The Vines

Excellent and timely read. One of those books that seamlessly blends genres, engrossing the reader in a more interesting version of the real world than, well, the real world. If I had a high schooler, I'd give them this book because it will pique their interest in history and science, perhaps encouraging them to do their own research into an obscure island visible from New York City, eugenics, a ship fire with a fate akin to The Titanic, or the understanding of viruses in the early 20th century. The Vines doesn't require any prior knowledge to enjoy, but it will satisfy any scientist or historian in its accurate portrayal of historical facts and viruses.

Along with the fascinating historical context, The Vines is a journey that almost had me believing immortality is possible, perhaps because that concept is tangential to the more realistic themes of the story. Nolden's writing style gave just enough insight into each character's innermost thoughts to build my empathy - and sometimes disgust - while still making me question which characters I could trust. This is not a story with a likable villain, but it is a tale that makes you think about when the ends might justify the means. Beautifully written - The Vines has a contemporary element that makes it more approachable than most historical fiction. Can't wait for more from the author, and I'll most definitely read the sequel.

If I remember correctly it was last year when I discovered North Brother Island. A documentary of the Island popped up on my YouTube feed. I watched it and learned a few details about its history and thought-at the time-I would love to read a fiction story that included the history elements. Low and behold, writer Shelley Nolden wrote a dual time-line story that takes place on the mysterious Island.

I must admit I was briefly hesitant at first to read the book based on the story’s topic of contagions. It’s not that I lacked interest in that subject but because of our current world-wide state of a pandemic. I thought it might be too sensitive of a story to read at the moment. However, my curiosity had gotten the better of me and I changed my mind.

When I opened to the first page on my Kindle, it wasn’t long before I became fully absorbed in the story. Finn Gettler arrives-more like sneaks-to North Brother Island and becomes immediately intrigued with the nature reclaiming the Island. He soon comes in contact with Cora. A woman who is not only trapped on the Island but, unknown to him , a prisoner of his family.

Cora is a fascinating woman and I enjoyed how the author developed her character as the story unfolded. Her experiences and circumstance had me connecting dots about real life, past and present, medical science I’ve often thought about.

When I discovered Finn’s last name is, “Gettler,” it struck a chord. I had heard of that name before but couldn’t remember where. I delved in little research and I was stunned at what I discovered to say the least! Nolden brilliantly balances real people and events into her story.

I experienced countless emotions reading this book. Many of them were sorrowful and feelings of anger on behalf of what was happening to Cora. The other emotions, I felt strongly, were for the absolute lack of humanity of a few of the characters. What makes this story good, yet all too disturbing, is the relevancy of the subject contagions and the evil that exists in this world.

There were moments I felt a few scenes were boggled down by just a little too much detail but overall, it was a worthwhile read. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

Stephanie Hopkins

This was an interesting book - a combination of historical/contemporary fiction, thriller/mystery, and sci fi. I was shocked to find myself reading a book during this pandemic that had a pandemic theme.

I was especially drawn to the character of Cora. Her perseverance, fortitude, and moral character was inspiring. There were a lot of twists and surprises in the storyline that kept me engaged and not wanting to put the book down. The level of detail in the descriptions were evidence of the level of research that went into the author’s preparation and helped my visualization of the story.

I agree with other reviewers that the middle part of the book was dark, but I appreciate that the author didn’t exploit the theme with excessive details and left those to the reader’s imagination. The two different storylines felt like they were written by two different people. I wonder if that was intentional since the narrators were told from two different time periods.

Overall, a very enjoyable story.

Shelley does a fantastic job bringing the reader into the story as she weaves the past and present together. I found myself staying up late to read because the ending of the chapter made me keep going--I just had to know what happened. Before reading The Vines, I had no idea of North Brother Island but Shelley is true to history while bringing to life what could be in a fanatical world. I actually had to go read more about the island because of the way it was brought to life in The Vines. I think all families have some secrets but Shelley really explores the darker parts of human history but also the way love can pierce anger and hate.

Overall I really liked this book. As a science nerd, I really liked the mystery surroundings Cora's immunities, There was the interplay of ethical's considerations for scientific research. This book did jump around telling both a story from the past and present concurrently. It was a little hard to keep track of the timelines, but I don't think the story would've made as much sense (or be as suspenseful if it was written differently). There were definitely some surprises in the story. This book is part of a series. I'm looking forward to reading the next one to see how the story line is resolved.

Such a fascinating read! I did not know much about North Brother Island, but this book fascinated me from the beginning so I had to do some of my own reading. This is such a unique read, full of multi-generational family conflict and scientific mystery.

This book follows Coraline, an 18 year old who became sick in the early 1900's. She was moved to North Brother Island, and not long after was showing no physical symptoms of being sick. However, when she tried to leave the island, the symptoms began again and she would not be able to survive long. After contracting other diseases, she became an asymptomatic prisoner of the island. Her only hope is the Gettler family, in which the men were all determined to find her cure as well as provide medical answers to even bigger problems. With their own motivations and experiments, Cora had to find a way to survive for more years than she ever expected.

The ending was such a cliffhanger to the point where I stared at the page in disbelief that this author made it to where you NEED to read the second book.

