Deliverance in The Land Down Under! Poor life choices lead to unintended consequences folks, and soon the bodies start piling up. Part thriller, part survival story, and part psychological horror, The Island has a bit of everything for every reader.... even a splash of indigenous spirituality. This fast-paced book keeps you turning the pages and wondering what characters you can truly count on and whether the it's possible to make it off the island alive. Teamwork makes the dream work, and sacrifices will be made in this locked-room (OK an island, but you get what I mean) survival thriller. Picked up by Hulu for a future limited series, this will be one wild ride to follow on film as well. thank you #NetGalley and Little, Brown, and Company for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

After seeing this one all over booksta and finding out it’s going to be a Hulu series I had to read it ASAP! The action starts right away in this family vacation turned survivor thriller. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time; it was intense, pulse pounding and horrifying. I also really enjoyed how Heather’s character evolved through the course of the book especially her strength and ingenuity.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book will be a new classic in the thriller genre! The Island by Adrian McKinty is an absolutely amazing survival thriller. The story revolves around Heather, her husband, and two step-children, who are on a lovely family vacation in the Australian outback. But when a terrible accident happens, suddenly, they find themselves in the middle of a terrifying nightmare! Can Heather save herself and her family from the island?

Here is a chilling excerpt from the Prologue, which is a flash-forward:

"A crow with a skeptical yellow eye was watching her from the lightning-struck eucalyptus tree.
The crow was death.
If it called out, she was dead. If it flew toward Jacko and he turned to look, she was dead.
The crow observed her with a half-turned head.
She crawled through the brittle grass, reached the tree trunk, stopped, and caught her breath.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the bottom of the T-shirt. She sucked the moisture from the shirt as best she could."

Overall, The Island is an action-packed survival thriller that will appeal to fans of No Exit or the author's previous book, The Chain. One highlight of this book is how exciting it is. could not tear my eyes away or put this book down! It was absolutely terrifying. Another highlight of this book is Heather, who is a strong female protagonist. I loved watching a young stepmother with her back against the wall turning into an action hero and saving her stepchildren. I'm absolutely sure that this book will become a classic in the thriller genre. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, you won't regret checking out this book, which is available now!

Last year I finally got around to reading The Chain by Adrian McKinty. It was one of those books that were super hyped around the time of its release, so I bought it as quickly as I could. Then, as is far too often the case, it sat unread on my shelf. I kicked myself for waiting so long to read it! The Chain has one of the best and most original hooks of any thriller that I've ever read. I felt that the novel stumbled a bit near the end, but it made me excited to read whatever McKinty would come up with next. Lucky for me, I wouldn't have to wait long. McKinty's latest thriller The Island released earlier this month. Even luckier for me, his publisher sent me a copy of the book to review.

Heather fast-tracked her life when she married the handsome widower Tom. Suddenly she had everything she could have ever dreamed of, the wealthy husband who adored her, a dream home, and even Tom's two children. Her life seemed set. As the newly formed family embarked on a globe-spanning vacation to Australia, nothing could have brought them down. It wasn't all sunshine and roses, though. Heather felt a sense of being unworthy of everything she had. She hadn't really earned this life. Heck, she wasn't even an actual mother, something her two stepchildren were always keen to remind her. But this trip, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit another continent, seemed like the perfect chance to cement her place in this new life.

The trip isn't without its commitments. Tom has to speak at a conference later that day. Before work invades play, though, Heather is determined to show the kids some fun. On the top of the young pair's list is seeing real live koala bears. The family happens upon a man who promises views of wildlife on the private Dutch Island, a remote piece of land just off the coast. He says that his family has lived and sustained the island for years. As long as Heather promises to stay away from the family's compound, they can drive the perimeter of the island and view the wildlife there. Everything about the island feels wrong, but Heather sets her unease aside for the sake of the family vacation. They are only on the isle for a short period of time when a tragic accident occurs, setting into motion a series of events that will turn this family vacation into a horrible nightmare.

