reads with some science involved, then you’ll really enjoy this book!