I absolutely flew through The Island of the Lost by Daisy Stephens... a tense, atmospheric read that is equal parts ghostly and emotional.

The story centres on Liv, a writer who insists she doesn’t believe in ghosts. When she receives special permission to visit a small abandoned island off the coast of Italy. Once a plague quarantine station and later a psychiatric asylum... it seems like the perfect setting for a writing assignment. But Liv has a much more personal reason for going. She’s convinced the island was the last place her twin sister Mia visited before she mysteriously vanished eighteen months earlier, and unlike everyone else, Liv refuses to believe Mia is dead.

What follows is a haunting and increasingly unsettling exploration of the island and the secrets it holds. Alone except for her colleague Sam, Liv begins to experience things she can’t explain... a church tower tolling when there’s no bell, fleeting ghostly figures in her peripheral vision, and even the lingering smell of burning fire.

One of the standout elements of the novel is Stephens’ ability to paint the island so vividly. The imagery is fantastic... you can almost feel the isolation pressing in from all sides. The ruins, the forest, the silence, and the island’s dark history create an atmosphere thick with unease. The setting feels alive in the best possible way, becoming almost another eerie character in the story.

The emotional thread running through the book works really well. Beneath the hair-raising events is Liv’s grief, determination, and complicated bond with her sister. As the tension builds, the characters’ fears and vulnerabilities begin to surface, which gives the mystery real emotional weight.

A Quote I enjoyed:
“It is the footsteps I hear even when there's nothing behind me. Is it the movement in the corner of my eye when there's no one there.”

That sense of being watched... of something just out of sight... runs throughout the novel and keeps the tension simmering.

This is also a very quick read. The pacing moves briskly, making it easy to finish in just a couple of sittings. Even with the fast pace, Stephens never loses the creeping sense of dread that hangs over the island.

If I had one small critique, it’s that a few moments felt like they could have lingered slightly longer to deepen the tension even further. But overall, the combination of eerie atmosphere, emotional stakes, and vivid imagery made this a very compelling read.

⭐ 4.5 stars

My thanks to Daisy Stephens, Hodder & Stoughton, and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy. I received this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I adore Venice and the paranormal , so Im fascinated by Poveglia Island with is tragic history so this book was definitely right up my street . And boy it didn’t disappoint the author captured the atmosphere of the place immediately and the characters where fantastic I truly felt I was on the island with the characters in the book , and the cover of the book is spectacular

This is great for anyone a fan of ghost stories around campfires and those moments when you are sure you have seen something out of the corner of you eye. When Liv travels to an island off the coast of Italy she claims it’s for a story but the truth is she’s looking for her twin sister and is convinced she is somewhere on that island. Is she in danger and does she keep seeing things or is she slowly loosing her mind! A great creepy read!

Do you believe in ghosts? No? You will after you read The Island of the Lost by the imaginative Daisy Stephens. Liv has come to deserted Poveglia, an island off Venice, with photographer Sam. Under the guise of reporting on plans for a possible new hotel, Liv is searching for her twin sister Mia who she believes disappeared on the island. Liv and Sam have researched Poveglia’s disturbing past but they are not ready for what is waiting for them there.

The Island of the Lost is fast, paced, emotional, atmospheric and, frankly, terrifying. Stephens’ writing is vividly descriptive and makes you see what is, or is not, there. The real strength of this horror/ghost story is that it is rooted in reality. Liv’s sister is real, she has tracked Mia to Poveglia, the island’s dark history is real and the buildings she describes actually exist. This makes the supernatural just another believable part of the plot. I read The Island of the Lost in one afternoon. You will too. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Daisy Stephens for this ARC.