I loved how the characters were built and how History and Science were put together and the story turned out to be perfect and it was definitely page turner. I really liked the characters and I loved the story line.

An almost eerie forecast, as a young woman caught in the throes of a contagion seems bound to a place seclude and mysterious. Along comes a young man determined to unravel her past . Two people each with a story to tell and a mystery to solve. Can Cora offers the key to stopping a terrible pandemic. And Finn is desperate to help his family survive a terrible fate. A crumbling hospital could hold the answers each seeks.

This book is equal parts heart wrenching and uplifting. Themes of loneliness, isolation and glimmers of hope remind of Where the Crawdads Sing. The study of microbes described in this book, including the research done for them and because of them, is fascinating and horrifying. More than anything though, I found the characters themselves, including North Brother Island and the East River, to be the most compelling and interesting part of this novel. The facets of personality and character resonate with the true and painful world of family, friends, religion, beliefs and science. A slightly slow start should not detract from this must read!

I finished The Vines last week and I’m still thinking about it. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read and I loved it. It’s a thriller mixed with horror, sci-fi, historical fiction, and it worked! This book was entertaining from start to finish. There was a twist I didn’t see coming and I felt it turned the whole book upside down! I can’t wait for the next book!

This book was interesting from the start.the characters were likeable and I enjoyed the historical fiction part. It did get a little confusing at times when it would jump around from one time to another and I had to reread a few parts but overall I enjoyed reading this book and hope there is a sequel.

Whew, talk about a complex debut. The Vines by Shelley Nolden has an incredibly intricate plot as well as 2 different timelines, and I am so impressed that this is Nolden's first novel. The setting is appropriately creepy, and I thought she did an amazing job making this atmospheric and giving us history at the same time. At times it was hard to read, and it definitely has its disturbing parts, but I was completely captured by this novel and didn't want to put it down. Cora's character really frustrated me at times, but at the same time, my heart broke for her as well. All I wanted was for her to be completely free from her tormentors, and because of her, this book makes for a tough read.

The audiobook for The Vines is done very well and is narrated by Jess Nahikian. Since it's a very thick book, I mostly stuck to the audio as well as following along in my physical copy. A lot is going on and at times it is confusing, so reading this would be the way to go for some people. I was fine on audio for the most part though, and I loved how Nahikian brought the book to life. I think they picked the perfect narrator to voice this novel, and she did really well with each different viewpoint. I have to give props to Nolden for writing something this in-depth, especially when she was fighting leukemia, and I can't believe how scarily similar her plot ends up being with our current times. I didn't know anything about North Brother Island before reading The Vines, and I am pretty horrified to learn its past. If you are a historical fiction fan who likes eerie novels and medical thrillers, I highly recommend checking this one out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The vines was a very unique thriller, a mix of medical thriller and historical fiction. The book felt very relevant to today with the pandemic that we are currently in presenting the question how far would you go to create the ultimate vaccine? A family a doctors spend generations experimenting on Cora who has a unique immunity but only when on the island North Brother. The story was unique with plenty of medical drama, action, and twists. The cliffhanger ending and the promise of a second book also left me hooked on the story. The multiple viewpoints and timelines had me a bit confused in the beginning but it steadied into a nice alteration that was easy to follow once you knew the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I requested an ARC of The Vines because it was an intriguing premise and important subject, but I did not finish this book. The subject of the treatment and mistreatment of vulnerable members of our society is an significant one and I'm glad that this book and others like it are being written. The historical accuracy seemed well-researched as well. I have seen multiple reviews which state that The Vines has opened the reader's eyes to the terrible reality many faced, which is good. However, I couldn't get into the book--the dialogue and characters just didn't feel real and draw me in.

The Vines is an amazing book with an unusual plot. It is timely in this pandemic age. The main character is immune to diseases and immortal. A family of doctors experiment on her to attempt to find ways to prevent other people from receiving the diseases.
It took me quite awhile to read this book because of the switches between the past and the present. So interesting that North Brother Island exists and once held a hospital for quarantinable diseases.
Many many thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this!

Oh, the hype... I love it and hate it. Like so many others, I've heard such fantastic things about this book and so many people talking about it annnnddddd... it fell flat. I kept waiting for the moment where I'd fall in love with the story and it never came. The premise is there and sounds amazing, but the plot twists weren't really twisted and the 'surprises' were lackluster.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of #TheVines in exchange for a review.

I don’t relish giving negative reviews because I know how much work it is to write a book. I’m choosing not to post the text of this elsewhere but I wanted to share my feedback here.

Obviously in a sci-fi thriller like this there is a good amount of suspension of disbelief required, but I struggled with one major aspect of this book. I didn’t feel like it was plausible that the Gettler men truly believed that they could create any kind of vaccine. We never saw their lab or heard details of their work beyond brief mentions when they talked about collecting samples from Cora. It particularly didn’t ring true that Rollie would be that arrogant and lack that much self-awareness because he wasn’t working from the same “master race” foolishness that Ulrich was and that he imparted to Kristian.

