While I devoured the Fear Street and Point Horror books as a teen (including the Cheerleader series by R.L. Stine, which made me sleep with the lights on after reading it and still makes my stomach turn thinking about it decades later) I am a big scaredy-cat and I don't tend to read horror books or watch horror films as I know I'll be freaking myself out. However, when I heard author Bryony Pearce talk about her then upcoming book Savage Island at the Stripes 2018 Young Adult Showcase, she made it sound so exciting and intriguing that I couldn't wait to get my hands on it!
A group of teens join a competition on a remote island without any way to communicate with the outside world for three whole days until one team wins the game and with it a lot of money. What starts out as an exciting adventure quickly turns into an absolute nightmare when they realise danger lurks around every corner on the island and the other groups of contestants are willing to do ANYTHING to win the coveted million pounds each at the end of the competition. Dun dun dun...
This book was a whirlwind and fast-paced read that actually got my heart racing just by reading it! I mean, from the blurb and everything I had heard about this novel before going in, I should've known that I was in for a shocking and horrific read, but despite all the signs pointing to doom and gloom, I was right there with the main characters at the start, hopeful that they'd be going on an exciting adventure rather than one that might kill them all.
The set-up to the story was outstanding, author Bryony Pearce deftly leaving an air of mystery surrounding the competition and its organiser. And using geocaching (find a hidden box, take what's inside and replace it with something of equal or greater value) as one of the core components of the competition? Very clever indeed.
As gripping as the story was, however, I had to skim-read through some of the passages because they were just too stomach-turningly gory. Though at the same time both the flashbacks and the present tense story line had me so intrigued that I was also unable to stop reading as I needed to know what would happen next and how it would end! And let me tell you, no matter how wild you let your imagination run, you will not be able to guess the shocking reveals and THAT ending.
While Savage Island was a bit too gory for my liking (I know it's a horror, but it felt like an elevated version of the more extreme moments in the Point Horror books than hitting on the far more twisted psychological level, which I prefer in a scary read), it was also eerily realistic in its execution – and absolutely unputdownable.
If you already love horror, you'll definitely want to pick this one up! And even if you tend to steer away from it, this story is so gripping and cleverly put together that you'll want to read it anyway. (You might have to sleep with your lights on afterwards, but it'll be worth it.)
This post is part of the official blog tour for Savage island, so make sure you check out the other stops too for more reviews and awesome posts about this book!
Savage Island is published by Little Tiger Press and you can buy your copy now from Foyles or your own preferred retailer.
🎵 Listening to: Harry Styles – Sign of the Times
🔹 Mood: Productive
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