Oof. I wanted to love this book, especially because I really liked The Chain by the same author. But it felt like it was trying too hard? It was implausible and bouncing from one weird, "off" thing to another. 3 stars.

When Tom, an orthopedic surgeon, goes to a conference in Australia, he decides to make it a family vacation. His wife had died a year or so ago and he had recently remarried to Heather. There are two children, Olivia and Owen. The children aren't thrilled about Heather and this should be a trip to bring the family together.

While there, the family hears about an island only a mile and a half offshore which is private and has an amazing variety of animals. Since the children want to see native animals, Tom decides the cost to go is worth it, especially when they meet a German couple who agree to split the cost. The six of them head off to the island on a ferry and then they split up, each heading out in their own cars. But something goes terribly wrong. Tom commits an act that puts the family at odds with the strange cultlike family that owns the island. This group are the only inhabitants of the island and they live a life dictated by Ma, the matriarch. The group has its own rules and Tom and Heather are now on the other side of the law.

It's clear that the family wants revenge and soon Heather and the children are being hunted along with the German couple. As they fight capture, burning temperatures, lack of water and dangerous animals, Heather and the children come together to survive until they can be rescued. The family has decided that only death will do for Heather, Tom, the children and the other couple and they hunt them relentlessly. But Heather had grown up in the remote wilderness herself with parents both from the military and she knows a thing or two about survival. Who will win?

This was one of the most heartstopping books I've read. I'm pretty tough but I had to put it down a time or two when the suspense got to be more than I could take. Heather has survival skills few would know about and she manages to keep herself and the children going while bonding with them more than any of them ever expected. Adrian McKinty is an Irish author who also lived for a while in Australia so the environment rings true. He is known for his Sean Duffy series about a Protestant detective working in Northern Ireland and his standalone hit, The Chain. He has won numerous awards in the mystery genre and this book is recommended for mystery and thriller readers.

This book was so good. There were parts in the book I had to get up and check my doors and windows to make sure they were locked! And books usually don't spook me. It was a great storyline. I liked the characters even though I wanted to strangle some. LOL I would definitely recommend this book.

A fast paced novel that keeps you on your toes with the twists and turns you never expect coming! An instant 5 star review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of The Island by Adrian McKinty in exchange for my honest review.

Five stars all around!! This suspense was so fast paced and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time!!

I absolutely loves this one. It kept you on your toes. I couldn't wait to see what happened next to the family
I would give it 4.5 out of 5 stars

Reading challenge category: 2022 52 Book Club: set on at least two continents (North America and Australia)

I read McKinty's book "The Chain" and wasn't a huge fan, not sure why I thought this would be any different.

Everything in this book felt unbelievable. Like, if you set the plot of a horror b-movie on a remote Austrlian island, that would be this book. Then, the author uses pretentious language throughout that, by definition, fits, but not in context (ex: use of the words 'equipoise,' 'antecedent,' etc).

It was slightly more developed than the 1-star books I have read (those I find truly offensive, should never be read by anyone, a complete waste of time...) but barely.

This was a #netgalley ARC I didn't get around to when it was an advance copy; now I feel less guilty having read it a year and a half late.

Fast-paced, suspenseful, riveting, survival-that's really all I can say about this book. I could not put it down, and while I wanted to know what was going to happen, I also didn't want it to end!

A complete disaster for me. ended up DNFing. It all just wasn’t believable and a massive let down for me as this was a most anticipated read for me

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of "The Island" audiobook. It was thrilling, but not as riveting as "The Chain." Seemed to drag on.

So, this was guilty pleasure enjoyment at its best. I loved the fast paced action of it, but didn’t really care what happened to the characters. I feel like this would be a great movie.

This book pulled me in from just the introduction alone! How could I possibly stop reading after a machete is mentioned? Impossible! There is just so much pulse pounding action all through out that it made it so easy to binge read. After i finished, I thought it would make a great movie and to my surprise it’s getting adapted! So exciting. 10/10 recommend giving this book a read.

