A great thriller. The story is engaging and the characters will hold your interest. The plot is well done and this book is a quick read that you will not want to put down.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book was intense. It was hard to put down once the story started to unfold. A cast of characters that were unlikable, but a couple that you cared about and one or two that you wavered back and forth on.

I read most of this in one sitting and never saw any of the twists coming.

Would definitely recommend this to others.

What a fantastic novel. This book is so good.
Think Bear Grylls meets I'm a Celeb, meets Castaway and SAS Who Dares Wins.
4 men and 4 women are taking part in a 'social experiment ' for a year, left on an island off the Scottish coast with only 2 people in the production team( in their own cabin who they never see). They have to use all their resources and knowledge to build a shelter, forage for food and generally survive for just under 12 months. With cameras recording their every move cracks soon begin to show with the more dominant characters soon coming to the forefront. The story is told from the perspective of Maddy, both whilst on the island and after.
The writing is so engrossing I felt as though I was there, I felt all of maddy's emotions and frustration
Grateful thanks to Netgalley and Avon publishers for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Ooh such a great book. Intrigue, Murder and secrets. What more could you ask.for.
Drew me right in until the end. Great story and mix of characters.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

I want to extend thanks to thank Netgalley and Avon books UK for allowing me to read this ARC of Stranded a tale of hardship, cruelty, and decent into madness.
***spoilers present in review***
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, stayed up all night reading it because I couldn't put it down!
Stranded started off slow so it did take me a couple chapters to get into it. I really liked the the plot, 8 strangers, the last of humanity finding refuge on a an island and trying to rebuild all for a 11 month reality TV show about the world ending. These 8 must come together to build a shelter, hunt, fish, forage, and garden to survive. Each participant must wear a solar powered body cam, there are game cameras hung around in the trees, and 2 camera men in a portacabin. The 4 men 4 women quickly take inventory of what skills they all have and divide up the labor. The 2 strong willed men are quick to self apoint themselves leaders since they have the important skill set of knowing how to build. Quickly its seen that some pull their weight and others are off swimming, stealing food, off drinking instead of working but the leaders are fast to blame others for any issues. All of this quickly devolves and 1 woman is sent to live alone in a sea shack where her food is stolen, she is bullied, the leaders have convinced the community that she is the problem. We see the nasty side of humanity come out in the greed, selfishness, laziness, and gossiping.
On the day they are to be picked up no boat shows up, the camera men are also missing. Unbeknownst to the survives these men are dead and the boat was always going to come a month late. Another woman is quick to blame the outcast for the cameramens death which of course everyone goes along with.
The story follows introverted, socially awkward Maddie, she was very sheltered by her parents who homeschooled her. She joined after the loss of her parents and to escape reality. She gave her all to surviving on the island, foraging food for everyone to get much needed nutrients. As the story progresses we see her fighting for her life and protecting herself from the other participants. While trapped in a cave by the others they are rescued and abandon her on the island. Once she emerges starved and hallucinating she is able to forage food and survive additional months, only escaping when Duncan and Andrew come back to destroy the evidence of their crimes at the camera men's cabin. Maddie is able to get to the mainland and gets help.
I highly recommend this harrowing tale!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon books for the ARC! This book was such a wild ride. I love reading books with a story that I’ve never thought of or read anything like before. It was a GREAT thriller with constant twists and turns. The imagery and writing was top notch, there were times when I felt so anxious and claustrophobic because I felt like I was in the cave with Maddy. Really really enjoyed it!

Sarah Goodwin is an author that I found on NetGalley. There is a twist in every novel and it's always shocking. I can't wait to read every single one of her books.

First, a big thank you to the publishers at Avon Books UK and Netgalley for this e-ARC of Stranded!

Wow! What an incredible adrenaline rush of a book! I’m still shaking after reading that! My heartbeat is wild and crazy and my hands are all sweaty. Absolutely amazing!

