The Island is marketed as YA fiction but as an adult I thoroughly enjoyed this audio book! Each character narrates their own chapter, which I thought was a really unique touch and made it more engaging. As is to be expected from this author, she ratchets up the tension as the master of the thriller she is! I enjoyed listening to this with my very well read 11 year old son and he thoroughly enjoyed it too, so much so that he has asked me to buy him a physical copy so that he can read it again for himself.

So I'm pretty new to Audiobooks. And i wasn't sure I'd get along with them. But what a great book to kick off with! I absolutely loved that there were different narrators it kept the story fresh and kept me engaged the whole time!
I found myself constantly trying to figure out what was going on and who was responsible for it.. I found the brothers part in the story a little bit pointless and would have liked to see the teenagers rescued in another way- that part fell a little flat for me. That would be my only negative. I really loved this book and all the drama! Thank you for my copy!

Really enjoyed this audio book. I’d recommend this to anyone loved the characters & the plot. My teenage son also listened to it & really enjoyed it. First audio book he had listened to.

This was fantastic!
I listened to the audiobook of this title and it was extremely well executed.
All the characters' personalities were distinct and memorable, and the plot was non-stop! Kept me engaged the entire time, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. C L Taylor is definitely a favourite author of mine and doesn't disappoint!
The narrators of the audiobook were brilliant, and captured the drama of the story perfectly.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC.

A trip of a lifetime for six teenagers turns out to be their worst nightmare. Paradise it is not! A death leaves them vulnerable. Imagine your worst nightmare then one by one it becomes a reality. Who is safe?

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook of The Island.

Before you read/listen to this book; remember it’s YA so it’ll be about teens that struggle with friendships and emotions. I did find myself sighing at some of the things the characters did but then reminded myself that they’re teenagers.

There are 6 characters who all go to an Island for their friends birthday along with their guide...but when he dies of a stroke and the teens are left alone, they wonder if they are truly alone on the island?

Around the campfire they exchange their worst fears. When they start to come true...someone on the island is playing with them...toying with their emotions. But who?

The voices of Olivia Dowd and San Newton are perfect for these characters and really bring them to life in this audiobook!

A cross between The Hunger Games and Lost - sign me up! I do enjoy teen thrillers, I find them quite pacy, fun and good for a light quick read. This was an okay one.

The story follows a group of teens who have gone on holiday with each other every year and then they get stuck on an Island with no way off.

To be honest, the threat level never felt very real. It didn’t go very far with the peril. I kind of expected something much darker. No one seemed as scared as I imagined they should be, until things got into the last section.

I kept getting taken out of the story by little details that made me go ‘huh’ like the fact that all but one of them were wearing flip flops on a planned survival retreat. It seemed a bit too much of a convenient point. Like, I don’t think they would be allowed to do that, I don’t think sensible parents would let them do it. And the premise of them being on an island for a week just seems a bit far fetched.

I would definitely try this authors work again as I did enjoy the style, I thought the characters were well done and I did like what it had to say about grief.

All in all a pretty average read.

I don’t usually read many YA books and admittedly I didn’t realise this was YA - C. l. Taylor is an auto buy author for me, so if I see any of her books on here I will request them without needing to know what the synopsis is having enjoyed every one I’ve read so far.
A good story about fear. Quite a fast paced story from multiple POV. I enjoyed the setting of the story - ‘The Island’. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters given how young they all were (17). Still, an enjoyable read as an adult and I’m sure younger readers will love this.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the audioARC.

Wow! Just finished The Island and my head is 🤯😳 I didn't expect ANY of that! What an incredible story! So twisty, creepy, gripping, compelling and emotionally charged. I am completely floored.

Well that was a rollercoaster ride! Every time I thought I’d worked out what was going on, Taylor threw in another twist. Definitely a book I will be recommending far and wide!

This plot was So well thought out. Everyone thinks a survival type holiday would be amazing, such a good idea until it all starts to go wrong and unravel. All the friends know each other so well- or do they? This is a gripping read, heart stoppingly scary at some points, but I couldn’t put it down.
The audio version is so well worth listening to. The narrator uses their voice so well to make the characters come to life.

As a YA book about fear and the manipulations we allow our minds to perpetrate , this is incredibly effective. The most frightening thing in the world is fear itself. There are some pretty sobering themes at play here . I enjoyed the main plot and there are enough thrills or should I say chills and the three readers on this audio version are effective and engaging. It perhaps is a book less suited to older readers but would be effective to use as a starting place for conversation about some underlying issues between parents and late teens as it does raise topics like self harm, homophobia and grief .

This is a suspenseful story about six teenagers marooned on an island. Their darkest fears materialise as someone is turning paradise into hell. The characters are authentic and behave relatably. After witnessing an adult tragedy, the team dynamics start to crumble. Vulnerabilities and weaknesses rule each of the teenagers' motivations. A vividly portrayed island setting is integral to the suspense. The dual point of views are both unreliable protagonists can their accounts be trusted?

The story has psychological suspense and insights into team dynamics and how stress affects individuals and the group. There are poignant moments and twists with a satisfying ending. It's a fast-paced read which keeps you turning the pages.

The audiobook's narrators bring the characters to life the different people and their changing emotions and reactions to each other are easy to discern. The narration is professional and builds the suspense and tension in the story well. It's an easy book to listen to, and you soon become involved in the action and emotions.

