Another exciting thriller from this author who never disappoints. This time when a group of friends end up on a deserted island as part of a survival skills adventure things take a dangerous turn when their host dies and suddenly it looks like they may not get off the island alive. I loved it and I really enjoyed the selection of friends who thanks to their parents have been thrown together on these holidays for years and as they grown and change resentments and jealousy’s come to head.

This was a great YA read & exactly what I needed.

It's fast paced & keeps you guessing throughout. Written from the perspective of two of the six teenagers, lifelong friends, who travel to the island for a holiday it, it is an exciting, engaging story which kept its secrets to the end.

The perfect introduction to thrillers for the younger reader or a quick dose of escapism.

First of all this is my first #yanovel I've read (that I'm aware of anyway) and after finishing THE ISLAND last night it won't be the last...
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I really enjoyed this, it was simple to read without it dragging or teetering on boring. There wasn't actually a dull moment on THE ISLAND and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay there...
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C. L Taylor managed to keep me in complete suspense until the end, I had no idea what was going to unravel, but when it did I realised why this book is just perfect for a #yareader
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No idea what I'm talking about??? You will have to read it to find out wont you 😉
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Overall a very good read driving a very important message which I can't honestly find a fault with. Thank you so much to #netgalley #cltaylor and #hqstories

C L Taylor is astounding at writing adult fiction and equally is just as good with her Young Adult writing. I feel that those who enjoy her adult thrillers will like this just as much as well - it’s gripping, mature writing in style and twisted. Just like her usual
Books!

So I adore Callys adult books but her young adult books are also absolutely fantastic. The Island was a little slow to begin with but it soon picked up. It was a nice read that had me gripped throughout.

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday: six friends, spending a week on a remote tropical island.

But when their guide dies of a stroke leaving them stranded, the trip of a lifetime turns into a nightmare. And that's because someone on the island knows each of the group’s worst fears - which are each coming true, one by one.

The Island is very character-driven, with the friendship dynamics between the group changing drastically as the week goes on. I do wish we had gotten more than two POVs from the group of friends - maybe Honor? - but overall, I loved that it was told from Jessie and Danny's viewpoints. They seemed to be at polar opposites of the group, and I liked getting the balance.

The book explores some really emotional topics while still keeping the reader on the edge of their seats -- and, while I suspected the gist of the twist earlier on, it was still a total nail-biter.

This was a really fun YA thriller with a really cool concept

As with all C.L Taylor books this book was really well written and super engaging.

The concept was really interesting. I love books set in claustrophobic closed in environments so this books setting was perfect for me.

I didn't love the characters. They weren't all that likeable as people and it took me a while to be able to distinguish them from each other.

It was full of twists and turns. I was totally captivated and hooked right till the very end

I definitely did not see the ending coming at all.

The pace was really good too. It was fast paced and I never felt bored during the reading experience.

Overall, this was a really fun YA thriller by one of my favourite thriller authors

TW: depression, death, violence and suicide references

I've never read anything by this author before but i saw that this book has a few of my favourite traits to read in books so had to pick it up!
I found the setting and the plot to be very enjoyable and would recommend this highly to a younger audience.

As soon as I saw a C.L Taylor book was available on NetGalley I logged on and requested it. Thankfully, I was accepted and I have just finished reading this fabulous book!

A group of childhood friends go on their annual holiday and this year go all out for one of their birthdays. Renting their very own island! But when things start going wrong, who is to blame?

The perfect ‘who’s done it’ story. Excitement, thrills and suspense throughout. The characters are really likeable and the ending was a shock!

Highly recommend! 5 star! Very excited for the next of Taylor’s amazing work!

A holiday in paradise turns into a nightmare for 6 teens who have been friends since childhood. Told from the point of view of two of the friends - Jessie and Danny- we slowly discover their personal stories and uncover long held secrets that have led to the dangerous situation they now find themselves in.
Taught thriller that touches on a lot of difficult subjects, will be a popular choice in any school library

3.5 stars, rounded up.
Thank you to the pubkishers and Netgalley for the ebook review copy.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to read on netgalley. Im a massive fan of her books and how exciting that the younger readers can discover her too.

It addresses a lot of issues that can be related to in real life whether a young reader or not. This is important as ya doesnt need to be light and fluffy. It shows the relationship between trauma and mental health.

Who can be trusted on the island ? They are all friends…right?

Will they all survive?

A fantastic addition to this authors library. A exciting page turner from start to finish .

Published January 21st 2021

I was intrigued to read The Island by CL Taylor as I am not really the right demographic for Young Adult Fiction but as it was set in Thailand and I am a big fan of CL Taylor's work I jumped at the opportunity to read an ARC of The Island. And it didn't disappoint. Six teenagers who have been holidaying together for years have the opportunity to stay on an idyllic Thai island for one of their birthdays with just a tourist guide for company. After the tragic demise of their guide the group have to fend for themselves for a whole week without any outside help.

As the days go by, each of the six friends come face to face with their phobias and the group are convinced that they are not the only inhabitants on The Island. as a series of disturbing events threaten to shatter relationships within the group. Will the six friends stick together or will a stay on The Island be their undoing?

A great read for the younger reader and older reader alike!

