Reading challenge category: 2022 52 Book Club: set on at least two continents (North America and Australia)

I read McKinty's book "The Chain" and wasn't a huge fan, not sure why I thought this would be any different.

Everything in this book felt unbelievable. Like, if you set the plot of a horror b-movie on a remote Austrlian island, that would be this book. Then, the author uses pretentious language throughout that, by definition, fits, but not in context (ex: use of the words 'equipoise,' 'antecedent,' etc).

It was slightly more developed than the 1-star books I have read (those I find truly offensive, should never be read by anyone, a complete waste of time...) but barely.

This was a #netgalley ARC I didn't get around to when it was an advance copy; now I feel less guilty having read it a year and a half late.

Fast-paced, suspenseful, riveting, survival-that's really all I can say about this book. I could not put it down, and while I wanted to know what was going to happen, I also didn't want it to end!

A complete disaster for me. ended up DNFing. It all just wasn’t believable and a massive let down for me as this was a most anticipated read for me

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of "The Island" audiobook. It was thrilling, but not as riveting as "The Chain." Seemed to drag on.

So, this was guilty pleasure enjoyment at its best. I loved the fast paced action of it, but didn’t really care what happened to the characters. I feel like this would be a great movie.

This book pulled me in from just the introduction alone! How could I possibly stop reading after a machete is mentioned? Impossible! There is just so much pulse pounding action all through out that it made it so easy to binge read. After i finished, I thought it would make a great movie and to my surprise it’s getting adapted! So exciting. 10/10 recommend giving this book a read.

I enjoyed this so much more than Adrian's other book, The Chain. The mystery in this was much more intriguing and the motivations made more sense.

Middle-aged widower Dr. Tom Baxter, his new young wife, 24-year old massage therapist Heather, and his two children, 14-year-old Olivia and 12-year-old Owen, decamp from Seattle to Australia... and that's when the trouble starts.

I was on the fence about reading this one, based on the description it seemed more like one of those generic "woman in peril" books that have become such an over saturated subgenre in recent years.  Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against a well-written "woman in peril" book, but when a trend hits its peak there tends to be a lot of poor imitators with weak, simplistic plots and one dimensional characters.

The good news is that The Island by Adrian McKinty isn't weak or simplistic; the main characters are pretty well developed and the story has substance to it. The bad news is that I didn't really like it all that much. The author does such a great job of presenting the dreary dynamic of this new family group, flaws and all, that by the time the story starts to turn it's hard to like any of them very much.

This isn't the most original story you'll ever read - it has aspects of The Most Dangerous Game, Deliverance, and countless others - but, at the same time, it does put its own original spin on things. My only issue plot-wise is that the ending seems a little rushed.

It wasn't for me but it's well-written and has one or two decent plot twists.

What began as a work vacation to Australia for Tom, his new wife Heather, and his two pre-teen kids ends in tragedy as they find themselves in danger on a remote island excursion. Pulse pounding action, twists, and gruesome situations jam pack this survival heart stopping book.

I oscillated from liking to disliking this book so many times as this story progressed. Some of the details were pretty gruesome, the things some of the characters endured repulsive. Overall, however, the twists kept coming and my heart rate never slowed. Solid 4.5 stars in general. I may never go to Australia and ESPECIALLY never head over to a sketchy remote island!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review!

Adrian McKinty takes place in Australia. A family vacation turns deadly. Dad, a doctor is appearing at a conference and it seems like a good idea to bring his young son, teenage daughter and their new stepmother. It's supposed to be a bonding experience, but the kids are not enamored with their young stepmom, and their dad is not up to snuff. They wind up on a very isolated island. Dutch Island is off-limits to visitor but they talk their way onto it. Too late for regrets.

This one started out with a lot of potential and while it wasn't bad, I feel like the author could have pushed much further and really made this a great book. I liked the idea of the main character, Heather, and her family being hunted on the small island but it ended up feeling more like a survive the elements book. I think that should have been a small focus and that the terror of being hunted by the island people could have been turned up quite a few notches. Overall, an entertaining read but it was just missing something.

i recently got around to reading The Island by Adrian McKinty, and while it may not have been my cup of tea it's important to remember that reading preferences can vary greatly from person to person, and what may not resonate with one reader could deeply resonate with another. I personally found this one tedious to read which made it challenging for me to fully engage with the story. I loved The Chain by this author but unfortunately this one was a miss for me.

I can't say I was overly impressed with this book. The plot was interesting, A tourist family sneaks onto a privately owned island and runs themselves running for their lives when they run afoul of the locals by causing a deadly accident. But the ending fell flat for me.

Heather was a pretty good character, but Tom ... geeze. Tom is so unlikable that you just want to smack him. You can't help but wonder how Heather could have been dense enough to fall for the guy. He's irredeemably despicable.

The ending felt rushed too, and a but unrealistic. The kids just seem to get over things too fast.

Oh, yeah, Don't read this if you are sensitive to harm against dogs!

Wow! This action-packed thriller had me on the edge of my seat from the very first page. The adrenaline-pumping plot kept me hooked until the very end. The author’s mastery of suspense and pacing is truly impressive. The characters are well-developed, and I couldn’t help but root for the fearless protagonist as they navigated a web of danger and intrigue. This book is a rollercoaster ride of twists and turns that left me breathless. If you’re a fan of heart-pounding action and non-stop suspense, this is a must-read!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I definitely liked this more than The Chain (which I thought had a great plot but had HUGE plot holes.) Super fast paced from the beginning and kept that pace the entire time with a frightening cast of characters who inhabit a small island off of the coast of Australia and terrorize a family that has inadvertently arrived there for a “tour.”

I didn't love this one. I found the plot to require a constant suspension of belief, and not that "thrilling." It actually seemed quite repetitive at times.

Tom, along with his new young wife, Heather, and his two children, Olivia and Owen go to Australia. Tom is due to deliver a keynote speech at an orthopedic conference, but prior to this, the children want to see some Australian wildlife. They discover Dutch Island, a remote place where they are warned not to go. But, they get on the ferry and attempt to find some wildlife. Yet, while they are there, a tragedy happens, The family living on the island capture Tom and his family and plan to extort them. However, something goes awry, and the family is in increased danger.
What follows is a harrowing tale of survival, trust, instincts, and sheer determination. It was exciting at times, but I did have to suspend disbelief in some of the situations.
Overall, a good thriller.

I don't want to give too much away even though if you wanted to read this you probably already have since it was published over a year ago. I'll just say that the story had me on the edge of my seat and I didn't dare read it too close to bedtime for fear of nightmares. Lots of tension and very fast paced with a wide variety of characters, some good and some bad. As others have mentioned, a person has to suspend their disbelief at times but it's still pretty exciting. I'm looking forward to reading The Chain by this author, loaned to me by a friend.

TW: animal deaths, violence.

My thanks to Little, Brown and Company via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really liked The Island by Adrian McKinty. I read it in one day because I could not stop reading it! A family’s vacation goes terribly wrong on an island in Australia. Lots of drama. Lots of conflict. Lots of violence., Nothing is as it seems and nothing will ever be the sane again!

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of #theisland.

Wow! This book was not what I expected but I was completely glued to the pages. The story was extremely atmospheric and didn't let go from the start of the action to the very last page. Often I get tired of action filled books as I find that they get monotonous but I never tired as the plot molded along with the action in a seamless way. And that twist!!! I had to pick my jaw up off of the floor at one point in the book. I will definitely be picking up more books by this author. Highly recommended!