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sararah's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
WEIRD
kindlebabe's review against another edition
4.0
Book : Hemlock Island
Author : Kelley Armstrong
Pub Date : 12 Sep 2023
I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to read this arc book and it did not disappoint. I had never read anything from this author and Kelley Armstrong is now one of my favorite authors.
Hemlock Island book a little bit of everything for a horror book (some creepy, some nail biting, secrets…) — it had great detailed characters with strong dialog, amazing world building, twists & turns.
I was so sad when this book ended — I wanted MORE! This book was fast paced and kept me turning pages and guessing what was waiting on the next. This book needs to be on your read list if it isn’t already. I will be recommending this book to all my friends and reading clubs and cannot to read more from this author!
Author : Kelley Armstrong
Pub Date : 12 Sep 2023
I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to read this arc book and it did not disappoint. I had never read anything from this author and Kelley Armstrong is now one of my favorite authors.
Hemlock Island book a little bit of everything for a horror book (some creepy, some nail biting, secrets…) — it had great detailed characters with strong dialog, amazing world building, twists & turns.
I was so sad when this book ended — I wanted MORE! This book was fast paced and kept me turning pages and guessing what was waiting on the next. This book needs to be on your read list if it isn’t already. I will be recommending this book to all my friends and reading clubs and cannot to read more from this author!
rain_97's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
alongcamealana's review against another edition
3.0
This was good until it wasn’t at around 90% in. Maybe it was the audiobook, but it got SO CORNY.
readingonmountains's review against another edition
4.0
I was pulled into this fast-paced twister of a thriller from the get-go. I stayed up way past my bedtime a couple nights in a row to binge read because I just had to know what would happen next and how it would end.
Laney’s been through a rough few years. Her adoring husband built her an idyllic cottage on a remote off-grid island on Lake Superior for her wedding present. But sadly the pandemic did a number on their marriage and they’ve gone their separate ways. Then Laney’s sister got sick and passed away leaving her as the sole guardian of her teenage niece. Times are tough financially too, and to hold onto her island paradise she is forced to rent it out to pay the bills.
When hex circles and bloody body parts start showing up Laney heads to the island to investigate the strange happenings that are creeping the heck out of her guests. Her ex husband shows up with his sister, and her old friend Sadie tags along for the ride with her cop brother. What follows is a wild ride as the motley crew of friends is stranded on a spooky island in a powerful storm.
I’m a big fan of Kelley Armstrong’s books and loved this one, though the ending was definitely not what I expected. This was a great thriller that had me gasping more than once.
Laney’s been through a rough few years. Her adoring husband built her an idyllic cottage on a remote off-grid island on Lake Superior for her wedding present. But sadly the pandemic did a number on their marriage and they’ve gone their separate ways. Then Laney’s sister got sick and passed away leaving her as the sole guardian of her teenage niece. Times are tough financially too, and to hold onto her island paradise she is forced to rent it out to pay the bills.
When hex circles and bloody body parts start showing up Laney heads to the island to investigate the strange happenings that are creeping the heck out of her guests. Her ex husband shows up with his sister, and her old friend Sadie tags along for the ride with her cop brother. What follows is a wild ride as the motley crew of friends is stranded on a spooky island in a powerful storm.
I’m a big fan of Kelley Armstrong’s books and loved this one, though the ending was definitely not what I expected. This was a great thriller that had me gasping more than once.
emgwh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
starcrossreverie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Loved it!
This would've been a 5 stars if the epilogue had been different. I was hoping for a years later timeskip instead of a week later one.
This would've been a 5 stars if the epilogue had been different. I was hoping for a years later timeskip instead of a week later one.
I was not a fan of the beginning. The only thing that kept me going was my love for thrillers taking place in secluded locations. I didn't like the tension between Laney and Kit until they actually started talking about what happened.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault and Rape
thebriary's review against another edition
2.0
you know how boring the miscommunication trope is? turns out super communication is even worse.
willrefuge's review against another edition
3.0
6 / 10 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2023/09/05/hemlock-island-by-kelley-armstrong-review/
Hemlock Island is Laney’s baby. It’s her happy place, her home away from home, the place she goes for quiet, solitude, and inspiration. It’s the perfect place to jog her imagination, and as an author, it’s this that fuels her creativity. It’s also the only good bit of her marriage left after the divorce—and now, to make ends’ meat, she’s forced to rent it out.
Only things have been happening on Hemlock Island. Strange things. Fires, supposed hauntings, hex circles—all of which have put the renters off their vacation. Now it’s up to Laney, and her niece Madison, to check things out.
Only when they prepare the boat to leave, who’s to show up than Laney’s ex and his sister, Laney’s former best friend. And then two more crash the party—another childhood friend (and rival), and her brother. With the party assembled, the crew embarks to check out Hemlock Island. But they’re about to get more than they bargained for.
—
People are never that simple.
—
At its heart, Hemlock Island is a mystery or supernatural thriller masquerading as horror. The creepiness is upstaged by the squabbling, the mystery, the romance for so long that when it finally takes center stage it fails to capture the imagination, the attention it desires. Now, it’s not a bad mystery or thriller, but in trying to cover too many genres, the plot somewhat fails to do any of them too well.
The first (and arguably biggest plot-hole) is Sadie. If I dropped in on one of my childhood friends (someone I really never talk to anymore) and offered to help with that one big problem that they had that I should in no way know about—there would be some questions. That’s what Sadie does here. She and her brother just show up, “to help” after being estranged for many years—and no one bats an eye. It’s not explained any further, nor even questioned afterwards, and it bugged the heck out of me.
