Lets start off with this cover... GORGEOUS!! It draws you in from the beginning with the very descriptive portrayal!

The story starts off slowly in my opinion but gets rolling! Finn discovers things on the island he was shocked to see He uses his family's past to dig thru the secrets...

Cora has been experimented on for many years. She's damaged beyond words. Finn needs to find a way to help her while trying to figure out how she's made it this long.

I did however start to get bored, it wasn't grasping me the way I needed to be grasped. I was unable to finish it..

This debut novel by a new author is quite ambitious as it spans a century and weaves historical fact, sci-fi, and current world events all together to make an unforgettable suspense novel. The main character of Cora is well developed and readers will have no difficulty siding with her as she fights not only her internal battles but also as she tries to free herself of the disastrous medical interest the Gettler men take to extremes. Although the novel clearly weaves in enough subplot for the reader to know the conclusion will not be found in this novel but rather a sequel, readers will have no trouble keeping their focus on this remarkable book.

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

Wow, I did not realize what I was getting myself into when I opened this book up! The Vines is full of SO much content that the reader is truly submerged in this story. I can't even imagine how much research was done to make The Vines the book that it is, but it is really well done. The writing, the story, the research that went into this book is what makes this book really great. This story is historical, thrilling, romantic, heartbreaking and full of unfathomable events for the patients on North Brother Island. The truth of this story is what makes this book even more shocking. It's truly terrifying to think about what these patients were put through . I loved this book , the characters were so well done and it had me googling about North Brother Island by the end. If you enjoy historical fiction, thrillers or mystery novels then definitely pick this one up!

The only thing I didn't enjoy about The Vines is the pacing could be a bit slow for me during parts of the book. But, it does not keep me from recommending this book out.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author (Shelley Nolden) for allowing me to have this book on my shelf. It was a pleasure to read.

I enjoyed the historical information found within this book. I was unfamiliar with North Brother Island and reading this fictional account of the happenings there prompted me to do a deep dive into the history of the island. I always appreciate a novel that introduces me to something new. Unfortunately, however, that is all that I enjoyed about this book. I found the storyline convoluted and the characters extremely unlikeable. The dialogue was not believable, a pet peeve of mine, and while I usually enjoy parallel timelines running throughout a story, I found the execution of that storytelling technique to be sloppy in this book. There was much left unexplained, which appears to have been intentional given the promise of a sequel. While I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book, I'll skip the sequel.

This is a very eerie, and sometimes disturbing, mystery story. There is a forgotten old hospital on North Brother Island, off New York City, where a woman name Cora lives all alone. until she is discovered by a chap exploring the island. An engrossing tale that really draws the reader in with its surreal creepiness. Recommended.

Told in multiple POV with alternating timelines, The Vines follows a family generation of virologists/microbiologists trying to discover a cure for deadly viruses. It poses a question on ethical dilemma, is the well being of everyone worth the suffering of one innocent life?

The Vines is an interesting read with a timely subject during this pandemic. The synopsis is intriguing and haunting. I really enjoyed the historical elements that were incorporated. It's well-researched especially the history of North Brother Island. I love how the author weaved the history and fiction together.

The earlier years and Cora's POV were my favorite. Cora is an interesting and multifaceted character. She's strong and brave although there's little development on her character. The mystery surrounding Cora's lifespan gives the novel a science fiction vibe.

While I enjoyed reading this book, some dialogues seem to go in circles which made the book way too long. It also ends on a cliffhanger with too many questions left unanswered that left me so frustrated. The story was well-develop and complete that a sequel felt unnecessary. This could've been a great stand alone. Hopefully that sequel will have a more satisfying ending.

Thank you Shelley Norden, Freiling Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Vines.

Incredibly well researched. This story is about the lengths a family will go to for the discovery of treatments. Coras story goes back so far and flows seamlessly. Can freak you out in a few spots.

