caro25001's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
bookcraft's review
4.0
A fable, a fairytale, the ultimate example of an unreliable narrator...I don't really know how to define this book. It was gorgeously written and a fascinating psychological study, and the fact that I could see where it was headed didn't lessen the impact at all. Because it's a fable, a fairytale, and we all know how those go, right? The ending isn't the important part; it's the journey that really matters.
hashtag_alison's review against another edition
3.0
I bought this book because I loved the Colin Morgan movie so much. It starts out a little slow, but after about 4 chapters the story finally starts. It was an interesting book, but I honestly can’t say whether I would have enjoyed it or not without having seen the movie first. As a sort of companion to the movie it was great; you understood a little more about the characters and why the actors made some of the choices they did. I really can’t say if it stands on its own, though.
_elisebeth's review against another edition
1.0
"When I was twenty-eight I decided to kill my mother."
I saw the movie before I read the book, the movie itself was a bit weird but interesting enough (although not my favourite storyline) so I was interested enough to read the book.
This book was boring as hell. I really couldn't get into it or enjoy the story. How it was written was not very engaging to me.
I can't even write a proper review because I have nothing more to say.
I saw the movie before I read the book, the movie itself was a bit weird but interesting enough (although not my favourite storyline) so I was interested enough to read the book.
This book was boring as hell. I really couldn't get into it or enjoy the story. How it was written was not very engaging to me.
I can't even write a proper review because I have nothing more to say.
jer's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
dinosaurhorrorshow's review against another edition
5.0
This book was hauntingly beautiful. I didn't want it to end. The writing was so raw and real. Some parts got overly explained and dragged a bit, and I feel like the ending was a little sloppy. But overall definitely one of my top 5 favorite books. So glad I discovered it.
allie_thebooktraveler's review against another edition
4.0
I knew about this novel because Colin Morgan is in the movie adaptation, I'm not gonna lie. But I read the argument and it attracted me, so I didn't want to missed the story from the original source.
I loved it. The story is predictable but it doesn't mean you can't get into it.
It's angsty and claustrophobic. Twisted and bitter. But it's fascinating. You feel trapped in the fog that Rogers sets for us, and you only feel a bit of relief on the tales told by Calum. But Nikki always comes back, with her darkness, making you understand her thoughts, even wanting her to fulfill her purpose. I enjoyed so much.
Read it in 2 days, and totally worth it.
"If you'll never leave me, I'll never leave you".
*
Supe de esta novela porque Colin Morgan está en la adaptación cinematográfica, no voy a mentir. Pero leí el argumento y me atrajo bastante, así que no quise perderme la historia de su fuente original.
Me ha encantado. La historia es bastante predecible pero no quiere decir que no puedas sumergirte en ella.
Es angustiosa y claustrofóbica. Retorcida y resentida. Pero es fascinante. Te sientes atrapado en la niebla que Rogers teje para nosotros, y solo sientes un poco de alivio en los cuentos que cuenta Calum. Pero Nikki siempre vuelve, con su oscuridad, haciéndote entender sus pensamientos, sus razonamientos, incluso queriendo que cumpla su propósito. Lo he disfrutado mucho. Leído en dos días, merece la pena.
“Si nunca me dejas, nunca te dejaré”.
I loved it. The story is predictable but it doesn't mean you can't get into it.
It's angsty and claustrophobic. Twisted and bitter. But it's fascinating. You feel trapped in the fog that Rogers sets for us, and you only feel a bit of relief on the tales told by Calum. But Nikki always comes back, with her darkness, making you understand her thoughts, even wanting her to fulfill her purpose. I enjoyed so much.
Read it in 2 days, and totally worth it.
"If you'll never leave me, I'll never leave you".
*
Supe de esta novela porque Colin Morgan está en la adaptación cinematográfica, no voy a mentir. Pero leí el argumento y me atrajo bastante, así que no quise perderme la historia de su fuente original.
