Book Synopsis:
Outside the island there is nothing: the world destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island: it is idyllic. 122 villagers and 3 scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they’re told by the scientists.
Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And they learn the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay.
If the murder isn’t solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island – and everyone on it.
But the security system has also wiped everyone’s memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer – and they don’t even know it.
My Review:
Every now and again a book comes along that you know is going to stay with you for a long time. For me this was one of those books! I absolutely loved this thrilling, gripping book and read it over two days which is no easy task with three children. It’s going to be a hard book to review as I don’t want to give anything away.
The reader is introduced to a terrifying apocalyptic world where a deadly fog has taken over the world, killing every living thing in it’s path- apart from one special Island which has technology to keep the fog at bay. The island initially seems like an idyllic paradise with a wonderful, close community which seemed to care about each other. However the reader soon becomes aware that not everything is as it seems though and there is something definitely off about life on the island.
The story is told from the point of view of multiple characters and I enjoyed finding out more about life on the Island through them. My favourite characters were Emory and Clara who were two strong, clever ladies who refused to follow the crowd and just accept what they’ve been told. Emory is given the task of solving a murder that has occurred on the island and caused the fog defences to fail so the fog creeps slowly towards the island. Through their investigation the chilling, shocking truth about the island and the apocalypse is gradually revealed.
Overall as you can probably tell I absolutely loved this book and would be recommending it to everyone. The book had a great pace to it, with lots of twists that kept me guessing as to which way the story was going to go next. I basically inhaled this book as I was so absorbed in the story and everything that was going on. I soon found myself hiding away in the kitchen desperately trying to read just one more chapter. The ending was brilliant and I immediately wanted to go back to the beginning to re-read the book all over again.
Huge thanks to Bloomsbury Raven for providing me with a proof copy through Rossiter Books. If you were a fan of Never Let Me Go or Station Eleven then I highly recommend this book.
About The Author:
Stuart Turton is your friendly neighbourhood author, responsible for The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, The Devil and the Dark Water, and The Last Murder at the End of the World – which he describes as the ‘not a trilogy’ trilogy. His books have appeared on the Sunday Times and USA Today bestseller lists, and are known for fusing locked-room mysteries with literary fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. Stuart’s books have been translated into forty languages and have sold over a million copies, which would be impressive if every author wasn’t boasting about exactly the same thing.
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