What was supposed to be the perfect holiday for a group of teenagers - a week on a tropical island - turns into a nightmare when their guide dies.
Stranded on the island, they soon learn that someone knows their deepest fears and what's worse, starts making them a reality.

The story follows a dual perspective but features multiple characters which usually means that I might find it confusing to follow, but this wasn't the case.
The story is one that starts slowly but one that sucks you in imperceptibly, and before I knew it, I was madly turning the pages and couldn't put it down.
The twist was surprising, albeit a bit unsatisfactory.
Nevertheless, it was a gripping, fast-paced read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend it.

This was everything I wanted and more! The island, a place where your phobias come true is the perfect mix of atmospheric and spooky. I am so impressed by the way the author made the island feel so real, I could picture every detail.
I adored the characters even those I didn't like had a charm that made me love reading about them and I think they all had really good backstories that meshed well with their current situations.
I didn't expect the book to scare me so much but It was done so well and the ending was great. Usually in these spooky survival stories, the end is a let down but I really liked how it was carried out here and I think it was the perfect length for an ending.

A fast paced thriller, this keeps you guessing throughout. The characters are well developed and it keeps you guessing who can be trusted.

With her new novel 'The Island', C.L Taylor takes her area of specialism, the psychological thriller, and expertly adapts the genre to appeal to a young adult audience. The central setting and mystery are woven with plenty of suspense and intrigue, drawing the reader into this lushly depicted private island. Don't be fooled - this is far from paradise!

The story follows six teenagers who are being taken on a 'survival weekend' on a private island off the coast of Thailand. We follow the perspective of two of them, Jessie and Danny, but we see all of the teenagers are battling with their own issues and demons which colour the way they approach their island experience. As the week unfolds, more and more seems to stack against the teenagers, particularly when they are being forced to face their worst phobias head on. The threat level mounts as we wonder whether all teenagers will survive to be rescued...

Despite the twists not being the most surprising reveals, I thoroughly enjoyed the pacey and suspenseful plot and read it in only two sittings. Every time I went to put the book down, some new dramatic event would present itself and just tempt me into reading one chapter more! I love reading thrillers and am grateful for this new trend of writing for young adults which gives me a greater variety to recommend to my students.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A really good young adults book. I needed something quite easy to read and this was perfect. Reminds me of lord of the flies!

Another exciting thriller from this author who never disappoints. This time when a group of friends end up on a deserted island as part of a survival skills adventure things take a dangerous turn when their host dies and suddenly it looks like they may not get off the island alive. I loved it and I really enjoyed the selection of friends who thanks to their parents have been thrown together on these holidays for years and as they grown and change resentments and jealousy’s come to head.

This was a great YA read & exactly what I needed.

It's fast paced & keeps you guessing throughout. Written from the perspective of two of the six teenagers, lifelong friends, who travel to the island for a holiday it, it is an exciting, engaging story which kept its secrets to the end.

The perfect introduction to thrillers for the younger reader or a quick dose of escapism.

First of all this is my first #yanovel I've read (that I'm aware of anyway) and after finishing THE ISLAND last night it won't be the last...
🏝
I really enjoyed this, it was simple to read without it dragging or teetering on boring. There wasn't actually a dull moment on THE ISLAND and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay there...
🏝
C. L Taylor managed to keep me in complete suspense until the end, I had no idea what was going to unravel, but when it did I realised why this book is just perfect for a #yareader
🏝
No idea what I'm talking about??? You will have to read it to find out wont you 😉
🏝
Overall a very good read driving a very important message which I can't honestly find a fault with. Thank you so much to #netgalley #cltaylor and #hqstories

C L Taylor is astounding at writing adult fiction and equally is just as good with her Young Adult writing. I feel that those who enjoy her adult thrillers will like this just as much as well - it’s gripping, mature writing in style and twisted. Just like her usual
Books!

So I adore Callys adult books but her young adult books are also absolutely fantastic. The Island was a little slow to begin with but it soon picked up. It was a nice read that had me gripped throughout.

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday: six friends, spending a week 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. And that's because someone on the island knows each of the group’s worst fears - which are each coming true, one by one.

The Island is very character-driven, with the friendship dynamics between the group changing drastically as the week goes on. I do wish we had gotten more than two POVs from the group of friends - maybe Honor? - but overall, I loved that it was told from Jessie and Danny's viewpoints. They seemed to be at polar opposites of the group, and I liked getting the balance.

The book explores some really emotional topics while still keeping the reader on the edge of their seats -- and, while I suspected the gist of the twist earlier on, it was still a total nail-biter.

This was a really fun YA thriller with a really cool concept

As with all C.L Taylor books this book was really well written and super engaging.

The concept was really interesting. I love books set in claustrophobic closed in environments so this books setting was perfect for me.

I didn't love the characters. They weren't all that likeable as people and it took me a while to be able to distinguish them from each other.

It was full of twists and turns. I was totally captivated and hooked right till the very end

I definitely did not see the ending coming at all.

The pace was really good too. It was fast paced and I never felt bored during the reading experience.

Overall, this was a really fun YA thriller by one of my favourite thriller authors

TW: depression, death, violence and suicide references

I've never read anything by this author before but i saw that this book has a few of my favourite traits to read in books so had to pick it up!
I found the setting and the plot to be very enjoyable and would recommend this highly to a younger audience.

As soon as I saw a C.L Taylor book was available on NetGalley I logged on and requested it. Thankfully, I was accepted and I have just finished reading this fabulous book!

A group of childhood friends go on their annual holiday and this year go all out for one of their birthdays. Renting their very own island! But when things start going wrong, who is to blame?

The perfect ‘who’s done it’ story. Excitement, thrills and suspense throughout. The characters are really likeable and the ending was a shock!

Highly recommend! 5 star! Very excited for the next of Taylor’s amazing work!

A holiday in paradise turns into a nightmare for 6 teens who have been friends since childhood. Told from the point of view of two of the friends - Jessie and Danny- we slowly discover their personal stories and uncover long held secrets that have led to the dangerous situation they now find themselves in.
Taught thriller that touches on a lot of difficult subjects, will be a popular choice in any school library

3.5 stars, rounded up.
Thank you to the pubkishers and Netgalley for the ebook review copy.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to read on netgalley. Im a massive fan of her books and how exciting that the younger readers can discover her too.

It addresses a lot of issues that can be related to in real life whether a young reader or not. This is important as ya doesnt need to be light and fluffy. It shows the relationship between trauma and mental health.

Who can be trusted on the island ? They are all friends…right?

Will they all survive?

A fantastic addition to this authors library. A exciting page turner from start to finish .

Published January 21st 2021

I was intrigued to read The Island by CL Taylor as I am not really the right demographic for Young Adult Fiction but as it was set in Thailand and I am a big fan of CL Taylor's work I jumped at the opportunity to read an ARC of The Island. And it didn't disappoint. Six teenagers who have been holidaying together for years have the opportunity to stay on an idyllic Thai island for one of their birthdays with just a tourist guide for company. After the tragic demise of their guide the group have to fend for themselves for a whole week without any outside help.

As the days go by, each of the six friends come face to face with their phobias and the group are convinced that they are not the only inhabitants on The Island. as a series of disturbing events threaten to shatter relationships within the group. Will the six friends stick together or will a stay on The Island be their undoing?

A great read for the younger reader and older reader alike!

Thank you to CL Taylor, her publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

Really enjoyed C.L. Taylor’s previous books so was interested to see how she transferred to Young Adult literature. I was certainly not disappointed. The story has a strong base line of a group of teenagers going to a deserted island for a “survival” week holiday and their guide dying of a stroke on the first night. The book then develops into how the teenagers survive the rest of the week. It builds into many terrifying ordeals that are in imaginable but in a way that makes your heart leap into your mouth and beat that little bit faster to an amazing ending. Really enjoyed this book which was basically a great thriller which is suitable for teenagers, young adults and actual adults and think any age would enjoy this book.

The perfect holiday that turns into a nightmare. Six young adults go to an idyllic private island for a week with their guide to learn to life off the land and survive. But things take a bad turn when their guide unexpectedly dies and they are left to fend for themselves. Fast paced tale, with lots of questions, and answers only given at the end after numerous twists and turns. Enjoyable read with real page turning quality.

Devoured in a matter of days. Cally Taylor’s first psychological thriller for the Young Adult market.
Also suitable for older adults!

Six teenagers have known each other since they were born, holidaying together with their parents over the years. This year is slightly different. One of the parents has paid to hire an try island off Thailand and a guide for a survival week for an 18th birthday present.

Their parents stay behind in an hotel, and the teenagers begin their survival week by travelling to the island in their guide’s boat .

All is going well until they try to leave the island to get help for one of the group who has fallen seriously ill. The rope to start the engine has been cut so they are stranded. But who has cut the rope? Is there someone else on the island with them? There is no way to escape so they will just have to wait until the alarm is raised when they don’t return.

They are having a drinking session around the fire on the first night and they all tell their phobias. Over the next few days, one by one their phobias become real. They just need to survive for a few more days until they are rescued. But with tempers fraying and fallings out within the group it becomes more difficult to stay together.

Most of them have had a traumatic experiences in their lives and their stories are told by going back to the events.

Great setting for a thriller which had me hooked from the title and the author, who never fails to come up with a top notch psychological thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Harper Collins for an ARC.