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!

The chain by Adrian McKintry is one of my favorite books, so I was super excited to receive approval for the arc of this one. This book follows a newly blended Seattle family as they adventure to Australia and things go wrong when a hit and run accident occurs on the island. The characters find themselves running through the island in search of protection while trying to find a way home. And the secrets they find out about each other is enough to have them questioning who they can trust. I didn’t hate this book, but it wasn’t my favorite either, and for the reason I’m giving it 3 stars.

I really liked this one, it kept me on my toes and my pages turning!

A newly married couple. The husband, Tom had recently lost his wife, and felt he needed a mom to relace for his children. His daughter, Oliva, age 14, and his son, Owen age 12, are not fond of the stepmom Heather.

They go on a trip to Australia and it doesn't start well, the kids are tired and this is the last place they want to be with Heather. They plan a trip for a day and things go bad, then just get worse!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A fast paced thriller. Full of family drama and exciting writing!
Thank you NetGalley for the copy!

fast paced survival thriller! i really love the way McKinty writes, kept me on the edge of my seat! I loved his previous book and will continue watching him

3.5 stars - This is a hard book for me to rate. It was a fast-pace read, very suspenseful, but too unrealistic. I think the hardest thing for me to get past is that I did not like the main characters, again making this a hard book for me to rate. The premise, having an accident on a remote island and the islanders seeking revenge, is great, however, it was just too over the top. It also went on & on & on. I could not realistically believe the average person (and none of these people are warriors) could have survived. Then it ended quite disappointing; no closure and again unrealistic. But you'll need to read the book & see what you think.

I received this advance review copy from from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

I loved this one so much more than “The Chain.” McKinty’s writing is propulsive and puts you into the store with the characters. Although the worst was bizarre at times I couldn’t stop reading and didn’t want to put this one down. Just felt bad for the animals that didn’t make it :/

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC!

I was really excited for this book. I was hooked by the premise, especially the setting - the grueling Australian outback. However, the book fell a bit flat for me. One of the things that I really enjoyed about this book was Heather's fighting spirit. Although not a final girl in the traditional sense, she was a character that you could root for. She had the drive and survivalist instincts. I also did enjoy the Australian outback setting and how it provided as many challenges for our protagonist's survival as the menacing inhabitants of Dutch Island. However, I just felt that the book's ending was rushed and that everything concluded a little too perfectly. The kids were honestly jerks to Heather for the entire book, but by the end, they wanted Heather to be their caretaker? Also, Owen's revelation about his mother's fate seemed a little too convenient/unnecessary. At the end of the day, the book still held my attention, but it just didn't fully click for me.

Ahhhh this was a good one!! I love a mystery/thriller involving a vacation gone wrong. Very good and well written! Loved the narrator of the audiobook also!

*Thank you Little Brown for the copy in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was one wild ride. A blended family sees a vacation to the Australian outback as a great bonding opportunity. The kids are eager to see some real wildlife and talk their way onto a ferry to a remote island (does any of this sound like a good idea to you?) This is where the vacation goes terribly wrong. There is an unfortunate accident, an extended family of criminal hillbillies and an unexpected heroine. There were for me some believability issues here and there - the characters kept doing one really dumb thing after another, but I persevered and was paid off by a high-adrenaline thrill ride with lots of twists and turns that was overall very enjoyable.
Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for a galley of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is definitely different.
I liked that the premise isn’t your normal thriller. However, I didn’t love the family drama

Fun, fast, and different! This was a fast paced and wickedly entertaining read. I didn’t love the easy fixes that fell into their laps literally every time a problem came at our protagonists but as long as you don’t go into this book expecting a real/gritty Bear Grylls style survival story I recommend this..

This book was WILD. A family ends up stranded on an island and must escape after making some not so smart decisions. They end up on a family owned island that the only way in and out is by boat that the family owns.

Very gory. Very detailed. I kind of pictured an Australian version of Chainsaw Massacre mixed with Castaway. Very intense and not for the faint of heart. I would describe this as a dark thriller for sure. But very fast paced and full of action. Very vivid details and descriptions which works a little too well at some points.

I got about halfway through this book and was never entertained. I quit it at that point because I was expecting a lot more excitement and a lot less petty family drama.

This book is full of high energy! The reader is taken for an exhilarating ride on this backwoods jungle island inhabited by a family of scary people. They made me feel uncomfortable and I had flashbacks to "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" family vibes and inbreeding. They weren't, but it felt kind of creepy like that. And then the innocent family is caught up in the middle of these psycho's trying to escape this island that they know nothing about. The land is treacherous and survival is almost non-existent. The ride is fun! But I will say, there were a few times where I had to suspend my disbelief in order to get through the scene. And it just seemed a little unbelievable. But I still loved the book, plot and speed of action.

Another edge of your seat read. What starts out as a work / family vacation, turns into a fight of their lives. Tom and Heather, newly married and him newly widowed, take his two children to the Australian outback to try to build their relationship. While exploring a remote private island a tragic and horrific accident happens which plunges the family into a fight for their lives. Fast paced and impossible to put down.

FANTASTIC!! Read this book! That about covers it all for this book, but let me give a bit more detail. I have been a fan of Adrian McKinty since I read The Chain. I love a thriller that also can be real. Something just far fetched enough to take you out of the real world but one that can also be just real enough to make you wonder what would you do in this situation. And this is another one of those books.
I loved our main character Heather and her strong personality. Her persistence and tenacity was perfectly characterized. I loved the isolation and the family dynamic and just how much the story and the author put into it to make you uncomfortable but still wanting more.
Adrian McKinty is an author I will pick up time and again.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. I enjoyed Adrian's previous book. I will continue to try Adrian McKinty's books in the future.

I struggled with this one and ultimately DNFed. The family was just obnoxious and not likable at all so I didn't really care about the situation they found themselves in. A shame because I really enjoyed The Chain by this author.

I’m not sure if I would label this a thriller, maybe suspense? The plot and movement was great, I enjoyed it. It definitely could have been written differently to add some more horror/thriller aspects. I didn’t get that scared feeling due to being hunted.

Being set in Australia, I really was expecting more when it came to the wildlife that the family would have seen. There really wasn’t much considering they were trying to survive in the wilderness for several days. The main character being more than what she seemed, hunting etc., was a plus though.

I did really enjoy the novel, it’s fast paced so you won’t be bored. It is a bit predictable, but the content makes up for it.