Stranded is a single person POV featuring Maddy, a lone recluse who has just recently lost her parents and decides to audition for a survivor type show about 8 people left on a deserted island after something causes the “end of the world.” All alone off the coast of Scotland for the next year, all they’ll have is each other, their body cameras, and two cameramen that’ll be staying in a nearby portacabin. When people begin to turn on one another after 6 months, Maddy will have to find the will and means to survive, because they are, after all, Stranded.

The alternating timeline from present to past makes for an intriguing storyline, because right out of the gate, we know that something has gone terribly wrong for Maddy. The entire time I was reading Stranded, I really felt for Maddy’s character. I felt like I had stepped into her shoes, and was able to feel everything she was feeling. The author does an amazing job of painting the island for us, and the emotions that Maddy feels jumped right off the page for me. I’ve never felt so much empathy for a fictional character before. Sarah Goodwin is definitely going onto my auto read list for authors!

Stranded is an absolute must read and releases September 16th!

This was such a good read - I would encourage book lovers of this genre to grab a copy and give it a read.

"Eight strangers.
One island.
A secret you'd kill to keep"

As mentioned in previous reviews it has a Survivor (the TV show) vibe going on. Eight people go to an island and have to work out how to survive alone and stranded for one year. The main character Maddy is one of these strangers who goes to the island and this is their story of how (not many of them) survive. It such an interesting plot and consistently works for the reader.

This is such a great book, I devoured it within 2 days. The storytelling by Sarah Goodwin is gripping and as a reader I just wanted to learn more about the how's and the whys of this book! I loved it..

Thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Goodwin and the publishers for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

This was seriously unputdownable.

Eight contestants have signed up to live on an island off the coast of Scotland for a survival show. They will be able to bring a limited number of supplies with them. For everything else they will have to use resources from the island to survive the next year.

Fast forward eighteen months later, one of the contestants, Maddy, reappears, bedraggled and frightened, and everyone is desperate to know the truth of what occurred on that island. What went off the rails that left only three survivors.

I was totally wrapped up in this one, I finished most of it in one sitting. All of the characters felt like real people, most were pretty much unlikeable. There were plenty of twists and turns that I did not see coming.

This deftly explores how people’s adherence to the laws of society might disintegrate when there are no longer any rules to follow.

My only gripe would be that the foreboding was emphasized a little too much. It’s a thriller, the reader knows stuff is going to start flying every which way, it’s not necessary to keep pressing the point. Otherwise, I was totally riveted while reading this.

The entire time I was reading this I had that song “castaways, we are castaways” stuck in my head. This psychological thriller had elements of the movie Castaway, Lord of the Flies, and the tv show Survivor. If any of those appeal to you, I think you’ll love this one.

Thank you to Avon for providing me with an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

'Stranded' is Sarah Goodwin's debut novel, and I had never previously heard of her. Actually, I can't remember requesting it from Netgalley. I can only assume that I came across it whilst looking for something else, read the blurb and felt I was going to like it.

Which is great. Because it means that, unlike some of my favourite authors who I have gone on to follow on social media, have conversations with and begun to know, I need have no worries about being impartial or unbiased. I can, without hesitation or guilt, honestly say what I think. And when I say I felt I was going to like it, I had no idea how much.

The story is told in the first person by Madeleine (Maddy) Holinshead, who is one of eight people selected to spend a year on an uninhabited Scottish island for a new reality TV show. Each contestant will be equipped with a solar powered personal camera. They will have to build their own accommodation, grow or forage for their own food, govern themselves and effectively start their own civilisation over again. It's a sort of 'Survivor' meets 'Castaway' meets Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None'.

