This is a really good thriller that had my heart rate going in some parts. I've always enjoyed books by this author but I think this is deffinatly my favourite! 
A group of teenagers go to a remote island, away from their parents with a tour guide on par with Bear Grylls to keep them safe, when the guide unexpectedly suffers a fatal stroke the group are left to fend for themselves with no way off the island . 
I had lots of different theories about what was going on but I really didn't see the ultimate twist coming. Fantastic story!;

Welcome to The Island.
Where your worst fears are about to come true…

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday: a week-long trip for six teenage friends on a remote tropical island.
But when their guide dies of a stroke leaving them stranded, the trip of a lifetime turns into a nightmare.
Because someone on the island knows each of the group’s worst fears. And one by one, they’re becoming a reality.

Seven days in paradise. A deadly secret.
Who will make it off the island alive?

I’m a huge C.L. Taylor fan so was delighted to take part in the @hqstories blog tour for the book! A YA novel, The Island is a little different from her other books but it is still a page turner.

Six teenage friends go on a survival trip to a remote island but disaster starts to appear around every corner and they find themselves stranded in the island. This was a quick read and I wanted to read more to find out what was going on! As a reader, you suspect everyone of something at some point and it’s not until the end that everything is revealed. The ending surprised me but I also felt it was lacking something too.

This is a good YA novel and would be perfect for fans of Lost or Karen McManus - this book definitely had hints of both of those!

This book enticed me with the tagline, Seven Teenagers, Six Days and One Deadly Secret. I mean what more could you want, plus it is a Young Adult book just to add an extra feel. When reading this it made me think of the TV show Lost, although without the dramatics of the plane crash. It did, however, have the sense that something is not quite right with the Island. When your fears start to come true then seriously you need to get outta there. But then where is the fun in that for a reader!

We do have a group of characters where you are suspicious from the start. I didn’t like everyone but you definitely were rooting for everyone. These friendships are life long, their parents were friends in the NCT group and so the yearly holidays are the norm. This time it’s Jeffers’ birthday and the gang go to a remote island to celebrate, yet it all goes a bit Pete tong from the off. All the excitement made for an addictive read.

The story is told from the point of view of Jessie, where something in her past has moulded her present day. It made her aloof to everyone, her friends aren’t quite sure of her anymore since the “incident.”

The other story is told by Danny, Danny is fiercely protective of his girlfriend Honor and the rest of the gang. When things start to go wrong, the fear Danny feels we feel. He tries everything in his power to keep everyone safe as he tries to figure out what the heck is going on.

I enjoyed the pacing between glimpses to the past but with the majority of the story being told on that Island. Your worst fears start to come alive, you doubt what is real and you need to figure out what to do to survive. The isolation of the island amplifies the dire strait of the situation, not able to get off the island, the jungle not offering a sanctuary as you would hope. I think I would root myself on the beach and not move, I mean have they not watched Lost! When the gang did traipse through the jungle, I felt like you could imagine the noises of the jungle come alive, the heat from the sun and the sounds of the sea. I loved all of that, until, well until their fears started to come alive…I mean Spiders!! Enough said.

It was an enjoyable read, one that was hard to put down and a great hit for a YA book and I am glad I got the chance to read it!

A group of teenagers find themselves alone on a tropical island where their holiday survival experience turns into a real fight for survival. It's as if someone has it in for them, taunting them with their personal - and in some cases, secret - phobias.

The opening is a slow introduction to the group of weeping girls and protective boys, each of whom looks out for the others by asking if they are okay, very regularly. The chapters vary their perspective from the first-person tale of a self-conscious girl, to the view of an insecure boy who is infatuated with another girl from the group of friends. But once the story kicks off, the tension remains until the very end.

A story about friendship, grief, bereavement, facing fears and survival of body and mind, but ultimately it is a book about belonging.  A great Young Adult read.

The Island was a book that I could not stop reading it. Even though I had work next day I binged this book until the early hours of the morning. Desperate to know who was behind these events and to see if my guesses for the culprit were correct.

We are told the story from two viewpoints, Jessie and Danny. Reading from their perspective, there is a definite feeling of knowing them best. Of understanding their perspectives and how they react to certain events. The other four are more mysterious and therefore more suspicious.

I always thought that a remote island would be a pretty amazing holiday, but now I am having second thoughts. There are so many things that could go wrong.

