When 8 strangers are making a reality tv show about the end of the world, what could go wrong? They are left on a remote island for 12 months to survive.
Maddy is grieving and feels this could help her process her thoughts but the ‘odd girl’ faces pain, humiliation and anger from her camo mates. Will all 8 make it home?
This was a very dark read and was so well described you could visualise the settings and what the campers were going through.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I love locked room mysteries and thought that this sounded interesting, if a little different. I've never watched Survivor or any of the other survivalist shows, or had any interest in them, but this book was a fascinating & gripping read. Maddy is one of three survivors of a reality show where eight participants & two crew members are stranded on a remote island for 12 months. This is a dark & claustrophobic thriller that I could not put down!

Eight strangers have signed up to survive together on Buidseach Island, a remote Scottish island, for one year. Like ‘Survivor’, they are constantly on film for reality TV. Each contestant in this challenge is outfitted with a solar powered camera. An additional two-person camera crew is simply stationed on the island for emergency precautions and are unobtrusive and hidden. A social experiment of sorts focusing on group dynamics, they must work together to find their own food, shelter and necessities. Eighteen months later, one of the women shows up in a fishing village desperate to tell what transpired.

Told from the point of view of an unreliable narrator and 7 other fairly unlikeable contestants, this dark and disturbing experiment has major ‘Lord Of The Flies’ vibes… except with adult characters. Set aside a chunk of time as you’ll want to read this one in one go. Once you relax again after a tense read, you’ll come to the conclusion that we’re all animalistic, savages really, if put in the right situation and will stop at NOTHING to survive.

Highlighting human instinct, greed, manipulation, and herd mentality, this debut thriller comes alive for readers due to the author’s superb writing skills which capably place readers in the middle of the action. Eight arrived. Three left. What happened? If you are looking for a heart pumping, nail biting read, this is it!

To be published September 16, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by Sarah Goodwin, Avon Books UK, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I always find myself drawn to books where people are stranded in various situations and this book did not let me down. The premise was really interesting and although dubious that the TV production company would be so blatantly shifty, I found myself fully enthralled by the Islander's experience.

The first half of the book moved at a steady pace and I liked reading about how the characters started to build a home and work with the natural surroundings. To start with, the book lured you into a false sense of security, perfect for when the second half hit and the tension upped considerably and it truly became a thriller and a story of survival. I raced through the last parts of the book, keen to find out what would happen.

One of the only somewhat likeable characters in the book (and at times she frustrated me too) I generally felt for Maddy and really rooted for her. I liked that the book was told only from Maddy's POV and we got to jump through three timelines with her and it was nice to see her character evolve over time. That said, I don't think the amount of foreshadowing was necessary and actually, it sort of ruined parts of the plot.

I thought the botanist element was a really fascinating (and yes, admittedly necessary for the story) and it was interesting to learn more through the book. It also hammered home how rubbish I would be if in her position!

The author is a fantastic writer and it was thanks to her skills that I was able to imagine the plot so vividly. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to other readers,

Best book I have read in ages,after the first few chapters I couldn't put it down, full of suspense and twists and turns. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through!

What happens when eight people decide to take on the challenge of a lifetime: living alone on a remote island for a year, fending for themselves as if the rest of the world has ended. How long will it take before the group falls apart? Who will be trustworthy and who will be out for blood? And what will happen when the simplest of conflicts turn life-threatiningly dangerous. Eight people, one island, tons of secrets and one goal uniting them all: survival.

"Maybe I'd been worried about nothing; I was starting to fit in after all...
What a fool I was."

The premise of this book thrilled me, as I do love a good locked-room mystery! This one especially sparked my interest because I studied psychology so to me it's always fascinating to see how easy people can turn on each other when push comes to shove. And even though this is "just a book" there's been plenty of experiments done in the past that confirm that stories like this are pretty realistic. The book did take me by surprise a little in the sense that I didn't expect to feel such adrenaline and tension while reading. That was definitely a good thing, though, because I enjoyed every second of this book and finished it in one afternoon.

I loved the way the author describes the island, and general surroundings and weather phenomenons. It really added a lot to the reading experience for me, cause it made it very easy to picture what Maddy was going through in my head.
Now, a bit about the characters. The protagonist, Maddy, is a bit of a socially awkward introvert but she is very resourceful and has an amazing survival instinct. I couldn't help but love her, even though at times I wanted to slap her and scream at her to stand up for herself more. The other characters all made me feel a variation of things: furious, exhausted, sympathetic, annoyed, ... and the gaslighting throughout the book was a bit of a trigger to me sometimes, so it was definitely a wild ride (but worth it). Another thing I always appreciate is character development, and thankfully there's a lot of it in this one. Not just in Maddy, but in all of the characters, which is a very intriguing (and a bit disturbing at times) thing to watch unfold.