This audiobook is an addictive medley of naivety and noir that will appeal to its intended audience and adults who like psychological suspense and atmospheric settings.

I received a copy of this audiobook from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Wonderful coming of age hormonal teenagers.

It was supposed to be a birthday treat,, of a island get away with no parents, just a guide to help them survive a week on their own

Things don't go too well, and they question their friendships and sanity

Thank you Netgalley for the Arc

Six teenagers go on vacation every year and this year is no exception. Instead of going to a resort, they go to a deserted island with a guide. Things go awry when their guide dies from an apparent stroke. The book is their attempt at survival, but they aren’t sure where, if any, danger is and who they should trust.

This book reminded me a lot of Survivor meets Lord of the Flies. I was leery if the guide had a stroke or something more nefarious had happened and if the book might turn into And Then There Were None.

The audiobook narrators did a great job of capturing the suspense and tension. I don’t believe I’ve listened to either one before, I look forward to hearing them again.

I would recommend this book, especially as an audiobook, to any suspense/thriller lover.

So first off this one was difficult to rate because it relies on a trope that I personally really don't care for but is reasonably common in thrillers. I also figured this out relatively early and usually I'm happy just to go along for the ride anyway if I figure something out because, after all, the story is in the telling and I could be wrong anyway. But, because I suspected this trope at play and worked it out about a third in, it did make the rest feel a little less enjoyable. I've tried to factor this out of my rating as much as possible seeing as this is an arc.

So with that aside, I found this book to be a solid middle of the road young adult thriller. It was an extremely easy read, the writing is absorbing and very digestible. The story itself was engaging if a little hard to believe (These teenagers had one adult on the island who didn't provide them with a radio/any information on what to do in an emergency situation? More likely than you'd think.) But I'm always willing to suspend my disbelief in books like this and it was well paced and interesting for the most part. If you are quite new to thrillers you probably won't see the twist coming either.

The setting was pretty well utilized and definitely added to the feeling of fear and confusion with the heat, lack of food and physical exertion our characters faced. I think it could have been interesting to see the setting contribute a little more to the events of the story as these were mostly driven by inter character relationships and drama. The characters were unique and interesting enough that this helped the story float along nicely though.

I found the climax to be decent but the ending itself felt extremely abrupt. I literally blinked and rewound the audiobook a minute, thinking I had missed something!

Overall a decent young adult thriller which I devoured in two sittings with just a few factors that stopped it being s new favourite.

4.5* I really enjoy this. A creepy adventure on an uninhabited island.
A YA novel. I’m not the target audience but do enjoy YA thrillers for an easy lighter read.
It’s creepy, tense and suspenseful.
🎧 audio version with 3 narrators.
The narrators are excellent, the voices sound young. They add tension, and drama and excitement to the story.

6 lifelong friends, who used to be really close when younger, but are now drifting and forming separate allegiances go on holiday to Thailand on a remote island with a survival guide. Within 24 hrs the survival guide dies of a stroke leaving them alone. The boat is disabled. There’s no way off the island. The story’s narrators are predominantly Danny and Jessie.
Someone knows all their phobias and making their nightmares a reality, who wants revenge on them that badly??
As they all start facing their worst phobias the fear, tension and anxiety is palpable, as is the friction and mistrust that develops within the group.
There is a real sensitivity to the writing.

The Island by C.L. Taylor is an engaging and enthralling read. Full of action and very gripping. The narrators are good and the narration is very well done.

6 teenagers of the same age group who know each other from childhood as their parents were friends before even they were born. Every year they all go on Holiday together, this year they are in Thailands for the vacation. The private island is booked for the teenagers where they all will with their guide and their parents would stay back at the hotel. On the first night, they all shared their phobias. On the next day, their guide dies and leaving them all alone on the island to survive. Now one by one the phobias are becoming real. Who can be trusted and who can’t be trusted.

The book is from the perspective of two different characters, Jessie and Danny. The narrators did an exceptional job. Just because of the narrators I felt that I am on the Island with these teenagers. Overall I enjoyed the book.

Six teenagers on a dream island vacation in Thailand… a dream that quickly turns into a nightmare and where their worst fears seem to be coming true…

To pass the time, on their first die on the island, the group decides to play a game in which each one of them reveals to the others their worst phobia or fear (or do they?). Revealing your deepest darkest secret may come easy for some, but for others not so much. And for others, keeping a secret and sharing a lie instead is easier.

But then… the morning after, things turn dark.

Their island and tour guide suddenly dies, leaving the teenagers alone and stranded on the island, with no real survival skills and no contact with the rest of the world.

And one by one, each teenager’s worst phobias seem to be becoming a dark reality.

Then it becomes a game of survival or trying to discover if they are alone in the island, of trying to understand who might be making their fears come true and why…

I won’t get into spoilers, but I definitely have to give my praises to the author on this book.

It was a mystery, a thriller, a suspense… and then you come to the conclusion it was so so much more than that and touched on something extremely important.

I had my suspicions, but I liked the revelation, how it unfolded and the why behind it all.

I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller/mystery with a touch of survival and if you are ready to have it all twisted around on you by the end.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my opinion and honest review.

#TheIsland #NetGalley