I knew from reading his previous novel that Adrian McKinty wasn't afraid to concoct shocking and disturbing scenes, but nothing could have prepared me for the horror he imagines in The Island. This new novel lacks the killer hook of The Chain, but that doesn't detract from the wild thrill ride at all. Without a clear direction right out of the gate, McKinty slowly lures the reader into a seemingly normal story about a dysfunctional family getaway. Only once we are fully invested in the scenario does he reveal his cards, turning a typical family drama into a bizarro horror-thriller akin to a cross between Deliverance and The Most Dangerous Game. You'll need to suspend your disbelief with this one. Very little of the action would be plausible in a normal world. If you can let go of your inhibitions, The Island will play out as an unrelenting and shocking adventure that will have you turning the pages as quickly as you can read. McKinty grounds his wild story in characters who give readers just enough heart to latch onto them. With The Island, McKinty proves that The Chain was no fluke. His ability to write a crazy fun thriller is on full display.

Okay. I will start by saying that yes, this book is non stop and action packed. Which is awesome. But the rest just literally infuriated me. The dialogue was so forced and unbelievable. The kids, 12 and 14? But yet speaking like they are 20. And then they keep calling Heather a millennial. If she is 24 as the book says she is a Gen Z and there is no way she (or anyone in their 20s or even 30s) would call a 12 and 14 year old "honey" and "baby". It was just so forced. There was no real character development for me to even root for anyone. And Heather just has all of these skills? Awesome, how convenient. The only character I enjoyed only lasted a few pages. Sorry but I just did not enjoy this one.

The Island by Adrian McKinty is an intense, page turning thriller, that does not let up until the end. The pace for this book is rapid pace even when the book as its rare slow moments, it's still interesting. This book is suburban mom with step kids meets Rambo. The thriller aspect is so intense, but I also have to commend McKinty for his analysis of the family unit, I have never read a trophy wife quite like this. It's one thing escaping backwoods killers, but you have to parent kids that are closer in age to you than you are to your husband. The twists are great, there's not too many but they make them have impact. The scary thing thing in this book is the rational of desperate people scrabbling to make sure they keep their independence. The setting of the untouched island off the coast of Australia has that stranger in a stangeland quality, where the family have to not only escape but deal with the elements and wildlife of the Outback that they have only read about. This book is getting a lot of hype and advertisement, it is great to see it lived up to it. The Island is in my top 5 books of the year. The book rights to this story were bought by Hulu and it will be a limited series. The story about how Adrian McKinty gave up, got evicted became an Uber and author Don Winslow (one of my favorites) changed his life, by encouraging and telling his agent to get with him is very inspiring. I read this book thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company. The Island by Adrian McKinty is published on May 17 2022.

The Plot Summary: Heather, 24 is a new stepmom to Owen, 12 and Olivia, 14, one year after there mother died in a tragic accident. The new family accompanies Tom, 40, a surgeon, to a doctor's conference in Australia. Heather becomes a glorified babysitter to the two kids that have not warmed up to her at all. On a day where Tom is off they go for lunch where the family meets a nice Dutch couple Hans and Petra, the kids start complaining about not seeing any wildlife and a stranger over hears and shows the a koala in a cage. The stranger, Matt tells them about an independent Island that is technically not part of Australia and it's own independent land. Tom makes a deal to check out this Island, the dutch couple overhear and get in on the deal as well. Matt agrees but warns them of the family that runs the island, to spend an hour and don't bother anyone or anything. They take a ferry that is ran by the family to the island. Tom drives as they don't see any wildlife at all, and feels ripped off, he gets lost on the road meets a man who tells them very strangely to get off this island. This shake up Tom he gets lost and has to double back he's behind schedule and won't make the hour mark if he doesn't speed in his rented Porche. He concentrates on time and doesn't see the islander on a bike get in front of him before he runs them over. Everyone freaks out they have said their are no police on the island, heather comes with a plan to hide the body and and ferry over then tell the police, it almost works as the islanders see them get out out of the ditch, but still try for the ferry as the islanders have not discovered a body yet. The get stopped on the ferry at gun point as the ferry driver has a radio. The islanders can't decide what to do but tie the family up along with the dutch couple. Tom thinks he can reason but Heather knows they must escape. The islanders did not find a small pen knife that she uses to escape as the family decides death is their sentence. Heather must survive and after she gets separated from Tom must be a parent as well.

