Rachel Hawkins quickly became one of my favorite authors, and it all started with this book. I picked this up by chance while perusing my local library and *guilty* chose it because of the cover and title. Luckily, the story lived up to my expectations.
What I Liked
This is a great read for anyone who likes travel and adventure. I also liked the mystery of it all. Is what they say about this island true or is it all a conspiracy?
The beginning of the book starts with a carefree decision to go on an adventure. The characters are unattached and decide to take this trip on a whim to try to feel something after grieving the loss of a loved one. They know the island might be haunted, but the they’re looking for a good time, and life really can’t get any worse than it is now, so YOLO.
The character growth and balance between grief and adventure was perfect. The back and forth between the feelings of “it can’t get any worse” and feeling so fulfilled when you finally get your footing again is so relatable. What do you do when you feel like you’ve lost everything? Escape to a possibly haunted island!
The majority of this book isn’t scary or “thriller”, but there are lingering hints of something spooky happening on the island that build suspense. It isn’t until the last 50 pages or so that this novel becomes a heart-thumper.
What I Disliked
Honestly, I loved it all. Some of the Goodreads reviews criticize the author’s use of F-Bombs or casual inappropriate language. However, I never felt like it took away from the story. They were there to party and forget all their worries, so it matched the moment and the characters. Despite the language, the characters were still relatable, well written, and grew throughout the story.
Overall Rating
5/5 hands down! This book was the perfect balance of fun, mystery, island-life, and personal growth. The characters were relatable, writing was solid, and it was a page-turner from the beginning. I would definitely recommend this book as a summer or beach read (but save it for later if your destination has rumors of something haunted 😜).
Favorite Quotes
“Give it time.
Nothing you feel is wrong.
There will always be a before and an after, and you have to learn to live in the after.”
“When grief is still raw, drinking and drugs are a double-edged sword. They can numb you, make you feel the pain less, but they can also crack you wide open, leaving you vulnerable for a flood to come rushing back in when you least expect it.”
“because she worked out that thing, that secret, that takes most people ages to learn—no one really wants you to be yourself. They only want themselves reflected back at them.”
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