Thank you to CL Taylor, her publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

Really enjoyed C.L. Taylor’s previous books so was interested to see how she transferred to Young Adult literature. I was certainly not disappointed. The story has a strong base line of a group of teenagers going to a deserted island for a “survival” week holiday and their guide dying of a stroke on the first night. The book then develops into how the teenagers survive the rest of the week. It builds into many terrifying ordeals that are in imaginable but in a way that makes your heart leap into your mouth and beat that little bit faster to an amazing ending. Really enjoyed this book which was basically a great thriller which is suitable for teenagers, young adults and actual adults and think any age would enjoy this book.

The perfect holiday that turns into a nightmare. Six young adults go to an idyllic private island for a week with their guide to learn to life off the land and survive. But things take a bad turn when their guide unexpectedly dies and they are left to fend for themselves. Fast paced tale, with lots of questions, and answers only given at the end after numerous twists and turns. Enjoyable read with real page turning quality.

Devoured in a matter of days. Cally Taylor’s first psychological thriller for the Young Adult market.
Also suitable for older adults!

Six teenagers have known each other since they were born, holidaying together with their parents over the years. This year is slightly different. One of the parents has paid to hire an try island off Thailand and a guide for a survival week for an 18th birthday present.

Their parents stay behind in an hotel, and the teenagers begin their survival week by travelling to the island in their guide’s boat .

All is going well until they try to leave the island to get help for one of the group who has fallen seriously ill. The rope to start the engine has been cut so they are stranded. But who has cut the rope? Is there someone else on the island with them? There is no way to escape so they will just have to wait until the alarm is raised when they don’t return.

They are having a drinking session around the fire on the first night and they all tell their phobias. Over the next few days, one by one their phobias become real. They just need to survive for a few more days until they are rescued. But with tempers fraying and fallings out within the group it becomes more difficult to stay together.

Most of them have had a traumatic experiences in their lives and their stories are told by going back to the events.

Great setting for a thriller which had me hooked from the title and the author, who never fails to come up with a top notch psychological thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Harper Collins for an ARC.

This is a decent YA adventure /thriller by an excellent author and I enjoyed it.

A group of friends travel to an idyllic island paradise as a way of celebrating one of their birthday. What starts as a dream holiday soon turns into a nightmare as, following the sharing of personal phobias around the camp fire, they begin to each experience their own phobia. Who is doing this to them and why?

It’s a slow burn that gathers speed as each friend deals with their own issues whilst a feeling of paranoia pervades as the strange happenings continue.

CL Taylor certainly knows how to create and build suspense and this is a solid good read from one of my favourite authors.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

Six almost 18 year olds go on holiday together every year with their parents. This year they are in Thailand and a private island has been hired just for the teenagers to celebrate an 18th birthday. Jessie is withdrawn this year, the other know not to push her but she is very unapproachable. Danny and Honor have been together for a few years but this year Honor is pulling away from him. What is up with Jefferson the birthday boy?
When their island guide dies on day two of their island getaway, they are stranded as the starter cord from the boat has been destroyed. Stuck until their parents on the mainland miss them, they begin to survive. Strange things start to happen and when each one of them has their worst fears become alive, the island isn't fun anymore. Will they make it home alive?

I enjoyed the Island, a YA book but full of suspense and well written as often a C.L Taylor book is. The plot flowed well with a good twist at the end.

I really enjoy C.L Taylor’s books and when I saw there was a new YA novel coming out I had to read it!
An enjoyable read, however I couldn’t get into it as quickly as I was hoping. Saying that it soon picked up and I really wanted to know what happens next and why! A perfect book for the first step for teens into the thriller genre.

Thank you to netgalley and HQ for the. ARC in return for my honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Young Adult for an early copy of The Island.

Ever heard of the movie Fantasy Island? Well, this is it in book form. And tamer.
The summary was really interesting. I do love me some YA thriller / horror, and being stuck on an island sounds like a real nightmarish situation, doesn’t it?
I also loved the idea of a place where all phobias become true.

And the novel lived up to what it promised up to the last few chapters. You get chilling scenes, troubled teenagers (what’s a good YA thriller without some troubled teenagers), lots of spiders, some snakes, and a few wannabe rapists thrown in the mix, just for fun.
Of course, there are also very complicated backstories that can be guessed from around chapter two but aren’t fully revealed before chapter twenty.

Anyway, I really liked it at first; an easy read, but interesting and suspenseful.
But then, it went downhill as I figured out where the book was heading and who the culprit was going to be.

Spoiler alert !
I’m slightly sick of mentally ill characters being used as the mean guys.
Admittedly, it was done pretty tactfully, but... still. It feels to me as if, if you’re writing a thriller bordering on horror, just dive in fully and give us something a bit more unexpected.
It just fell flat to me, sadly, and I rushed through the last few pages.

A group of six families go on holiday with each other every year. This year they are in Thailand and six of the teenagers go with a guide on an adventure to a private Island for a week.
They are not happy that they have look after themselves and when they loose their guide things start to get harder. Strange things start to happen and they begin to suspect each other but they are stuck on the Island with no way of getting help.
A real page turner with a twist.
Thank you to NetGalley for HQ my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.