The Island by Natasha Preston
TikTok influencers are invited to an amusement park on an island. The owner is a billionaire who wanted a place for the wealthy to enjoy a very exclusive park.
My first thoughts on this book were about the author’s decision to use TikTok as the social media platform. I remember learning that authors, especially in YA and middle grade, tend to avoid popular social media platforms and current celebrities because it can date or age their books. I often read books that mention a made-up social media platform that is very reminiscent of a current or recent one. Also, the main character says, “as perfect a match as Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds.” Again, this could age the book. A lot of my middle schoolers have no idea who these two are. Random thought, but I thought it was a little important.
Back to the story. Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley are spending the weekend here to post about it on their platforms and create some buzz. This place sounds sort of amazing. I am not a huge fan of roller coasters anymore, but the hotel sounds like a place I would enjoy. It is all decorated in a Gothic style with weapons hanging in the main hall. There is amazing food and even a spa.
And then things start to go wrong. People go missing, boats go missing, and Wi-Fi shuts down (the modern-day version of phone lines being cut). There isn’t a whole lot they can do; they can’t just walk away; they are on an island. Very much “And Then There Were None” vibes. It’s always freaky to read about things that go wrong in places that are usually so happy, like zoos, parks, malls, etc.
The main character, Paisley, is a true crime TikTok person. I think this helped in this book because she was doing a lot of sleuthing that I would have questioned from most other people. It makes sense that she is looking for clues and noticing the little details.
There was a lot of saying they were going to stick together and then finding a reason to split up, and then saying they were going to stick together. I know this is how most stories like this go, but man, it was annoying! Just stay together!! Also, when they would split up, they would end up in different groups, so you never really knew where anyone was. It was crazy to try to keep track of who ran off, who is missing, and whether some are in groups. Are they all alone running around this island? And each time they run into each other, they have to recap what has happened. So, you don’t even know who knows what! For the love of everything! Stay together!
They are always trying to figure out who is trying to kill them, which makes sense, but every time they start throwing out ideas and asking questions, it just gets more confusing. I’m sure that is what the author wanted, but I felt like I needed a murder board to keep track of everything going on in this book. It definitely kept me engaged, but there was a little annoyance as well.
I also didn’t like the ending. I don’t want to say much about it, but it was just a bunch of stuff like “really?”. I liked the premise of the book, but I would recommend others read it, just be prepared to possibly be annoyed. Some may love the wild, crazy stuff. Some may love saying, “What did I just read?” by the end.
Three out of Five Magical Coffee Cups
Literary Coffee 