You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
*4.5 out of 5*
This was so good! I loved the found footage aspect of it. The different types of media (recordings, letters, etc.) really kept this story feeling fresh and exciting throughout the entire 400+ pages.
I also loved that we didn't get a definitive answer about whether "the dead things" were real or not. The author sort of let the evidence speak for itself, and to me, it felt like it was up to the reader to decide if we believed it or not.
The only thing that took away from this being 5 stars was that the ending felt a tiny bit anticlimactic in comparison to the amount of build-up there was. But overall, this was an excellent read!
This was so good! I loved the found footage aspect of it. The different types of media (recordings, letters, etc.) really kept this story feeling fresh and exciting throughout the entire 400+ pages.
I also loved that we didn't get a definitive answer about whether "the dead things" were real or not. The author sort of let the evidence speak for itself, and to me, it felt like it was up to the reader to decide if we believed it or not.
The only thing that took away from this being 5 stars was that the ending felt a tiny bit anticlimactic in comparison to the amount of build-up there was. But overall, this was an excellent read!
A great 90s nostalgia horror that kept me guessing!
I have to say this is one of the most unsatisfying endings I’ve read in a while. I love the overall premise of this. It could have been executed in such a better way. I am honestly really confused with some of the choices here. There’s one point where we hear a story from a neighbor which totally ruined what could’ve been a great twist near the end. I feel like we were being told the same thing over and over again from different povs. I’m bummed. I still liked it, but I can’t get over how much missed potential this had.
Interesting premise, but at least 150 pages could have been cut. Because the story was so ponderous, the ending felt very unsatisfying.
Creepiness and plot of the book were too juvenile for me but was still an OK read
My daughter bought me this book last Christmas, and I finally read it!
I kept hearing that this is a good winter read and that it’s a slow burn. I actually don’t think so. Winter was mentioned briefly, and I don’t know if it’s because my mind is always in a constant state of summer, but I felt like the season didn’t matter. In my opinion, the pace is steady throughout the book and immediately starts off with the mystery.
I enjoyed this one! I thought it was interesting and kept me guessing the entire time. I loved the different timelines, the mixed media, and the different POVs!
Read if you like:
90’s nostalgia
Haunted Islands
Mixed Media
Mysteries
90’s nostalgia
Haunted Islands
Mixed Media
Mysteries
Ok. First of all- I DO NOT like Horror books. Not even a little bit. But. I devoured this book. It reads like a multi episode thriller you’d binge on Netflix. It took a moment to get into it for me- but once I started to understand- I felt like I needed to continue reading to find out what happened next.
I listened to this via Audible and I think it was a great decision—the production is top notch and with the multi POVs and the reliance on found evidence (tape recordings of interviews), it translates really well to an audio drama.
Overall, I think this is a great debut horror novel. I was adequately chilled many times. (Listening before bed!) The suspense is great, pacing good, but beyond all that, the psychological explanation is well thought out and executed.
What do I mean by that? Well, this “monster on an island sub genre” can fail really spectacularly. Just remember Lost and all its copycats. The problem there is fairly typical: interesting concept, nice sprint out the gate, no long term planning (plotting), and then final execution falls flat or is totally unbelievable.
Juliano DID clearly plot through to his ending. Hooray. The problem with stories like these is that the tension is ratcheted up so slowly (slow burn) that by the time you get to the explanation, you don’t really care anymore. You feel used. Or cheated. Oh, that was all? It was a mass delusion?? Ho hum. Though Juliano’s “monster on the island” downgraded to “monster in the basement of the haunted house,” I think it still works because he made it clear how the monster was able to draw in his victims across a wider area. A stretch of the imagination, yes, but grieving people do concoct insane scenarios. And the writer’s focus on grief, imo, is smart and unique—I don’t think I’ve seen a novel tackle it in such a creative way. And I think the point of the horror wasn’t necessarily the monster/demon but really the psychological reaction of the islanders to the threatening evil and how they came to prey on one another, strangers, or just destroy themselves. That’s the interesting bit! And once you get there (and everything is explained many times), the monster in the basement falls a bit flat. It was built up so much, it’s just kind of ehhhh. So it can attack and rip a person’s face up. That’s all? The real terror is the people around the monster. And, as we all know, crowd-group humanity is really the thing to fear.
Overall, I think this is a great debut horror novel. I was adequately chilled many times. (Listening before bed!) The suspense is great, pacing good, but beyond all that, the psychological explanation is well thought out and executed.
What do I mean by that? Well, this “monster on an island sub genre” can fail really spectacularly. Just remember Lost and all its copycats. The problem there is fairly typical: interesting concept, nice sprint out the gate, no long term planning (plotting), and then final execution falls flat or is totally unbelievable.
Juliano DID clearly plot through to his ending. Hooray. The problem with stories like these is that the tension is ratcheted up so slowly (slow burn) that by the time you get to the explanation, you don’t really care anymore. You feel used. Or cheated. Oh, that was all? It was a mass delusion?? Ho hum. Though Juliano’s “monster on the island” downgraded to “monster in the basement of the haunted house,” I think it still works because he made it clear how the monster was able to draw in his victims across a wider area. A stretch of the imagination, yes, but grieving people do concoct insane scenarios. And the writer’s focus on grief, imo, is smart and unique—I don’t think I’ve seen a novel tackle it in such a creative way. And I think the point of the horror wasn’t necessarily the monster/demon but really the psychological reaction of the islanders to the threatening evil and how they came to prey on one another, strangers, or just destroy themselves. That’s the interesting bit! And once you get there (and everything is explained many times), the monster in the basement falls a bit flat. It was built up so much, it’s just kind of ehhhh. So it can attack and rip a person’s face up. That’s all? The real terror is the people around the monster. And, as we all know, crowd-group humanity is really the thing to fear.
3.5/5
A little too long for my taste and the story it was telling, which created some redundant chapters.
However, I loved the concept, I thought the writing was solid, and I loved the multimedia aspect as well.
A little too long for my taste and the story it was telling, which created some redundant chapters.
However, I loved the concept, I thought the writing was solid, and I loved the multimedia aspect as well.
I loved the format of this story. Super interesting and fun to read.