One of the more disappointing aspects I discovered was the divorce (and/or romance). See, I generally disparage add-on romances in fiction, but this one—a pandemic-fueled divorce—is quite essential to the plot. Or it would be if it made any sense. Now, how to explain this without spoilers?
Obviously we can’t get into the actual plot, but I’ll give you the crux of it. The pandemic was taxing on so many relationships because it forced people to confront how little they understood their partner, how little they actually had in common, or how far apart they’d grown without noticing. Now I realize this is an oversimplification, but bear with me. That’s not the issue in Hemlock Island. Instead it’s… they didn’t talk about it. That’s it. And to have that presented as a pandemic-fueled divorce seems like a lie, not to mention a tremendous disappointment.
Don’t get me wrong—this was an interesting read. Immersive, if not captivating, fast-paced and thrilling, mysterious in most good ways. The plot of Hemlock Island is… sufficient. In that I mean it’s immersive enough when you’re reading it, but don’t expect to ruminate over its complexities upon completion. It’s more the kind that you’ll forget the story within days of its passing. But that’s okay. Grab this for a long commute, a layover, a travel-day. It’s not going to blow you away—but should be sufficient to entertain (and even thrill) no matter how many distractions you have to put up with.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2023/09/05/hemlock-island-by-kelley-armstrong-review/
Hemlock Island is Laney’s baby. It’s her happy place, her home away from home, the place she goes for quiet, solitude, and inspiration. It’s the perfect place to jog her imagination, and as an author, it’s this that fuels her creativity. It’s also the only good bit of her marriage left after the divorce—and now, to make ends’ meat, she’s forced to rent it out.
Only things have been happening on Hemlock Island. Strange things. Fires, supposed hauntings, hex circles—all of which have put the renters off their vacation. Now it’s up to Laney, and her niece Madison, to check things out.
Only when they prepare the boat to leave, who’s to show up than Laney’s ex and his sister, Laney’s former best friend. And then two more crash the party—another childhood friend (and rival), and her brother. With the party assembled, the crew embarks to check out Hemlock Island. But they’re about to get more than they bargained for.
—
People are never that simple.
—
At its heart, Hemlock Island is a mystery or supernatural thriller masquerading as horror. The creepiness is upstaged by the squabbling, the mystery, the romance for so long that when it finally takes center stage it fails to capture the imagination, the attention it desires. Now, it’s not a bad mystery or thriller, but in trying to cover too many genres, the plot somewhat fails to do any of them too well.
The first (and arguably biggest plot-hole) is Sadie. If I dropped in on one of my childhood friends (someone I really never talk to anymore) and offered to help with that one big problem that they had that I should in no way know about—there would be some questions. That’s what Sadie does here. She and her brother just show up, “to help” after being estranged for many years—and no one bats an eye. It’s not explained any further, nor even questioned afterwards, and it bugged the heck out of me.
One of the more disappointing aspects I discovered was the divorce (and/or romance). See, I generally disparage add-on romances in fiction, but this one—a pandemic-fueled divorce—is quite essential to the plot. Or it would be if it made any sense. Now, how to explain this without spoilers?
Obviously we can’t get into the actual plot, but I’ll give you the crux of it. The pandemic was taxing on so many relationships because it forced people to confront how little they understood their partner, how little they actually had in common, or how far apart they’d grown without noticing. Now I realize this is an oversimplification, but bear with me. That’s not the issue in Hemlock Island. Instead it’s… they didn’t talk about it. That’s it. And to have that presented as a pandemic-fueled divorce seems like a lie, not to mention a tremendous disappointment.
Don’t get me wrong—this was an interesting read. Immersive, if not captivating, fast-paced and thrilling, mysterious in most good ways. The plot of Hemlock Island is… sufficient. In that I mean it’s immersive enough when you’re reading it, but don’t expect to ruminate over its complexities upon completion. It’s more the kind that you’ll forget the story within days of its passing. But that’s okay. Grab this for a long commute, a layover, a travel-day. It’s not going to blow you away—but should be sufficient to entertain (and even thrill) no matter how many distractions you have to put up with.
kimberlyf's review against another edition
5.0
“The worst thing is that someone now knows every inch of your private space and they can do whatever they want to it and maybe, to you.”
Kit, Laney’s ex-husband, purchased Hemlock Island for her as a wedding gift. Of course, now that they’re split, she can’t afford it on her teacher’s salary so she rents it out as a vacation home. She hates doing it but it’s the only way to keep her beloved sanctuary. When she gets a strange call from a renter, she heads to the island to investigate.
I love my books with a supernatural element and this one pulled it off really, really well. This novel is addicting, the atmosphere eerie, and the pace relentless, keeping me on my toes the whole time. Pick this up if you are looking for a thriller-paced horror novel with a supernatural twist, a suffocating atmosphere, and dramatic interpersonal relationships.
Kit, Laney’s ex-husband, purchased Hemlock Island for her as a wedding gift. Of course, now that they’re split, she can’t afford it on her teacher’s salary so she rents it out as a vacation home. She hates doing it but it’s the only way to keep her beloved sanctuary. When she gets a strange call from a renter, she heads to the island to investigate.
I love my books with a supernatural element and this one pulled it off really, really well. This novel is addicting, the atmosphere eerie, and the pace relentless, keeping me on my toes the whole time. Pick this up if you are looking for a thriller-paced horror novel with a supernatural twist, a suffocating atmosphere, and dramatic interpersonal relationships.