What I Liked: The intensity of the story, the story pulls no punches people get bruised, bleed and die. I love the revenge thriller aspect, how a trophy wife makes the islanders which they never met her. The history of the island was really interesting. I loved the pace of the story, so fast, it had many moments I could not put this down, it is a very fast read. The twists are really good and add to the story. The family dynamic was really different for this kind of story and another element of suspense when the kids do no listen and rebel. The action scenes are intense, and put me on edge. The scariest part was rationalizing all this, and those conversations are so scary.

What I Disliked: I wanted more from the character of Matt, the rational one of the islanders, his ending felt unfinished. He kind of went bad but didn't go far enough, after what she did to the family.

Recommendations: This is an excellent thriller that will keep you up at night turning the pages. I whole heartedly recommend you check this excellent book out. This is a solid thriller that you will not be able to put down. The story will make you ask what would you do in that situation. I rated the Island by Adrian McKinty 5 out of 5 stars. This is the first book I have read by Adrian McKinty but it will not be the last. I also look forward to the limited series for this book on Hulu.

This book really should be called, “Never Agree to See Koalas on an Island no Matter How Cute You Think They Are” but obviously that title is way too long. I’m a bit disappointed in this book if I’m being honest. While it started off strong, the entire remainder of the story felt like one enormous marathon that didn’t have a medal or a donut waiting for me at the finish line. One thing I found to be really odd was how it jumped from being quite mellow in scenes to extremely graphic and gory the next, and I felt like it wasn’t consistent. I did actually enjoy the characters and I was rooting for them, which did persuade me to want to see things out to the end. If you’re a fan of survival thrillers maybe this is the one for you. I won’t give up on McKinity after this, but I do think this isn’t the right genre for me.

“…We’re going to give you a really horrible rating on trip advisor.”

Imagine your first family vacation with your new husband and his two kids…you’re going to Australia!! Once you get there you walk into an amazing opportunity to visit a private island for an hour to see what the rest of the tourists don’t get to see…you’re definitely gonna go, right?! Obviously!

But wait just a second…This island is inhabited by an entire settler family set on revenge for an accident you made while visiting their private island. Your dream vacation turns into a game of hide & seek for your life. Every day, every night, every hour, every minute of your time on that island is a fight to stay hidden, stay alive and hopefully make it back to the mainland in one piece.

Wow!! This book was…wow. I was gripped with every page and cheering for our main characters every step of the way. This was heart pounding, page turning and even gave me a little giggle here and there. I loved this book. I’ll definitely be buying a copy for my shelf.

Highly recommend!

After reading The Chain by the same author, I was very excited about this book. I've read good and bad reviews on it, but I like to form my own opinion. The book starts out with Tom, a successful orthopedic surgeon attending a conference in Australia. His second wife, Heather and his children Olivia and Owen go to Australia with him. When the trip is almost over the kids are complaining that they didn't get to see any koala bears or any kangaroos. Two scary looking locals tell them about an island they live on called Dutch Island. They tell them for the right price they will take them to this private island to see all of the wildlife. The kids beg their dad to take them on this adventure. They strike up a deal with the locals and are soon on the ferry to Dutch Island. They are very excited to explore the island. However, an accident occurs which changes everything. Instead of trying to get help they do the unspeakable. And the inhabitants of this island won't stand for it. They are soon in the fight of their lives. After Tom is captured, Heather knows its up to her to try to save herself and the children. This story unfolds like scenes from Deliverance. You won't be able to stop turning the pages to this action packed book. I read this book in two sittings it was that hard to put down. Once again Adrian McKinty does not disappoint. Despite some of the reviews I enjoyed this book immensely. I've read some reviews accusing the author of animal abuse. For me it was survival. I didn't feel the book focused on abusing animals. I highly recommend this page turner. I was provided this book for review.