Sarah Goodwin has done an absolutely stunning job of characterising Maddy. She was home-schooled by her mother, and for most of her childhood was told she was 'sensitive'. Certainly she's introverted, and a bit of a social outcast. She's not someone to go looking for trouble. But if it finds her, she's not afraid to stand up for herself. And as things on the island went from bad to worse, as the group turned in on each other to the extent that Maddy was asked to leave the camp and fend for herself, I didn't just feel for her, or even empathise with her. In my mind, I almost became her. I felt the cold, the damp, the fear, the desperation that slowly turned to insanity as she endured a winter of solitude and near-starvation. And when I learned how she was finally able to make her escape - the fact that she escaped isn't a spoiler, because it's clear from the blurb and the very first chapter - well, I was glad that I was in bed when I read that bit of the book. Because had I been sitting upright, I might just have collapsed with sheer relief.

In comparison to Maddy, most of the other characters seem oddly one-dimensional. Duncan is a bully, who initially singles Maddy out as a scapegoat but before long almost all of his actions towards her seem to stem from personal hatred. All Frank seems to want, and be allowed to have, is an easy life. Zoe is fickle, but that's really about all we learn of her. This, though, is fine. Because it means that, even though the reader is made to bond with Maddy so strongly, there's always that little doubt remaining: just how reliable is the story she's telling?

I only really have two criticisms of this book. First, the foreshadowing is a bit overdone. It seems that quite a lot of the early chapters end on lines like "if I had known then what would follow ...". The very fact that the book is a psychological thriller means that we know things are going to go wrong. We don't need this many reminders.

And second, I felt that the plot didn't quite live up to the characterisation. Oh, don't get me wrong, it's still very, very good. It's dark, gripping, compelling and in some cases terrifying. But it has the odd weak point. We get quite a vivid description of two bodies that have been dead for months, leaving behind putrefying flesh. And yet later in the book, a third body that has supposedly been dead for a shorter time is practically down to bone. I don't know which of these is more likely in the conditions, but I can't see how they can both be right. And we're expected to believe that even though all of the contestants have turned their personal cameras off and the 'official' emergency channels to the mainland aren't working, nobody sends a boat out to check even when one is due. That couldn't happen on something arranged for a TV show ... could it?

However, points such as these are ones that Sarah should be able to improve on as she gains more experience as a writer. For a debut novel, this is astonishing. I absolutely look forward to reading more. And in the event that I have to review another of her books that I didn't like as much as this one ... well, let's not worry about that before it happens.

My thanks to the author, Avon Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this book, which I have reviewed voluntarily and honestly. I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day.

(4.5 stars)

I thought this was a brilliant read, I'll be recommending it to everyone I know and it'll be my next book club choice. Eight people have to spend a year on a deserted island, and survive each other, or not maybe It was like Lord of the Flies, for adults. Very dark and sinister at times. The characters were all very well developed, but the story was told from the perspective of Maddie, one of the eight, who is being interviewed after she leaves the island. The story flicks between the interview, and back to when Maddie is on the island. So many twists and turns, but I actually found it quite believable, the lengths people could go to, to survive.

Excellent book. I'll be reading more by Sarah Goodwin. If I could, I'd give it more than 5 stars!

Thrilling.
I really enjoyed Stranded. It painted the picture of an isolated, cold, unwelcoming island so well, and Goodwin wrote unloveable characters so grippingly that I still cared about them despite their many many foibles!
Great premise and well written.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

I completely fell in love with this book. From the first chapter, I was hooked by the mystery and couldn't wait to find out how it all ended. Though it dragged a little right at the very end, it was perfection.

Maddy wants to leave her world behind and agrees to live on a deserted island with seven strangers for one year. Why anyone would abandon civilization to sleep on the ground, forage for their own food and wipe themselves with leaves instead of toilet paper baffles me. It's a phenomenon I will never understand. And there wasn't even a cash prize at the end! But Maddy decides it will be her fresh start, a new life after her recent tragedy.

The group must become self sufficient but things quickly descend into chaos. First, there is bickering and resentment, understandable as food becomes scarce and they fight the weather. Then the lies, stealing of food, clear violations of trust. Then things turned violent. Maddy is sure she can push through, until the boat arrives to take them home. Only, the boat never comes...

Like I said, perfection. And you will never guess the ending.

