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strawverri's review against another edition
2.0
like I said earlier.... mindless zombie story. reading the next couple of books in the series, of course, cause I am hoping it gets better as some stories are prone to do.
heathercottledillon's review against another edition
3.0
This is a very well-done book. The premise sort of makes sense (which is good enough for a zombie novel, in my opinion) and is unique enough to stand out among all the typical stories of the undead that have become popular lately. I like the way the author made me think about what makes us human without being cliche or preachy. There's quite a bit of action but it's not super-gory, so it's one I'll recommend for people who don't like to hear all the blood-soaked details. It's definitely far-out (we're talking mummies coming back to life and immortal evil), but I thought it all fit together well rather than just being randomly thrown in. "Monster Island" is definitely going on my must-read zombie list.
abaugher's review against another edition
5.0
Zombies! uugh my least favorite movie character. can i handle a book about them? we'll see.
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WOW! yeah, i can handle this. The very end seemed just a little cheesy, but i can see how it would need to be set up that way (sort of) because it's got a SEQUEL!! and then a third!!! looking forward to reading them!!
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WOW! yeah, i can handle this. The very end seemed just a little cheesy, but i can see how it would need to be set up that way (sort of) because it's got a SEQUEL!! and then a third!!! looking forward to reading them!!
kalahcakes's review against another edition
5.0
So original.
Kept surprising me, which is a high bar.
Very well written.
I'm outraged this book hasn't gained more popularity.
Kept surprising me, which is a high bar.
Very well written.
I'm outraged this book hasn't gained more popularity.
thebookhaze's review against another edition
2.0
I'm about 80 pages in, and while it's not bad, it's not good enough to keep my interest right now. There are too many other books I want to read. I might come back to this in the future, we'll see.
shannon_reidwheat's review against another edition
1.0
This book started good, but got stupider and stupider as it went. I wanted to stop several times, but continued, just hoping it would get better, but no. Hard to believe there actually is two more books in this series.
kristinetp's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
I don’t think I liked the writing style? Idk. I did like the perspective switches, that was kinda fun. I liked the gross descriptions a lot too, tbh. Painted a really gross picture that I kinda enjoyed. It was a super fast and easy read and that’s something I’ve been needing after the last couple of books I read, so I’m grateful for that. However, I will not be finishing the Monster Island trilogy haha
Honestly, you would not catch me trying to survive in a zombie apocalypse. Imma be the first to go on my own accord. Peace ✌🏼
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Gore
mamarabbit87's review against another edition
5.0
LOVED!!! It was a great read! Little bit different then your standard zombie storyline.
jrobles76's review against another edition
4.0
great zombie series. Kinda of a new take on the genre, like the idea that the reason zombies are "mindless" is because when they die the brain is getting any oxygen. Keep yourself on a respirator at the moment you turn and you get to keep your mental faculties. ...and a few surprises.
clarks_dad's review against another edition
3.0
Acceptable zombie novel. I had a bit of a problem with the narrative style, which flipped back and forth between first and third person (there's a reason for it that I found rather quaint). I guess, like the star wars genre, I'm just a sucker for zombie stories, and this one, is ok.
There were certain moments however, where I felt that this was Wellington's expression of pure adolescent male fantasy. The story begins in Africa, where Dekalb and his daughter Sarah are white refugees in a Somali country (HA! look, Wellington knows how to do irony) run by a female warlord and her band of dedicated Muslim school girl soldiers (complete with plaid skirts and head wraps....yeah). Anyway, Dekalb has a problem, he worked for the UN before the epidemic, and the warlord has AIDS. So she makes a proposition: drugs for safety. There are no more drugs to be had in Africa, in fact, the only place Dekalb knows there are drugs is in the UN building in New York (a huge stretch in my opinion - what there were no drug manufacturers left in Europe?? and really, at the UN Secretariat building where they have high profile international meetings they just happen to keep a stock of AIDS fighting drugs??) SOOOOO, Dekalb sets off for the Big Apple with an army of 16 year old school girls with AK-47 assault rifles to find the drugs and fight the evil Gary (yes GARY) a sentient undead who is very, very hungry. So far my description reeks of male fantasy and you may wonder where the extra two stars comes from.
The answer is relatively simple, and maybe not all that justified, I liked the source of the epidemic. For once, it wasn't a virus or something government engineered. In fact, there's an air of unresolved mystery that Wellington doesn't even bother clarifying, confident in his ability to tell the story of the characters just placed in that situation (as unlikely as that may be). He does mention though, that the epidemic may be magical in origin, and Monster Island abounds with mystical forces connecting the undead, mummies, and Celtic druids, making for an interesting twist on the genre that I found kind of refreshing (like writing waaaaaayyyyy too many asides in parentheses). Anyway, it's acceptable enough that I'm kind of interested in the sequels (because, as if the genre isn't cliche enough, Wellington made his story a trilogy).
There were certain moments however, where I felt that this was Wellington's expression of pure adolescent male fantasy. The story begins in Africa, where Dekalb and his daughter Sarah are white refugees in a Somali country (HA! look, Wellington knows how to do irony) run by a female warlord and her band of dedicated Muslim school girl soldiers (complete with plaid skirts and head wraps....yeah). Anyway, Dekalb has a problem, he worked for the UN before the epidemic, and the warlord has AIDS. So she makes a proposition: drugs for safety. There are no more drugs to be had in Africa, in fact, the only place Dekalb knows there are drugs is in the UN building in New York (a huge stretch in my opinion - what there were no drug manufacturers left in Europe?? and really, at the UN Secretariat building where they have high profile international meetings they just happen to keep a stock of AIDS fighting drugs??) SOOOOO, Dekalb sets off for the Big Apple with an army of 16 year old school girls with AK-47 assault rifles to find the drugs and fight the evil Gary (yes GARY) a sentient undead who is very, very hungry. So far my description reeks of male fantasy and you may wonder where the extra two stars comes from.
The answer is relatively simple, and maybe not all that justified, I liked the source of the epidemic. For once, it wasn't a virus or something government engineered. In fact, there's an air of unresolved mystery that Wellington doesn't even bother clarifying, confident in his ability to tell the story of the characters just placed in that situation (as unlikely as that may be). He does mention though, that the epidemic may be magical in origin, and Monster Island abounds with mystical forces connecting the undead, mummies, and Celtic druids, making for an interesting twist on the genre that I found kind of refreshing (like writing waaaaaayyyyy too many asides in parentheses). Anyway, it's acceptable enough that I'm kind of interested in the sequels (because, as if the genre isn't cliche enough, Wellington made his story a trilogy).