This was just not for me, but I’m sure it will find it’s audience! I really enjoyed this authors past works, but “The Island” was just not it. I found the writing to be juvenile, the plot an unbearable amount of unbelievable & the characters lacked real development. There was no nuance like we find in real humans. It was just like “Heather, smart, good.” “Hillbilly villains, bad.” I don’t know, it just didn’t flow properly.

Wow this was super fast-paced, dark, and disturbing! When a family unknowingly travels to a remote island in Australia inhabited by a psychopathic family, surely nothing good can happen. Thankfully, Heather Baxter, the young wife of a widowed orthopedic surgeon, is willing to do whatever it takes to to get her new family off the island. And yes, she develops into a total badass. The first couple chapters start off slow but there is a building sense of menace that kept me on the edge of my seat. Once the action starts, it becomes full throttle and doesn’t let up. If I had the chance to read this in one sitting, I definitely could have. I’m just not sure I would have had a chance to breathe!! It felt a lot more like watching a movie than reading a book, which is exactly what I’m looking for sometimes. Thank you to Little Brown and Company and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley.

Thank you to #netgalley for giving me an ARCfor an honest review. This was a chilling read, it actually gave me bad dreams but I kept on reading. A real thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat!!

Adrian McKinty is back with another pulse-pounding thriller that many readers will not be able to put down until they get to the very last page! An American family is on vacation in Australia, and wanting to see something off the beaten-path, they decide to make their way onto a sparsely inhabited island in order to see a very non-touristy part of Australia, only they will end up getting much more than they bargained for! Their trip quickly becomes ominous as they witness an accident, and from there, things only get worse! As the family gets separated, it's up to the newly married Heather to get herself and her step-children out of there. And you will have to read to see what happens next. Readers looking for a fast-paced adventure story with high stakes will not be able to put this down!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read The Island. I flew through The Chain, and after I got into this one, it was the same situation. I couldn't put The Island down and needed to know what the conclusion of this harrowing adventure was. As much as I guessed some of the things that occurred in this book, there were other plot points I never saw coming that made me say "wow." I truly enjoyed this crazy vacation turned murder-venture and highly recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed McKinty's thriller The Chain and so I was excited to get an ARC of his newest release. This book is a wild ride from start to finish--I don't think I unclenched for most of the book. It is incredibly fast paced and I flew through it in two sittings, getting me out a reading slump.

I will say as far as thrillers goes, I've read a lot and this one was pretty gruesome (CW: discussion of rape, death of animals, death of people) so I would be cautious if thrillers aren't typically your jam. The action starts early and doesn't really let up-- while this made for a quick read, I do wish we had gotten a little more context and development for our characters in the beginning. I thought the writing was a little cringey/stilted in parts and some of the chase scenes got a little redundant.

You have to suspend disbelief for a lot of this book in order to enjoy it. There are some creative liberties taken with the characters backgrounds and storylines. The story is mostly told through Heather's POV but there were some weird intermittent shifts to other characters. I liked both the kids as characters and seeing their relationship with Heather change throughout.

I think I prefer The Chain to The Island, but I did still mostly enjoy this. I think it will translate really well to the screen so excited to see the Hulu adaptation!

The Island is like Deliverance but set on an island in Australia! A family from Seattle is in Australia for a work conference for Tom who is a doctor.. Along for the "ride" is his new younger wife Heather and his two children Olivia and Owen. The kids were complaining about not seeing any wildlife on the trip - not a kangaroo or koala in sight. So when a couple of men they meet tell them about the wildlife on Dutch Island, Tom pays them to ferry them over to the island. When an unexpected tragedy occurs everything goes wrong. This will keep you reading well into the night and might lead you to have some very upsetting dreams but it's worth it!