I also found the concept of a possible relationship between Cora and Finn creepy/awkward. I get that she is beautiful and looks like she’s 20, but I feel like once you find out that the person is immortal and is actually your older brother’s mother (and your older brother is actually your uncle), it gets a little weird to contemplate a relationship.

The book was an enjoyable read and well-written (though I found a high number of typos, missed words, and wrong words.) Thank you for the opportunity to review it.

:Publisher's Blurb: In the shadows of New York City lies forbidden North Brother Island, where the remains of a shuttered hospital hide the haunting memories of century-old quarantines and human experiments. The ruins conceal the scarred and beautiful Cora, imprisoned by contagions and the doctors who torment her. When Finn, a young urban explorer, arrives on the island and glimpses an enigmatic beauty through the foliage, intrigue turns to obsession as he seeks to uncover her past—and his own family’s dark secrets. By unraveling these mysteries, will he be able to save Cora? Will Cora meet the same tragic ending as the thousands who’ve already perished on the island?
The Vines intertwines North Brother Island’s horrific and elusive history with a captivating tale of love, betrayal, survival, and loss.

This was an interesting blend between historical fact and fiction. After researching this I read up further on North Brother Island. I knew of it because of the story of "Typhoid Mary" but learning more about it made me appreciate this book even further.

The best parts of this book for me were Cora's memories. The writing skill of the author shone through in those. The author wove in details of the Holocaust and Typhoid Mary quite adeptly. It made me feel like Cora's story could have really happened.

Finn was someone who I genuinely liked. I felt like his family put him in a very difficult position and I genuinely would love to follow up on his story in the sequel to this book. I also would like to read about what happens next for his brother, Kristian.

I enjoyed this story and would love to read more of this author's writing especially the rest of this series.

This book has some very adult themes and situations so it should be read by adults and older teens. There's mention of a sexual assault which may be a trigger

Timely, action-packed, and supernaturally creepy!

The Vines transports you to North Brother Island, NY, from 1902 to 2008 and immerses you in all the obsession, tragedy, emotions, memories, fantastical elements, destruction, experimentation, sickness, and long-buried secrets that mars and defines the multi-generational, Gettler family.

The prose is mysterious and dark. The characters are obsessed, callous, and ruthless. And the plot told from alternating timelines is a fascinating, engrossing tale full of familial drama, heartache, tension, sacrifice, violence, and intriguing, historical medical philosophies and procedures.

Overall, The Vines is a spellbinding, atmospheric, sinister tale by Nolden that not only highlights her incredible knowledge and passion for a time and place that is often unknown, forgotten or overlooked, but also does a remarkable job of reminding us that advances in medicine has both a light and a dark side, as the power to help and heal often comes at a price.

“...she knew that reality can be far harder to face than uncertainty.” The Vines by Shelley Nolden

3.5 stars. I like it. Imagine a person whose blood holds the cure for a lot of deadly viruses. It’s amazing and sad to think about it, to think of this special person in this story, alone and abused for decades. It’s only recently she learned to defend herself.

The history written into the story, mixing fact with fiction, was great. The book is mostly set in North Brother Island, in New York City’s East River. It’s Cora’s home, though not by choice. And her keepers, the Gettler men, about 4 generations of them, “care” for her. Only they and Cora knows how valuable she is. And really, Cora’s practically family. Which makes everything so very complicated.

There are characters here that I liked, some that I really disliked. And some that were just really meh (why were they even being focused on?).

The ending made me think: Oh no, he’s not going to stop. And oh dear, a sequel. Hmm.

And I thought the title gave a clue to the source of Cora’s specialness. To those who read this book... Did I miss it? It didn’t right??

Thank you Freiling Publishing and NetGalley for the copy of this book. Finished this early April but keep forgetting to take a good pic of my kindle for a post.

Finn is curious man who goes to North Brother Island to find out why his family has been coming to the island for years and more about the research his family has been doing for years.
Instead he finds a woman who has been living amongst the ruins of the hospital that once housed patients during outbreaks in history. But there is something about this woman that Finn cannot shake and ties to his families dark past.

The vines is a fictional story that ties real events that happened in and around the North Brother Island with a fictional mystery spanning decades. The story is written in multiple perspectives and time lines. I really like this about it since you got to go back to where is all started and the present time when it is taking place. It is a pretty indepth story that is written in a way that makes it hard to put down. I also really liked how the author brought real historical events into the story to make it more authentic even with the science fiction theme. While this is not a stand alone it does answer a lot of question while giving a good cliff-hanger ending that makes you wonder what might happen next. I really enjoyed this story.

I rate The Vines by Shelley Nolden 2.75 stars. This was an interesting mystery with thrilling moments, but my reading experience was bogged down by issues I had with the writing style and editing.

