Review of The Island by Adrian McKinty

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Whew. My heart finally slowed down a day or two after I finished this one. Talk about anxiety while reading a book! And I loved it. Any book that can make me feel that way is amazing. This author is one amazing writer and I will read anything he writes. This is going to make a great mini series and I will say it again it gives me all the Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibes. It’s out now so you definitely need to get it and read it.

Quick synopsis: Heather and Tom are visiting Australia along with Tom’s children from his first marriage. They run into two men at a local shop who promise them an authentic experience seeing animals and other local interests on the private island owned by their family for a fee. Once they are there an accident occurs and Heather and the kids find themselves on their own. They have to fight every inch for survival.

PS: Heather is one bad amazing character

Thank you to the publisher for the finished copy!

3.5 Survivor meets Deliverance on a Australian island. So much can change in a year.For Heather it is a big change as she is now married to a man 20 years her senior, has two sullen stepchildren, which is why she is hoping this trip to Australia might bring the family together. They are all little prepared for the terror that follows.

Word to the wise. Might not be a good idea to give into children when they demand a side trip to an island that visitors are warned to avoid. Also, one never knows when skills from the past will prove integral in times of danger.

Fast paced and chilling.

ARC from Netgalley.

✨ A family vacation turns into a terrifying experience.

💜 Heather travels with her new family to Australia for her husband’s conference. During a sightseeing trip to a remote island, something unexpected occurs, launching them into a high stakes hunt to keep them alive.

💥The biggest thing that made me want to read this book is the synopsis, very creepy and high paced. While this is a very solid thriller, there were some parts where I felt the family should have been portrayed more deeply, especially through the middle. I did love the connections made between Heather and her stepkids.

My face at the end: ☠️

🍪 I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Received from @Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company.

💯 For more details on the books we read, be sure to follow me on TikTok (@zaineylaney). I will give you a list of reasons to read! Or join us on Youtube (@zaineylaney) for our monthly wrapups and snap book decisions.

The Island by Adrian McKinty is a humdinger of a fast-paced novel that will have you glued to the edge of your seat as you devour the pages. A newly married doctor and his young wife travel with his two children to Australia for a fun-filled vacation. while there they decide to visit a tiny island that houses some unfriendly inhabitants. An accident occurs that leaves them all fighting for their lives. Lots of action keep this novel moving along quickly. You'll want to save this one for a day when you can read it all in one sitting. Read and enjoy!

I wanted to love this book because the concept is so badass. Almost lord of the flies meets ozark. But at about the 50% mark things got a little too unbelievable. Punching sharks, killing snakes with rocks, and repressed memories suddenly coming to light. Felt a bit jumbled in my opinion. The bits about indigenous land also felt so forced from the author.

But if you’re looking for a breakneck piece of pure entertainment then this may be for you. Nonstop pacing, twists at every turn, and characters you’ll love (and hate).

The Island by Adrian McKinty was my second novel by this author and it certainly did not disappoint. I would struggle to decide whether to call the book at horror novel or a thriller. Maybe I will settle on a horrifying thriller.

Heather is an American on an Australian vacation with her new husband and his children. We learn early on that there is some hostility from the kids toward their dad's young bride. Meanwhile in or der to facilitate forging bonds between Heather and his kids, Tom gives the kids what they are begging for by talking the family's way onto a private island they should not be on. An accident happens early during their visit to the island, This sends the family on a nightmarish journey to try to escape the wrath of the locals and get back to the mainland.

There should be plenty of trigger warnings with The Island. It is graphic at time. Rape is a constant threat against Heather AND the teenaged stepdaughter. There is some harm to animals. Between the family's arrival on the island to the nailbiter finish, I was HOOKED. I really liked The Chain, but The Island is even better. If a reader doesn't mind a bit (or a lot) of grittiness, this book will not disappoint.

Deliverance in The Land Down Under! Poor life choices lead to unintended consequences folks, and soon the bodies start piling up. Part thriller, part survival story, and part psychological horror, The Island has a bit of everything for every reader.... even a splash of indigenous spirituality. This fast-paced book keeps you turning the pages and wondering what characters you can truly count on and whether the it's possible to make it off the island alive. Teamwork makes the dream work, and sacrifices will be made in this locked-room (OK an island, but you get what I mean) survival thriller. Picked up by Hulu for a future limited series, this will be one wild ride to follow on film as well. thank you #NetGalley and Little, Brown, and Company for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

After seeing this one all over booksta and finding out it’s going to be a Hulu series I had to read it ASAP! The action starts right away in this family vacation turned survivor thriller. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time; it was intense, pulse pounding and horrifying. I also really enjoyed how Heather’s character evolved through the course of the book especially her strength and ingenuity.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book will be a new classic in the thriller genre! The Island by Adrian McKinty is an absolutely amazing survival thriller. The story revolves around Heather, her husband, and two step-children, who are on a lovely family vacation in the Australian outback. But when a terrible accident happens, suddenly, they find themselves in the middle of a terrifying nightmare! Can Heather save herself and her family from the island?

