The Island was an interesting thriller playing on the newest "influencer" trend courtesy of TikTok and social media. The action and intrigue started fairly early in the book, making it a quick and easy read that grabbed my attention immediately.

Having read other books by Natasha Preston, I knew what to expect and knew I would enjoy it, and she didn't disappoint. The plot was unique and the storyline was super fun, if not a tiny bit predictable. Even with that, it was action packed and full of twists and turns, and the writing style made me want to visit the theme park (without the murders, please).

I can't wait to read more from the author! Thanks to Netgalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

I had to DNF at 50%. Personally, I’ve watched Natasha Preston’s writing style go downhill.

BUT, I can absolutely see my high school students loving this book. I was intrigued by the concept, a murderer on an isolated island with a creepy theme park. It’s perfect. I just found myself not as engrossed as I usually am in her novel. It was a solid 30% before the first body is found and that’s a bit too slow burn for me. I will absolutely recommend it to my students, I will keep a copy in my classroom library because I know my students will enjoy it!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Natasha Preston's thrillers!! This one was just as good, I could barely guess who it was. I'm not going to spoil but if you liked the vibes from the movie The Menu you'll really enjoy this book.

This one's premise is amusing. Six teenagers who are well-known on social media are invited to a private island that is home to a freshly built hotel and opulent amusement park.

The amusement park has a gothic motif with gargoyles and rides meant to frighten people, while the hotel is obviously intended for those who prefer luxury. Is this just a nice, free vacation that comes with being well-known online, or is there something else at work here?

This novel held my interest. I didn't want to put the book down. The primary character was enjoyable. There were a few clever turns. It would be a compelling film.

This was of one the authors books, that at first I had a hard time getting into, about 25% in it picked up the pace and became an amazing novel that I couldn’t put down!

An absolutely wild ride that will have you hanging on to every word. An isolated island amusement park filled with teenage influencers - what could possibly go wrong?? I loved all the twists and turns and kept second guessing everything! A fast paced edge of your seat thriller that is not to be missed!!

A group of teenage influencers at invited to check out an amusement park resort on a private island before it opens to the public. But things start to make a crazy turn when one of them winds up missing! I really enjoyed this one and loved the main character Paisley!

Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my ARC!

From start to finish I couldn’t put this down. It was hard to figure out who it was. I knew it had to be one of them just couldn’t pin it so that was a good one. I felt like the characters were strong. I was even sad when Ava died even thought I was annoyed with her most of the book. Didn’t really get to much from James though. I almost forgot him when I was going through the influencers in my head. The twist of Liam was good but having Harper in it! Omg. That was a heartbreaking twist. But to end it the way you did. It felt like you ran out of ink. I’ve read all your other books and the endings close it up but end one twist at the end. I felt like this didn’t end it at all. Was very sad about the ending. Overall the book would be amazing ( 5 stars) if the end closed more.

Natasha did it again! I knew she'd keep me on my toes like usual but this one really did. I felt like I was hiding on the island with her characters.

The Island was my first book by Preston, and I was disappointed. Preston's books are popular with readers at my library, and I had high expectations. I found the characters underdeveloped and I couldn't keep track of them. Also, I never connected or cared about any of the characters. The setting wasn't in-depth enough for me to understand the amusement park's layout. Plus, the "surprise twist" felt like it came out of nowhere and wasn't actually set up throughout the book. Fans of Preston's work may enjoy this book, but it didn't work for me.

This one was just okay for me. I have always been a huge Natasha Preston fan but her last few books haven’t blown me away. The plot was pretty good but I thought it could have sped up a little bit. There were so many main characters that it got a little confusing sometimes.

𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨: Six teenage influences are invited to a new remote luxury amusement park island. The owner is hoping they will post about the island and get interest up before opening weekend. Things start to go awry when someone goes missing.

This was a very fast read full of twists and turns. It’s a bit of a locked room mystery since all of the characters are at a special event at a fancy resort and amusement park on an island with no one able to leave or come. The main group of teens at this event are all influencers, and while that isn’t necessarily my favorite I did like that the narrator is a true crime/murder influencer. Empty amusement parks make perfect settings for stories, especially for horror/serial killer stories. Paisley is excited to get invited to an exclusive event for influencers at a new amusement park that has a gothic theme with an attached resort on an island. But once they all get there people start to disappear. And Paisley realizes just how far away from civilization an island can be.

This book!!

I keep saying why do I keep letting Natasha Preston do this to me?? Answer: I have no idea. The hold she has on me is real. I will continue to read every book she writes. While reading her books I will try to think of the least obvious ending of every story. Come up with every single conclusion that could possibly be. AND I will always be wrong. Always. Every time.

Read this book. Ask all the questions. When you are done reading you will still have all the questions. All the questions. I have so many questions! I need more. Yet I will still move on without any answers. Read the next book. And REPEAT.

Read it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book.

Wow!!!! My favorite Natasha Preston book thus far super intense full of twists and thrills with a jaw drop end that I still can't believe!!! I just can't get over how good this book was if you want a real page turner and a good scare don't miss this fantastic book!!!!

Much thanks to #netgalley and #RandomHouse for allowing me to read and review this ARC
All thoughts and opinions are my own

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title. All opinions are my own.

I'll be honest-this one isn't going to win any major literary awards. BUT, with that being said, I do think that the kids in my building will EAT IT UP. They love any and all mystery/thriller books, and this one will definitely fit the bill. Six influencer teens are invited to spend a long weekend at a new amusement park/hotel on a remote island. And, after they show up, they start dying. But, no one else has come to the island and there's now way to leave. So, the killer has to be one of them? Or did someone sneak on to the island before they got there?

