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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
The horror aspect was very underwhelming and the book beats you over the head with its theme. Still, I liked parts of this world (mainly the creepy '90s-inspired island) and the characters. Willow was a great lead and deserved better.
Spoiler
Nothing can destroy a story for me faster than a supernatural element. The big secret behind Clifford Island reminded me of the disappointing ending of Hereditary. I hated that movie.
I’ve never read a thriller novel that starts like this one, so macabre, so bizzarre but so sticky, it’s stuck in my mind whenever my hands aren’t on the Kindle. The story starts with our “author” claiming that everything that happened in this book is real, no matter how unbelievable it is. He is telling us her sister’s story, she went missing on this weird island when no one is who they say they are. Our author believes her sister Willow is dead…
*Clifford Island*. When Willow Stone finds these words written on the floor of her deceased son's bedroom, she's perplexed. She's never heard of it before, but soon learns it's a tiny island off of Wisconsin's Door County peninsula, 200 miles from Willow's home**.** Why would her son write this on his floor? Determined to find answers, Willow sets out for the island.
Five weeks after Willow arrives on the island, she disappears. Willow's brother Harper comes to Clifford searching for his sister, and when he learns the truth--that this island is far more sinister than anyone could have imagined--he is determined to blow the whole thing open.
If he can get out alive...
The author went to Clifford Island to interview anyone who would speak of his sister, and Lily Becker did. She promised to presents us texts, interviews and snippets on whatever happened to complete this book.
Okay, this book is pretty eerie, the church is involved, ghostly. I have mixed feelings though. Okaaaaay, the fact that 10 teens and their priest died one night in 1994 intoxicated freaks me out, but what freaks me out even more is that the villagers believe some thing took them… Such a good book! I liked the structure of it, with the interviews and all, very good.
*Clifford Island*. When Willow Stone finds these words written on the floor of her deceased son's bedroom, she's perplexed. She's never heard of it before, but soon learns it's a tiny island off of Wisconsin's Door County peninsula, 200 miles from Willow's home**.** Why would her son write this on his floor? Determined to find answers, Willow sets out for the island.
Five weeks after Willow arrives on the island, she disappears. Willow's brother Harper comes to Clifford searching for his sister, and when he learns the truth--that this island is far more sinister than anyone could have imagined--he is determined to blow the whole thing open.
If he can get out alive...
The author went to Clifford Island to interview anyone who would speak of his sister, and Lily Becker did. She promised to presents us texts, interviews and snippets on whatever happened to complete this book.
Okay, this book is pretty eerie, the church is involved, ghostly. I have mixed feelings though. Okaaaaay, the fact that 10 teens and their priest died one night in 1994 intoxicated freaks me out, but what freaks me out even more is that the villagers believe some thing took them… Such a good book! I liked the structure of it, with the interviews and all, very good.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Gaslighting
A quick Halloween read for me, upon the recommendation of a bookseller in New Hampshire. Likable enough characters, and there were certainly points where I struggled to put it down, however, I figured out the plot by page 250 and still had a looooong way to go. Definitely could have left some things on the cutting room floor. I do enjoy themes of grief in my horror, but didn’t find this one hit quite as hard. And I was never once frightened or even creeped out really. But the plot was original and entertaining, so I’d give 3.5.
This book had everything I was looking for - a VHS on the cover, multiple writing styles (letters, newspaper articles, interviews, etc) on a missing person story set in a creepy isolated island town that has an aggressively Luddite approach to anything past 1994.
Are the islanders actually protecting us against a much larger, almost Lovecraftian evil? Are they simply delusional cult members? Can the island children leave if they want to? Bonus points for weaving in the main character's grief process into it all.
Are the islanders actually protecting us against a much larger, almost Lovecraftian evil? Are they simply delusional cult members? Can the island children leave if they want to? Bonus points for weaving in the main character's grief process into it all.
This book had everything I've ever wanted - nostalgia, a creepy town, "found footage" feel, etc. It was campy and so much fun.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
this book is not good. the writer has interesting ideas but it just wasn’t a good read. too long, it dragged out and felt repetitive. and the “monster” was a let down.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
🧟♀️ pg-13 horror
🧟♀️ kinda boring
🧟♀️ kinda boring
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes