Rating: 2/5
Review
Not for me
I couldn’t get on at all with The Island. It sounded intriguing
and I like the idea of a mystery set in “Hidden Iceland” but I
found it very hard going indeed.
The story is OK, but
I found it swamped by plodding descriptions and rather unconvincing
characterisation. Hulda is a potentially interesting protagonist,
but beset by cliché and overdone Personal Issues. My main problem,
though, is the writing, which I found turgid, ridiculously padded
with unnecessary detail and plagued by insultingly unnecessary
explanation the whole time. The tone is set by a tediously and
unnecessarily over-described little incident as a prelude which just
felt...well, amateurish to me. Or take this little exchange, early
on:
“ ‘I don’t
believe in...” He didn’t finish.
‘That’s because
you don’t know the whole story, Benni,’ she said softly, her tone
hinting at something chilling left unsaid.
‘The whole story?’
he repeated helplessly. “
Every time someone
speaks we have to be told more; really good dialogue speaks for
itself without incessant explanation. The internal monologues
didn’t convince me at all…
Enough. I didn’t
like it. I’m sorry to be critical, but The Island didn’t engage
or convince me at all and I can’t recommend it.
(My thanks to
Penguin Books for an ARC via NetGalley.)
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