"Bullies. You grow up thinking that's just playground stuff, but people never grow out of it. They like throwing their weight around, having control over people."

This was a thrilling, immersive and tense read that you won't be able to put down! If you like locked-room thrillers and/or survival stories: this is the one for you! And it really makes you think: what would you be willing to do to survive?
I would like to thank Avon Books UK, Sarah Goodwin and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Forgive, but don't forget. I always try to remember that. Because if someone can hurt you once, they can do it again.”

Overall rating: ★★★★

4.5⭐️
Gore score 2/5

It looks like it might be a debut. It’s a cracking read. I loved it, fast paced with lots going on. It is dark and gritty.

A reality tv programme with a group of 8 people living on an isolated uninhabited island off the coast of Scotland for a year. It reminded me of the tv program Castaway many moons ago, that involves many more people on a remote island Taransay.

From the prologue we already know that something has gone badly wrong.

We hear from the narrator a ‘survivor’ Maddy who relays the events.

Everything starts out ok, but as food supplies dwindle tempers fray and arguments break out with the camp sub dividing.

Although everything should have been filmed some team members have been able to switch off the cameras allowing their actions to go without judgement.

Niggling at the back of my mind is the question is Maddy the victim or the aggressor? The reader knows that she is a life long social mis fit and has mental health issues.

Even with those niggling doubts it’s easy from following Maddy’s narration to like her, to be behind her urging her on in such difficult circumstances. Maddy’s version of the truth made her look like a Saint, and I think some of her responses to her tormentors and the guilt that she felt was unrealistic. I would have liked a less sanitised Maddy to be honest.
It’s a really engrossing read and I highly recommend it.

This book is amazing- its such a great ride!
I thoroughly recommend it and really enjoyed it.

Maddy is a great narrator....her perspective is so different and caustic that it is hard to know whether to trust her or not and the fact that she is an unreliable narrator but at the same time very likeable and real is the heart of this story.

The writing is very vibrant and real...I can see that island...I can imagine the people...we have all met them in some form or another....it is very honest and genuine even with unimaginable events happening.

There is very little that can be said about it without spoilers and I think this book is best to go into knowing as little about it as possible but definitely read this - I could not put it down.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting premise, I immediately thought this sounded like Survivor meets Agatha Christie. eight people accept the challenge to live alone for a year,. Then something clearly goes very wrong. I really enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I was glued to my couch frantically turning the pages needing to know what happened next! I loved it! Its all about secrets, lies, and the art of survival. Thank you so much!

This is an entertaining read - the story cracks along at a great pace and even though the premise is quite far-fetched, the author makes the main character and the twists and turns of the plot interesting enough to make it a real page-turner.
Definitely a book for a long train journey or the beach, it’ll keep you gripped right to the end.

Amazing book I absolutely could not wait to the last page to find out what was going to happen. This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read all year.

When I first started this book, I was convinced I wasn't going to like it. It was a little slow to start but wow was it worth it. The slow building tension through the first 50%, the unreliable narrator and the callbacks throughhout made this so much fun to read. Maddy was a frustrating character to read but then again most thriller protaganists are. The premise of knowing that it was all going to go wrong but not knowig how or why kept me racing through the whole book in one sitting. The twist at the end I did not see coming at all and it was so worth it.

This was an incredibly solid debut and I would not hesitate to pick up another book by this author. when released.

A new author for me, but the blurb and description had me hooked - I was not disappointed! Well written, using time slips of past and present, with interesting relationships between the characters. As the story progressed, it became more tense and I was unable to stop reading.

Stranded by Sarah Goodwin.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 out of 5 stars).

“𝑌𝑜𝑢’𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑦, 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒.”

Stranded follows a group of eight who are to be left to survive for a full year on Buidseach island for a reality television show.

We see events unfold from the perspective of Maddy, one of the only two survivors.