1904. Cora is an abused patient that, for some unexplained reason, seems to be immune to a great variety of highly infective microorganisms. She is a healthy carrier that spreads sickness and death. This makes her an interesting subject for medical research. That is why she must spend the rest of her life confined to a hospital in North Brother Island, in New York. Her body is treated like an object that has to be cut, analyzed and almost dissected to the detail because that body belongs to science.

Present day. Finn is the black sheep of the family, the only member that didn't pursued a medical career. On one occasion, while exploring the vast family estates, he discovers the ruins of an old hospital that housed his family groundbreaking research. But among those ruins he meets a survivor, a beautiful and deeply scarred woman. Together they will try to unravel the family's darkest secrets.

The story is fascinating. The release of the book is very timely, since it deals with infectious diseases and epidemics. The author even incorporates Typhoid Mary as a character (which I think is brilliant!) The eerie atmosphere makes this book a page turner.

Shelley Nolden describes in detail the mysterious North Brother Island, its history and a mysterious woman whose life is transformed by her time there.

The Vines is a timely novel which takes us back to 1904 and a woman named Cora who is a host to multiple viruses including, typhoid and the Spanish flu.
Cora comes to the island as a teen with her younger sister to be helped by physicians on North Brother Island in New York harbor where a hospital has been built for patients with communicable diseases. Cora comes to the attention of a German doctor named Dr. Ulrich Gettler. Cora shows no symptoms of the diseases she carries and the doctor wants to study her and figure out a cure based off of her immune system.
Here's where it gets weird. The story goes back and forth from present to past and Cora is still alive and still looks like a teenager. She is trapped on North Brother Island in what is now the ruins of the early 1900's hospital. She cannot leave because when she tries to, her symptoms of all the diseases she carries start to show themselves.
Cora has been passed down as a human test subject through the medical researchers in the Gettler family.
This story was fascinating to me. I really enjoyed the historic elements that were part of the story and I cannot wait for the next book!

This was definitely one of the strangest books I’ve ever read, but once I finally figured out what was going on I like it. It had a good mix of history, thriller, and horror. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

3.5/5

This was a really interesting book. The MC Cora is sent to an island off the coast of Manhattan because she contracted an illness. But something on the island has given her immunity to some of the nastiest viruses around - ebola, corona, SARs. A doctor on the island starts experimenting on her to try and find cures to various diseases. He then joins the Nazi party and does more virology experiments on the Jews. He returns to the island and picks up where he left off.

I never quite understood how she got her immunity, but maybe that will be covered in the next book in the series.

I received an e-ARC of this book by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I have never heard of this author before and this book was definitely an unexpected surprise! The book goes back and forth between present time all the way back to the typhoid Mary era and eventually leads back up to present time. I'm not a huge history buff, but I absolutely loved the historical aspect of this book, I would definitely recommend this book. A Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

This book really surprised me. Ive had this on my TBR shelf for weeks now. And i read it in one sitting. Fighting sleep to finish this. And i loved how the author weaved the present and the past and i found me on the edge of my seat. I cant wait to read more from this author.

Off of New York City is an island called North Brother. It is known in history for being the place of quarantines throughout the centuries. On it lies an old hospital with many wings for different incurable ailments. Finn Gettler is from a line of family doctors who all worked at this island. Not a doctor himself, he secretly sails to the long forgotten island to see what it's all about. With the hospital no longer running, he didn't expect to see anyone else on the island. But when he arrives, he is compelled to a young woman he sees bathing. As it turns out, this is no random woman but someone prodded and tortured by his family for decades. As Finn finds out more about Cora, he learns more about his family and the torturous people they are. This story weaves in many illnesses and diseases of the past and gives us a glimpse into life during those times. It is also very relevant because of the current pandemic going on now. I found it very interesting and intriguing and loved the way the author intertwined fact with fiction. I can't wait for the next installment to be released.

3.5 stars
The Vines by Shelley Nolden is an ambitious novel. It spans genres: medical thriller, historical fiction, fantasy and family drama; and it spans generations.The story is told in two alternating chronological timelines, one beginning in 1902, and the other in a “contemporary” 2007.

