Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This was a lot darker and gorier than I imagined it would be. Very gruesome for a YA book. I was having a hard time connecting to Femi in the beginning but he grows on you. The way he treated his brother and dad was appalling but the character development was very well done.

There’s so much emotion here and honestly the ending caught me by surprise. I felt so bad for everyone dying and the motives behind everything. Some of the dialogue was a bit weird, but past that I really enjoyed how this story progressed. I might have to go back and read the author’s debut soon!

This book is a mix of Jurassic Park with a splash of Willie Wonka (without the candy). Sounds like a wild ride, right? Well, buckle up... but maybe don’t expect the rollercoaster to start right away.

The first chunk of the book feels like it’s setting up for something amazing—there’s mystery, there's secrecy, and there's that weird feeling you get when your dad drags you to an island that feels too good to be true (spoiler: it is). But the build-up takes its sweet time. Sure, there’s a cool island with out-of-this-world tech and strange animals, but you’ll have to wade through some awkward pacing before the bodies start dropping and the real fun begins.

Femi, our main guy, is thrown into this bizarre situation, and while the stakes are high, his journey to figure out what's really going on feels a bit... lethargic at first. But once things do kick off, you'll finally get that Jurassic Park vibe, minus the dinosaurs, plus a whole lot of sinister secrets. Just don’t get too attached to anyone. The island’s got plans, and they don’t involve happy endings.

In the end, this book gives you enough thrills to make it worth the trip, but you’ll need some patience to survive the slow, awkward start to get the speculative twisty thriller you were promised.

i had really high hopes for this book, but it fell short for so much of it. the concept and set up was amazing, especially because I love the whole "disaster where we are we need to escape and the real villain is capitalism" trope. however, throughout the course of the book, I kept being disappointed on how different plots were handled and how much attention they got. everything felt very rushed and in the end, I wasn't super satisfied with how everything wrapped up. it had its moments of really amazing writing where I was super invested, but that happened far less times than I would have hoped.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC!
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

When they said Jurassic Park, they MEANT it. I've never seen White Lotus but I have heard a lot about it from my roommates who have watched it and I think both comps for this book are very viable. This book was both horrifying in it's descriptions of death and killer animals/insects and full of incredible world building. Finding out that the living creatures of the island mutated because of a chemical spill felt like something straight out of a comic book. The anti-colonialism in the book was a really great part of the story as well. Instead of the island simply failing on it's own because of technology, the native people had a hand in actually destroying the corrupt business men who took over their island. It felt like poetic justice even though a lot of bad also came from trying to take back their freedom. Overall this was a great story about love, loss and familial bonds.

3.5 stars
Femi and his brother are headed to a mysterious island with their father on a business trip. They have signed non-disclosure agreements and have no idea what to expect. What ends up happening is more than any of them could have imagined.

The island was intriguing and exciting. Femi explores quite a bit and finds himself in a questionable situation. While feeling he could be doing more good than harm, he agrees to some blackmail. Soon afterward, the island is absolute chaos with the animals running free and many attacking. What ensues is the fight of his life and for the lives of many others. It’s full of excitement and fast-paced adventure but also quite a bit of gore and death. It definitely had a Jurassic Park feel which I loved, but I also felt the characters were not as developed as I would’ve liked. If you love a sci fi adventure full of life-threatening situations then this one is for you!

Thank you to @FierceReads for the copy!

The book releases September 17, 2024.

This mixes family tensions and terrifying creatures so well.

When Femi accompanies his brother and their father on a trip to an unimaginable private island, he hopes he can make the most of it. The waters may be choppy between he and his father and brother, but he won’t let the tension get to him, especially when he sees a familiar face on the island…

This island is a modern marvel. Shrouded in mystery, it’s supposed to be incredibly luxurious, with remarkable wildlife and endless things to occupy your time. Unfortunately, shortly after they arrive it becomes evident that something is wrong with these animals. They are starting to attack and they. are. smart. The science fiction aspects of this book were something I really appreciated. As well as the ultimate message, one that becomes clear as we see what is really going on on this island…

The intensity is pretty high in this one, with action on almost every page. It was very entertaining and I LOVED the characters.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

When we got to the point in the novel where MC was beat boxing their way to victory...it sent me. I literally was sitting there, stopped reading and said "What?" to myself.

Super strange and eerie, having a great suspense and adventure while delving into psychological mysteries. Bright and atmospheric, but also very odd and ecclectic.