I definitely felt the tension between alpha male Duncan and the protagonist Maddy. Nevertheless, I was shocked at the groups decision (primarily lead by Duncan) to remove Maddy from the camp. Upon realising that the boat would not come and pick the islanders up on the set date, I knew that they wouldn’t be getting off the island any time soon. However I had at least hoped that the others would welcome Maddy back; especially after discovering the two camera men dead. It was at this point, where Maddy was shunted again as an outsider and left to survive on barely a scrap of seaweed, that I realised Duncan and the others were deadly, and even more so, that things would turn violent. I was saddened deeply by Zoe’s death and although I believe Shaun was more than likely going along with Duncan’s wishes, part of me feels as though he would have tried to help Maddy, and his death also left something stirring inside of me too. I have to admit that I was grateful Maddy was able to revenge two of the islanders, who had forced death even closer than was already near.

Maddy’s character development is probably one of the strongest parts of the book. Maddy begins as a quiet and reserved young woman, and in the end we see a completely different person; a woman forced to survive through starvation, hypothermia, hallucinations, injury and the thing which cuts deepest; betrayal. I felt myself bleed into Maddy whilst reading and I so desperately wanted her to carry on, to fight against the others and let the world know what happened; the torture she had endured.

I personally would have liked to have seen a bit more of the ‘reality TV show’ atmosphere in the beginning of the book, to make the discovery of the boat never arriving more shocking, however I did enjoy the in between parts of the interviews before and after the events of the island.

Overall, Sarah Godwin’s protagonist Maddy really enveloped me into the survival of the fittest narrative. Her writing is captivating, motivating and suspenseful. I would love to read perhaps another book in this series with a similar story surrounding the island and the witch. Even better, I would love to see this as a TV series or a film!

This book deserves all of the stars, well done Sarah!

This was, the best i can describe it, Lord of the Flies for adults! Some really tense moments, which i loved! Overall, I loved those!

A woman who is unhappy with her life decides to take part in a social experiment - along with seven strangers, she is sent to a remote island, whereupon they must attempt to form a society from scratch. They are armed with a small amount of bare essentials, and a camera to document their year. Things start out okay, then get worse, and then... well, it gets bad.

Wow, what a book! I recently had a long journey, and I read Stranded in that one sitting. I missed traffic jams, the beautiful views of the North Yorkshire hills, and who knows what else, because I was absorbed with this novel. It surprised me. I didn't know what to expect, but I didn't think I'd be sitting with my blood boiling at certain points, or my heart racing at others.

I have rarely felt so frustrated with fictional characters the way I did with some of the castaways, one in particular. He is so well-written, and believable as a self-entitled, angry, nasty man.

Goodwin really knows how to write a story. There are elements of death, gaslighting and mortal peril here, so tread carefully if that isn't for you. Otherwise, I would recommend this book to anyone..

The term "page-turner" is overused; I'm guilty of it myself, but in this case, I really couldn't put Stranded down.

Many thanks to Sarah Goodwin, NetGalley, and Avon Books for this copy.

I had never read a book by this author but read the blurb and thought it sounded right up my street. I was not disappointed! There was the perfect blend between flashbacks and current day without being too confusing and the relationship between the different characters was interesting and tension was built up as we got to know the characters more and their motives! I absolutely loved it and it kept me turning the pages. I struggled to put it down.

I will most definitely be looking out for more books by Sarah Goodwin in the future and would recommend this book wholeheartedly.

I loved this book and really couldn’t put it down. I didn’t really love any of the characters, though I could identify with Maddy when she was bullied and everyone sided with the bully. At this point my heart went out to her. There were some characters I truly despised.

I stayed up to the early hours of the morning reading this book and was desperate to find out how Maddie got off the island. A real change from what I normally read and I loved it

It seemed like a good way to get away from her past and the heartbreak of losing her parents, the bitter sweet feeling of losing those who whilst living you also suffocated you with their caring - a year on an uninhabited island, with 7 other strangers. With no contact with the outside world - a social experiment. How wrong could you be?

Unfortunately people are not always their best selves when not surrounded by society and without structure. Personalities clash, a pecking order becomes literal and those that have no moral compass can take control. Instilling their own version of law and order.

I really enjoyed the dark twists and turns of this book. And felt that I was almost stranded on the island with Maddy. Her character is well written, you can’t say you definitely like her as a person, or how she reacts to situations but you don’t like how she is treated and how she has to fight back to stay alive. In a time where television shows not that dissimilar to this are popular it is interesting to see how easily things could go wrong.

4.5 Stars!!!
This book doesn’t have the most original idea, as I have read several books that surround just a group of people who are strangers who come together to do a reality show, then everything goes wrong. although I’ve seen and read this plot before, this is the first one that I’ve read that has been executed really well! It has the perfect amount of mystery and thrilling elements, dropping hints from the present day before jumping back to the island, never revealing too much where you are spoiled and can easily guess the ending...