the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was an entertaining read! At first it reminded me of a book I read recently...deserted island, a group of friends, lighthouse. However, it turned out to be completely different. Very atmospheric setting. A little spooky. A touch of the paranormal. A mystery that kept me engaged throughout. That said, I had a couple of niggles. One, I could not stand Kira and really wished someone had drop kicked her off a cliff. And second, the ending was super rushed and needed a few more pages to properly flesh it out. Overall though, this was a really enjoyable read and gets two thumbs up from yours truly!
**ARC Via NetGalley**
This was an entertaining read! At first it reminded me of a book I read recently...deserted island, a group of friends, lighthouse. However, it turned out to be completely different. Very atmospheric setting. A little spooky. A touch of the paranormal. A mystery that kept me engaged throughout. That said, I had a couple of niggles. One, I could not stand Kira and really wished someone had drop kicked her off a cliff. And second, the ending was super rushed and needed a few more pages to properly flesh it out. Overall though, this was a really enjoyable read and gets two thumbs up from yours truly!
**ARC Via NetGalley**
ms3194's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the advance readers copy.
A thriller about a group of friends who go away to relax to an lighthouse island but end up developing cabin fever syndrome. Is it just simmering tensions or is there really someone out to get them? Or something?
I cannot say no to horror/thriller about people being stuck together on desert islands! It's hard to go wrong with this formula because I think being away from civilisation and being stuck with anyone for prolonged periods of time brings out the worst in humans. And things are no different in this book.
The characters annoy each other, bicker and all know that something is wrong with the very place they're staying at. I liked how all the characters and their dynamics were written. It's not easy to write 6 people who you both like and dislike at the same time. Kudos!
I also liked the suspense, action and how I didn't know whom to believe till the end.
But the writing does get repetitive sometimes and for most of the book, nothing really happens.
So, a solid 3/5 from me.
A thriller about a group of friends who go away to relax to an lighthouse island but end up developing cabin fever syndrome. Is it just simmering tensions or is there really someone out to get them? Or something?
I cannot say no to horror/thriller about people being stuck together on desert islands! It's hard to go wrong with this formula because I think being away from civilisation and being stuck with anyone for prolonged periods of time brings out the worst in humans. And things are no different in this book.
The characters annoy each other, bicker and all know that something is wrong with the very place they're staying at. I liked how all the characters and their dynamics were written. It's not easy to write 6 people who you both like and dislike at the same time. Kudos!
I also liked the suspense, action and how I didn't know whom to believe till the end.
But the writing does get repetitive sometimes and for most of the book, nothing really happens.
So, a solid 3/5 from me.
chillsdon's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mytileneve's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
The tension in the first part of this book was really good. It was really creepy, it kept me on edge, and made me want to find out what happens. However, that's pretty much the only thing I liked about this book...
My first problem with it straight off the bat was that every character's voice in this sounded exactly the same. I often had to flip back to find out whose POV I was reading because they sounded identical and I couldn't even notice the shift to a new POV. I get why the choice to have multiple narrators in this book was made and I agree with it, but I really think more care should have been taken to have the voices sound distinct and personal.
My second problem was that the pacing in the second half of the book felt a bit off and I thought the 'mystery reveal' came too early and by that point I was no longer interested to read the last third of the book. Moreover, I felt like the second half turned into a cliche horror movie where the characters do the stupidest things and you just yell at them to think for a second.
Lastly, the characters felt quite flat and I really could not get myself to care about them. You've got the token jock with a perfect life, his perfect girlboss girlfriend, the try-hard ex with something to prove, the troubled guy, and the token lesbian couple (one an anxious wreck and the other the perfect voice of reason). Even though it seemed like there was an effort to have them be a bit more fleshed out, I really felt like I could not care about them as characters or about their drama and backstory.
Overall, this was a bit mediocre to me. The first half was promising, the second half I felt bored and wanted to finish it. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. A perfect middle ground of 2.5 stars.
The tension in the first part of this book was really good. It was really creepy, it kept me on edge, and made me want to find out what happens. However, that's pretty much the only thing I liked about this book...
My first problem with it straight off the bat was that every character's voice in this sounded exactly the same. I often had to flip back to find out whose POV I was reading because they sounded identical and I couldn't even notice the shift to a new POV. I get why the choice to have multiple narrators in this book was made and I agree with it, but I really think more care should have been taken to have the voices sound distinct and personal.
My second problem was that the pacing in the second half of the book felt a bit off and I thought the 'mystery reveal' came too early and by that point I was no longer interested to read the last third of the book. Moreover, I felt like the second half turned into a cliche horror movie where the characters do the stupidest things and you just yell at them to think for a second.
Spoiler
I mean, seriously, they go look for the woman's cave and find it empty, they go check the shack on their way back to the lighthouse and also find it empty, and they never for a second think that on a small island in the middle of a storm if the woman isn't in the cave and she's not in the shack, she's definitely in the lighthouse or cottage?? What were they expecting?Lastly, the characters felt quite flat and I really could not get myself to care about them. You've got the token jock with a perfect life, his perfect girlboss girlfriend, the try-hard ex with something to prove, the troubled guy, and the token lesbian couple (one an anxious wreck and the other the perfect voice of reason). Even though it seemed like there was an effort to have them be a bit more fleshed out, I really felt like I could not care about them as characters or about their drama and backstory.
Overall, this was a bit mediocre to me. The first half was promising, the second half I felt bored and wanted to finish it. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. A perfect middle ground of 2.5 stars.
zagsreads's review
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
simply_fran's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Child death, Alcohol, Death, and Kidnapping
cj_mo_2222's review against another edition
4.0
A group of friends from university have a 10-year reunion on an Island in Scotland. Ora Island has a recently refurbished lighthouse as well as a large cottage and is the perfect place for a getaway. It’s been three years since the entire group of friends has gotten together and there are some tensions between members of the group. In addition, the island has an eerie feel right from the beginning. When some of their belongings start to go missing and other strange things occur, their fun, relaxing vacation becomes scary and maybe even dangerous.
This story is told from multiple points of view which is good to see some of the things that happen from more than one side. The group dynamics alone would have made for a tense vacation - a young woman, her ex-boyfriend and new girlfriend, a young man who is keeping secrets, and a married couple on their first trip without their daughter. Add in the creepy atmosphere of the island and you get tension from the very beginning and the sense that something is going to go wrong. One of the characters tells ghost stories at the beginning so some of the others wonder if a ghost is behind some of the things going on there.
The book has a big build-up and kept my interest throughout the story. However, the payoff wasn’t as big as I expected and was somewhat disappointing, so I would rate it 3.5 stars. Some things are left unanswered at the end that I would have liked to see resolved. However, the ambiguity regarding the island was a suitable ending. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but I would be interested in reading others.
I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Avon Books UK. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
This story is told from multiple points of view which is good to see some of the things that happen from more than one side. The group dynamics alone would have made for a tense vacation - a young woman, her ex-boyfriend and new girlfriend, a young man who is keeping secrets, and a married couple on their first trip without their daughter. Add in the creepy atmosphere of the island and you get tension from the very beginning and the sense that something is going to go wrong. One of the characters tells ghost stories at the beginning so some of the others wonder if a ghost is behind some of the things going on there.
The book has a big build-up and kept my interest throughout the story. However, the payoff wasn’t as big as I expected and was somewhat disappointing, so I would rate it 3.5 stars. Some things are left unanswered at the end that I would have liked to see resolved. However, the ambiguity regarding the island was a suitable ending. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but I would be interested in reading others.
I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Avon Books UK. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
soldiergirl1917's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25