There is violence in the story, but nothing overtly graphic. There are no sexual scenes (just some kisses/talk of having a crush) and minimal language. Recommended for readers grades 7 and up, especially in collections where mystery/thrillers are in demand.

This insanely entertaining book is just pure escapist fun! Paisley is invited, along with a group of select influencers like her, to visit Jagged Island before it opens. This is a Gothic resort/amusement park for the wealthy, and the mysterious owner hopes that these teenagers will be able to spread the word to their millions of followers. Everything is described perfectly, from the lavish hotel to the sometimes creepy rides. Then, taking a page from a classic, they start dying one by one. Since Paisley is the narrator, we know she’s not the baddie but I had no idea who was. She is also a true-crime expert so her insight is valuable when things go sideways, making her one of the most resourceful in the group. At the beginning, I was expecting to loathe every single one of these characters and cheer for their demise, after all, they had to be self-centered to be influencers. I was surprised at how much I was rooting for them from the start. Yes, one of them met my expectations of a vapid teenager but the rest were complex and likable, especially Paisley. The book reminded me a little bit of the Truly Devious series, which is high compliment. I really enjoyed this roller coaster of a read.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Random House Children's, Delacorte Press!

This was my first Natasha Preston read and pleasantly found it very entertaining! Definitely fast-paced and had me on edge, especially the last half of the book. I did figure out some of the twists along the way, but not all!

That ending though…if I was reading a physical book and not on my Kindle, I would have thrown it across the room! 😂😂 Just had to leave us with a cliffhanger, huh?

All in all, it was a very enjoyable read! Definitely recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I am a sucker for a YA thriller, and this premise was so intriguing! I also love a private island and abandoned theme park setting, so this was right up my alley!

Six teen social media influencers, Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley, are invited to an exclusive weekend on a private remote island amusement park (think Scooby-Doo 2’s Spooky Island - at least, that’s what I was picturing) before it opens to the public. In exchange, they’re supposed to make posts and videos about their VIP treatment to draw in rich customers.

However, on the first night, one of the teens goes missing, kicking off a game of cat-and-mouse with deadly stakes.

I’ve read a few books by this author, and I think this one has been my favorite, with the strongest storyline and the most interesting characters. I did piece together a lot of the reveal, but a few aspects did catch me by surprise.

The ending was much faster paced than the first half of the book, and I did fly through the whole thing rather quickly, taking only a couple sittings.

Like Preston’s other books, it does sort of end on a cliffhanger, which isn’t really my favorite. In my mind, it ended a few paragraphs before it actually ends.

If you like a quick read, YA thriller, or have enjoyed Preston’s past books, definitely check this one out!

Natasha Preston https://www.natashapreston.com is the author of 20 novels. The Island will be released 28 February 2023. This is the 104th book I completed in 2022.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of delivering a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this book/novel as R. The primary character is 17-year-old Paisley.

Paisley isn’t the typical teenage girl. Her passion is her blog which focuses on stories of true crime. The blog has made her one of the top teen social media influencers. That is what earns her the invitation to Jagged Island.

Jagged Island is a private amusement park for the very rich. It is set to open soon, and the owner wants Paisley, and a handful of other influencers, to hype the park. The six selected teens will enjoy an exclusive weekend at the park. They will be treated as VIPs and are expected to post about their experience.

Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley find the park even better than they had expected. The gothic theme of the park is particularly appealing to Paisley. Their VIP experience is hosted by the park owner Malcolm Wyatt and four employees. What could go wrong with only a dozen people on a gothic-themed island?

A storm sweeps in to disable communication with the mainland. People begin to die. The thrilling amusement park weekend turns into a brutal struggle for survival.

I enjoyed the 6.5 hours I spent reading this 336-page young adult thriller. Much of the novel is written in the first person from Paisley’s point of view. The dark cover art is a perfect fit for this novel. I give this novel a rating of 3.8 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Natasha Preston for a copy of this book. This review is my own honest opinion and spoiler-free, as always.

Y’all, I could not put this book down. My husband is a huge Natasha Preston fan, and I’ve been wanting to read her books so I figured why not start here? The cover is stunning.

I was sucked into the story so fast, but I have to say I am not a horror fan. I am a grade A scaredy-cat. I honestly wasn’t sure what I expected picking up this book but I didn’t expect to be completely blown away, enthralled, and scared to death all at once for the entirety of the story. There was a note about the scare factor at the beginning, but I was like “oh it’ll be fine!”

Friends, it was <i>not</i> fine.

This book is like a cross between One of Us is Lying and Glass Onion. We follow six teenage social media influencers to The Island where a multi-millionaire has built a 16th century gothic horror-inspired amusement park complete with a hotel, restaurants, haunted house, and attractions, and he wants them to blog about their experience for the world to see.

We meet:
-Paisley, the true crime podcast junkie who spends her time researching serial killers.
-Ava and Will, the beauty blogger rivals.
-Liam, the popular jock/gamer.
-James, the movie reviewer.
-Harper, the bookstagrammer.
-Gibson, the boat driver.
-Reeve, Gibson’s best friend and head of maintenance.
-Keena, the chef.
-Malcom, the owner and founder.
-Camilla, Malcom’s personal <s>slave</s> assistant.

After a seemingly fun and exciting first day in the park, Will goes missing, along with the boat back to the mainland as well as the island’s cell service and Wi-Fi. As our friends find Will’s body and try to find out what happened to him, more people start to die and the chase is on.

Who’s the murderer? Who’s lying? Who will make it off the island alive?

Natasha Preston creates scenes so incredibly vivid that they cause you to feel every emotion the characters are feeling. Told from Paisley’s point of view, we spend the entire story rooted in her utter terror and crime-solving mind. I gave this book five stars because even though I was scared out of my mind, I LOVED IT?? I hate feeling scared, but the author did her job and did it well. Hats off, Natasha.