I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next!

Wow what a ride! I am a lover of both historical fiction and thrillers with a slight sci-fi angle, so this was right up my alley. It is clear that Nolden researched North Brother Island thoroughly, as she paints a vivid picture of life at the Riverside Hospital in the sections of The Vines set in the 1900's. Her modern-day storyline is just as compelling, while also keeping the tie to the historical story and characters. It's categorized appropriately as a thriller/mystery, given the twists and turns, some dark (but what thriller isn't?) and while she does utilize some medical terminology (some of the main characters are in the medical field), it's still easy for a layman to understand. It's especially interesting timing, as her novel centers around pathogens that could be responsible for a global pandemic, when we find ourselves in one now. Can't wait for more in this series from Nolden - an excellent debut.

The Vines

The Vines takes you from the present day to as back as 1904. This is a story about finding vaccines for highly contagious diseases. The Vines, which is set at North Brother Island in New York, goes back and forth between present day and historical time periods. The reader really gets an eerie feeling from the abandoned hospital on the island.

Cora is a host to two viruses, small pox and typhoid, without showing symptoms. Finn, whose family conducted most of the research, must figure out how Cora lived so long. Both Cora and Finn are just two of the many characters in this book that range from eerie to brash.

The Vines, an extremely slow burn, captivated my interest mainly because of the setting in which the story takes place. An abandoned hospital along with all its history peaked my interest. I learned so much from this book, including when I googled North Brother Island and Typhoid Mary to get more history of when happened.

This book brought several ethical issues to mind, such as is it ok for one person to suffer for the benefit of mankind and how much medical testing is too much. I would highly recommend this book to any historical fiction fans.

5 stars

Not sure what I expected from this book, it surely wasn't this. Stepping back in time as far back as 1904 you are submersed into a story that a families quest to cure diseases comes at any cost.

I was bit freaked, intrigued and fascinated through out this entire book. The story was well researched and made you believe the history of it all.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for a splendid read

I couldn’t put this book down! The story weaves suspense, science, and mystery into an authentic setting that begged me to to keep turning pages. This is definitely a book I’d recommend to anyone that likes a to engulf herself in a story that is so close to plausible that it could leave one wondering whether the events actually happened. The ending was satisfying, and it left me wanting to learn more about this mysterious island and all who once lived there.

I was drawn to this book due to its timely subject matter, historical notes, and scientific angle. This story did not disappoint in that regard. It was mysterious, unfolding like an onion with each chapter. I enjoyed the plot and the pacing was good overall. The subject matter kept me intrigued and turning the pages. The ending was perfect, and kind of what I expected. The writing was good, and the style flowed well. The only real drawback was the dialogue. It felt stiff and unnatural in some instances. That might be due to the characters themselves, but it made it hard to connect with them, even though I did enjoy them a ton. However, I did appreciate the story overall. It was twisty and strange, piquing my curiosity throughout.

I absolutely enjoy this book. I found it interesting coz I discovered a lot of things while reading it and it commonly connected to what the world is right now. Actually this is the my first time reading a historical story and I loved it!

Wow, a timely escape! The Vines seamlessly lifts us from the woes of 2020 and plants us neatly in the early 20th century in a New York City wrestling to control a different set of communicable diseases. The journey through generations of evolving medical ethics is personified in Cora, an intriguingly beautiful, scarred woman Finn discovers in 2007, living on North Brother Island, an otherwise abandoned bit of land a mere kayak-ride away from bustling New York City.
Nolden masterfully captures the history and mystery of this former home of Typhoid Mary, now housing a bird sanctuary in an overgrown forest that hides the ruins of Riverside Hospital, a morgue, and memories of the Slocum steamship fire in 1904, while focusing on the tale of one family’s quest to cure diseases – at any cost.
Like so many books today, the perspective shifts among characters and time periods, but each section is long enough for the reader to become totally engrossed. If you enjoyed Pete Hamill’s Forever and can suspend your disbelief just a bit, you’ll love the intersection of science and history of The Vines.
The Vines combines beautiful imagery, riveting characters, and a plot that twists and turns and ultimately resolves in a satisfying ending that left me wanting more. I can’t wait for the sequel – and, I hope, a film version!

i really enjoyed the use of North Brother Island as a setting, it really added to the mystery. I really think it added to the book. I look forward to more from the author.

Although I read 3 books at a time, the first page of this book won’t let me put it down. The character development was so descriptive that ,visualization of setting, interaction with the main character or the side stories kept you wanting more. This Historical Fiction (my definition ). The story covered the medical dilemma the US medical community experienced thru the mass migration of European peoples to the present day pandemic. It wove the story of self sacrifice from patient and doctors both wanting to cure mankind’s medical issues thru glory while having no regard for the patient. This multi-decade experimental testing off the grid lead to many emotions not only from characters but also the reader. Moral issues,1 sacrifice for the good the the world warrant such prison status, family agony and super surprise ending. I am sure this type of testing goes on someplace in the world and this book brought it home in a unique manner.

The only issue was this book is too long. It wants to tell a gigantic story in a short time but uses 800 pages. This book needs to be shorter!

