Fast paced, quickly read, The Island by Adrian McKinty is a whopper of a tale similar to the American film Deliverance, which sends chills through me. This story, which is like an Aussie version of that movie (sort of) is terrifying. While it sometimes jumps the shark a bit, it could happen. There are rednecks weirdos everywhere! In this version, there is the bad family overseen by the frightening MA and her weird brood. You can see them, because Mr. McKInty makes them so visual .....tall, large, muscled, dirty, overalls, jeans that haven't been washed...you know the look. And there's the foreign "good" family, a boy, a girl, the Father, and the bad ass Mom, the protagonist of the book. There's a massive red ant hill that eats human bodies...yuck, it still freaks me out thinking about that, and a small 2 by 3 mile Island that, of course, one can't get off of because you have to take the ferry that is run by one of the bad family and it's tied up to the wrong side of the shark infested water. I mean! Anyway, I LOVED the book, read it in two days, and I look forward to reading more of Mr. Kckinty's books. Stephen King would like it! Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Publishing for the arc.

Already picked up by Hulu you just know this is going to be great I will be recommending this to my followers who are obsessed with thrillers.

After reading “The Chain” by Adrian McKinty and LOVING it, I knew I’d want to check out “The Island” right away! I will warn you that the first 30% of this book drags a bit but once you get to the action.. oh man! The rest of this book had me on the edge of my seat. There are some gruesome parts and gives full on deliverance vibes but set in the Australian outback. I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a gritty thriller with plenty of heart pounding moments!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Tom has a conference in Australia. He is a Doctor and he decides to take the whole family along for a family vacation. His ex wife died awhile ago and his kids don't want anything to do with their new Mom, Heather.
When Tom, Heather and their two kids, Olivia and Owen get to Australia they meet Matt and Jacko. Jacko tells them that they are from across the bay and that there is a private island and that there are lots of koalas there along with wallabies, echidna's, wombats and that it is like a Jurassic Park. Matt tells them that no visitors are allowed. Olivia and Owen beg to see it. Tom asks them if there is a ferry and that they are willing to pay to see it. Matt shakes his head and says that there is a ferry but his Ma does not like visitors. Jacko then asks Tom how much he is willing to pay. They talk about the price and Tom says he won't pay more than $600.00. Jacko says $900.00, you will be missing out, its a very special place. Unique. Animals everywhere! We make our own electricity, grow our own food, no phones, no taxes, and no law enforcement. We even have penguin too. Olivia begs again! Petra and Hans overhear them talk about it, and Hans says if they can come too they will be able to pay the difference. Then Jacko says that they have a deal. So they all take the ferry to the Island and they aren't there too long when something horrorific happens and it turns out to be a nighmare.

This was a very intense read! It is so strange. This was a fast paced action packed read. The action starts out straight from the beginning and does not let go until the end. I could not put it down. It is one crazy insane thriller. It's all about survival. It made my heart pound and when I finished it, I had to catch my breath. This book is horrific and a nightmare. I loved it.
This is my first book by this author and I now can't wait to read the author's book, The Chain.

I want to thank Novel Suspects, Hachette Books, Netgalley, Little Brown and Company for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. (less)

4 stars! Thank you Netgalley for the arc. This book was so action packed and fast paced. If you like totally outrageous action movies than this is the book for you. After I suspended disbelief (in a major way) this was such a fun and wild ride.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of "The Island" by Adrian McKinty. What was apparently first titled "The Chase," "The Island" revolves around a blended family on an idyllic Australian vacation when horror and tragedy strikes. Although I raced through the book easily, I thought the writing was somewhat lazy. The author did not give enough backstory or description to some of the events or character's emotions. It felt rushed and mostly implausible. I am thankful for the opportunity to review but I was just not a fan.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Island by Adrian McKinty.

This is what my husband and I listened to on the road, and let me tell you, WE WERE NOT BORED.

A normal blended family from Seattle are accompanying Tom, dad and new husband along to Australia for a conference. But shortly before leaving, the children insist on seeing more of the brush, especially wildlife. After being approached by a few locals who offer them a ferry to a remote island, the parents jump on it to appease their children.

But this is no ordinary island. It's indigenous land with a brutal history and very little connection to the country. After driving around seeing the sights, the couple is ready to take their family back to the safety of the mainland. But a tragic accident on the way back to the ferry means that this little family may be staying on the island for a terrifyingly indefinite amount of time.

The first half drags a bit, after a while we were ready to move on the good stuff. But the good stuff is great! I loved Heather, the step mom and all over badass who pulls out all of her wilderness training to...well, you'll have to read it to find out. This is gritty, make no mistake. It's bloody and wild, but if you need a full scorched earth adventure in the dangerous Outback wilderness, grab this immediately!

After The Chain I had really high hopes for this book and it didn’t disappoint me! I loved every twist and turn that this held and it kept me up reading until I finished! Definitely recommend!