The Vines is an historical fiction with elements that would also categorize it as a mystery/thriller. In 2007, main character Finn travels to North Brother Island; a deserted island within the New York City limits which, at one time, imprisoned citizens of the city who had contracted highly contagious diseases. Finn has a familial connection to the island which he was kept in the dark about, and believes that if he goes to the island he will uncover its secrets. Shortly after arriving at the island, Finn encounters Cora, a heavily scarred woman, who surprises him by immediately attacking him. Who is Cora? Through jumps in history and Finn's investigation we eventually uncover her truth and why she is on the island.

Nolden has a very creative mind and I believe there were elements to this book that were quite successful. Cora is a very intriguing character and her personality and story are well explained. I also feel that the sequences discussing the periods from the late 1800's through to the 1960's provided the character stories that I enjoyed the most. Furthermore, Nolden created fantastic moments of suspense. During those scenes, I was highly engaged and excited to find out where the situation would go. Another element to Nolden's storytelling that I was fond of, was the incorporation of real-life figures and events from history. I believe this made the historical setting more rich and taught me interesting parts of the history that I did not already know.

Unfortunately, for my own reading tastes, there were many elements in the writing style and character decisions that greatly lessened my enjoyment of the story. First, the writing itself felt a little disjointed in the paragraph structure. Paragraphs were often split in ways that felt a little odd and affected the flow. The story and writing could have used a heavier hand with the editing, because there were subjects and sections incorporated that added nothing to the story, plot, or setting. Also, although I loved the addition of the authors knowledge of scientific information regarding infectious disease and research, I believe those sections could have used a greater deal of clarification or support. It often felt like random facts were being thrown in, but not easily incorporated into the writing...again, showing my issue with the flow of the story. I think the character development was a little unbalanced and some characters played larger roles than they should have. For example, Finn was a major character, however I feel he was not very well supported and made a bunch of strange assumptions about the feelings of other characters that we the readers were not yet aware of (ex. in the section near the beginning where he states that Cora hates all Gettler's, how does he know that already? She could have attacked him because she thought he would harm her for a reason besides being a Gettler.
There were many examples of this...the characters would make these assumptions about the other characters that did not make any sense from my perspective as a reader). Also, I believe Lily and her whole story could have been left out completely; I felt that the majority of her character scenes were distracting from the story as a whole. All in all, these are issues that could have been resolved through further editing. Therefore, I believe there are great things here and will most likely pick up the next book in the series to see what happens.

I appreciate NetGalley and Freiling Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book for review.
#TheVines #NetGalley

Started out a bit slow, but picked up about half way through. Now excited to see what happens in the sequel . Cora ends up on North Brother Island in the early 1900's with her sister to recover from a contagious disease. Soon Dr. Otto Gettler finds out Cora's blood and DNA is not like everyone else. Almost 100 years later the Gettler family is still trying to figure out the mysteries of North Brother Island and Cora. Could her blood be the answer to providing vaccines for so many uncurbable diseases? What lengths will they go through to get what the believe they need?

Lately, I have enjoyed reading books that tie actual places and events to fictional stories. I appreciate learning about places I have not been and the impact they had on the world at that time. This is the case in this debut novel and North Brother Island in New York and the facilities that were located on the island in the early to mid-1900s.  The facilities sheltered the sick and mentally ill and probably the most famous person housed there that most people know is Typhoid Mary. There is also a reference to a ship that caught fire and many died not able to escape the blaze or drowned in the river.

The story focuses on Cora, a young woman that is brought to the island with her sister to hopefully isolate them from spreading disease until they are well. However, what ensues is lifelong imprisonment for Cora and subjected to the whims of the Gettler men who happened to be doctors on the island.

The story flips between the past and the present and while it seems unbelievable, it also held me captive wondering how things could have happened as they did and how did Cora survive the cruel and unusual behavior of the doctors on the island? Why did she not try and leave? The answer to that question might blow your mind.

I don't want to reveal too much, but there are some events that shocked and surprised me and also broke my heart knowing what Cora went through. She may be a tough woman on the outside, but she still endured emotional and physical pain that most would not have survived.

When I got to the end, it is revealed that there will be a sequel to follow. This is good because there is quite a cliffhanger at the end and I have to know what happens next for Cora and all of the Gettler men. Will they change their ways? How will it impact their families? Inquiring minds want to know.

I am giving this book 5 paws up. There are times when the story drags a little bit but overall this story held my attention and left me wanting more.

Finn Gettler has a penchant for urban exploration. Drawn by the mystique surrounding North Brother Island. Finn launches his kayak and navigates himself towards the abandoned and forbidden island that is now a heron sanctuary.

Eager to unravel the mystery behind the island, Finn returns only to find out that his family’s past possesses some deep and dark secrets. We find that Cara has been experimented on for decades and host multiple epidemic diseases, including typhoid and smallpox. It is up to Finn to discover how she has lived so long.

This book brought several ethical issues to mind. I particularly enjoyed the historical aspect of the story. Surreal and creepy. The historical background is interesting and it’s parallel with the current situation of tying to understand a virus.

This book was a DNF for me. However, till the point I read, I found a few elements, such as the atmosphere, and historical context fascinating.