Adrian McKinty has released another heart pounding thriller! While The Chain will still be my absolute fave, I know The Island will be enjoyed by many readers who love a fast paced, suspenseful story. The main characters find themselves in a terrible predicament and what follows could only happen in fiction, that's for sure!!

What a wild ride. I didn’t get a good hold of the narrative in the beginning but once the story got going I was enthralled. It took me only two sittings to finish this one and it went by in a blink. Everything I thought I knew going into the book was wrong. There was a bit of a suspension of disbelief you have to have because the whole situation escalates quickly and is completely nuts but once you do that it’s incredibly enjoyable. brutal and horrifying at times but a great read nonetheless. the characters were well thought out and fleshed out, making human mistakes and having human flaws. after reading the chain by this author, I thought it would get any better but they did it. can’t wait to hear more reviewers’ thoughts and see the adaptations as well.

The Island by Adrian McKinty is a thriller about a family vacation to Australia. The father is a doctor, newly married to a much younger woman, with his two teenage children. When offered the chance to go to a remote island to see some Australian wildlife, the four of them jump at the opportunity. But, while there, everything goes wrong. People are killed, everyone is scared, but some people learn to appreciate each other a little better. This book was action-packed and crazy, which was fun. However, there were many times where I struggled to believe that people could make such terrible decisions. The entire premise of the book was just a very bad decision. I enjoyed the author's first book, The Chain, a little better than this one. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

⭐️ The Island by Adrian McKinty

I knew, as much as I disliked The Chain, I should have stayed away. But I gave into the hype and boy was that a bad decision. You know it’s bad when you’re skimming for dialogue in Chapter 1 and then cringe when you read it. The characters were irritating. Every little thing they did grated on my nerves. And they let a whiny, spoiled 12-year old get his way when they were explicitly told not to do something and here they are trapped on an island fending for their lives.

The writing is simplistic and juvenile. It seemed like this was his original draft and there was no thought as to if he should have rewritten scenes or edited anything.

Here’s some “what the heck” scenes:
When I meet someone for the first time this is a fabulous thing to hear: “Anyone need the toilet? Fab toilets in here. Heather? Looks like you gambled a little fart and lost, no?”
In Seattle’s Best Doctors, Tom is described as having “severe, chilly azure” eyes. Creepy way to describe a doctor.
“I wanted the new Cayenne” I called about it last night.” Tom proceeds to have a tantrum about not getting the Porsche and is told he’s getting a “turbo” instead but yet they are riding around in a Cayenne…
I can keep going but then I’d just be copying the book.

DNF’d this one. Sorry. But thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This was SO scary! An American family pays a couple of locals for. chance to browse around their tiny Australian island and see local wildlife. Sounds innocent enough, until the family hits and kills someone on the island accidentally, and the only justice on the island is revenge. I had goosebumps while reading this! The main character, Heather, is a tough heroine, and needs to fight agains the locals who are hell bent on justice. I enjoyed her character, a lot!

The Island kept me reading late into the night. My nerves were on high alert as I hid on the island with Tom, Heather, and the kids. I loved the author’s note at the end with an explanation of how this novel came to be written. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

I really wish I had enjoyed this more. The premise was excellent but didn’t hold my attention. Was disappointed to have this follow The Chain

The Island was a really fun and fast paced Thriller. Just when you think “there’s no way this could get worse,” it gets worse. The main character, Heather Baxter gets married to a much older doctor, Tom Baxter, who already has two teenage kids. Tom travels to Australia for a work conference and brings his family along. They end up going on an excursion to an Island and things go from bad to WORSE.

I really enjoyed this read because it makes you think, “what would I do if I was ever in this situation.” It’s very much about surviving and protecting the Baxter kids, but on the other end, you feel bad for the O’Neil family even though they are the villains. Big cat and mouse type of chase so I definitely recommend all my thriller and suspense lovers add this one to their shelf. 4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown and Company, and Adrien McKinty for this ARC!

3.5 stars!!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review


This was still really entertaining but it wasn’t as good as The Chain! There were no mind blowing plot twists but just an action packed read with a great setting

"It was just supposed to be a family vacation.
A terrible accident changed everything.
You don't know what you're capable of until they come for your family."

🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝🏝

This was such a page turner! It was action packed and suspenseful with great twists and turns. I loved Heather's resilience as she fought for her family. I read this in one day because I couldn't put it down!

Thank you @hachetteus for the complimentary copy of this book!