**Huge thanks to Avon Books UK for my advance readers copy.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

Brilliant read. Very Lord of the Flies.

Thank you to the publisher, Sarah Goodwin and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Previous published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/stranded/


“I think most people would be disappointed if the apocalypse came and it didn’t somehow feature zombies.”
–Maddie Holinstead

Every once in a while you come across a book from an author you don’t know and it is so insanely good, you end up stalking the rest of the author’s bibliography to see what else she has. This book is one of those. I picked it up at 5pm and was reading until I finished it at 1am.

Madeline Holinstead had an interesting childhood. Homeschooled by very protective parents, she never had friends or any social activities. Her Mother encouraged her to stay home and bake and do activities that don’t require leaving the house. After her parents die in a car accident, it left Maddie without a purpose. When she is chosen to appear in a reality TV show, where she is stranded on a remote island for a year with two cameramen and seven other contestants, she hesitantly agrees. And so begins Survivor meets Lord of the Flies.

While Madeline is socially awkward and quite meek, the other seven also have serious flaws. In fact, most of them are awful. Duncan, who made himself the leader from the start, has it out for Maddy and within a few months has turned all the other “survivors” against her. She is immediately banished from the camp, and that is when Stranded begins. While Maddie is timid, she is not afraid to stand her ground and you root for her to survive on her own, away from this tribe who is mocking her. She does survive and, more, she comes very close to thriving. She builds her own shelter and finds food. Once Duncan and his cronies start stealing things from her, she finds a place to hide her things, which only makes them angrier.

When, after a year of being on the island, the boat never arrives to bring them back to the mainland, Maddie realizes they may be stuck there a lot longer. Unfortunately, the tribe is relentless in stalking her and she is constantly fighting for her survival.

The book is told in two time frames, when Maddie is on the island and also the interview she gives to a reporter once she has been rescued. Sarah Goodwin has crafted an amazing novel of survival, determination and spirit. While Madeline Holinstead might seem like the anti-hero, she is very much a hero. Goodwin’s writing is simple but suspenseful. She does a great job telling the story but holding back details which makes the reader want more. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

A heartfelt thanks to Avon Books for my e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I am a huge fan of Survivor and I have toyed with the idea of actually applying for the show (a girl can wish) and this book tapped into my Survivor loving self. The book was so good..

The book follows eight strangers (four men and four women) who are dropped on a remote island where they must build shelter ,hunt and survive .I pretty much reckon that this is not a spoiler because there are two camera men on the island as well although they have cameras everywhere really for those cringe worthy moments we just love on TV. We watch them or rather read their attempts to survive any means necessary and what happens when a human's willpower to live breaks down moral codes? If that gives you shivers , then this will ruin your day. The return boat fails to return at the end of the year,leaving them stranded and did they all survive? If only three are alive what happened to the rest? I don't want to gibe any spoilers but what a ride! If you love survivor then this book will be a fav. Recommend it!

This has to be one of the most intense, disturbing, chilling books I think I’ve ever read. I rarely dream, or at least I don’t remember them anyway, but with this book I dreamt about it one night, and found myself waking every morning with thoughts immediately turning to Maddy and wondering what will happen to her next. It is that compelling, all consuming.

The setting for the story is a remote, deserted Island off the coast of Scotland. A TV company want to run a year long reality TV show featuring a set of 8 strangers, 4 women, 4 men who must survive life on the Island, being self sufficient and living off the land and sea surrounding the island. They are allowed to bring with them a small amount of personal belongings but must build their own shelter and find their own food once they are dropped off.

The story is told in the first person by Maddy, one of the group, and it is Maddy who the reader spends the whole of the book with, living her experience, living her isolation, and eventually living her terror. And you will live it, to such an extent you will almost feel like you are there on the island with her, such is the intensity of the narrative.