Here is a chilling excerpt from the Prologue, which is a flash-forward:

"A crow with a skeptical yellow eye was watching her from the lightning-struck eucalyptus tree.
The crow was death.
If it called out, she was dead. If it flew toward Jacko and he turned to look, she was dead.
The crow observed her with a half-turned head.
She crawled through the brittle grass, reached the tree trunk, stopped, and caught her breath.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the bottom of the T-shirt. She sucked the moisture from the shirt as best she could."

Overall, The Island is an action-packed survival thriller that will appeal to fans of No Exit or the author's previous book, The Chain. One highlight of this book is how exciting it is. could not tear my eyes away or put this book down! It was absolutely terrifying. Another highlight of this book is Heather, who is a strong female protagonist. I loved watching a young stepmother with her back against the wall turning into an action hero and saving her stepchildren. I'm absolutely sure that this book will become a classic in the thriller genre. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, you won't regret checking out this book, which is available now!

Last year I finally got around to reading The Chain by Adrian McKinty. It was one of those books that were super hyped around the time of its release, so I bought it as quickly as I could. Then, as is far too often the case, it sat unread on my shelf. I kicked myself for waiting so long to read it! The Chain has one of the best and most original hooks of any thriller that I've ever read. I felt that the novel stumbled a bit near the end, but it made me excited to read whatever McKinty would come up with next. Lucky for me, I wouldn't have to wait long. McKinty's latest thriller The Island released earlier this month. Even luckier for me, his publisher sent me a copy of the book to review.

Heather fast-tracked her life when she married the handsome widower Tom. Suddenly she had everything she could have ever dreamed of, the wealthy husband who adored her, a dream home, and even Tom's two children. Her life seemed set. As the newly formed family embarked on a globe-spanning vacation to Australia, nothing could have brought them down. It wasn't all sunshine and roses, though. Heather felt a sense of being unworthy of everything she had. She hadn't really earned this life. Heck, she wasn't even an actual mother, something her two stepchildren were always keen to remind her. But this trip, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit another continent, seemed like the perfect chance to cement her place in this new life.

The trip isn't without its commitments. Tom has to speak at a conference later that day. Before work invades play, though, Heather is determined to show the kids some fun. On the top of the young pair's list is seeing real live koala bears. The family happens upon a man who promises views of wildlife on the private Dutch Island, a remote piece of land just off the coast. He says that his family has lived and sustained the island for years. As long as Heather promises to stay away from the family's compound, they can drive the perimeter of the island and view the wildlife there. Everything about the island feels wrong, but Heather sets her unease aside for the sake of the family vacation. They are only on the isle for a short period of time when a tragic accident occurs, setting into motion a series of events that will turn this family vacation into a horrible nightmare.

I knew from reading his previous novel that Adrian McKinty wasn't afraid to concoct shocking and disturbing scenes, but nothing could have prepared me for the horror he imagines in The Island. This new novel lacks the killer hook of The Chain, but that doesn't detract from the wild thrill ride at all. Without a clear direction right out of the gate, McKinty slowly lures the reader into a seemingly normal story about a dysfunctional family getaway. Only once we are fully invested in the scenario does he reveal his cards, turning a typical family drama into a bizarro horror-thriller akin to a cross between Deliverance and The Most Dangerous Game. You'll need to suspend your disbelief with this one. Very little of the action would be plausible in a normal world. If you can let go of your inhibitions, The Island will play out as an unrelenting and shocking adventure that will have you turning the pages as quickly as you can read. McKinty grounds his wild story in characters who give readers just enough heart to latch onto them. With The Island, McKinty proves that The Chain was no fluke. His ability to write a crazy fun thriller is on full display.

Okay. I will start by saying that yes, this book is non stop and action packed. Which is awesome. But the rest just literally infuriated me. The dialogue was so forced and unbelievable. The kids, 12 and 14? But yet speaking like they are 20. And then they keep calling Heather a millennial. If she is 24 as the book says she is a Gen Z and there is no way she (or anyone in their 20s or even 30s) would call a 12 and 14 year old "honey" and "baby". It was just so forced. There was no real character development for me to even root for anyone. And Heather just has all of these skills? Awesome, how convenient. The only character I enjoyed only lasted a few pages. Sorry but I just did not enjoy this one.

