haayceline's review against another edition
3.0
???!!?!!!!?!!?!!!???!!???? but why did it take till 80% to get interesting..........
lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
Not quite sure what the rules of SPOILERS are, as this was published a while ago in the UK but hasn't yet been published here in the US... Anyway, this is a cross between a mystery (what happened to and/or who killed the missing men of Bancree?) and a selkie story (our heroine is obsessed with them). How Flora moves from being the relatively outcast girlfriend to being a woman in her own right is also an interesting story, and the first moves come early on as she realizes that her boyfriend has already - before leaving for college on the mainland - moved on and is trying on a new personality. So where does that leave Flora, who has one year left on the island before she, too, can leave? Her response to that dilemma leads to a new friend, a girl who moves to an island off the "mainland" of Bancree Island and is thus even move isolated and outcast than Flora. Add to that the disappearance of three of the island's outcast men and her growing obsession with selkie stories and you have a really intriguing mix for a story. The sense of place is well done, but what lost a star was that the ending seemed a bit rushed and some opportunity to expand on what's come before is lost.
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
4.0
This book brings the mythical and creepy nature of the Scottish islands to life. Best to read at night under the covers with a torch for the full effect. If it’s foggy out so much the better!
The island of Bancree may be fictional yet it is evocative of many islands in and around the Hebrides. Places such as Gigha, Islay and Culloden all provide the inspiration for Bancree according to the author on his website and we have to agree. Wester Inshes is another place mentioned for the view and island landscape. Oh and the island with the great name of Yell. Yet this is what is so fascinating about the book and its mythical setting – the themes within are so mythical and eerie that you might be pleased the real place does not exist. Still, you can get a real sense of the unique remoteness and community feel that the Scottish highlands still has.
Grogport on the Kintyre peninsula was an early inspiration for Simon and if you want a further feel for the Bancree and its history then this is a must see on any booktrail for The Visitors.
Then there is the cover – creepy, dark, eerie and enticing all at once. Once you open the cover and step on to the island, be very afraid…
If I could describe this book in a few words – atmospheric, atmospheric and atmospheric. You will see Bancree come alive before your eyes, you will see the cottages and the rocks and Dog island. And like Bancree itself, it draws you in across the shimmery water, calm on the surface but be careful of what is going on underneath. Once you’ve been to Bancree, you will not be able to leave. and that is a particularly apt description for the island and for the book.
The island of Bancree may be fictional yet it is evocative of many islands in and around the Hebrides. Places such as Gigha, Islay and Culloden all provide the inspiration for Bancree according to the author on his website and we have to agree. Wester Inshes is another place mentioned for the view and island landscape. Oh and the island with the great name of Yell. Yet this is what is so fascinating about the book and its mythical setting – the themes within are so mythical and eerie that you might be pleased the real place does not exist. Still, you can get a real sense of the unique remoteness and community feel that the Scottish highlands still has.
Grogport on the Kintyre peninsula was an early inspiration for Simon and if you want a further feel for the Bancree and its history then this is a must see on any booktrail for The Visitors.
Then there is the cover – creepy, dark, eerie and enticing all at once. Once you open the cover and step on to the island, be very afraid…
If I could describe this book in a few words – atmospheric, atmospheric and atmospheric. You will see Bancree come alive before your eyes, you will see the cottages and the rocks and Dog island. And like Bancree itself, it draws you in across the shimmery water, calm on the surface but be careful of what is going on underneath. Once you’ve been to Bancree, you will not be able to leave. and that is a particularly apt description for the island and for the book.
brennaw's review
dark
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
panikos's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really liked this one. I loved the melancholy atmosphere Sylvester conjures - the setting of Bancree felt touchable and distinctive, and the story was deeply character driven in just the way I like. I think it was a bit slow to start, but I mostly blame the blurb for that; it gives an inaccurate idea of what the inciting incident is, instead focusing on events that don't happen until over halfway through the book.
Despite this, I was never bored. The book handles quiet conflict very well, and I enjoyed how the stakes got bigger and bigger towards the end. I was a little concerned that Sylvester wouldn't be able to wrap up the murder mystery part of the plot, but it was resolved better than I expected, even though you could see some of the 'twists' coming from a mile off. The ultimate villain of the story was a tad pantomime, but not so much that it really bothered me. All of the other story threads connected cleanly.
