Many thanks to @Netgalley and @HQStories for the early review eARC of The Island by C.L. Taylor.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book which they bill as Lost meets The Hunger Games. Six teenagers who’ve known each other for life end up on a privately owned deserted island in Thailand for an adventure survival holiday with a hired expert guide. It’s paradise. But relationships aren’t what they used to be as the teens have all been through different struggles over the years. When things start to go wrong tensions grow and relationships strain. How will they survive the week?
This was a very fun easy read, a little bit spooky in places, a great YA thriller.
Definitely worth a read and I’ll be looking out for more books by this Author.

Six teenagers go on holiday to Thailand with their family’s as they have done all their lives as their parents stayed friends after meeting at antenatal class. The six get a Bear Grylls survival type experience on a deserted island. What could possibly go wrong?

This is a good YA novel which addresses a number of pertinent issues which teachers and parents could use to generate discussions around worrying problems for the young. It raises mental health concerns , dealing with grief, loss and phobias and does so very creatively and gives a positive message. The author also examines group dynamics which fluctuate as the problems of the teens on the island mount and I find this aspect especially fascinating. A number of problems arise on the island, some of which are very serious with the strain and panic of being trapped and marooned being well depicted. The jungle atmosphere is effectively used to create fear and tension which further tests the bounds of friendship. There are a number of mysteries and dangers to solve which is intriguing and becomes scary as you realise that someone is manipulating the group but you have no idea why.

My only reservations lies in the number of characters to get your head around although this does become easier the further you progress through the plot. I also think the end sort of fizzles out and is maybe a bit convenient.


However, overall I think C L Taylor has done a good job with this novel as I am sure it will engage and interest older teens and it’s a good adult read too. It’s well written and has a good pace.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ YA for the arc for an honest review.

The Island by C L Taylor - 21 January 2021

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday; a week long trip for six teenage friends 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. Because someone on the island knows each of the groups worst fears. And one by one they’re becoming a reality. Seven days in paradise. A deadly secret.

I have read a lot of Teen/YA books lately as it was not a book/genre that I had much experience with. I was drawn to it and I’m pretty glad I did. The relationships between each character were very well developed. Some nice and some questionable. It would be easy to identify with the characters especial Jessie and her cautionary approach to opening up, and deal with, the other guys she is with. For the most part I enjoyed it. However, it was very reminiscent of Lost the American drama and of Lord of the Flies also but just rewritten to fit into today’s society instead.

I felt also, that the ending was rushed too much. One minute you’re on the island and within a few pages it jumps to after they have been found. It lacked a good, clear ending. I’m super disappointed as I have read several books by this author and found them to be very enjoyable.

Six teenagers, who have been holidaying for years together with their parents, decide to go on a holiday to a deserted island for a special birthday treat, without the parents. It becomes clear very quickly that things are to go horribly wrong and it won't end up in the experience they have all be hoping for.
As with a lot of teenagers, each one has their own troubles and difficulties in life. The island helps to delve deeper into their issues and the book definitely helps get across these pains that as teenagers we can go through and how it can deeply affect us.
Will everyone survive the island? That is the main question throughout the book, and what exactly is going on on that island. These things aren't answered until towards the end and I liked how the book kept you guessing and changing your mind on what exactly was happening.
I did enjoy this book, but I took longer than usual to finish this book, I think it just didn't get completely into it. For a YA book though, I did enjoy it still and I would check out other books and hopefully I will get into them a bit more than I did this one.

As a teen I can recall an annual skiing holiday taken by my parents and their group of friends. Every year we’d spend a week abroad, the families, and be forced together. The parents would relish their time to unwind but for the kids tagging along it was a strange thing. We had little in common, but a shared experience. Each year brought the same thing, but with little differences in our interactions that reflected the fact we weren’t really friends.
Reflecting on this immediately made me empathise with the group in this story. They seemed to have closer bonds, but it is evident that they harbour secrets and that not everything is as rosy as it seems on the surface.
Our setting is a remote holiday resort...and then our group of almost-adults is packed off together to a deserted island. Unfortunately, their guide has a stroke and dies. Then they discover the starter cord to the boat has been cut and they are trapped. Their immediate plan is to hunker down on the island and wait for their parents to be alerted to their non-return before being rescued.
Unfortunately, things aren’t quite so predictable. Strange things start happening. The groups’ fears start to become reality...and they’re soon in a nightmare scenario, fighting for their lives.
Throughout, it was clear things were being manipulated but it was good fun trying to guess who was behind it. Clues were there, but the revelation - when it came- was a little odd. We knew enough to realise different behaviour in the build-up could have led to a different story. It was plausible, but not quite the tension-packed thing I was expecting.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this before publication.

When six teenagers, whose families have all been holidaying together since they were small, have the opportunity to spend a week together on a remote tropical island, they imagine it will be a perfect holiday. A chance to experience something new and exciting together. However, when their tour guide dies of a stroke, leaving them stranded, one by one their worst fears start to become a reality. Someone on the island knows each of the group’s phobias and the idyllic island soon becomes anything but!

I am huge fan of C.L. Taylor’s books and this was an absolutely incredible story full of suspense, tension and mystery. I found myself racing through the pages to find out what would happen next! I thought the alternate chapter perspectives of Jessie in the first person and Danny in the third person was really effective in providing different views on the events taking place on the island. They both have different relationships with their friends Meg, Milo, Honor and Jeffers and this really shone through and provided depth to all of the characters. I liked too how there were elements to Jessie’s past which were only slowly revealed as the story progressed. She was definitely one of my favourite characters, alongside Milo!

I loved the many twists, turns and challenges the group experienced on the island and I found my suspicions constantly changing about who was potentially to blame within the group. It wasn’t until around the 80% mark where I suddenly had an idea of the big twist that was coming. It was so clever and I love that it only came to me so late within the book; I can’t believe I was correct! I don’t want to give anything away, but thought it was absolutely perfect and a really poignant conclusion to the group’s time on the island!

Thank you so much C. L. Taylor for transporting me to this island and taking me on a real adventure with these wonderful characters!

I think sadly I requested this thinking it was an adult book but realised after it was for children! However still it was a good read with a decent plot.

As a lover of Lord of The Flies when I was a teen, and even now, I was thrilled to be given the chance to read The Island.
Six friends spend a week on a deserted island for a birthday treat, but it's not the joyous occasion they were hoping for!!
The Island started as it meant to go on, and I was hooked from the beginning in the lush surroundings of the hotel. There is just enough intrigue to pique your attention, with the teens having to confront their worst fears and the back story which drips feeds as the main story goes forward.
Fabulous read, thanks so much to C.L Taylor and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

This is my fourth C.L Taylor read and I really enjoyed the plot. I think it is pitched really well at the YA audience and tackles some complex issues well. If anything I think it was possibly wrapped up a little quick and I’d have liked to hear more about all of the characters after the island and a little less during.

This book grips you from the first page and keeps you hooked all the way to the end.
Telling the story of the view of two of the main characters helps tell the story fantastically and this book will definitely make you rethink goi ng on holiday in the future!

I enjoyed this book very much even though it was advertised as a YA book. Six teenagers head out to a tropical island for a week long holiday which should be a week for them to enjoy and spend time together. Each one has their fears which become a reality. Is there someone else on the Island to spoil their holiday? Read this book and you won't be disappointed. I have read all CL Taylors books and every one has been a brilliant read

It didn't take me long to listen to this as the story just demanded my attention. The characters are well rounded and likable, you find yourself rooting for them and holding your breath as they fight against everything they are up against. Brilliant read.

A BRIEF REVIEW WILL APPEAR ON MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT, AS PART OF A MONTHLY WRAP UP POST.

Five teens have been friends since birth but the nature of their relationships have shifted with the tides of adolescence. Friendships have deepened for some, fractured for others, or become irreversibly distanced after becoming scarred by tragedy and grief, like for Jessie. Despite all this, their families still expect them to venture on one holiday a year together. Whilst the adults sit poolside with cocktails on hand, their children are sent to a nearby island for some survival and strategy fun. But what started out as excitement for some and a bore for others, soon turns into a nightmare none will ever forget. Who will they be and how will their relationships alter, if they ever make it off the island alive?