The Island by Adrian McKinty is an intense, page turning thriller, that does not let up until the end. The pace for this book is rapid pace even when the book as its rare slow moments, it's still interesting. This book is suburban mom with step kids meets Rambo. The thriller aspect is so intense, but I also have to commend McKinty for his analysis of the family unit, I have never read a trophy wife quite like this. It's one thing escaping backwoods killers, but you have to parent kids that are closer in age to you than you are to your husband. The twists are great, there's not too many but they make them have impact. The scary thing thing in this book is the rational of desperate people scrabbling to make sure they keep their independence. The setting of the untouched island off the coast of Australia has that stranger in a stangeland quality, where the family have to not only escape but deal with the elements and wildlife of the Outback that they have only read about. This book is getting a lot of hype and advertisement, it is great to see it lived up to it. The Island is in my top 5 books of the year. The book rights to this story were bought by Hulu and it will be a limited series. The story about how Adrian McKinty gave up, got evicted became an Uber and author Don Winslow (one of my favorites) changed his life, by encouraging and telling his agent to get with him is very inspiring. I read this book thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company. The Island by Adrian McKinty is published on May 17 2022.

The Plot Summary: Heather, 24 is a new stepmom to Owen, 12 and Olivia, 14, one year after there mother died in a tragic accident. The new family accompanies Tom, 40, a surgeon, to a doctor's conference in Australia. Heather becomes a glorified babysitter to the two kids that have not warmed up to her at all. On a day where Tom is off they go for lunch where the family meets a nice Dutch couple Hans and Petra, the kids start complaining about not seeing any wildlife and a stranger over hears and shows the a koala in a cage. The stranger, Matt tells them about an independent Island that is technically not part of Australia and it's own independent land. Tom makes a deal to check out this Island, the dutch couple overhear and get in on the deal as well. Matt agrees but warns them of the family that runs the island, to spend an hour and don't bother anyone or anything. They take a ferry that is ran by the family to the island. Tom drives as they don't see any wildlife at all, and feels ripped off, he gets lost on the road meets a man who tells them very strangely to get off this island. This shake up Tom he gets lost and has to double back he's behind schedule and won't make the hour mark if he doesn't speed in his rented Porche. He concentrates on time and doesn't see the islander on a bike get in front of him before he runs them over. Everyone freaks out they have said their are no police on the island, heather comes with a plan to hide the body and and ferry over then tell the police, it almost works as the islanders see them get out out of the ditch, but still try for the ferry as the islanders have not discovered a body yet. The get stopped on the ferry at gun point as the ferry driver has a radio. The islanders can't decide what to do but tie the family up along with the dutch couple. Tom thinks he can reason but Heather knows they must escape. The islanders did not find a small pen knife that she uses to escape as the family decides death is their sentence. Heather must survive and after she gets separated from Tom must be a parent as well.

What I Liked: The intensity of the story, the story pulls no punches people get bruised, bleed and die. I love the revenge thriller aspect, how a trophy wife makes the islanders which they never met her. The history of the island was really interesting. I loved the pace of the story, so fast, it had many moments I could not put this down, it is a very fast read. The twists are really good and add to the story. The family dynamic was really different for this kind of story and another element of suspense when the kids do no listen and rebel. The action scenes are intense, and put me on edge. The scariest part was rationalizing all this, and those conversations are so scary.

What I Disliked: I wanted more from the character of Matt, the rational one of the islanders, his ending felt unfinished. He kind of went bad but didn't go far enough, after what she did to the family.

Recommendations: This is an excellent thriller that will keep you up at night turning the pages. I whole heartedly recommend you check this excellent book out. This is a solid thriller that you will not be able to put down. The story will make you ask what would you do in that situation. I rated the Island by Adrian McKinty 5 out of 5 stars. This is the first book I have read by Adrian McKinty but it will not be the last. I also look forward to the limited series for this book on Hulu.

This book really should be called, “Never Agree to See Koalas on an Island no Matter How Cute You Think They Are” but obviously that title is way too long. I’m a bit disappointed in this book if I’m being honest. While it started off strong, the entire remainder of the story felt like one enormous marathon that didn’t have a medal or a donut waiting for me at the finish line. One thing I found to be really odd was how it jumped from being quite mellow in scenes to extremely graphic and gory the next, and I felt like it wasn’t consistent. I did actually enjoy the characters and I was rooting for them, which did persuade me to want to see things out to the end. If you’re a fan of survival thrillers maybe this is the one for you. I won’t give up on McKinity after this, but I do think this isn’t the right genre for me.