Not a life-changing book, but great story with excellent characterisation and a beautiful atmosphere. I'd recommend it for anyone who likes a gloomy island novel.
Despite this, I was never bored. The book handles quiet conflict very well, and I enjoyed how the stakes got bigger and bigger towards the end. I was a little concerned that Sylvester wouldn't be able to wrap up the murder mystery part of the plot, but it was resolved better than I expected, even though you could see some of the 'twists' coming from a mile off. The ultimate villain of the story was a tad pantomime, but not so much that it really bothered me. All of the other story threads connected cleanly.
Not a life-changing book, but great story with excellent characterisation and a beautiful atmosphere. I'd recommend it for anyone who likes a gloomy island novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Violence
wanderaven's review against another edition
4.0
I always believe that if I'm vacillating between 3 and four stars, I should err on the side of the positive, and this is where this debut novel rests for me.
It was quite impossible for me not to order and immediately begin The Visitors once I read the synopsis. Selkies! Scotland! Disaffected young woman! Dark and roiling northern seas!
Honestly, I can't even explain why I'm not more solidly rooted in the four stars because the writing is quite lovely, the setting vibrant and stark. Flo is a lonely teenager, absolutely wild to get away from the suffocating community she lives in, and yet at the same time bemoans her inability to feel inclusive to that community, particularly her own family.
I suppose I had some hesitation over a couple of incidents that caused me to to feel a certain coldness or inability to comprehend the actions of Flo, and I feel like this is a story that weighs very heavily upon whether the reader can relate to or at least understand the actions of the protagonist.
Though it wasn't overt in a sense of explicitness, there's a measure of magical realism here, even separated from any of the selkie lore, though those elements do embroider and heighten the magical realism.
I certainly enjoyed the writing, the setting, and much of the characterizations and the storyline. Sylvester was completely unknown to me before this, but he will be on my radar now.
It was quite impossible for me not to order and immediately begin The Visitors once I read the synopsis. Selkies! Scotland! Disaffected young woman! Dark and roiling northern seas!
Honestly, I can't even explain why I'm not more solidly rooted in the four stars because the writing is quite lovely, the setting vibrant and stark. Flo is a lonely teenager, absolutely wild to get away from the suffocating community she lives in, and yet at the same time bemoans her inability to feel inclusive to that community, particularly her own family.
I suppose I had some hesitation over a couple of incidents that caused me to to feel a certain coldness or inability to comprehend the actions of Flo, and I feel like this is a story that weighs very heavily upon whether the reader can relate to or at least understand the actions of the protagonist.
Though it wasn't overt in a sense of explicitness, there's a measure of magical realism here, even separated from any of the selkie lore, though those elements do embroider and heighten the magical realism.
I certainly enjoyed the writing, the setting, and much of the characterizations and the storyline. Sylvester was completely unknown to me before this, but he will be on my radar now.
abiofpellinor's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, despite the majority of it not being very "mystery-like". The ending was incredibly unexpected however as I didn't think the book was going to be this sort of story.
bookish_wanderer's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. The setting, the Scottish folklore, the picture of what life on a remote island would be like felt very authentic. I did recognize the way people deal with life here sometimes (that's what life gives you, it's probably not gonna change, I'll try to be happy with it). And I loved it. It made me want to explore the islands, read about fishermen's tales, talk to the locals and watch them go on about their daily tasks (2.5 years in Glasgow, set foot on none of the islands..).
It is a coming-of-age story about a girl who is desperate to leave the island, and meet a girl who only wants stability, cosiness and routine. To that is added a dash of folklore, selkies, and mystery, people disappearing. The plot was good and kept you interested, even though it doesn't keep you guessing for too long.
It is a coming-of-age story about a girl who is desperate to leave the island, and meet a girl who only wants stability, cosiness and routine. To that is added a dash of folklore, selkies, and mystery, people disappearing. The plot was good and kept you interested, even though it doesn't keep you guessing for too long.
shoopie's review against another edition
4.0
This book could have been fantastic! Alas, when Sylvester had an opportunity to unify his plot, he tragically stuck to heteronormative convention leaving the reader disappointed and his novel mediocre.