Reviews

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

jadedmist27's review

emotional lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

victoriamarie2489's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

byp's review

4.0

The affluent, WASPy world Hilderbrand writes about is as alien to me as any sci-fi novel, so the fact that she makes it so identifiable speaks to her talent as a writer.

ostrabre's review

emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

sofiasiracusa's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

book_concierge's review

1.0

Book on CD read by Denise Hicks

This is just a sappy soap opera set on Tuckernuck Island off Nantucket. Everyone is wealthy. Everyone is unhappy in love, OR, has fallen instantly in love (possibly with the wrong person). Everyone behaves like a 3-year-old or at their best like they’re in junior high.

Here’s a sample:
They had officially been “together” for only nine days, but every day on Tuckernuck was a lifetime, and so it felt like forever. They had made love sixteen times, they had shared eleven meals, they had watched three movies, gone to two restaurants, taken five boat rides, caught two fish.
I don’t know a single high-powered, computer genius professional woman who thinks like this!

The sibling rivalry arguments are even worse. Not only do the two young women carry on like toddlers who can’t share a toy, their 50-something mother and aunt also dig up their own sibling rivalries.

I finished it only because it fulfilled a challenge. It was fast (thank heavens for MP3 players that let you speed up the delivery) and didn’t require much thought. But it was still a waste of time.

taylorziegler's review

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

mirandakelly's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

amc70's review

emotional relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

This novel has been sitting on my shelf for years and I finally picked it up. It’s 14 years old now, and I have to say, in my opinion, not Hilderbrand’s best. The overtones of wealth and entitlement were off putting in the beginning but the move to Tuckernuck Island was a nice change! Most of the characters were fairly well developed though annoying except for India- loved India. Overall an ok read but not my favorite Hilderbrand novel.

amlibera's review

4.0

Exactly the kind of thing you want to read when you want to read this kind of thing. Wealthy highly competent white ladies working through relationship trauma amidst beautiful scenery.