Four stars! The Island is a thrilling ride that I read in one sitting. it is definitely not for the faint of heart because it had my heart pumping around every turn. The twists were crazy and unpredictable, and I definitely enjoyed this release much more than the last one that I picked up from this author. I think it has great summer/vacation vibes and it’s being released at the perfect time. it was absolutely unputdownable and I recommend it for any thriller lover!

This might be the best book of 2022. What else could you want from a thriller than relentless fear and a young, bad-ass, Porsche-getaway-driving, gun-shooting stepmom main character? This novel is an unforgiving ride that you will read through the cracks in your fingers covering your face in horror.

YIKES!! Adrian McKinty's latest thriller will definitely make you think twice about travelling to a foreign land. It was utterly terrifying and wildly entertaining. The horror and intensity of this book hit me like a vengeance. The Island gave off major vibes of Wolf Creek, Wrong Turn and You're Next. An absolute page turner for all fans of the thriller/horror genres!

Since the synopsis does not give much detail, I won't either. In my opinion, it is best to go into this book somewhat blind. Just keep in mind: Revenge is a dish best served cold!

I really enjoyed this book for the most part, but I did have moments of confusion and boredom with some of the inner dialogues. I just didn't understand the context, so I lost focus a bit. But that's just my opinion and it didn't happen often. I still highly recommend grabbing a copy of this when it is released! If you liked The Chain, you are going to love The Island!!

Thank you to the author, Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for allowing me to preview this ARC!!

The island

What a wild ride. Reading this book felt like a fever dream mash up of Mad Max meets The Hills Have Eyes.

When an American family on vacation in Australia takes some locals up on their offer to see some wildlife on their private island, their lives are about to change indelibly.

While on The Island looking for koalas to take some nice pictures of to document their trip, an accident occurs which brings out the worst in everyone, and the family soon finds themselves in a nightmare situation that will take every ounce of cunning they have to survive.

This book is full of twists and turns, and you feel you are right there with the characters, heart racing as they try to survive both the elements and the lawless family that inhabits The Island.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing this digital advanced copy for one of the most anticipated books of the year in exchange for my review.

The Island is one of those non-stop action books that kept me turning the pages until I was done. If I wasn't at work when I started it, it would have been a one sitting read. McKinty did a great job of fleshing out his protagonists, and his antagonists, for the most part, were truly despicable.
The few gory parts manage to not be gross.
The entire book worked for me except the inclusion of the best friend moments. They felt unnecessary and pulled attention away from the real story.
All in all, The Island is and exciting and fun book that I can see myself reading again some day.

I read this action-packed thriller in a day. I was skeptical because the blurb made this book seem a little too suspenseful for me, but I enjoyed it and never felt bored. Near the end of the book, some of the revelations about a main character seem a bit out of left field, but the pacing made up for this.

A very good, heart-pounding, scary, twisty tale of suspense and survival from the author of the Chain. Though the Chain was much hyped, I liked this book way more! I think it is an even better showcase for author Adrien McKinty’s unique talents of description, characterization, and completely bananas high-stakes twisty plotting. This book is Lord of the Flies meets Taken with some Lost and Yellowjackets in the mix. And at the same time as all that, it’s completely its own unique story and one that, even though the starting plot is familiar, quickly becomes an experience unlike anything I’ve read before.

If I’ve learned one thing from reading thriller books this past year, it’s this: if you’re on vacation in an exotic land, and a person you’ve just met offers you a private ferry ride to a beautiful secluded island? DO NOT GO WITH THEM!

Alas, 24-year-old new bride Heather, her new much older husband Tom, and her two teenage stepchildren Owen and Olivia have not read enough thrillers, because they never learned this lesson. So, when the family accompanies Tom to Australia for a conference and a friendly stranger offers them a quick ferry to a beautiful island with koalas, naturally they go with him even though there is apparently no public access to the island and no way off the island other than with this sketchy stranger. Needless to say, big mistake. HUGE.

It’s hard to write a review for this because I don’t want to give too much away, but immediately upon their arrival to the island something pretty shocking happens. To describe this book I’d say it’s part thriller, part survival is story, and part twisty domestic thriller, but that really doesn’t give you the full flavor of what makes this book great. The bulk of the what makes this book so exceptional in this crowded genre comes with the character development. Heather is at first blush a very flawed character who you may not like much, who is ambivalent about her new family and step kids, and who appears to make some questionable decisions. But as the book progresses and as you learn more and more about Heather and her unusual family, you learn that our heroine is uniquely equipped for this particular terrifying moment and the chase that follows. She has, as Liam Neeson would say, a very particular set of skills, and they will shock, delight and surprise you.

