This destination thriller sounded like a perfect summer read. Based on the ill-fated Fyre Festival, we meet Jody, Carla and Ari, roommates who have won tickets to a new and exclusive festival on a Greek Island. Eager to get away from reality for a long weekend, they jump at the opportunity to go but what they face when they get there is a mile away from what they had been expecting.

As always with this style of thriller there's the promise of a lush and exclusive setting, of glamour and celebrity and a whole heap of drama. I will openly admit that I read this style of book for a thrill fest that's enjoyable fluff and whips by at a fast pace and based on the premise that's what I was expecting, unfortunately it wasn't what I got.

There is a little bit of that but it was overall pretty slow and much more at front and centre was a domestic violence/abuse and coercive control storyline with a character (Jody) traumatised by her previously relationship and haunted by her narcissistic ex (Nick).

It's an important storyline, don't get me wrong, and should and must be talked about, but it was out of place in this type of book and if I'd known I probably wouldn't have picked it up to read. There is a note at that start mentioning the potential for triggers and the author's afterword is an important insight into the book (with potential spoilers) and I wish I'd read it first so that I was in the right mind set of what to expect.

I also felt let down by the ending which was pretty ridiculous and most of the action of the book takes place in the last 20% but by that point I was tired of Jody who had been an unreliable narrator throughout (a trope that didn't work for me this time) and there had been a lot of repetition and running around in circles.

Overall, this was a miss for me unfortunately.

2.25*

Thank you to Avon Books UK | Avon and Netgalley for an eArc of "The Island" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

I’ve been a fan of this author’s previous work and was looking forward to reading The Island. However, I was disappointed with this novel. For me it lacked pace, I didn’t particularly like any of the main characters and I just didn’t enjoy this book. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to review.

I am a fan of this authors previous books so when I saw she had a new release I jumped at the chance to read it.
The plot of this one definitely seems to be inspired by Fyre festival and some other infamous events and as a big festival goer, this added to my intrigue going in to this.
First off, I liked the setting in Greece and this did really add to the atmosphere throughout the whole book. The relationship between the three friends came across as real and to begin with, I liked them all.
We are following the POV of Jody, who is an unreliable narrator throughout the whole book. This is not my favourite plot device but I went with it.
I was invested right from the start and was interested in what was going to happen. As per usual with this author the writing style really drew me in and kept me reading chapter to chapter and it was all flowing well and it was a easy read.
However for most of the story it did feel like it was just the protagonist running around in circles being paranoid, with not a lot actually happening. This did begin to spoil my enjoyment as it began to feel a bit repetitive and my interest dipped.
Most of the plot happens in the last 20% of the book and by that time I was fed up and annoyed with the character of Jody.
I have to say that I wasn't a fan of how this all played out. It felt a bit ridiculous and I was left feeling disappointed by the ending.
This is not a bad book by any stretch of the imagination and I did enjoy the first half of it. It just didn't completely work for me.
This is my least favourite book by this author but I would read her future releases.

Adored this so much have already recommend to all my friends. We have all read books of this type before but I thought it was a cut above. Superb write I had never heard of. Brilliant.

Jody, Ari, and Carla have won golden tickets to the summer’s hottest music festival, which promises to be full of glamour, mystique and lots of freebies. But upon arrival at the sun-drenched shores of a private Greek island among influencers and celebrities, the trio are dismayed to find the small festival site far from the beacon of music, art, and "immersive experiences" they were promised. Disappointed but not deterred, they vow to make the most of the trip. Then a shocking discovery on day three turns the festival into a nightmare, and they find themselves trapped on the island with no escape.

This is my first Sarah Goodwin book which sounded so promising on first glances. The book title is misleading and it would have been better being entitled, The Festival, or something similar. The book held my interest although it was slow and incredibly unrealistic.

I found the characters unlikeable, in particular Jody who was more of a whinge than endearing. Not to mention her friends who were equally as unlikeable.

With that being said, I liked the festival location of the book and with a little work, thought the book could be really great.

I gave the book 3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher who gave me the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Island by Sarah Goodwin.

I could not put this down!! Every time I thought there couldn’t be another cliffhanger, it came and smacked me in the face! I have read a couple of Sarah’s books before, The Yacht being my favourite, and this definitely was on a par.

I didn’t predict the ending, it was teased all the way through the book, but I wasn’t expecting the big climax.

Thoroughly enjoyed every page, a big 5/5 stars from me!

I think I may be islanded out,having read quite a few set on islands ( reunions,family holidays,honeymoons etc ) and various things,none good,happening I wanted this to be snappy and exciting…..it did have elements of this but seemed slow to begin then very quick to end
Look forward to the authors next book

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC

A tense and suspenseful psychological thriller that gripps you from the start. i really enjoyed the locked-room mystery of the book and loved the Grek setting. It was mysterious and enjoyable. A good summer thriller.