This book has stayed with me weeks after I finished reading. The context of the story crawled into every crevice and I just can't let it go. The similarities between today's world and illnesses and past diseases, what could happen and has happened is just mind boggling. Just goes to show you what human kind is capable of doing to one another. Excellent story.

I just reviewed The Vines by Shelley Nolden. #TheVines #NetGalley

Although the publisher's summary of the book is accurate, it did not prepare me for this absorbing debut novel, devised in part from Nolden's personal experiences imagined on an isolated New York city island. Beautiful writing, an intriguing setting, a fascinating set of stories, some characters and events from history, and excellent character development combine in Nolden's capable hands to produce a unique book. Themes abound and intersect: immortality, medical ethics, secrets, the conditions set in marriages, parenthood, and so many more. Most readers will be eager for the second book in the series. Highly recommended.

This is why I read!!! I learn something new every time I open a book. As a librarian, I challenge my students to find something you are interested in and go with it, but lately it has been go out of your comfort zone and genre you will be amazed by the new categories of knowledge that are surfacing. Shelley Nolden, thank you for opening my eyes to North Brother Island, NY. How did I not know this existed? I realize the story is based on historical fiction, but this led me down a rabbit hole to research the island, The General Slocum, the human experiments, the quarantines and mankind's seemly cruelest mistakes.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for my review. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hoping for a sequel.
I couldn't stop thinking about the General Slocum that killed 1,021 men, women and children. I was horrified by the descriptions and the poor souls clinging to life while watching so many burn or drown and the countless people who tried to rescue them.
The images online of this island is captivating with so many beautiful castle-like buildings. It would be hard to keep me away from investigating this farther if I lived in New York. The book has an excellent historical background and research with connections to the Holocaust and the family responsible for the horrifying psychological human experiments on the patients quarantined for contagious diseases. This book hits close to home with our universal quarantines from loved ones and a pandemic that will be written about for decades. I'm thankful for being quarantined at home when loved ones during the early 1900's were taken from their homes and sent to live on this island with no technology to connect. **Extra note*** After closing in 1940, the island was then used to isolate drug addicts until 1963.
Interesting characters to watch for is Typhoid Mary. I remember reading about her in history books, but to see her character come to life is phenomenal. Finn, an adventurer, that explores the island that he has always heard about since he is a by product of his family responsible for relinquishing harm on the patients. Finn discovers Cora, a beautiful isolated inhabitant scarred mentally, physically and kept against her will for decades. She has experienced pain and torture from the demented Dr. Gettler.
(The enrichment of this work holds parallel to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.)
Discover the lies, betrayal, intriguing strength found hiding on one of the best kept secrets in the remains of this shuttered hospital and island.
***Don't forget to research the North Brother Island and General Slocum. The images will enhance the reading of this book***

*I received this complimentary ARC from the publisher, courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*

The Vines is an amazing (almost too real given COVID-19) thriller that merges the past and present in a tale of trust, deceit, and family secrets. The Vines focuses on the forbidden North Brother Island and the remains of the hospital used for quarantines and human experiments. One of the original inhabitants is the scarred and intriguing Cora, who has been the Island’s captive due to the doctor’s and deadly pathogens that torment her. One day Finn enters the island, discovering Cora and begins the journey to uncover the skeletons in his family closet and their hold on Cora.

The Vines is a fast-paced, mysterious and thrilling read that captivates the reader. Its beautiful writing and mystery weaves a powerful story of trust, deceit, and the power and repercussions of the choices we make. The character development is so rich and will send you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions as secrets are exposed and alliances are made. A highly recommended read that is a satisfactory read as a standalone, but also looking forward to a sequel!

In present day New York, Finn decides to explore North Brother Island, a place of mystery that is connected to his father and brother's medical experiments. On the island he finds Cora, a scarred and tortured woman. In the early 1900's, Cora and her sister are sent to quarantine on North Brother Island. After the death of her sister, one of the doctor's discovers that Cora has a special immunity to the diseases and viruses that are killing the masses.

This book was very hard to put down. Cora's past was very interesting and compelling. The author did a masterful job of blending the past and present, which made for an extremely compelling read. Overall, highly recommended.

Enjoyed reading this fact and fiction story. Had me sitting on the edge to finish it. Waiting the sequel.
It was obvious to me that the writer had some experience of the torment depicted GeForce some of the characters, like Cora and Lilly.
The obsession of mankind to eradicate disease and be the first to do so.
Great read, now I want the sequel

Thanks to Netgalley and Independent Book Publishers for an Arc.
Exceptional
The story is set between the years 1904 and 2008 on North Brother Island NY.
NBI is the home of the Riverside hospital, it houses patient’s of all the incurable Contagious diseases such as Measles, Typhoid, tuberculosis and small Pox.
Here is where we start our Journey with the Gettler family, hell bent on trying to eradicate and find vaccines for these Diseases. Our modern day global pandemic is also a reason for the Gettlers to eradicate pathogens.
Truly an amazing story and the sorrow, pain and heartache of a woman is at its centre.
Highly recommended, Very enjoyable. Loved it.