The Island

by Natasha Preston Pub Date 2/28/22

4*s, Natasha Preston’s endings always leave us hanging.

PUBLISHER’S SYNOPSIS

“Jagged Island: a private amusement park for the very rich—or the very influential. Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley—social media influencers with millions of followers—have been invited for an exclusive weekend before the park opens. They’ll make posts and videos for their channels and report every second of their VIP treatment. 

When the teens arrive, they’re stunned: the resort is even better than they’d imagined. Their hotel rooms are unreal, the park’s themed rides are incredible, and the island is hauntingly beautiful. They’re given a jam-packed itinerary for the weekend.  

But soon they’ll discover that something’s missing from their schedule: getting off the island alive.”

REVIEW

When Paisley, a true-crime influencer, gets invited to the opening of Jagged Island, a private amusement part for the wealthy started by a billionaire, she is so excited. The pictures don’t do the gothic-themed park justice. The hotel is magnificent, the food is amazing, and the park itself is an experience to die for. Unfortunately for some of her fellow influencers, that turns into something quite literal. As people begin disappearing, their bodies showing up in unexpected places, Paisley’s true crime background thrusts her into the center of the investigation. They need to figure out who is killing the members of their group and stop them before this weekend in a gothic paradise becomes their last on this earth. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was packed full of gothic imagery and influencer nonsense, but also had so much character-driven drama. Preston has a real talent for horror and the character building that is necessary to create the kind of realistic scenarios that drive the knife of fear into the heart of a reader. Her endings also always leave the reader wondering if the main character really survived their ordeal or are primed and pressed into a more horrific one. You feel the emotions, practically smell the gore, and come out the other side craving more. 

If you’re looking for other works by Preston, The Fear is also a great tale of horror. If you’re looking for more influencer-based horror drama, I recommend Never Coming Home by Kate Williams (review on my blog). Lord of the Fly Fest by Goldy Moldavsky is also one I have my eye on. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the advanced e-copy in exchange for this review. It was a wild rollercoaster ride. Pun intended.