Rating: 3.4/5

"The Island" is the fourth novel I have ready by Sarah Goodwin and, overall, I think it is the best of them. Both the title and the official synopsis are a little misleading, however. Having read the acknowledgements section, it would seem that the book was originally planned to be entitled, "The Festival", which would have been more appropriate, I feel. It is also not clear from the marketing blurb that the underpinning theme of this novel is coercive control, in a variety of forms. In fairness to her, the author does forewarn readers that there may be triggers within the story and she directs you to her note at the end of the book for further details relating to this.

I have consistently found something appealing about Sarah Goodwin's novels, but I have also been frustrated by them. Each of the previous three books have started promisingly, before seeming rushed in the latter half. In "The Island" the author has made a decent job of addressing this and a more consistent standard is maintained throughout. There are a few convenient plot developments and behaviour that seems a little out of character, but it is generally within the boundaries of fictional acceptability. On the whole, Sarah Goodwin does manage to maintain the reader's interest and deliver a satisfying read with plenty of suspense. I still think there is better to come from this author, so I am sure I will be back for her next offering.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

A festival getaway and a missing passport… this tense thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat! A totally jaw dropping ending you don’t see coming!

Bravo, Sarah this is a smash hit!

Perfect for those who enjoy:
- Tense destination thrillers
- Festival fiction
- Jaw dropping endings
- Domestic thrillers

With thanks to Avon and Netgalley for an ARC copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for this read.
This was my first read from Sarah Goodwin and I did really enjoy it.
Jody and her friends Carla and Ari win tickets to THE festival of the year in Greece when they get there things are not as they seem, the whole place feels off.

This book was interesting and mysterious but it seemed quite slow with not too much happening throughout a lot of it and then was very rushed at the ending.

A ‘locked room mystery’ set on a heat-ravaged Greek island was always going to be a tall challenge, so I approached this thriller without overly exacting expectations and ready for the implausible. The novel starts with the presentation of protagonist Jodi, who suffers from anxiety and has moved back in with her university friends Carla and Ari in an effort to overcome her challenges. When the friends win free tickets to a coveted Greek music festival, Jodi very reluctantly decides to travel with them, but despite the holiday feeling and hilarity all around her, it does not long until her new surroundings unsettle her: items that go missing, a man who looks uncannily like her unwholesome former partner, a missing girl who resembles her … could it be that Jodi, despite her mental anguish and increasingly paranoid demeanor, is in fact the only lucid character as things go from bad to worse?

A tensely plotted thriller that remixes all the staples of a good thriller, this book will make an excellent summer read, for those of us lucky enough to be able to travel, and for those of us staying behind! Thank you so much to NetGalley, Avon Books UK | Avon, and the author, Sarah Goodwin, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

One of my favourite books of recent years was Sarah Goodwin's debut novel, Stranded. Because of this, I always eagerly await her new novels!

The Island begins with 3 flatmates, Jody, Ari and Carla winning tickets for a new summer music festival in Greece. Despite troubles back home, especially in the case of Jody, the girls are excited at this amazing opportunity. However, on arrival, the festival is far from glamorous and its then events begin to escalate to the point where the girls wonder if they'll make it out alive....

I loved the individual characterisations of the girls, especially Jody, her nervousness, low mood and eventually fear is brilliantly portrayed, as is the relationship between the girls. Sarah has a certain clever way of giving her books a real sense of place and she does this here, I could easily picture and sometimes even almost smell the festival!

The tension is nicely built and escalates throughout, keeping me turning the pages for more.

Another great read from this author, definitely recommended, as are her previous 5 books.

Huge thanks to Sarah Goodwin, publishers Avon and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really thoroughly enjoyed this book. Eye opening book for music festivals specially for young girls.

Jody, Ari and Carla have won tickets to a festival on a private Greek Island.
It doesn't live up to expectations and soon the girls are fearing for their lives.

Unfortunately this is a similar scenario to a book I recently reviewed for Netgalley.

A thriller set during a festival on a Greek island. A decent beach read but the narrative pace disengaged me from the story.

This is the 6th book I've read by Sarah Goodwin and can really say I've enjoyed them all. All very different themed psychological thrillers.

Jody has recent left an abusive relationship has moved in with her friends Ari and Carla. They win some tickets to attend a festival on an island in Greece and they cant wait to get there. All is not as it seems and Jody's not sure if she wants to take part but doesn't want to disappoint her friends. it becomes clear on arrival that things are not quite as promised when they get there but they all decode to make a go of it.

The author gives great descriptions of the location so you really feel you are there which helps build up the tensions.

My only complaint about this book is the title. There are already so many books called The Island and I feel "The Festival" would be far better suited to it.

Another great summer hit from Sarah.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely not my favourite Sarah Goodwin book. I was. looking forward to reading it but it’s very slow and repetitive.
Not a book I would recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I found this book very slow with not much happening. It wasn't exciting and in fact I skipped through some of it after half way. Sorry I don't like to leave a negative review but I have to be honest with how I felt about the book.

3.5 ⭐️
Unfortunately the end was too rushed and far fetched after the rest of the book was so slow.
Enjoyed it (I love a thriller set on holiday/abroad) but probably wouldn’t remember it enough to recommend it.
Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.