Perfect for one of us is lying fans. If you have not read crime before this would be a great first read.
Great setting and a great storyline. Easy reading too.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a complimentary eARC for review purposes*

Wow!

This book really exceeded my expectations.
The Island follows a group of teens on a week-long island survival experience After tragedy strikes the teens are forced to fend for themselves while a series of scary events befall them.

The characters are well rounded with developed backstories and make believable decisions.

This is a really hard review to write. When I review I like to consider a text as a reader but also as an educator and sometimes a book appeals more to one than the other.
I will start with the negatives; as someone who loves a YA thriller I found the pace of this book slightly lacking, it definitely could have glossed over certain unnecessary parts to keep the story really engaging. The 'teens lost on an island' trope is quite common now and I wish there was more thought put into the creation of the 'antagonists' Josh and Jack, who feel like plot points more than characters.
However, and this is a big however, the handling of huge issues such as mental health, grief, psychosis and emotional abuse is exemplary. I guessed the 'twist' would be Danny was having a breakdown but I really appreciated how Taylor managed to show him as neither a villain nor victim. The book successfully shows young people how to talk to someone who is struggling. Jessie pushes people away and so Milo is unfailingly kind until she is ready. Danny was losing grip and felt threatened from all sides and so Jessie ensured he felt safe, and had an ally while still helping him see he was doing wrong. As someone who works with teens who experience a myriad of different mental health issues I think this book could be a great tool. So with that I give it 3 stars overall.

Really good YA thriller, I enjoyed the twists and turns and the island setting. It reminded me of The Island by M A Bennett

Great book in the YA genre

Bunch of friends trapped on an island with some really weird things happening

Not long before they all start turning on each other

Highly recommended

I love C. L. Taylor books. I look out for them, and devour them. 'The Island' is of the Young Adult genre, and no exception.

Six friends and their families have been going on holiday together for years. Now teenagers, the dynamics between the friends have changed. There is an awkwardness between them that never used to be there; there are secrets between them; feelings unexpressed...and they're about to spend a week alone together on an island.

Danny and Honor are in a relationship, Jessie feels like she doesn't belong, Jeffers is a bit of a nerd, and twins Meg and Milo have rivalry issues. With mixed feelings they embark on their adventure with their guide, Anuman.

Disaster strikes! Anuman dies suddenly of a stroke, and the six friends are stranded, with no way of getting back to the mainland. As they try and survive the week until help arrives, mysterious and frightening things begin to happen and all their fears are becoming realities. Will they actually get off the island alive?

C. L. Taylor's book addresses some pertinent issues of the young adults she is addressing; growing up, change, loss, grief and mental health are all intertwined with a gripping and fast-paced story.

I give this book four stars.

Thank you to netgalley and HQ for sending me this in return for an honest review.

I’ve read C.L Taylor’s books before so when I saw this I had to request it. I’m not used to YA books anymore but it’s been on my list to try so this was the perfect book to try.

It was fast paced and once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down! I loved it. I loved how all the characters had grown up together and there was the typical relationship dramas that went on. I didn’t really have a favourite character or dislike any, but I did like how it talked a lot about their lives and their personalities because you could definitely tell the differences.

The book overall does cover a lot of different subjects and things teenagers definitely will relate to, but the ending absolutely got me. I did have a feeling of the suspect, however how it came out and happened shocked me. And when I realised what was going on I was in shock. It was beautifully written and it made me speechless. It definitely wasn’t what I expected and I’m so glad I read it!

I was lucky enough to receive an audiobook version of The Island along with this copy. My first experience of this book was through listening to the audiobook, and I really enjoyed it. The suspense that carried the storyline was gripping and the twist at the end was very clever. The plot was fast-paced and quite intriguing to me due to the inclusion of different mental health aspects. However, I used this copy to re-read the book, and I didn't enjoy it as much the second time around. I like a mystery/suspense book to be so well developed that you can still fully enjoy your reading experience even when you have all the answers to your questions. Sadly, this was not the case with The Island. Although I still think that the plot is very clever and interesting, I think that many aspects of this book are underdeveloped, leading to a less satisfying read once the surprises have been revealed. The characters felt as if they lacked some development. This, paired with the changing of perspectives for each chapter, often left me quite confused as to which character I was reading about because they often felt extremely similar. The characters felt like they lacked the depth that I usually look for in a good book, and I never really felt like I could connect with any of them in the way that I hoped.
Overall, an enjoyable and mysterious read when reading for the first time. However, I would not recommend this to anyone who enjoys rereading their books.

THAT PLOT TWIST! Every time I thought I figured this book out there was a plot twist that changed everything. The writing and the plotline were amazing and the relationships between the characters felt real and familiar. I will definitely be reading more by C.L. Taylor in the future. The changing points of view made it really gripping and really worked well for this book.

Full of atmosphere and menace. Friends holidaying together on a desert island are faced with their deepest, darkest fears. Who is playing with their minds? Is there someone else on the island?
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. At times quite dark and sinister and thoroughly engrossing.
The reveal at the end was surprising and certainly added to the impact of the storyline.

Six friends visit a remote tropical island in Thailand for a week-long survival expedition. However, when their guide dies of a stroke, and their boat won't start, the teenagers are left stranded. Someone on the island knows their deepest fears, and one by one they're coming true. Who will make it off the island alive?

Told from multiple perspectives, this book was like 'The Island with Bear Grylls' meets 'Lord of the Flies' 😂 'The Island' is YA fiction, which I usually steer away from, thinking I'm too old! However the only real giveaway was that the characters were 17/18. The writing style was very similar to C L Taylor's other books.

