“Device Free Weekend” by Sean Doolittle is a reunion between seven college friends, with an extreme twist: one of them is a billionaire with a terrible plan for the future of his company and the rest are locked in his high tech home to make a choice on how the plan plays out. Extreme and adventurous, this thriller was not only a puzzle, but a critique on social media itself.

A trip to a boujie island by one of your good, rich friends always sounds like a good idea, right? WRONG. This trip was one of those trips that you could never imagine would happen. Especially when you think you know your friends, but you must not really. Watching these friendships unravel was interesting and horrifying at the same time. Especially after you hear the plan.

It felt like this book through the Ryan Cloverhill character is really professing the evils of technology, which is what he made his living on. You could feel the various inspirations for his character and it created a combination that I didn’t really like. In fact, there wasn’t one character in particular that I felt overly invested in.

However, this book did keep me guessing and had an interesting take on a “And Then There Were None” scenario, minus people dying one by one. Overall, I think this was a 4 star read, with the story really taking off in the second half.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book releases February 28th!

Very fun premise, well-written, plotted, and executed. I enjoyed the writer's style and creative ideas about eccentric tech billionaires and the things that motivate them. They characters were compelling and the story was very unique. I'll definitely check out this writer's next book!

They haven’t all been together since University but when the invite came for an all expense paid vacation on a private island, the gang can’t help but be excited and curious about their friend Ryan who went on to become a billionaire. This isn’t just a friendly reunion however, Ryan wants them trapped in his private mansion to help him make a big and deadly decision. If you go into this story willing and able to suspend all belief then you can be better prepared for the crazy level of this book.

Now this, this is my kind of story!
As soon as I read the title I knew I had to read it!
As soon as I read the description I knew I would devour it!

Device Free Weekend by Sean Doolittle was everything I was anticipating it would be.

The author created quite an incredible story with the build-up of the suspense, the vivid descriptions that kept me fully engaged.
I enjoyed the secluded island, vacation weekend turned bad, no technology allowed.... It made for an amazing setting and atmosphere!
I really had a blast reading this one.

I'm rating this a five star because I literally couldn't put it down.
I was finding every excuse to pick my Kindle up to read one more page!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book was promising. Especially with all of the Tech billionaires doing weird stuff at the moment. I was excited to read this one.

The plot?

Ryan Cloverhill, founder and CEO of the world’s favorite social media platform, has purchased his own island. One way in and many ways out. And he wants to share the wealth with his friends with an all-expense paid trip to the island. A weekend they won’t forget. Friends since school, the now 50-something group is about to find out some new things about their old friend!

On the second day the friends slowly wake up from an alcohol-induced fog to find they have been drugged, all of their electronics are gone and they can’t open the door. Okay, this just turned into something else entirely.

As a screen drops down and they have to find the password to unlock the rules and the supposed purpose for this.

As a couple of the friends escape and try to find out what is going on, they find they are not the only ones on the island and their “friend’ Ryan has some nasty stuff planned!

This started out promising and then I got lost in all of the tech talks and I found myself skimming through, eager for the end.

NetGalley/February 28th, 2023 Grand Central Publishing

This gives very one on one by Ruth Ware vibes. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt it was quite compelling and I couldn't put it down! I just wanted to see what was going to happen next!

This was great! An excellent thought project on where we are currently in society with Social Media and near constant connection. Character development was pretty good, even though I loathed one character in particular. I think the circumstances surrounding the events in the story would have been more believable had there been a bit more medical information regarding the main antagonist's possibly health complications that could have contributed to his decision-making and behaviors. I hated that the character who died, died. He was by far the most likable of the group. I did feel like I wanted more detail or maybe even just more personality built in to a few characters who I found a little blah. But overall, the plot and storyline are great! The tension begins almost immediately, maybe because you know what's coming and are anticipating it, waiting for the first clue? I don't know, but I found the entire story very thought-provoking. Strong 4 stars.