I was only a handful of pages into this when I knew it would become a one-sitting read. The intrigue started out high and remained so throughout the entire book. There were multiple mysteries to uncover and I had shifting theories form and fetter out on every other chapter.

Despite this interest, I still found myself longing for something more from the text. The relationship drama was a consistent focus, as were the many mysteries, but the lush setting was only depicted in the most broadest of strokes. It was enough to garner an understanding of their environs but not to really feel myself a stranded participant and form an emotional response to the teens' shared fate.

I also found a few of the events peaked or concluded in a very short span of paragraphs and whilst this ensured the tension was always at an all-time high, this also heightened my distanced emotions, as I never could truly internalise the horror or fear these situations demanded.

Despite some aspects of this not entirely working for me, I can say that I had a very fun evening consuming this. If you are looking for some high-drama contemporary or a high-octane thriller then this would a great book to pick up.

I didn't realise this was a YA book until after I had finished it. I had been planning to suggest that it would be more suited to teenagers who could identify with the characters and their problems/worries. Having said that I have read YA fiction before and thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately I found this book a bit underwhelming with an ending which was not up to the usual standard of this talented author. Sorry.

I have always enjoyed the adult books by C L Taylor and look forward to new releases. This is the first YA offering I have read. It was well written but I just couldn't bring myself to like any of the characters. The plot was far fetched, and although there was a twist, it wasn't a very enjoyable or thrilling one. The whole storyline was just sad and upsetting.

I'm not sure what age range would geuinely enjoy this read. I found it a little long winded and disturbing although it did have the classic writing style CL Taylor is famous for. Not my favourite and not one I will recommend or buy.

Six teenagers are going to The Island for a week - the ultimate challenge week of learning to forage for food, build shelters and start fires. They have whimsical fantasies of watching sunsets from the beach and swimming under waterfalls. On the face of it, they’re a group of young teenage friends whose parents have been holidaying together for years. Under the surface, they’re a group of young teenagers dealing with relationship problems, phobias, grief and loss.

When things start going wrong - their friendships are tested to the max. They’re stranded on the island and someone is out to get them... as the writing on the sand says:
“One of you will Die.”
As an adult reader, I was gripped by this story! I didn’t expect the ending and it made me feel like I was living vicariously through them... but I definitely could not have coped with tarantulas, snakes and jungle traps!

This was such a fantastic story for opening the eyes of young people to mental health and depression. I would recommend reading this to any educator working with teenagers for a way to spark conversations about mental health.

When a handful of teenagers who only get together once a year on a group holiday thanks to their parents visit a secluded island it turns out less Love Island and more Bear Grylls.

The characters all have things they re hiding, and noone wants to talk about the missing member of their holiday group. Already awkward when they get marrooned on the island they think they can just wait it out til someone notices theyre missing, except suddenly Danny has realised all of their fears are coming true. Can he help save his girlfriend Honor? Who is after them? This has a good level of mystery and drama along with the underlying question if they will all make it back safely to civilisation.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were intresting and it was well paced.

This plot was So well thought out. Everyone things a survival type holiday would be amazing, such a good idea until it all starts to go wrong and unravel. This is a gripping read, heart stoppingly scary at some points, but I couldn’t put it down.

I was really excited to read this book as I’ve loved C.L Taylor’s other ones. Sadly, I was left a little disappointed.
It started off well and I was quickly absorbed in the story, however it lost pace mid way through. The book became fairly repetitive which meant I lost interest.
I did enjoy the ending and I’m glad I stuck with it.

Firstly, thank you for the preview. I was interested to read this book especially after seeing the not so favorable reviews which seemed somewhat harsh. As a librarian I read many books and the key for me is to realise that I am not necessarily the target audience for the books or age ranges which I order. What I am looking for are books which will appeal to all sorts of readers and age rangers. So, although I may not have enjoyed this book for myself mainly because I prefer more literary genres, I know that the YA readers of the library WILL enjoy this and the various relationships and inter dynamics of the characters. I think a lot of our readers will enjoy loving and hating the various people within the book in equal measures and be thrilled by the setting. It was well written and I do think others should think before they write a review, asking themselves, "am I the target audience" if not, then perhaps they should try to see it from a different point of view. I shall certainly be ordering this and recommending it for the YA readers