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.

As a festival fan I was looking forward to reading this book. I was not disappointed, it's a really clever story and very well written. I loved it.

I love Sarah Goodwin novels and this is no exception. A great place to go - a festival and of course its on an island and things go very wrong.
A thriller that was a lot of fun
The cover is really stunning!

A book based on the ill-fated Frye festival sounded like a great idea. And it still does. Not this one, though, because despite the description it really isn’t based on that festival at all, plus it’s poorly written and has such a ridiculous ending that everything that came before it doesn’t even matter.

If you care, Jodi,Ari and Carla are roommates who have won tickets to the music festival of the summer, set to take place on a Greek island. It’s going to be super exclusive, filled with influencers and celebrities (there are none of either of these, by the way, and once they arrive the girls don’t seem concerned by the fact that there aren’t any. The fact never comes up.). When they arrive it’s a bit different than advertised. Then things get worse.

So, as I said, the description doesn’t really match what happens in the book, and the book leaves a lot to be desired. You could have your easy-to-please teen read it if you want to warn her off music festivals, I guess. I’ll give it one star extra for that possible service as a PSA.

From the very beginning, The Island sets the scene with an intensity us thriller lovers live for. The author's description of the festival was written in such an atmospheric way that it felt like you were actually there. You're immediately thrown into the tension and wanting to know how we got here. In true psychological thriller fashion, the book turns slow burn as the backstory is laid out and ends in a climatic and pulse-pounding crescendo. It doesn't feel too drawn out though and keeps you engaged/hooked throughout. This is my first book from this author, and I really appreciate her writing and how she describes the settings and people. The verbiage helps you picture the scene perfectly while not being overly wordy. That's a talent many authors struggle with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read this digital ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was brilliant, really exciting and creepy and I couldn't put it down until I found out what would happen! Another fantastic book from Sarah Goodwin.

Jody moves in with uni friends after the break up of an abusive relationship, trying to take her mind of her situation Ari tells her she's won tickets to an all expenses paid festival on an island in Greece. Despite not feeling the vibe, she goes with them. But once on the island, nothing is as advertised and Jody's anxiety and paranoia come back to the forefront as she sees her ex everywhere.
I found this a quick and easy read, however it's not my favourite book by the author, Stranded still takes my top spot but its an ideal holiday read, but only if you're not on a concrete "beach"

Another gripping thriller from Sarah.

In the Island we follow Jody who has recently left an abusive relationship. When encouraged to join her housemates at an exclusive first time festival in Greece, the friends hopes that it'll provide a fresh start, prove false as they discover that the Island is home to monsters even worse than those Jody had hoped to leave behind.

Containing a number of triggering subjects including coercive and physical abuse, we watch as Jody and her friends relationship is pushed to the limit as Jody's behaviour appears to become more erratic and paranoid in her quest to hide from her fears.

Challenging your perceptions about the true nature of people you know and love, as well as those who you just meet, this is a book which may leave you thinking, once your pulse rate returns to normal.

I loved the sound of this book. However I found it to be so slow that I switched off. The characters were okay, but it just lacked punch for me .I wanted more to happen earlier in the book, so that I got caught up in it more.

A decent summer beach read. A bit slow to start with but it soon gets going into a super read. Holiday island, festival (?), Sun,and the beach all rolls up into your perfect summer holiday read.

Suspenseful, easy read!

Just what I was looking for on my vacation.

Thanks for the opportunity to read it!

A great read and one I enjoyed reading before going on holiday to Greece. It was fast paced and a quick read. The writing was good and I enjoyed the suspense twists and turns.

I have read nearly every book by Sarah Goodwin. Everytime i am alerted of a new upcoming book i know i have to get my hands on it. Once again a great thriller read that will captivate and engross you in the reading process.

The Island follows Jodi who has moved in with her two flatmates Ari and Carla after her breakup with her abusive ex boyfriend. After winning tickets to an exclusive festival on a private greek island with promises of having the best summer. Jodi wants to stay at home where she knows she is safe but eventually embarks on the journey. The festival soon becomes clear all is not as it was described as but they try to make it still fun after all what could go wrong right?

The book starts off slow but quickly amps up the tension with twists and turns as we go alongside Jodi and learn about her past and trying to figure out who she can trust. This was a thrill entertaining read that has characters that you will root for and some not so much. The atmosphere was described in great detail, i was totally engrossed and enjoyed this book. Would definitely recommend

A big thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and Avon Books for the copy of this arc in exchange of my full honest review.

Unfortunately this isn’t my favourite of the authors books and I have read them all! I don’t know why it didn’t work for me but possibly the setting which I did struggle to engage with as well as characters who didn’t seem as 3 dimensional as they usually are. I was tempted to stop reading a couple of time but did persevere until the end but it wasn’t really for me.

This was an alright read but the title is very misleading. The plot was unique but a little loose. It moved at a decent pace and has some twists and turns. I do feel they could have worked on character development a little better as I didn’t really empathize or connect with the characters. It was a very unique scene and atmosphere and it flowed alright. This was a decent summer read and I’d say give it a go but not my absolute fave

What a great read. Absolutely loved it. Could not put it down

Thank you for the opportunity to review

This starts with a great premise- a new festival, a reluctant attendee and some strange goings on. However, for me, the book rapidly descended into a confused jumble of storylines with far too many things happening to Jody to be believable and far too few people noticing/caring that they are dancing on landfill!

"The Island" by Sarah Goodwin is a total trip!

It had me reliving my wild LA raving days in the 90s – that whole underground desert party scene, complete with the sketchy vibes and the promise of something unexpected. Goodwin perfectly captures the thrill and the danger, and the characters are just real enough to make you wonder where the line between reality and performance blurs. Not for the faint of heart, but for anyone who craves a jolt of adrenaline-fueled nostalgia, this is a must-read. 4.5 out of 5 stars!

This is the first novel I’ve read by the author and although it got off to a promising start it became rather rushed and ridiculous.
Jody and her flatmates Ari and Carla, win tickets to an exclusive music festival on a Greek island. As soon as they arrive they realise something isn’t quite right; there’s a stench of rubbish, brown dust everywhere, the beach setting is less than idyllic and there seems to be an absence of festival staff on site. The author’s description of the festival site is very atmospheric and really sets the scene. There is a build up of tension and I was on edge reading it waiting for something to happen. However I feel that the tension was dragged out for too long and when the pace quickened towards the end I was beginning to lose interest and found the ending rather ridiculous,
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

I enjoy Sarah Goodwin's books, and this latest one is no exception. She's great at building up suspense, and you get a real feel for the festival island .I could almost taste the dust and smell the unpleasant odors of that place. I did think the end was a little bit rushed and overdone. Thank you # netgalley for this advanced copy.