Now, I am not usually one for island survivalist stories. But island survival while being chased by an entire island of eccentric psychopaths? With a heroic crew including one brilliant autistic kid, one brilliant depressed kid, and one brilliant bad-ass reluctant 24-year old stepmother? YES YES, sign me up. The characters are unique, wonderful and realistic. And my goodness the villains (and there are many) in this book are so fun and oddball. I would love to describe them for you one but one but the way they reveal themselves is too good to spoil. There’s also an element of domestic thriller in this book, and the way the twist within the twist is revealed is so surprising and spectacular.

In a sea of mediocre thrillers this year, The Island stands head and shoulders above the rest with so many satisfying twists, thrills and characters that you just know someone is going to make it into a movie. But I think the movie would have a tough time living up to prose as good as this. My hugest recommendation — even if you, like me, don’t tend to love survivalist stories I highly recommend you give these wonderful characters a try. I had more fun reading this than any book I’ve read in quite awhile.

Big thanks to Little, Brown, NetGalley and the author for creating such a tightly plotted, thrilling and downright cinematic experience in my brain!

I had previously read "The Chain" by Adrian McKinty and it was such a wild ride, I was excited to see a new book out on NetGalley. The Island began with a family on vacation in Australia, Tom is there for a conference but his new, young bride Heather is there along with Tom's snarky teenage kids. The teens beg for some sightseeing while out for a drive one day, overheard by some locals, they are offered a chance to be taken to their "island." While trying to scope out wildlife on the island, Tom accidentally hits a local woman on a bike. When they try to hide this from the locals, hoping to escape the island safely, that's when the trouble begins...

I love mystery and thrillers, but I think I'd make a new classification for books like McKinty's. Right now I have a short attention span and I love books that can grab me quickly and keep me until the last page. I call them adrenaline thrillers. There's a lot of action in "The Island" and I loved the fact that Heather was a complete badass. Strong female leads in adrenaline thrillers are a huge plus. Sure there's a few things that I have to wonder how realistic it would be, however, that's the point of escaping to a book, even an action/adventure thriller.

I'd highly recommend this to those who enjoyed McKinty's first novel. Also those that like Jane Harper's books like "The Dry."

You should not have come to the island, especially with children. You cannot run forever.

I haven’t read such an exciting and fast paced book since Stranded by Sarah Goodwin. I sped through this book and stayed up til 1:30 AM to finish it in one sitting. It’s intense, anxiety provoking, and while there were a few moments that felt unrealistic, it was just so darn entertaining that I didn’t care.

“Civilization meant nothing here. Perhaps it has always meant nothing. There were no monsters on Dutch Island, but the beast was man, had always been man.”

The Island comes out 5/17.

Adrian McKinty does it again with this amazing follow up to the Chain. This is the scary story of a family embarking on a vacation to a secluded island, with danger lurking everywhere unbeknownst to them. Fascinating yet terrifying, I highly recommend this novel.

This book was sent to me electronically for review from Netgalley. A family vacation turns deadly...a father/husband who is a workaholic...a mother who is underestimated...blended family...the horror of what happens on this vacation is unbelievable...the book moves slowly at times, but at other times, it is engrossing...enjoy this one.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. It turned out to be a fast pace thriller with an epic story. I Family takes a detour onto an island. Immediately something disasters occur and they realize are in a dangerous situation. I absolutely love this book. I didn’t know what was going to happen next and couldn’t wait to finish reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the e-ARC.
Holy **** what a story! Word of warning: you WILL want to read this in one sitting. Which is what I did. Adrian McKinty is an incredible writer. I've read almost all of his books and his Sean Duffy series are some of my all time favorites. The way he creates atmosphere, even on the first pages, is unlike any other author. You feel like you're actually there with the characters. The Island is part "Deliverance" and part horror and part survival guide and a whole lot of edge-of-your-seat thrill ride. You won't be able to read the last few chapters fast enough! Once again, well done yourself, Mr. McKinty. Looking forward to where you take your readers next.

Oh My God, what did I just read??? Wow. I thought his book the Chain was good so was very excited to get an Arc for this book The Island. I could not put this down. Finished it in one day. I can’t say enough good things about this book. Fantastic, edge of your seat book. Page turning thriller. This is a MUST read for anybody that likes a thriller book. One of the best books I’ve read this year! Get yourself to the book store and buy it ASAP, you won’t be disappointed!