Finn, a 28 year old descendent and brother of medical doctors kayaks to North Brother Island in New York City’s East River to discover what secrets his family has kept regarding their research activities on the island. In a very dramatic opening scene, he finds Cora, a beautiful but physically scarred young woman, who appears to be somewhat feral in nature. He is intrigued by Cora and resolves to discover more about her, which sparks concern and distrust in his girlfriend Lily.

From 2007, the story then turns back to 1902 and the history of the island takes center stage. Finn’s great-grandfather Otto initially treated Cora at the island’s hospital when patients with contagious diseases (like measles, typhus, TB, etc.) were quarantined. The chapters in involving the history of the island and New York City are very interesting. The author also adds historical characters like Typhoid Mary Mallon (with a nod to Mary Beth Keane, who wrote about Mary in detail in her novel “Fever”) and dramatic events, like the sinking of the steamboat Col. Slocum.

As the story progresses, it becomes focused on the Gettler family and the sadistic experiments the four generations of physicians inflict on Cora in the name of medical research. The narrative is a bit choppy and becomes unnecessarily complicated. At times, it may be hard for the reader to separate fiction from medical facts. Pathogens in the experiments range from measles to typhus to Spanish flu to Ebola to Lyme disease with a reference to SARS CoV thrown in. The story ends on an ominous note and points to a sequel.

I found this book to be well-researched re the history of turn-of-the-century New York City and North Brother Island. However, some of the medical/disease references left me scratching my head, probably because the writing style added more complexity to, than illumination of, the facts.
Ms. Nolden is a skilled writer, but perhaps more simplicity in her sentence structure would emphasize the impact of her messages. She is clearly passionate about her topic, perhaps based on her experience with her own life-threatening illness. As a retired medical professional, I am sympathetic to her feelings, as sometimes medical personnel can seem dispassionate and “technical,” when a patient is in need of comfort as well as a cure.

Given the current Covid-19 pandemic and the threats of other deadly diseases worldwide, this subject is a timely one. I am glad I read this book.

TKU to Freiling Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest review.

The history of North Brother Island in the East River of NYC was most interesting as was the history of public health issues around the beginning of the 1900’s. The savage treatment of captive people for medical research was not new to me nor was this instance unique in our history. Sadly, this was a story worth telling.

I particularly liked the way the author brought in the sinking of the General Slocum pleasure craft resulting in over 1,000 deaths (the 2nd largest maritime disaster in the history of the US) and also the imprisonment of Typhoid Mary and her subsequent death.

There was a wealth of NY history in this novel. For me the storyline wasn’t nearly so engaging as the history that was woven throughout. I also appreciate the way the author described the massive overcrowding and under employment of the immigrants. It was certainly a tragic time for many people.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Freiling, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"The Vines" by Shelley Nolden is a fantastical medical drama, with some science fiction and family drama thrown in. It was a fascinating story that I haven't been able to stop thinking about since.

North Brother Island is an actual island in Manhattan's East River, overgrown with trees and vines, with the crumbling structures of an abandoned hospital on the land. This story reimagines the history of the island as it tells the story of Cora, a young woman who is brought to the island to be quarantined. Over the next hundred years, she is held there and experimented on and becomes a host for many diseases. Doctor after doctor from the same family handles her over the years, and their treatment of her becomes more and more cruel as the years continue. In present day, Finn visits the island after discovering something in his father's work, and he is horrified at what he finds.

Both historical fiction and a science fiction thriller, this book was compelling, with some twists and turns that I never saw coming.

Thank you NetGalley, Shelley Nolden and Freiling Publishing for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I have split opinions on this novel quite honestly. I enjoyed certain aspects, but others made it a tougher read. I enjoyed the family aspect and them hiding all their history with the island and what they did on there. But i also found this novel a bit slow and the back and forth from past and present, at the beginning was a bit dull. The past got more interesting as we went along and I did definitely enjoy the twists toward the ending. I'm very torn but I would say a lot of people would really enjoy this novel and the unique story line.