Me ha encantado. La historia es bastante predecible pero no quiere decir que no puedas sumergirte en ella.
Es angustiosa y claustrofóbica. Retorcida y resentida. Pero es fascinante. Te sientes atrapado en la niebla que Rogers teje para nosotros, y solo sientes un poco de alivio en los cuentos que cuenta Calum. Pero Nikki siempre vuelve, con su oscuridad, haciéndote entender sus pensamientos, sus razonamientos, incluso queriendo que cumpla su propósito. Lo he disfrutado mucho. Leído en dos días, merece la pena.
“Si nunca me dejas, nunca te dejaré”.
ejuhee's review against another edition
5.0
This relentlessly tragic novel is about the self-christened Nikki Black. Abandoned the day after she was born, Nikki got the full brunt of an incredibly flawed foster care system. Despite her keen intelligence, Nikki is relentlessly plagued by feelings of abandonment and deep bitterness about her life. So at the age of 28, she tracks down her birth mother to a remote island in Scotland where she intends to kill her. Rogers has written a story where just about every character is a victim of cruel, cruel fate. Both Nikki and her mother are deeply flawed, but you can easily say it's the way life made them. The actual conclusion of the plot is something rather predictable, but the plot is secondary to the characters who desperately claw to find a state of happiness that they can only define as a state when they are not being crushed by misery.
catwithabook's review against another edition
3.0
****
"When I was twenty-eight, I decided to kill my mother."
(Rogers 1)
And so begins the treacherous story of Nikki.
Twenty-eight-year-old Nikki Black, emotionally and psychologically damaged from years of foster homes, is fed up with being scared. She blames her mother for abandoning her at birth and as she grows up, anger and hate boil inside her. In her rage, she sets out for a small island off the coast of Scotland to find her mother, and to kill her. Once there, however, she becomes immersed in the mystical, fairy-tale stories of her half-brother Calum.
This is by far, the creepiest, most disturbing and messed up book I have ever read, and this may be because it was so well written. Nikki's anger escalates as the story progresses and the tension rises, becoming more and more psychotic and mentally unhinged. One can clearly see the effects of the island on all of the characters: its dreary, bleak setting is the perfect resting place for Phylis, chained to her past decisions, Calum, her mentally retarded son over whom she eerily has an obsessive control, and Nikki, the unstable and vengeful daughter seeking recompense.
While not the happiest of books, Island is a quick, addicting read wrapped in myth and mystery that chronicles the journey of one woman through darkness and madness, ultimately ending in her redemption.
*I do not recommend this book to anyone who cannot tolerate swearing and to anyone who, in general, hates violence.
Review seen on: http://www.bookishnonsense.blogspot.com
"When I was twenty-eight, I decided to kill my mother."
(Rogers 1)
And so begins the treacherous story of Nikki.
Twenty-eight-year-old Nikki Black, emotionally and psychologically damaged from years of foster homes, is fed up with being scared. She blames her mother for abandoning her at birth and as she grows up, anger and hate boil inside her. In her rage, she sets out for a small island off the coast of Scotland to find her mother, and to kill her. Once there, however, she becomes immersed in the mystical, fairy-tale stories of her half-brother Calum.
This is by far, the creepiest, most disturbing and messed up book I have ever read, and this may be because it was so well written. Nikki's anger escalates as the story progresses and the tension rises, becoming more and more psychotic and mentally unhinged. One can clearly see the effects of the island on all of the characters: its dreary, bleak setting is the perfect resting place for Phylis, chained to her past decisions, Calum, her mentally retarded son over whom she eerily has an obsessive control, and Nikki, the unstable and vengeful daughter seeking recompense.
While not the happiest of books, Island is a quick, addicting read wrapped in myth and mystery that chronicles the journey of one woman through darkness and madness, ultimately ending in her redemption.
*I do not recommend this book to anyone who cannot tolerate swearing and to anyone who, in general, hates violence.
Review seen on: http://www.bookishnonsense.blogspot.com
evareading's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0