This had a very interesting premise and started off well but it fell a bit flat for me and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. I thought there was a lot of potential for things like character development and plot that had been missed.

Mystery meets apocalypse? Count me in! I wasn’t expecting this book to be as creepy as it was. But boy was I wrong. Something about things not being the way you left them just sets a chill down my back! Most of this book had me on edge wanting to know what happens and then other parts were just a little bland for my liking. But overall wonderful book. Thank you to netgalley for giving me the chance to review this book

Very interesting read. Really enjoyed the characters and story. Will definitely read more by this author

Read a finished copy from the library.

Do you ever just spend an entire book confused? Cause that was me with this book.

Echo Islands starts out with a group of four boys who have gone camping on the mainland. While on the way back they get into an accident and have to walk to the ferry in order to get home and help because cell phones are down as well. Once back on their island they quickly see that something is wrong as no one else appears to be around and nothing electronic works. This leads the boys to think that something like the rapture has happened but even that doesn't make sense because not everyone would get taken a rapture type of thing according to them. They assume they are alone until they spot a girl and a strange man separately on the island trying to find supplies as well. From here things get a little crazy and the boys and the girl work together to try and figure out what happened to everyone and why nothing works.

Overall I thought this book was okay. I kept trying to figure out what was happening and why it was happening so suddenly. I did eventually figure it out, but was left feeling a little meh about the results because of how it was found out. I did find the characters enjoyable and realistic for the age group and I did enjoy the interactions of the friend group and how as they realized they were all that was left that they needed to work together more than ever before. You see the strengths of each of them come out while also seeing some just freaking out because of what is happening around them.
I did enjoy this book and I'm glad I finally read it.

I did enjoy the novel and found the mystery to be one I really wanted to solve and kept me flipping pages. Even if you are not a typical christian fiction reader, check this book out. It has a creepy plot with a decent cast. It's subtle with the religious message and has a good mystery to be solved while reading.

Thank you Net Galley for a free ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This book started out very strong and had my interest immediately. Four high school graduates come back from a camping trip only to find that their town has vanished. At about sixty percent way through this book, is where my interest turned into just confusion. The big reveal of this book left very underwhelmed and kept leaving me very underwhelmed until the end of this book.

The author did a great job at creating a cool concept centered around four interesting characters. I just felt that after the climax of this book the story became rushed and confusing. Nonetheless the overall concept of this book was really interesting as well as the characters. Without trying to spoil anything, I think if the ending of this book was a little more clearly explained it would have been a amazing read.

This book had some interesting twists in it. It did start off slow. I didnt really connect with the characters . I didnt realise this book was a YA book so I felt like I couldnt really get into it as thats not my genre. Some parts were also repetitive.

This storyline is a little bit out there, but I thought it was memorable. It's a creepy plot, where 4 high school kids go camping off the coast of Washington state, and when they return to the island in which they live, all other people have disappeared.

The author does a great job of helping the reader picture the creepy setting of the story. While the plot becomes a bit fantastical, I could get behind it- it was a unique concept and easy to follow if you are willing to suspend your disbelief.

While I love mysteries and more in real life, I'm not usually very into mystery and thriller YA books but this story seemed exciting and really fascinated me so I thought why not give it a try? I have to say that I wasn't disappointed. It was an extremely unique storyline and something that I don't think any other author has ventured before. I liked everything about the book, the setting, the plot, the characters. Everything about the ending to be honest. After such a huge buildup towards it, in my opinion it kind of fell flat. That isn't to say it wasn't a great book and shouldn't be read because it should. It had the perfect combination of a creep-factor and suspense.

Some good suspense with a great premise. I enjoyed Echo Island but wasn't totally blown away by the writing style and character progression. Interesting enough, but similar to many others :)

I was very intrigued by this book and it’s twist, but the ending fell kind of flat. It felt rushed. I did like how the author brought us into the story for a unique perspective.

Very bizarre story! Not quite like any other I've read... I wouldn't call it "theologically correct" for Christians, but it is interesting. I think it will be enjoyed by teens, who are the intended target.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance e-copy, though I am a little late on the draw with my review... The opinions are entirely my own.

"Echo Island" was creepy, unique, and atmospheric. I think the author Jared C. Wilson did a great job at fleshing out the characters so we can get to know them. The twist was pretty easy to figure out for me in this one but it did not take away from the story. If you like creepy mysteries I definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for an honest review.

I do not share the feelings of the rave reviews given here. I just checked to see if this was rated as a "young adult" book. The writing was so simple with a big word thrown in here and there that I thought I was reading a Middle School story with a vocabular test to follow. I wanted to read it to the end (which I did) out of curiosity. The ending almost redeemed the rest of the book, but in my opinion fell short. I found it tedious to get through. Perhaps a younger person would enjoy it.

What makes a page-turner? Characters who are real and relatable; plots that build, twist and turn; and chapters that always end with a sentence that leaves you wanting more. Reading Echo Island (which has all these things in spades), I found myself regularly torn between pausing to breathe in a beautifully crafted phrase and wanting to tear through swathes of pages. On top of all that, Echo Island had moments where I thought I caught a glimpse of similar works from other (possibly mutual) favourite authors, which was both delightful and slightly nostalgic.

From bookgems.co:
Echo Island started off with realistic dialogue, beautiful scenery, and just a touch of mystery. As soon as the boys realize that they are alone on the island, the suspense grows and I couldn’t help but try to guess what had happened to them.

Watching each of the characters cope with the same problem in very different ways was enlightening and completely relatable. I couldn’t help but wonder how I would tackle the same problem. Would I handle it like Archer – the brainiac who needs to solve all problems with logic and academic knowledge – or would I handle it like Jason – the guy who is still figuring himself out and tries to find clever ways to outwit the unseen enemy?

After a few unexpected surprises, I was delighted to see that the plot was moving forward only to have a wrench thrown into the story. There was a twist so wholly unexpected that I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. I struggled with the rest of the book and found it far-fetched and dissatisfying. While I wanted to like it because of the beautiful Pacific Northwest scenery, the story seemed illogical and confusing. In the end, I was fairly disappointed and uncertain about the message of the book.

Interesting book. I thought I knew what it was all about but got to the end and I’m no so sure. I didn’t find closure so I’m not sure if there is another book or I missed something. Teens and young adults should find this interesting and hold their attention.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

This is a hard book to review, as I went in to the story blindly. I can tell it is aimed at a teen audience, and the premise is engaging. But when the story took a big twist, it wasn't what I expected and it felt like the author took an easy way out of a hole he dug himself in and was disappointed that was the route he went with the story.

This book took me a little bit to really get into and or invested in. Once I did it moved along pretty quickly. I think upper middle school/high school students would enjoy this book.

I was surprised to learn what had actually happen to these kids and remembering what happened right at the beginning that should have been clues.

There really isn’t any God in this book, except a quick mention of Him and wondering if He is behind what is going on. This book is really more of an allegory inspired from classics the author has read, (which I haven’t).

Overall, an interesting read and if you like something different this might be up your alley.

A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I can see the appeal that this book is going to have to some readers, but sadly this one wasn't for me. The writing didn't mesh well and I found it hard to like the characters.