Every book I have every read by C. L. Taylor is one of my favourite authors and has never let me down. Whether it's her books for adults or those aimed for a younger audience. All of them have drawn me in and kept me guessing. And every time I have guessed wrong.

While this is a book targeted for young adults as an adult this didn't effect my enjoyment of the book at all. Like all C. L. Taylor books I felt very much at home and was absorbed from page one. Brilliant, addictive and compelling, this was a throughly enjoyable read!

I’ve loved all of C L Taylor’s books I’ve read and really enjoyed The Treatment her first step into the world of YA writing. So I couldn’t wait to read The Island. The whole blurb reads like any of her adult novels, the suspense, that hook to pull you in to her psychological thrillers.

I won’t say too much about the whole story line as the blurb says enough and I fear I’ll say something that will spoil the rather tense build to the book’s climax. But what I will say is it was rather brilliant. I was there shadowing this party of 6 as they got used to their surroundings without their local survival guide. At this point, I had flashbacks to reading William Golding’s Lord Of The Flies – would this group of teens turn savage in order to survive or was there something more twisted to their stay?

I loved how the narrator switched between Jessie and Danny. Their different voices guided me through this ordeal in a Thai paradise. I was intrigued why those two in particular were telling me the story but irrespective of the reason, I was hooked with their tale.

This not-so-young adult thoroughly enjoyed this tense escape to a remote Thai island. I was hooked on the story but had to break for a 5 minute breather at the end of a number of chapters to catch my breath and steady my unnerved self. Taylor has yet again created a taut thriller for both young adults and her adult fans.

This is certainly no story like the Famous Five. Here, in Thailand, six teenagers are having to survive on a remote island with no chance of rescue until a week has passed because one of the parents has “booked” the island for a week’s stay. There’s no chance of ginger beer, a picnic or a mystery to solve as the group worry for their own safety.

A young adult thriller, I think this will appeal to teenagers and older readers alike. It’s a gripping story that moves at a quick pace. From both Jessie and Danny’s perspectives, I like how this narrative split provides a different insight into the group dynamics. Jessie and Danny have very different experiences on the island; whilst both characters have varied close attachments within the group, Jessie is undoubtedly affected by the recent death of her brother. Taylor does not go into detail with this information until far later in the novel, leading readers to anticipate what really happened to Jessie and her brother.

Taylor addresses the issue of mental health in this book, most specifically towards the end. I think this is so important, particularly with the increased awareness in society today. It demonstrates how anyone can be suffering silently and this ties in with the how the characters are being targeted by their own phobias. What begins as a spur-of-the-moment discussion by the fireside on the beach ultimately comes to haunt them – a bit like the despair that follows several of the characters.

I had many theories about what was driving this story forwards, but Taylor surprised me right until the end! It is not a complicated plot and, being set on a deserted island with just six characters means that there are not too many distractions. In other words, the character list is quite small and once you have got their identities confirmed in your head, you can simply sit back and enjoy the narrative unfolding. On this basis, I think this story would certainly appeal to young adult readers, particularly those who are more reluctant towards reading. The opening captures your attention immediately and this is the theme for the rest of the story.

I liked the escapism that this book provided and enjoyed the concept of being on holiday in Thailand! However, with these phobias coming true for the characters, I don’t think this is a place I would visit in a hurry – my fears are far too numerous!

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This book had me gripped from the very beginning. It normally takes me a few chapters to get into thrillers but this one had me hook line and sinker, wanting and needing more. C.L Taylor is magnificent at what she does, The way this book was written was amazing, the detail made me instantly connected to the characters and I did not want to put this book down at all, I sped through it and still didn't guess the ending. At various points throughout the book, I was certain I knew what was happening and who was behind all this but I was wrong. The ending was really unexpected. However, I only rated the book four stars because I felt as though the ending after the big reveal was a little bit rushed and would have loved to have seen more from the characters. Overall though, I definitely would recommend this to lovers of thrillers/mysteries/ya, it was fantastic!

I requested The Island not realising that it is a young adult book, which isn't my favourite genre. Once again though I was pulled into this thrilling story. C. L. Taylor is one of the best writers of exciting books that I have read.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher HQ Young Adult in exchange for an honest review.

Fun fact: I love books about people trapped somewhere, especially if they're thrillers. I was definitely intrigued by The Island which tells the story of an island holiday gone wrong when six teenagers have their tour guide die and their escape boat sabotaged. Stuck on the island, they seem to be haunted by their worst fears as bad things happen to them one by one.