The premise was intriguing. Seven old friends, together on a luxurious private island, no phones or tablets allowed. But it turns out that the entire book is focused on a social media platform and a real life Trolley Problem set up by the island's owner. I found myself not really caring what choice they made about a fictional tech company, or what was going to happen to the characters.

This was great and totally unexpected. I thought it was going to be a current And Then There We’re Now and everyone would die. I loved where this story went. Thrilling, technology, flawed characters on an island. Loved it.

Book Title: Device Free Weekend
Author: Sean Doolittle
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing Group
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: February 28, 2023
My Rating: 3 stars


Ryan Cloverhill is an eccentric billionaire. He invites six friends to his private island. The only stipulation is that he will not allow cell phones, laptops, iPads or tablets. He will not allow his guests to contact the outside world by phone or the internet. Ryan states that this is a private event therefore no outside communication will be permitted.
Upon arriving at the island, Ryan collects all their electronic devices.

Hmm I have to admit I thought a weekend similar to “the Big Chill” would be fun (but I knew better).
Couldn't find anyone dancing around in the kitchen to 50’s music!

I read both “The Dream Job” as well as “The Missing” both by Kiersten Modglin that had to do with device few. In the “The Dream Job’ there are six applicants who are taken to an isolated cabin and competing for a high paying job by competing in a series of challenges.
In “The Missing” there are five strangers who are taken to an isolated island where they are part of deadly game of survival.
Nope wasn’t like either of these two either.
Although not the great read I was hoping it was okay.

Want to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this early uncorrected proof.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 28, 2023

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for my gifted advance digital copy!

Billionaire Ryan Cloverhill invites his five oldest friends on a device-free weekend retreat to a private island off of the coast of Washington state. Though they’ve gradually drifted apart in the years following graduation, they’re all eager to reconnect. The morning after their arrival, however, Ryan has disappeared, leaving a mysterious tablet in his place. The friends scramble to figure out what’s going on and where Ryan is before it’s all too late.

The premise of this one had me intrigued, but the execution fell somewhat flat for me. It took me a while to figure out the who’s who of Ryan’s friend group, and even when I did the characters all seemed pretty one dimensional. The only one I really liked or sympathized with was Perry, but even that feeling was fleeting.

The tech-heavy passages really lost me, and I found myself skimming over some of the detail-heavy paragraphs, especially as I neared the end. This novel has a very high stakes conflict at the center of its plot, but I didn’t feel any high stakes tension.

This was a miss for me, but I’m not a huge fan of action thrillers or tech fiction, so take this review for what you will.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for Goodreads

Six friends get an invitation to Sham Rock island an island owned by their billionaire friend Ryan Cloverhill.
Mayhem and destruction abounds in this edge of your seat thriller.
Thanks NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC that will be released February 27th!

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Friends invited to an island of an old friend with the catch of no technology. What is thought to be a relaxing weekend turns into a nightmare. This had me guessing until the end - so well written and so full of twists of turns. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

An excellent locked room thriller taking place on a secluded island with no technology allowed. Original and highly spooky!

Full of action and suspense, I thought the overall idea of this book was interesting. Actually put into words though, it was a little drawn out and a bit confusing. It also seemed so unlikely to happen in real life that I was a little turned off.

Thanks for the opportunity to read Device Free Weekend. I loved the concept of this novel but I struggled to get into the story like I had hoped.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I usually love vacation stories gone wrong, but this one missed the mark for me. None of the characters were particularly engaging, and the plot both dragged and meandered in several parts.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. Although I thought some of the writing was clever, I didn’t care enough about the story or the characters to see it through. I stopped at 37%.

I typically love vacation-gone-wrong stories, so I was excited to pick this one up. 7 friends, a quiet island, what on earth could go wrong? I have to say this one didn’t live up to my expectations as I found the execution disappointing at times, and parts of the plot simply over the top unbelievable. I will still look forward to seeing what else this author comes up with next, but this one just wasn’t meant for me! Thank you Grand Central & Netgalley for providing an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a ride. I love the mystery aspect that the author brought to the table here. It went by very quickly and was an engaging read.