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.

I definitely liked this more than The Chain (which I thought had a great plot but had HUGE plot holes.) Super fast paced from the beginning and kept that pace the entire time with a frightening cast of characters who inhabit a small island off of the coast of Australia and terrorize a family that has inadvertently arrived there for a “tour.”

I didn't love this one. I found the plot to require a constant suspension of belief, and not that "thrilling." It actually seemed quite repetitive at times.

Tom, along with his new young wife, Heather, and his two children, Olivia and Owen go to Australia. Tom is due to deliver a keynote speech at an orthopedic conference, but prior to this, the children want to see some Australian wildlife. They discover Dutch Island, a remote place where they are warned not to go. But, they get on the ferry and attempt to find some wildlife. Yet, while they are there, a tragedy happens, The family living on the island capture Tom and his family and plan to extort them. However, something goes awry, and the family is in increased danger.
What follows is a harrowing tale of survival, trust, instincts, and sheer determination. It was exciting at times, but I did have to suspend disbelief in some of the situations.
Overall, a good thriller.

I don't want to give too much away even though if you wanted to read this you probably already have since it was published over a year ago. I'll just say that the story had me on the edge of my seat and I didn't dare read it too close to bedtime for fear of nightmares. Lots of tension and very fast paced with a wide variety of characters, some good and some bad. As others have mentioned, a person has to suspend their disbelief at times but it's still pretty exciting. I'm looking forward to reading The Chain by this author, loaned to me by a friend.

TW: animal deaths, violence.

My thanks to Little, Brown and Company via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really liked The Island by Adrian McKinty. I read it in one day because I could not stop reading it! A family’s vacation goes terribly wrong on an island in Australia. Lots of drama. Lots of conflict. Lots of violence., Nothing is as it seems and nothing will ever be the sane again!

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of #theisland.

Wow! This book was not what I expected but I was completely glued to the pages. The story was extremely atmospheric and didn't let go from the start of the action to the very last page. Often I get tired of action filled books as I find that they get monotonous but I never tired as the plot molded along with the action in a seamless way. And that twist!!! I had to pick my jaw up off of the floor at one point in the book. I will definitely be picking up more books by this author. Highly recommended!

The chain by Adrian McKintry is one of my favorite books, so I was super excited to receive approval for the arc of this one. This book follows a newly blended Seattle family as they adventure to Australia and things go wrong when a hit and run accident occurs on the island. The characters find themselves running through the island in search of protection while trying to find a way home. And the secrets they find out about each other is enough to have them questioning who they can trust. I didn’t hate this book, but it wasn’t my favorite either, and for the reason I’m giving it 3 stars.

I really liked this one, it kept me on my toes and my pages turning!

A newly married couple. The husband, Tom had recently lost his wife, and felt he needed a mom to relace for his children. His daughter, Oliva, age 14, and his son, Owen age 12, are not fond of the stepmom Heather.

They go on a trip to Australia and it doesn't start well, the kids are tired and this is the last place they want to be with Heather. They plan a trip for a day and things go bad, then just get worse!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A fast paced thriller. Full of family drama and exciting writing!
Thank you NetGalley for the copy!

fast paced survival thriller! i really love the way McKinty writes, kept me on the edge of my seat! I loved his previous book and will continue watching him

3.5 stars - This is a hard book for me to rate. It was a fast-pace read, very suspenseful, but too unrealistic. I think the hardest thing for me to get past is that I did not like the main characters, again making this a hard book for me to rate. The premise, having an accident on a remote island and the islanders seeking revenge, is great, however, it was just too over the top. It also went on & on & on. I could not realistically believe the average person (and none of these people are warriors) could have survived. Then it ended quite disappointing; no closure and again unrealistic. But you'll need to read the book & see what you think.

I received this advance review copy from from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

I loved this one so much more than “The Chain.” McKinty’s writing is propulsive and puts you into the store with the characters. Although the worst was bizarre at times I couldn’t stop reading and didn’t want to put this one down. Just felt bad for the animals that didn’t make it :/

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC!

I was really excited for this book. I was hooked by the premise, especially the setting - the grueling Australian outback. However, the book fell a bit flat for me. One of the things that I really enjoyed about this book was Heather's fighting spirit. Although not a final girl in the traditional sense, she was a character that you could root for. She had the drive and survivalist instincts. I also did enjoy the Australian outback setting and how it provided as many challenges for our protagonist's survival as the menacing inhabitants of Dutch Island. However, I just felt that the book's ending was rushed and that everything concluded a little too perfectly. The kids were honestly jerks to Heather for the entire book, but by the end, they wanted Heather to be their caretaker? Also, Owen's revelation about his mother's fate seemed a little too convenient/unnecessary. At the end of the day, the book still held my attention, but it just didn't fully click for me.

Ahhhh this was a good one!! I love a mystery/thriller involving a vacation gone wrong. Very good and well written! Loved the narrator of the audiobook also!

*Thank you Little Brown for the copy in exchange for an honest review.*