Thanks @netgalley for this book, and @jordys.book.club for the recommendation. My 31st read of 2022 was like reading an action movie. I actually found myself shouting out loud at some points and cheering Heather and her family on at others. There were some disturbing moments and graphic writing, but I could not put this book down. I have some mixed feelings on the ending, and this book was definitely one of extremes, but I would still highly recommend it. A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read in my books!

What the heck I just read! So many times I just wanted to drop my e-reader and run away while I was screaming! This is so freaking tense! This is mind blowing! I couldn’t put it down but I was extremely jumpy during my read. I screamed a lot as I mentioned before. I hid under blanket as if the disturbing family members of the island were chasing after me!

This book is like Die Hard takes place in island and instead of John McClane , the hero is a woman, a young massage therapist who knows how to survive in the wild! Yippie ki-yay freaking islanders!

This is like watching jaw dropping, action packed, ultra exciting, heart throbbing thriller. The book would be perfect movie but I am not sure its adaptation would be as perfect as the original manuscript.

The book opens up introducing the family of four who fly to Australian outback. Tom Baxter who recently lost his wife and replaced her with young massage therapist Heather is planning to attend the work related conferences. His kids Olivia ( 14), Owen(15) join the trip, sulking,giving death stares to their stepmom! Both of them are jet lagged, exhausted, sweating. Heather tries to entertain kids who keep complaining about everything.

Who can guess two teenagers’ insistence to see koalas will change the entire family’s life!
They meet two strangers mention a special and reserved island that they can see koalas and other wildlife creatures to have real Australian Outback experience! Kids insist to go there. Strangers charge them too much many and let them visit the place alongside Dutch couple: Hans and Petra.

The place is normally off-limits for outsiders but they pay to have 45 minutes to take photos, having a short tour around the place and return back to the ferry quickly as if they’ve never bern there.

But as soon as Baxter family arrives to the island, they lose their way and suddenly a woman in blue dress riding a bike comes out from the side road, Tom honks the horn and hits the breaks but BAM! Something terrible happens that will change the family’s life forever!

I’m stopping right here! Because after this impactful incident, things get escalated and Baxter find themselves into a nightmare! The islanders are so adamant to punish the outsiders who ruin their peaceful living!

Well: without giving much away I can tell two things:

Heather was amazing badass heroine! She’s raised in island crowded by people who are veterans who are suffering from PTSD and using art therapy to heal themselves. Her secluded, hipster, wildlife experiences help them to find a way to fight against the islanders.

And “Ma” scared the living daylights of me as a vicious character, reminded me of Ozark’s Darlene Snell a lot! ( she also gives me creeps)

Overall: this is twisty, extra exciting, fueled with adrenaline, wildest and darkest ride! You never get bored! Highly recommended!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

The Island by Adrian McKinty follows a family on vacation in Australia. Desperate to have a unique experience, the family visits a mysterious island where tragic circumstances unfold in a way no one could expect.

This is definitely a straight thriller. There are not a lot of mysteries to figure out or big plot twists. It is very engaging for most of the book. Some parts in the middle do slow down but the reasoning behind it makes sense. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick, thrilling summer read.

I like the way McKinty sets up the suspense. Giving us a bit of danger from the start and then goes back in time to see how they ended up in that situation. Once the group is on the island, McKintys descriptions and details give such vivid imagery, like I can see the movie reel in my brain. So great! Survival tale, mystery thriller, family drama, bordering on horror at times, this book has it all.

This book wastes no time in ramping up the suspense factor! Much like The Chain, the story makes you think about what’d you might do if you were in the same situation as the characters. What would you do? What could you be capable of if pushed to the limit?

No joke, I literally could not put this down! Just one more chapter, then I’ll start getting ready. Just a couple more pages, then I’ll start dinner. I’m honestly a little bit peeved this book doesn’t come with a warning….do not open unless you have several uninterrupted hours to spare.

Are there some flaws and some plot points you have to overlook? Yup. A big one being 24 year old Heather’s “skill set”. But guess what? I didn’t care one iota. I went with it and enjoyed every minute. Again, I don’t read fiction for realism. 🤷🏻‍♀️

To all my fellow thriller fans, this book is for you.. It’s going to be one of my 5 star unicorns.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown and Company for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved Adrian McKinty's The Chain, so I was thrilled to receive the latest novel from an up and coming author. I overall enjoyed the premise of the book--a family falls into a tricky situation when on vacation--with some new twists. The characters weren't all that compelling though and I found myself not really invested in the outcome. Though the end finally delivered some twists, the middle was too long and repetitive. I would have liked some more build up before we hit The Island to give some more definition to the characters. Still very entertaining and I finished it in two days!

Another fast-past thrill ride from McKinty. A recommended purchase for collections where thrillers are popular.