A review by jenny_wren
The Sanctuary by Andrew Hunter Murray

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

3.0

This wasn't really what I was expecting. From the description I was expecting a mystery set in paradise. This book isn't set in current times. It's at some point in the future where something has happened- maybe just humans - to cause environmental catastrophe and the point if the island. Its difficult to get a handle on whats happened as I don't think it's really explained. This book has a very unusual style. Its written in the first person with lots of introspection. The style was like Catcher in the Rye or American Psycho.... but as a main character, Ben wasn't very interesting! His girlfriend has left to work on the island and he worries about her so decides to travel there to find her. Despite no one being allowed on the island, Ben is determined to get there. The first part of the book is pretty slow as it predominantly deals with his decision making and travel attempt. As the story develops there is more to the island than meets the eye. 

I think I'm disappointed with this book because it wasn't what I was expecting. The writing style is good but the story didn't really hold my attention. Ben isn't hugely interesting and its difficult to understand his motivation to find his girlfriend, Cara, when we don't meet her early on and what we do know about her isn't all that positive. Their relationship didn't sound very good so I struggled to understand Ben's motivation to find her. I also really struggled to understand the setting of the book - what had happened or what Ben's world was like. I think thisis probably why I struggled to connect with it. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley with no promise of a favourable review.