At times, it will seem a little slow as Maddy goes into great detail of her foraging, her vast knowledge of mushrooms, vegetation and wild plants, and the lay of the land but none of this is irrelevant, you as the reader will need to listen and to live every detail with Maddy. It’s something of a slow burner, but the tension is always there simmering in the background, waiting to shock! The participants in this ‘human study’ have been carefully picked, and they don’t get on too well.

The research that must have gone into this book is huge. The botanical knowledge, the psychology of group dynamics, persuasion and influence. It’s a story of the darker side of human behaviour in desperate circumstances. I found it all very believable right the way through.

For a debut novel this is an amazing, dark thriller that will keep you wanting to read on, even if you’d rather turn away. I thought there were some really shocking things happened in it, leaving the reader in a state of dread and high alert for a good part of the book. I can’t recommend it highly enough, though to be honest I’m quite glad I’ve finished it as I’ll at least be able to sleep in peace. I certainly won’t be taking part in any reality TV shows that’s for sure.

*Will post to my blog on publication day*

Wow! What a story. Let's just say I won't be going to any islands anytime soon.
After the death of her parents and feeling lost in her life, Maddy signs up to be in an experiment on a deserted island with 7 other strangers for a year.
There isn't really a lot I could say that won't give it away. By around 50% I was completely hooked and couldn't wait to get to the end to see what transpires.
A story of alliances, betrayal, danger, spite and so much more. I Loved this one!

Thanks to netgalley and Avon Books UK for the arc

Maddie is a woman on her late 20s. She's unhappy with herself and the dreary, secluded, lonely life she's kinda always lived. Her parents have recently passed away and she just needs a reason, any reason, to escape. To get away for a while. Cue *The Last Refuge*, a reality TV type show where 4 men and 4 women are left stranded on a remote Scottish island, without much of anything. Their only mission? Survive for a whole year.

"So, what are you most looking forward to, should you get chosen to take part in *The Last Refuge*?"
This time, my answer was genuine, unconsidered. "The escape."
From my life, my grief, from myself.
I just had to get away.

Now, isn't that quote wildly intriguing?

I'll admit, thrillers are not a genre I pick up very often. I'm not sure why, really, since I love a good mystery. The way it keeps me on my toes and turning page after page to find the answers and slowly piece the story together. And the feeling of accomplishment when the whole puzzle is finally revealed. I always end up loving those types of books, but dodge them like my life depends on it when the time comes to pick something new to read.

First of all, let me just say, I don't think the blurb does the novel justice. Based on it, I thought this would be the story of a survivor recounting the horrors that befell her and her fellow islanders; like a look into the past. It's not. As readers, we live the horrors in real time, and every once in a while there's a jump into the future, to where the protagonist is being interview in a TV show about what she went through. We don't even see much of the future, much of "The After". We don't even see all that much of "The Before" either. It's all about the island. About all the gruesome, grim stuff that can happen when people revert to their most basic instincts. When being civilized gets thrown out the window and survival of the fittest takes center stage.

And survive they did. Throughout the first half of the book, there was this very strong feeling of foreboding. They'd been left on the island, only a few weeks had passed, and already things were getting tense. A heavy uneasiness permeated everything. Like, things seemed to be going ok, but I was constantly on edge. Constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. Constantly waiting for one of them to snap and get violent. I was anxious. And unsettled. And low key scared. It was both awful and amazing. With every new page my dread grew and grew.

I loved the blend of easy going and poetic of the writing style. It wasn't flowery, or overly complex, but it had such poignant and effective analogies and descriptions. It was so evocative and raw. The British slang I was mostly unfamiliar with and at times had to rely on context to get the general gist, but nothing too bad. If I were to have one complaint about this book, it would be the use of single quotation marks instead of the standard double quotation on the dialogues. I had a hard time rolling with that, my attention got snagged every time anyone said anything. But I didn't have any other issues with the writing besides that.

In any case, spoiling a thriller is basically sacrilegious, so I'll leave you to experience the horror and disquiet for yourself. It's totally worth it.

**I received an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity**