The Island

The Island achieved an incredible feat by inducing two competing thoughts in my mind: this couldn’t possibly happen, and this could possibly happen! 

A family of four is on an Australian driving holiday and is unexpectedly allowed entry onto a privately owned Dutch Island. This isolated setting soon makes them vulnerable and reliant on others. I loved following the characters’ journeys as they grappled with how to protect themselves and their loved ones. They’re "ordinary everyday people" who are forced to take action—and there’s plenty of it! 

As with most of the best thrillers, there are multiple points of view… show more.

Oh, boy, do I have a vacation for you. This book by Adrian McKinty took me to a part of Australia I’d never imagined. It was a terrifying, thrilling, and downright despicable place.

A simple family vacation gone horribly wrong. I love this book for all the same reasons I love the movie, The Hills Have Eyes. As the family and I found ourselves on a secluded island, we also found ourselves in the middle of an independent clan of inbred weirdos. The scary kind. With each passing moment, the stakes increased, and our chances of escape decreased.

As… show more.

I’d not read McKinty before picking this up. It was the first book I read front to back, in a day, since having kids. As I feverishly turned the pages, I felt like I was on the Island – running from the terrifying locals that want the Baxter family dead. It doesn’t let up for a second and although it is more action-packed than my usual choice of psychological thriller, I’m so glad I gave it a chance. 

The Plot: This relentless suspense thriller is set on sweltering Dutch Island, deep in the Australian outback. A shocking incident propels a… show more.