“…We’re going to give you a really horrible rating on trip advisor.”

Imagine your first family vacation with your new husband and his two kids…you’re going to Australia!! Once you get there you walk into an amazing opportunity to visit a private island for an hour to see what the rest of the tourists don’t get to see…you’re definitely gonna go, right?! Obviously!

But wait just a second…This island is inhabited by an entire settler family set on revenge for an accident you made while visiting their private island. Your dream vacation turns into a game of hide & seek for your life. Every day, every night, every hour, every minute of your time on that island is a fight to stay hidden, stay alive and hopefully make it back to the mainland in one piece.

Wow!! This book was…wow. I was gripped with every page and cheering for our main characters every step of the way. This was heart pounding, page turning and even gave me a little giggle here and there. I loved this book. I’ll definitely be buying a copy for my shelf.

Highly recommend!

After reading The Chain by the same author, I was very excited about this book. I've read good and bad reviews on it, but I like to form my own opinion. The book starts out with Tom, a successful orthopedic surgeon attending a conference in Australia. His second wife, Heather and his children Olivia and Owen go to Australia with him. When the trip is almost over the kids are complaining that they didn't get to see any koala bears or any kangaroos. Two scary looking locals tell them about an island they live on called Dutch Island. They tell them for the right price they will take them to this private island to see all of the wildlife. The kids beg their dad to take them on this adventure. They strike up a deal with the locals and are soon on the ferry to Dutch Island. They are very excited to explore the island. However, an accident occurs which changes everything. Instead of trying to get help they do the unspeakable. And the inhabitants of this island won't stand for it. They are soon in the fight of their lives. After Tom is captured, Heather knows its up to her to try to save herself and the children. This story unfolds like scenes from Deliverance. You won't be able to stop turning the pages to this action packed book. I read this book in two sittings it was that hard to put down. Once again Adrian McKinty does not disappoint. Despite some of the reviews I enjoyed this book immensely. I've read some reviews accusing the author of animal abuse. For me it was survival. I didn't feel the book focused on abusing animals. I highly recommend this page turner. I was provided this book for review.

This was just not for me, but I’m sure it will find it’s audience! I really enjoyed this authors past works, but “The Island” was just not it. I found the writing to be juvenile, the plot an unbearable amount of unbelievable & the characters lacked real development. There was no nuance like we find in real humans. It was just like “Heather, smart, good.” “Hillbilly villains, bad.” I don’t know, it just didn’t flow properly.

Wow this was super fast-paced, dark, and disturbing! When a family unknowingly travels to a remote island in Australia inhabited by a psychopathic family, surely nothing good can happen. Thankfully, Heather Baxter, the young wife of a widowed orthopedic surgeon, is willing to do whatever it takes to to get her new family off the island. And yes, she develops into a total badass. The first couple chapters start off slow but there is a building sense of menace that kept me on the edge of my seat. Once the action starts, it becomes full throttle and doesn’t let up. If I had the chance to read this in one sitting, I definitely could have. I’m just not sure I would have had a chance to breathe!! It felt a lot more like watching a movie than reading a book, which is exactly what I’m looking for sometimes. Thank you to Little Brown and Company and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley.

Thank you to #netgalley for giving me an ARCfor an honest review. This was a chilling read, it actually gave me bad dreams but I kept on reading. A real thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat!!

Adrian McKinty is back with another pulse-pounding thriller that many readers will not be able to put down until they get to the very last page! An American family is on vacation in Australia, and wanting to see something off the beaten-path, they decide to make their way onto a sparsely inhabited island in order to see a very non-touristy part of Australia, only they will end up getting much more than they bargained for! Their trip quickly becomes ominous as they witness an accident, and from there, things only get worse! As the family gets separated, it's up to the newly married Heather to get herself and her step-children out of there. And you will have to read to see what happens next. Readers looking for a fast-paced adventure story with high stakes will not be able to put this down!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read The Island. I flew through The Chain, and after I got into this one, it was the same situation. I couldn't put The Island down and needed to know what the conclusion of this harrowing adventure was. As much as I guessed some of the things that occurred in this book, there were other plot points I never saw coming that made me say "wow." I truly enjoyed this crazy vacation turned murder-venture and highly recommend it.