This book definitely started strong and it has a lot of good qualities that most YA thrillers lack. The characters felt distinct and developed enough for the story they were in, and I was genuinely intrigued by the scenario being set up. It was extremely well-paced and I raced through to find out what was happening and who was behind everything.

I think my main issue is that there were a fair few elements lacking, and I think some of those were down to this being a YA book and some weren't. I didn't find the actual ending to be at all satisfying. It was a cool concept but poorly executed in my opinion. I also felt the stakes weren't quite high enough. It is YA but I read a lot of YA thrillers/horror and most of them have stuff a little more intense than this. I'm not sure if it was the events themselves or just how they were written which I found a bit tame, but it would have been nice to have felt more tension as a reader.

Overall, this is a solid YA thriller with a cool premise and a good execution. It's not perfect but there's a lot to like here and C.L. Taylor is clearly very talented. I definitely recommend it as someone looking for a light low-effort read with strong characters.

Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

A gripping, fast-paced, twisty thriller!

Knowing what a fabulous author C L Taylor is, as soon as I heard she had a new book coming out, I jumped at the chance to read it. I haven’t read a YA book in many years but knowing how much I loved the point horror books as a teenager, I was keen to give it a go. I am so glad I did!

The story is told from the perspectives of Jessie and Danny, who are on holiday in Thailand with four other friends Meg, Milo, Jeffers and Honour. As a gift for Jeffers 17th birthday, his dad has paid for the teens to have a guided survival experience on a tropical island for seven days. Things quickly go wrong though, when their guide dies not long after they arrive and they become stuck on the island!

As if being trapped on a remote island wasn’t bad enough, the group soon realise that someone knows what each of them fears most, as their phobias suddenly start to come to life!

The fast-paced style of writing is perfect for this book and with the many twists and turns, I didn’t once get bored. The chapters end with mini cliff-hangers which helps to hold your interest and makes this an unputdownable read.

Initially, it seemed like there were a lot of characters to remember but I quickly got used to them and luckily didn’t find it confusing. It definitely helped to have just two of the teens as narrators rather than all of them. The story is very cleverly written, with never too much being revealed about each person, I found myself suspecting anyone and everyone and I did not guess the ending!

Whilst this book sits in the Young Adult category, I think it is a thriller that can easily be enjoyed by all ages.

Secrets, suspicion and spine-tingling suspense!

Thank you to C L Taylor & HQ for my copy of this book and my place on the blog tour.

I really enjoyed this YA book and how the author approached fears and phobias through a group of teens alone on an island near Thailand.

The group of 6 have known each other all their lives, they have holidays every year. As they have grown up they have drifted apart somewhat, dynamics between each of them have altered. Tragedy has hit more than one of the group and this leads to a small void starting to encroach on the group.

A holiday on an island, a chance to get away under the supervision of a guide should be good for the group. However, when the guide dies things that had been kept hidden or controlled start to unravel. A sense of seeing beyond the mask if you like as the situation the teens find themselves in changes dramatically.

I really enjoyed the tense suspense of this novel and how the author explored the changing and challenging dynamics of the group. As they find themselves in disarray they also start to suspect that there is a danger stalking them. What or who this is they are not sure, who is to blame, who is playing games and what is to happen are questions that I needed to know the answers to as I read.

The isolation of the island adds to the sense of loneliness and separation. As I got to know each of the 6 better I began to realise that there is more than meets the eye, they are not quite the stable group I initially thought they were.

This is a really good tense, suspense ridden YA thriller and one that I really enjoyed. A good deal of mystery, intrigue and suspicion across the novel gives it that page-turner addiction. One I would recommend.

A bit of a departure from this authors usual writing and this was definitely aimed at a YA audience. Unfortunately, I really couldn’t get into this book and did not finish it. I love this author's books but unfortunately not this one.

The Island is a thrilling young adult novel written by C.L. Taylor. It follows six teenage friends as they spend one week on a remote island in Thailand. Their guide suddenly dies and then all of their worst fears start coming true. Are they alone on the island or is there someone hiding in the shadows waiting to pick them off one by one? Will anyone survive?