Terrifying! Horrifying! Action-packed! An American family of four go to a private island to see some koalas. However, an accident turns this family outing into a nightmare where they are being hunted by the locals. Full of violence and gore, this is not typically the type of book I usually read. However, I found that I could not put it down.

I recommend this to readers who love thrillers, survival stories, and an action-packed storyline. It is truly a page-turner!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this author's first book, The Chain, and had high hopes for this one and it did not disappoint! This story was unique, exhilarating, and kept me on the edge of my seat! I highly recommend this one to everyone if you are looking for an entertaining thriller!

Thank you to Netgalley, Adrian Mckinney, and the publisher for this advanced copy in an exchange for a honest review!

I love a good thriller so when I read this description and some reviews I knew I had to read it. too! This book takes place on an island in Australia, where a family is trapped and needs to use their smarts/whits to survive against the wild crazed island inhabitants. This inhabitants are violent and intend to kill them. Is it a top 10 for me no, but was it engrossing and a fun read - YES! It will keep you turning the pages

Thank you Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC

THIS BOOK SHOOK ME and it made my adventurous spirit say hear me roar with bloody delight!

Action packed and full of suspense that had me ravenously turning pages to find what turmoil this family would be put through next.

A mix of Gilligan’s island and Riker’s island this is the last Island you would ever want to be trapped.

My mama bear came out!

Had high hopes for this one as i loved the chain and it did not disappoint

Finally a gripping thriller that i loved. Without a doubt definitely edge of your seat, page turner intense battle of survival. A kill or be killed situation.

Wow! This book grabs you and doesn't let go. This book has it all...action, thrills and horror. Be prepared for a roller coaster ride that will leave your mouth open whispering "omg."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Another great book by Adrian McKinty. A whole book of just suspense! Action, action, suspense, murder, animals? The cast of characters in this book is completely insane. You get to know every vital character real well. The end is something that I didn’t see coming and was a great twist to seal the book. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy!

What happens when your family gets stranded on an island with psychopaths? This is the Australian version of Deliverance. While it was a twisty, turny read with lots of action and adventure, it is not for the squeemish.

Well, that was intense. A widowed doctor, his two kids, and new wife are in Australia on a working vacation when things go horribly wrong. As you can imagine, the new wife, Heather, is fighting an uphill battle with the kids and wants them to like her. Because of this, when the kids want to go to an island to look for wildlife, Heather is gungho. The island, only accessible by ferry, is off-limits to outsiders, has no phone or internet service but is beautiful. Almost immediately upon setting foot on the island the family realizes they've made a grave mistake.

The Island embodies one of my favorite quotes: "Where you stand determines what you see." From across the channel the island looks idyllic. Change your prospective and it is anything but. Including the people. Tom, the husband, is the perfect man for Heather back home in the US. Heather, from the kids perspective, is a moron who is trying to replace their mom. And the kids are no peaches, either. Everything changes on the island and in order to survive they will have to work together and catch a little luck.

A fast read with wild characters and plenty of tension, The Island is not for the faint of heart. The Island was really good but it could have been great. I would have liked to have more information on the mama of the clan. She's feared by the rest of the clan but McKinty offers no explanation why. Also, the ending was kind of abrupt but satisfying nonetheless. I was surprised by how much I liked the The Island when I was done.

My sincere thanks to Adam McKinty, Little, Brown & Company, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Island.

Fantastic! My pulse rate was increased for most of the book. I can see why they are turning this into a series because it was just like a movie in my mind. Twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and a few scenes that will haunt me for years to come. I absolutely loved it!! Highly recommend.

In many ways this has all of the hallmarks of what I consider to be a terrific Suspense/Thriller, though I’ll confess to having some mixed feelings about it.

The plot for this is fantastic and features two of my favorite thriller themes: survival in harsh conditions and the good old “The Most Dangerous Game” trope.

The action is exceptionally well structured and written, with some familiar elements as well as some new horrors to contend with including man eating ants and a very interesting spin on nefarious survivalists.

And Heather is a terrifically good heroine who is unusually complex for the genre and about as easy to root for as they come.

What I didn’t love: Dog executions by the protagonist, which weren’t critical to the plot, were graphically described, and included the phrase “Blue’s head exploded,” referring to an ancient, limping pet who was just tracking as instructed by its master. I knocked off two stars for this and I honestly considered knocking off more. I also don’t care for the constant threat of rape of all of the female protagonists (including a teenage girl). Male authors, please stop doing this.

Those things took enough enjoyment of the book away for me that it significantly impacted my overall feelings about it. I really liked The Chain (which included no off-putting elements like these), but without them this would have been the better story of the two.

Mostly it’s still a fun read and if you don’t care about things like this, you’ll likely find it exceptional.

Another great book by Adrian McKinty! If you want another edge of your seat thriller, this is the book for you!