Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by brandude94
The Island by Natasha Preston
2.0
Maybe reading about TikTok and social media influencers isn’t my thing but the concept of them being killed off intrigued me enough to purchase The Island. What followed as a fairly generic murder mystery/slasher plot that did little to really invest me
I understand influencers can be seen as shallow, 2 dimension people, but that doesn’t mean they needed to be in this book. Apart from their social media brand, and a few of their wealth status, I couldn’t tell you anything substantial about any character in this. I felt no joy at their misfortune, feeling like they deserved it like you often do in these kinds of stories, nor did I feel any sympathy towards them as the events of the story continued to unfold, even the main character. She has a little more depth to her, and a degree of likeability that sets her apart from the rest of the cast, but I wouldn’t say she’s going to be in my mind much as a memorable character after finishing reading.
The setting for this book was unique, both in its theme park location and the gothic aesthetic it was based on. It certainly lended itself to the creepy vibe this book was trying to aim for. My only wish is that there was more emphasis on parts of the part. We got a lot of detail on the hotel and the haunted house, but most other locations felt kinda fleeting in their descriptions and their relevance.
I will say, I didn’t guess the identity of the killer which was actually quite refreshing for an otherwise predictable story, but that wasn’t enough to make up for the rest of this. And the actual ending was left quite ambiguous but not really in a well thought out way. I’d rather things had been more final than so open ended.
Kinda glad I read this as I’m using a theme park setting for my own novel, but can’t say I’d be quick to recommend this or return to it any time soon. So much potential, sadly left unfulfilled.
I understand influencers can be seen as shallow, 2 dimension people, but that doesn’t mean they needed to be in this book. Apart from their social media brand, and a few of their wealth status, I couldn’t tell you anything substantial about any character in this. I felt no joy at their misfortune, feeling like they deserved it like you often do in these kinds of stories, nor did I feel any sympathy towards them as the events of the story continued to unfold, even the main character. She has a little more depth to her, and a degree of likeability that sets her apart from the rest of the cast, but I wouldn’t say she’s going to be in my mind much as a memorable character after finishing reading.
The setting for this book was unique, both in its theme park location and the gothic aesthetic it was based on. It certainly lended itself to the creepy vibe this book was trying to aim for. My only wish is that there was more emphasis on parts of the part. We got a lot of detail on the hotel and the haunted house, but most other locations felt kinda fleeting in their descriptions and their relevance.
I will say, I didn’t guess the identity of the killer which was actually quite refreshing for an otherwise predictable story, but that wasn’t enough to make up for the rest of this. And the actual ending was left quite ambiguous but not really in a well thought out way. I’d rather things had been more final than so open ended.
Kinda glad I read this as I’m using a theme park setting for my own novel, but can’t say I’d be quick to recommend this or return to it any time soon. So much potential, sadly left unfulfilled.