The story is narrated from the dual POV of Jessie and Danny which makes a lot of sense after finishing the book. I would liked to see the what was happening from the POV of the other characters but I don’t think it would have the same effect that it does. I liked all of the characters but I did find Danny, Honor and Jeffers to be really annoying most of the time. Also the way that Danny would refer to himself in the third person during his narration was weird but it definitely does make sense now. I like Jessie even though she comes across as a little unbalanced but that isn’t surprising after everything she has been through. I did like the fact that there was a bit of romance because it added something different to the story and I liked that something good came out of all the bad things that happened.

I really liked the ending and found it to be a surprising twist. I also felt like it had a very important message about trauma and mental health.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

I recieved an advanced copy for free, and this is my honest opinion.

This is a suspenseful story about six teenagers marooned on an island. Their darkest fears materialise as someone is turning paradise into hell. The characters are authentic and behave relatably. After witnessing an adult tragedy, the team dynamics start to crumble. Vulnerabilities and weaknesses rule each of the teenagers' motivations. A vividly portrayed island setting is integral to the suspense. The dual point of views are both unreliable protagonists can their accounts be trusted?

The story has psychological suspense and insights into team dynamics and how stress affects individuals and the group. There are poignant moments and twists with a satisfying ending. It's a fast-paced read which keeps you turning the pages.

It's an addictive medley of naivety and noir that will appeal to its intended audience and adults who like psychological suspense and atmospheric settings.

I received a copy of this book from HQ via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was a very interesting YA thriller with a really good concept!

I thought this book was structured really well, and was definitely paced in a way that made sure suspense was built up without being boring or repetitive.

I do think that it was quite predictable at some points, and it sometimes did seem a bit unrealistic. But it was definitely a suspenseful and interesting read.

Would definitely recommend.

This YA thriller is pitched as Lost meets the Hunger Games.

Six teenagers are taken for a week long trip on a beautiful, deserted island. They have everything they need for a week of camping and enjoying being back to nature and surviving a sunshine paradise.

But it isn’t long before things go wrong.

Before they even reach the island, the cracks in the group are beginning to show.

Jessie, Danny, Honor, Meg, Milo and Jefferson. Their parents all met years ago at NCT classes so they’ve all grown up together. But as they get older, they have less common. They only meet as a group for annual holidays. If it wasn’t for their parents, this group would have drifted apart a long time ago.

One the first night they share their greatest fears around the campfire. And before long they are happening.

The sudden death of their guide leaves them stranded and scared. As they decide what to do the tangled and frayed friendships are tested to their limits as they no longer know who to trust.

The sinister happenings on the island are really creepy. Trying to work out who was before them kept me guessing. The story is well structured and the changes in pace of events allows the reader to share the rollercoaster of emotions the group experiences as their secrets and fears are revealed.

This is a great YA thriller – lots of terror and teenage angst that readers will be able to relate to and I will definitely be recommending it.

Thank you HQ Stories for my gifted copy and for inviting me to be a part of this tour.

This story was a tense affair.  6 teens are stranded on a tropical island for a week and everything goes wrong for them.
While the plot pointed you in one path, I liked the way it unfolded and so it kept my interest.

This story helped remind me why I enjoy YA books so much. It was easy to read, fast-paced and completely gripping – I read the entire thing in one sitting because I was so desperate to see what was going to happen.

Unfortunately, I did pretty much figure out the twist at the end, though all the different twists and turns did make me question myself at times. I think part of me was hoping for something a little bit more shocking for the ending, and yet I also think that having anything too outlandish for the ‘reveal’ would have ruined the rest of the story, so maybe the issue is actually that I read too many of this type of book!

That being said, the book was still an enjoyable read. The author handled the sensitive topics well, and did a great job in capturing the essence of suspicion and mistrust, coupled with teenagers who struggle to deal with their emotions.

I’ve been meaning to try out CL Taylor for ages after following her on Twitter. While best know for her Adult Thrillers, the Hunger Games meets Lost description of this YA really drew me in.

We start the novel in a standard contemporary YA tone. This follows a group of teens who’s parents are all friends, so there’s an element of awkwardness between them which comes at that age when you’re forced together with people who you’ve grown apart from. And this tension already existing within the group works wonderfully as events unfold.

The group have a survival trip to an isolated island planned, until their guide dies. Things soon start to unravel, and each person’s personality really comes across in the way they cope as things go wrong.

The development of the plot is written in a way that feels realistic, while also horrifying in what is happening. Taylor brilliant weaves in events that build the tension and have you, along with the teenagers themselves, questioning what is happening.

Of course, the true test of a thriller is the ending. And I can confirm that this is a brilliant one.