After reading “The Chain” by Adrian Mckinty, I sought out more of his books to read. The characters in “The Island” are utterly engaging and pull you into the story. The plot is wonderful and keeps you guessing, even when you think you’ve figured it out. There could have been a bit more resolution to some of the character’s stories, but I would highly recommend this book to anybody seeking a thriller.

Once again, a solidly properly thrilling thriller amid the sea of mediocrities. Bravo, author. A worthy follow-up to the previous one, The Chain. All you need is a one-word title, one idea, and the skill to make it sing. Or - as is the case in this scenario – scream.
Screaming won’t help – Australia (outside of the main coastal cities) is that desolate of a place. Now crank it up, make it an island. A place where the locals are all one extended family and they live off-grid and off-world, following their own rules and regulations. Laid out by the terrifying matriarch, referred to, appropriately enough, as Ma.
Into this backward backwoods insularity stumbles a family of American tourists. Not the population contingent one might normally associate with paying much respect to local customs, but crank it up…make them kill a local. Inadvertently. But still.
Ma and hers don’t take too kindly to it. Cue in an epic battle of wills.
Crank it up again, make the protagonist a twenty-four-year-old newlywed, but not a cliché. One who marries into money but also for love and ends up being stuck with two challenging stepkids to deal with. Kids she is much too young to mother.
Survival skills, though, that she has plenty of, being raised in a sort of a commune on an island of their own, by former military parents. These skills didn’t do much for her out in the real world of Seattle, but here, they are going to save her life.
So yeah, a really fun thriller through and through. Long but reads very quickly. I didn’t want to put it down. In fact, I read most of it in one long sitting. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Published by Little, Brown and Company on May 17, 2022

The Island is an uncomplicated mix of thriller and horror elements. A widower named Tom has traveled to Australia for a medical conference. He’s taken his new wife and his two kids. The kids don’t like their stepmom, who is half their dad’s age, but they’re more upset that they haven’t seen any cool animals. Tom spends a few hundred bucks to buy a few hours of time on a private island, ignoring obvious warnings that invading the island’s privacy will be a bad idea. After another couple joins the tour, a ferry brings the six people and their two cars to Dutch Island.

Adrian McKinty signals that Dr. Tom is a disagreeable character when Tom complains that the car rental company gave him a lesser Porsche SUV than the one he reserved. McKinty signals that the reader should have sympathy for Tom’s wife, Heather, when she struggles to do her best in her unfamiliar parental role. Those signals alert the reader to the likelihood that things will not go well for Tom but that Heather will show her mettle. Just to make sure the reader doesn’t dwell on Tom’s unpleasant encounter with the island's residents, McKinty provides more tidbits about Tom’s past to suggest that that his eventual fate is only the product of karma.

Tom does something stupid that gets Tom and his family in trouble with the island’s inhabitants, a family of misfits named O’Neill, led by a woman they call Ma. The O’Neill family decides that vengeance requires them to kill Tom’s family, apart from the 14-year-old girl who will become a replacement wife for one of the O’Neills. For good measure, the O’Neill family tortures the tag-along couple so that the reader will have no doubt that the O’Neills are evil. This sets an action story in motion, as Heather and the kids use a combination of wits and luck to turn themselves from prey to hunter.

The story makes interesting use of Australia’s history of oppressing Aboriginal people. The plot is otherwise predictable, but the story moves quickly and generates the excitement that McKinty intended. The traditional season of beach reads is approaching. The Island falls neatly into that category — entertaining but no great loss if the reader leaves it buried in the sand.

RECOMMENDED

Having read Adrian McKinty before I knew what I was getting myself into and this didn’t disappoint. Edge of my seat, keeps me guessing and twists galore. Not for those with weak stomachs. 3.5 stars