The Island
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Chain comes a pulse-pounding thriller about a family that must face their darkest fears--and deepest secrets--when they go on the run for their lives.
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - A NEW YORK TIMES "BEST THRILLER OF 2022""Unrelenting suspense." --Stephen King
"Extraordinary." --T. J. Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Falling
"You'll never go on vacation the same way again." --Don Winslow, New York Times bestselling author of City On Fire
IT WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A FAMILY VACATION.
A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT CHANGED EVERYTHING.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE CAPABLE OF UNTIL THEY COME FOR YOUR FAMILY.
After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they're deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom.
When they discover remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram.
But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shocking accident propels the Baxters from an unsettling situation into an absolute nightmare.
When Heather and the kids are separated from Tom, they are forced to escape alone, seconds ahead of their pursuers.
Now it's up to Heather to save herself and the kids, even though they don't trust her, the harsh bushland is filled with danger, and the locals want her dead.
Heather has been underestimated her entire life, but she knows that only she can bring her family home again and become the mother the children desperately need, even if it means doing the unthinkable to keep them all alive.
SOON TO BE A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES
"Gripping and unpredictable. No one does high-stakes tension like McKinty . . . Prepare to be hooked." --Sarah Pearse
"A haunting masterpiece." --Steve Cavanagh
"McKinty has written another irresistible and pulse-pounding thriller about the surprising places evil hides and just how far we'll go for those we love." --Karin Slaughter
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Community Reviews
This book is a fun and exciting ride! I've added it to a new category of books that I've read--thrillers!
Remember all those books that you read and go, "So slow! Is this going anywhere?" This is not that book. I think it amps up to ten around the 30 page mark. We have the Baxters: Tom, a well renowned surgeon and his new wife Heather. She is young and a former massage therapist. They have two special need kids on antidepressants and Ritalin. They are on a work trip for Tom in Australia and on a whim take a ferry on a island to see some wildlife and sight seeing. However, dum dum dummmm, they have a accident and nothing is at seems when we are introduced to the most terrifying backwoods family since "Deliverance" Don't look any deeper..... Just dive into this one.
The good. Character development and pace. Adrian McKinty's biggest strength is character development. Heather is not the most outspoken or any kind of leader but soon takes that role when trying to keep her and the two kids alive. The decisions she makes and growth is outstanding to read. And I loved the characters of the bad guys/gals. They are not carbon copies of each other or just badguy A or badgirl B. Everyone has a distinct personality. To the point where to the middle if you take out everyone's name you still know who is being referenced. And also good pacing. Somewhere between warp and Ludacris speed.
Plus just when you think it's all action it turns into a survival book as they are trapped in the outback with no food or water. Good stuff!
Not a perfect book. The prose is choppy. I was surprised to see it was almost 400 pages... I would have swore it was under 300. Not so much it read so fast but McKinty really likes his sentence long paragraphs. They do get tedious sometimes. And there is a twist in the end where I really rolled my eyes. Thumbs up to how it's handled by the way. This does not take away from the book and it's still recommended. Just not perfect.
It does read like a screenplay. This is because McKinty has a pretty huge deal with Hulu for his previous book, "The Chain" for a limited series. I can't really blame him for setting himself up for another one because this one is a fun read.
Go read it!
Book given free for honest review.
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