DNF at 80%. Nonstop action that nonetheless managed to put me to sleep - and when I realized I just don’t care how it ends, I knew this one wasn’t a fit for me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

Wow! The Island is sure to be THE thriller of the year! It is literally the vacation of nightmares. Adrian McKinty belongs on everyone must-read list. The story follows Heather, Tom, and his two teen kids who haven't exactly taken to their new stepmom yet. They go on a vacation to Australia and it sounds like a perfect way to bring their family together. A side trip on a ferry to a locals-only island seems like the adventure they were waiting for, but it quickly turns to a nightmare when an accident sets the island's inhabitants on a course for what they view as justice, but the family is running for their lives. This is one high-stakes, action-packed, fast-paced thriller. It is truly impossible to put down until you get to the final page. Highly recommended!!

The Chain is one of my favorite thrillers, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Adrian McKinty’s next book.

The Island is all about the chase. When Tom Baxter commits a hit-and-run on a private island, the locals track the Baxters down and demand justice. Their desire for justice is somewhat of the eye-for-an-eye variety, rather than getting the police involved. When Heather and the children escape, the chase begins as the locals attempt to track them down. These scenes were very well written–tense and exciting, with the parch, barren Australian outback as a backdrop.

I’m not sure if the author was trying to make a point about white tourists acting entitled to Indigenous lands, but it certainly came across that way at the beginning. Tom throws money at a local in order to take his kids to their private island to see some wildlife, instead of going to a wildlife preserve like the rest of the tourists. Once they arrive on this private island, they’re pissed that wildlife is wild and that they can’t find any. And then they kill a woman, and decide to run.

After that, the plot sort of veers away from this point, and the locals are painted as hicks and barbarians. It almost seems like they tricked the Baxters into coming to their island in hopes they would mess up, so that they would get the pleasure of being able to hunt them down.

Perhaps none of these points were intended, and the book is really just about the thrill of the chase. It certainly was fast-paced and enjoyable. I thought Heather was a great MC for the most part, doing her best to keep the children safe and get them off the island in one piece. I didn't love it as much as I loved The Chain, but it was still an entertaining thriller.

Unfortunately for Heather, her new husband Tom and his two kids – when they decide to go off the beaten path to see some authentic Australia while on vacay, they find themselves as the hunted.

I went in to this book with VERY low expectations after seeing a couple of not-so-great ratings, but I have to say my personal reaction was . . . . IMPRESSIVE!

If you are in need an escape of the stabby variety, this is pure brain candy. It definitely delivers in the edge of your seat department, doesn’t feature a dumb bimbo running straight to danger and had some unexpected twists that added to my reading pleasure. I slathered on the SPF five million on a Saturday afternoon, loaded up the Geti™ (that’s a ghetto Yeti for those of you unfamiliar) with Diet Coke and ate this puppy up – cover to cover in one sitting.

An easy 4 Stars.

ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I read McKinty’s earlier book, “The Chain” and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed that book. Accordingly, I was excited to read “The Island.” This too, was a unique thriller, that had a darker edge that I’m used to, It kept my interest and had my heart racing. The only thing is that I think the last 15 % of the book dragged on a little more than it needed to. Good, fun dark thriller. 4 stars. Thank you to the publish for copy in exchange for review,

If there was ever a thriller you wanted to read, this should be it! Holy cow what a wild ride! Family vacation turned nightmare, this book was action packed the whole way through! Loved it!

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for letting me read an advanced e-copy!

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

• survival + revenge thriller
• action packed + fast paced
• badass female MC

I finished this in a couple of days. My heart was racing and I had to know what was going to happen! The author does a great job of putting the reader right into the action. Definitely some squeamish moments. 🙈 I loved the theme of family in this too. If you're looking for a thrilling read, this is it!

🗣️ Thank you to @novelsuspects and @littlebrown for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted ARC! Thank you also to @netgalley for the eARC. All opinions are honest and my own.

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW! I absolutely loved this book! I read it within 24 hours. It was gripping from the beginning until the last page! Such an action-packed ride that had me on the edge of my seat. A family visits an island to see the natural wildlife as part of Dad's business trip. A chain of events turned the trip deadly and I was here for it. Great characterizations, fantastic plot points, and sequencing. This is one of my favorite books of 2022!

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

Do you know that pit you get in your stomach when you know something bad is going to happen? That feeling of dread? Be prepared to have that feeling the entire time I read this exciting story! Things start off fine for Heather, Tom, and the kids as they travel to a private island for some family bonding time. Things quickly go from bad to worse, and you will find yourself holding your breath with each turn of the page. In this flight for survival, Who will make it to the end? Stick with this thriller for a huge adrenaline rush.
CW: Animal abuse

One of the craziest books I have read this year. Honestly this read like a horror story to me, so unbelievably intense and just absolutely crazy. Highly recommend!