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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Pulse pounding intensity! Once it starts it's a rollercoaster ride to the end. The narrator, Mela Lee, does an excellent job of conveying emotions. I would definitely read another by this author.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Vomit, Car accident
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence
4.5
While the plot was silly and over the top at times I had so much fun reading
While the plot was silly and over the top at times I had so much fun reading
Heather Baxter married Tom, a widowed doctor with young kids after moving from a small community to Seattle. Tom is supposed to be going to a work conference in Australia and the kids manage to guilt-trip him into taking everyone with him. After all, who doesn’t want to see Koalas and Kangaroos, right?
While on this failure of a vacation trip, some locals listen to their complaints of not seeing a single cool animal since they landed. They offer to take them to their strictly no-visitors and very private island, where apparently they are plagued by Koalas, for the fine price of $900.
Everything looks sketchy but the kids want to see the koalas, and as soon as they set foot on the island, a nightmare begins. The kids hate Heather, no matter how hard she tries to please them, and when the Baxters are forced to separate, Heather is stuck with the kids, which seems like a recipe for disaster.
Heather must save herself and the kids. Between the Australian heat and the persecution of the locals, the chances of survival are starting to look grim. Heather knows that she has been underestimated her whole life. Now she must prove everyone wrong if she wants to see the light of another day. She must step up and be the mom the kids clearly need, even when that means doing the unthinkable to keep them all alive.
The book is action-packed from beginning to end. It had me with white knuckles while holding my iPad. The tension is palpable and you want to scream “LOOK OUT” because of course we can see the danger from a mile ahead and the characters seem oblivious to everything. I seriously enjoyed this book. I was going to rate it 3.5 stars but as I was thinking back to how much I enjoyed reading it, I'm bumping it to 4 stars. My only issue is the ending… After having about 6 mini heart attacks, the ending was too abrupt for my liking. I wanted to see more. Yay for a happy ending but come on!!! After having us be part of the chase, you’re just going to cut it short right on the best part? UGH!!!!
Maybe I was expecting a bit more like The Chain, but I am pleased with the outcome of the book.
Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read the very new and upcoming book of one of my favorites.
While on this failure of a vacation trip, some locals listen to their complaints of not seeing a single cool animal since they landed. They offer to take them to their strictly no-visitors and very private island, where apparently they are plagued by Koalas, for the fine price of $900.
Everything looks sketchy but the kids want to see the koalas, and as soon as they set foot on the island, a nightmare begins. The kids hate Heather, no matter how hard she tries to please them, and when the Baxters are forced to separate, Heather is stuck with the kids, which seems like a recipe for disaster.
Heather must save herself and the kids. Between the Australian heat and the persecution of the locals, the chances of survival are starting to look grim. Heather knows that she has been underestimated her whole life. Now she must prove everyone wrong if she wants to see the light of another day. She must step up and be the mom the kids clearly need, even when that means doing the unthinkable to keep them all alive.
The book is action-packed from beginning to end. It had me with white knuckles while holding my iPad. The tension is palpable and you want to scream “LOOK OUT” because of course we can see the danger from a mile ahead and the characters seem oblivious to everything. I seriously enjoyed this book. I was going to rate it 3.5 stars but as I was thinking back to how much I enjoyed reading it, I'm bumping it to 4 stars. My only issue is the ending… After having about 6 mini heart attacks, the ending was too abrupt for my liking. I wanted to see more. Yay for a happy ending but come on!!! After having us be part of the chase, you’re just going to cut it short right on the best part? UGH!!!!
Maybe I was expecting a bit more like The Chain, but I am pleased with the outcome of the book.
Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read the very new and upcoming book of one of my favorites.
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was okay on audio! Until the gunshot effects began. The writing itself becomes a bit repetitive, but that is challenging to avoid since the story takes place over a couple of days. My complaint here is that the tension waned at times as the children began to meander and play. The book did make me want to go back to Australia, and avoid near-abandoned islands at all costs.
Höga förväntningar eftersom McKintys bok Kedjan var en femma för mig.
Heather, Tom och hans två tonårsbarn åker till Australien för en konferens, och på grund av att barnen tjatar om att få se koalor hamnar de på en färja till en privat ö, där det sker en olycka som drar in dem i en mardröm.
Första mysteriet är varför de går med på att ta familjen på en färja med två uppenbart obehagliga män till en ö som styrs av någon som de säger absolut inte skulle välkomna dem dit. Ganska snabbt blev jag också förvirrad av dialog och karaktärer. Flera konstiga ordväxlingar och utskrivna tankar fick mig redan från början att tänka ”har jag missat några sidor?” Det var till exempel Heathers ständiga och konstigt formulerade tankar om hur mycket hon älskar Tom (trots att han var både nedlåtande och ointressant) och om egentligen vad som helst när hon rimligtvis i stället skulle fokusera på att överleva. Eller att vissa saker upprepas så mycket att man tror att de är viktiga, men de visar sig mest vara viktiga för författaren (som allt snack om bilen de hyr).
Sedan följer ganska många otrovärdiga händelser, jag kom förbi dem endast genom att tänka att det handlade om ett gäng psykopater i en skräckfilm. Allt är annars väldigt orealistiskt och omotiverat. Lite spoiler alert:
Att en 24-årig massageterapeut/sångerska från Seattle plötsligt blir prickskjutande ökensoldat/överlevnadsexpert med vapenkunskaper är bara väldigt otrovärdigt.
MEN! En spännande bladvändare, så den får ändå en trea, om man vet vad man ger sig in på.
Heather, Tom och hans två tonårsbarn åker till Australien för en konferens, och på grund av att barnen tjatar om att få se koalor hamnar de på en färja till en privat ö, där det sker en olycka som drar in dem i en mardröm.
Första mysteriet är varför de går med på att ta familjen på en färja med två uppenbart obehagliga män till en ö som styrs av någon som de säger absolut inte skulle välkomna dem dit. Ganska snabbt blev jag också förvirrad av dialog och karaktärer. Flera konstiga ordväxlingar och utskrivna tankar fick mig redan från början att tänka ”har jag missat några sidor?” Det var till exempel Heathers ständiga och konstigt formulerade tankar om hur mycket hon älskar Tom (trots att han var både nedlåtande och ointressant) och om egentligen vad som helst när hon rimligtvis i stället skulle fokusera på att överleva. Eller att vissa saker upprepas så mycket att man tror att de är viktiga, men de visar sig mest vara viktiga för författaren (som allt snack om bilen de hyr).
Sedan följer ganska många otrovärdiga händelser, jag kom förbi dem endast genom att tänka att det handlade om ett gäng psykopater i en skräckfilm. Allt är annars väldigt orealistiskt och omotiverat. Lite spoiler alert:
Att en 24-årig massageterapeut/sångerska från Seattle plötsligt blir prickskjutande ökensoldat/överlevnadsexpert med vapenkunskaper är bara väldigt otrovärdigt.
MEN! En spännande bladvändare, så den får ändå en trea, om man vet vad man ger sig in på.