I enjoyed this so much more than Adrian's other book, The Chain. The mystery in this was much more intriguing and the motivations made more sense.

Middle-aged widower Dr. Tom Baxter, his new young wife, 24-year old massage therapist Heather, and his two children, 14-year-old Olivia and 12-year-old Owen, decamp from Seattle to Australia... and that's when the trouble starts.

I was on the fence about reading this one, based on the description it seemed more like one of those generic "woman in peril" books that have become such an over saturated subgenre in recent years.  Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against a well-written "woman in peril" book, but when a trend hits its peak there tends to be a lot of poor imitators with weak, simplistic plots and one dimensional characters.

The good news is that The Island by Adrian McKinty isn't weak or simplistic; the main characters are pretty well developed and the story has substance to it. The bad news is that I didn't really like it all that much. The author does such a great job of presenting the dreary dynamic of this new family group, flaws and all, that by the time the story starts to turn it's hard to like any of them very much.

This isn't the most original story you'll ever read - it has aspects of The Most Dangerous Game, Deliverance, and countless others - but, at the same time, it does put its own original spin on things. My only issue plot-wise is that the ending seems a little rushed.

It wasn't for me but it's well-written and has one or two decent plot twists.

What began as a work vacation to Australia for Tom, his new wife Heather, and his two pre-teen kids ends in tragedy as they find themselves in danger on a remote island excursion. Pulse pounding action, twists, and gruesome situations jam pack this survival heart stopping book.

I oscillated from liking to disliking this book so many times as this story progressed. Some of the details were pretty gruesome, the things some of the characters endured repulsive. Overall, however, the twists kept coming and my heart rate never slowed. Solid 4.5 stars in general. I may never go to Australia and ESPECIALLY never head over to a sketchy remote island!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review!

Adrian McKinty takes place in Australia. A family vacation turns deadly. Dad, a doctor is appearing at a conference and it seems like a good idea to bring his young son, teenage daughter and their new stepmother. It's supposed to be a bonding experience, but the kids are not enamored with their young stepmom, and their dad is not up to snuff. They wind up on a very isolated island. Dutch Island is off-limits to visitor but they talk their way onto it. Too late for regrets.

This one started out with a lot of potential and while it wasn't bad, I feel like the author could have pushed much further and really made this a great book. I liked the idea of the main character, Heather, and her family being hunted on the small island but it ended up feeling more like a survive the elements book. I think that should have been a small focus and that the terror of being hunted by the island people could have been turned up quite a few notches. Overall, an entertaining read but it was just missing something.

i recently got around to reading The Island by Adrian McKinty, and while it may not have been my cup of tea it's important to remember that reading preferences can vary greatly from person to person, and what may not resonate with one reader could deeply resonate with another. I personally found this one tedious to read which made it challenging for me to fully engage with the story. I loved The Chain by this author but unfortunately this one was a miss for me.

I can't say I was overly impressed with this book. The plot was interesting, A tourist family sneaks onto a privately owned island and runs themselves running for their lives when they run afoul of the locals by causing a deadly accident. But the ending fell flat for me.

Heather was a pretty good character, but Tom ... geeze. Tom is so unlikable that you just want to smack him. You can't help but wonder how Heather could have been dense enough to fall for the guy. He's irredeemably despicable.

The ending felt rushed too, and a but unrealistic. The kids just seem to get over things too fast.

Oh, yeah, Don't read this if you are sensitive to harm against dogs!

Wow! This action-packed thriller had me on the edge of my seat from the very first page. The adrenaline-pumping plot kept me hooked until the very end. The author’s mastery of suspense and pacing is truly impressive. The characters are well-developed, and I couldn’t help but root for the fearless protagonist as they navigated a web of danger and intrigue. This book is a rollercoaster ride of twists and turns that left me breathless. If you’re a fan of heart-pounding action and non-stop suspense, this is a must-read!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.