The storyline was good, but unfortunately I didn't feel like it was particularly original. A lot of the plot seemed to be the group splitting up and trying to find each other on the island, which soon became a little repetitive. I also felt that a few of the characters were very similar (I.e. Meg and Honor) so I kept having to remind myself who was who.

There was a lot of dialogue throughout which moved the story along at a good pace. However, I felt like the characters could have been anywhere because there was very little description. I wanted to be transported to the tropical islands of Thailand, but unfortunately I didn't get that.

The ending was good, and addressed some important topics concerning mental health. However, I would recommend reading Taylor's other books over this one. I particularly enjoyed 'The Missing'.

I am not a fan of books being told by different characters perspectives, it's like ground hog day. Apart from that it was a good story.

This book is a real page turner! It had a real cinematic feel from the outset, and it really swept me along effortlessly. Six teenagers are left stranded on an island after their guide suffers a fatal stroke. They discover that someone has also tampered with their boat, so they are forced to remain until their parents send help. This puts them under immense pressure, which is only heightened when strange things begin happening at camp. Each of their worst nightmares and phobias are coming true, and they are forced to accept that they may not be alone on the island. It’s a great story, but I especially loved how the psychology of the characters developed and adapted to fit their circumstances. There are also some entirely unpredictable twists, which were very well done. For a YA debut, it’s a really good read, and I would definitely recommend!

I have mixed feelings about The Island.
On one hand it was an intriguing survival mystery with a hint of the Hunger Games thrown in. The plot was fast paced and gripping (I read it in two sittings) but I expected more.
The story follows six teenagers on a holiday on an exotic Island but things go haywire when their guide unexpectedly has a stroke. They are left to fend for themselves and face their phobias and dark pasts.

I was immediately hooked from the start. The writing was very well done and really made me want to read more The chapter lengths were perfect.
What fell short for me was the characterisation. None of the characters were really fleshed out much. Sure they had a tragic past and their flaws but I wasn't rooting for any of them. There wasn't much depth to them. I really only read on for the plot. Maybe if the characters were more relatable I would enjoy the book better.

Some things didn't really make sense to me, such as Anuman's sun stroke. He grew up in these conditions and was fine the day before and what actually happened was never explained. We were just told that he had a stroke.
The ending was anticlimactic. I really wanted there to be someone else who had a grudge against these spoiled kids, something they did, but that wasn't the case and I just didn't enjoy how it ended.
It was quite the ride. I definitely enjoyed reading The Island but there are some things that could be worked on. 3.5 stars!

Really easy to read and gripping. Thoroughly enjoyed this book! Never read this author before but really enjoyed it.

As someone who has enjoyed C.L. Taylor’s previous work I was delighted to be given the opportunity to read The Island, her new standalone Young Adult novel. Firstly, let me say that although a YA novel, this book can be enjoyed by readers of any age. It’s a superb and well written psychological thriller that once started I did not want to put down.

Told from two alternating points of view, The Island is a gripping story about six teenagers who find themselves stranded on a remote tropical island. What started out as a trip of a lifetime soon turns into hell on earth after a shocking tragedy leaves them guideless and alone. It soon becomes apparent that all of their darkest fears are becoming a reality. But who is doing this to them? And why?

What follows is a tale full of mystery and suspense, the atmospheric island setting with its almost claustrophobic feel ratcheting the tension up to almost breaking point as the six teenagers do all they can to survive. With nerves shattered and weaknesses exposed the group flounder, not knowing who to trust as the twists, turns and surprises keep on coming.

C.L. Taylor has written a fast paced psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. With believable characters, poignant moments and a suspense filled story that keeps you guessing, I thoroughly enjoyed The Island and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller.

C. L. Taylor’s books are among some of my favourites so I was very excited to read her second Young Adult book. I read her first YA book “The Treatment” when that was released and really enjoyed it, I love the combo of YA and thriller.

This one is told by both Jessie and Danny 2 of the 6 teenagers that get trapped on this Island. I like multiple viewpoints, and it worked well as it would have been slightly duller if you had just heard from one or the other.
The book is great at drawing you in to start just one more chapter, as all good thrillers do, the tension keeps you up until late in the evening.

The premise of 6 teenagers stranded on an island is interesting, throwing me into an environment which sounds like bliss if it wasn’t for the freaky things happening.

I liked all the characters in general, Jefferson in particular. We obviously get to know Jessie and Danny the best out of them all. Jessie is incredibly strong and resilient, especially as she has suffered some trauma. Danny on the other hand is outwardly strong, but as you get to know him, you learn he is quite insecure especially with his relationship with Honor. I liked this contrast between the two lead characters.

Once again C. L. Taylor has knocked it out of the park. Tense with an ending that satisfies, what more could you ask for?

This is the first book that I’ve read by CL. Taylor and I really enjoyed it. Six teenagers are expecting an adventurous holiday on a remote island but when the guide dies they have to fend for themselves. An interesting thriller, quite fast paced.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review, I will put this review on Amazon too.

Six teenage friends are expecting a Bear Grylls lite trip to a tropical island. But when their guide dies and their only transportation of the island is mysteriously damaged they suddenly find they have to fend for themselves for real. And not just from what nature has to throw at them.

I'm really liking this authors forays into YA. I've been a fan for years so frankly I'll read anything she writes. But god I wish she or someone like her had been writing for that age group when I was growing up! All through the book she keeps the tension taut and the threat constant but it stays well within the boundaries that you'd expect to be written for the target audience. A great read.

Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author, for allowing me to read this book for free. C. L. Taylor is one of my favorite authors. I love her narration style and her stories are always memorable. I always find myself looking forward to her next book. I did not love this story. I did not care for any of the characters. For some reason, I did not connect to this story.