The Island

December 15, 2022
Paisley, a true-crime podcaster, finds herself at the center of a mystery. Six teen influencers in the worlds of beauty, gaming, books, and more are invited to a late medieval Gothic era-themed resort, the brainchild of a billionaire who has spared no expense in building an eerie amusement park on the newly created, human-made Jagged Island. The influencers get to see everything before it's open to the public--they have one exclusive weekend of posting to their collective audiences. The rides are great, but the staff is limited, and a big storm is closing in. Things turn sinister when one of the influencers goes missing, the island's internet connection is sabotaged, and the cell service is jammed. Paisley needs to use her intuition, honed from digging into murder cases, to figure out who is doing this and why. Preston displays her usual exceptional pacing, with murderous delight sprinkled throughout the plot. The author effectively presents a mystery littered with clues, including red herrings, shown through the lens of a paranoid protagonist. In essence, this is a slasher film in book form, filled with the gore and violence fans anticipate and expect. Most characters, including Paisley, read White; an island staff member and one influencer are cued Black. Will leave readers looking nervously over their shoulders. (Thriller. 12-18)

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January 9, 2023
A gothic-inspired theme park on a remote island serves as the eerie setting of this high-octane thriller by Preston (The Fear). Sixteen-year-old true crime vlogger Paisley, alongside five other teen social media influencers, is invited to an exclusive first look at a new amusement park situated on an artificially built island. Upon arrival, the teens meet the island’s eccentric billionaire owner Malcolm, a seemingly gracious host, who requests that they post about their visit for their respective online followings. Though the park itself is jam-packed with exciting rides, there are few staff members to be found, prompting Paisley to feel uneasy. With a storm approaching, Paisley realizes that Will, one of the influencers, has gone missing; the only boat off the island has disappeared; and cell service is mysteriously jammed. When Will’s slashed corpse is found in an ice cream cart, Paisley and the rest of the attendees must work together to ensure collective survival. Though the premise is standard fare, Preston utilizes the uniqueness of the human-made island setting to great effect, providing an impish playfulness to the steadily escalating stakes and body count. Most characters cue as white; one influencer and an island employee are Black. Ages 12–up.

February 1, 2023

Gr 8 Up-Paisley, 17, is one of six social media influencers who have been chosen to attend an exclusive weekend tour of a remote new amusement park called Jagged Island. As the name suggests, the park is hauntingly beautiful, built to mimic the Gothic Era and filled with jump-scare rides, serial killer haunted houses, and more, all geared towards rich, influential people. At first, the thrill of being catered to by staff, enjoying top-dollar amenities, and having exclusive access to all the rides leave the teens feeling like this is a dream come true. Then the bodies start piling up. The teens, who normally spend their days behind a computer screen, will need to come together to stay alive and find a way off the remote island. This is a fast-paced thriller that keeps tensions high and has action around every corner. On an island where a serial killer is on the loose, Preston creates the perfect backdrop to examine how different personalities react in stressful situations. Characters are all initially hard to relate to due to their fame and fortune as influencers, however, as the book progresses, readers get to see the natural side of these people and learn the backstory of how they became famous. Most characters present as white; Harper is described as having "dark skin with an afro." VERDICT Recommended purchase for all libraries. Hand this to readers who are fans of Preston's other works, and who enjoy books that keep the tensions high right up to the very last word.-Ashley Grillo

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2023
Grades 7-12 A handful of teen social-media influencers are invited to a preview weekend at a billionaire's theme park on a secluded, man-made island. What could go wrong? When Paisley, a popular true-crime influencer, gets an invitation to an exclusive preview of Jagged Island, a resort and macabre amusement park designed by "rich dude" Malcolm Wyatt, she's convinced the content she'll share during this luxury experience will send her follower count into the stratosphere. Instead, she is forced to put everything she's learned from her true-crime obsession to the test as a masked killer stalks the group around the island, killing them one by one. The unique backdrop of a gothic theme park on an artificially designed island elevates this somewhat standard cat-and-mouse whodunnit to an intriguing and fast-paced thriller. Part Agatha Christie, part Fyre Fest, and part Glass Onion, Preston's novel is good fun for fans of quick thrillers. For a similar premise, hand readers Kate M. Williams' Never Coming Home (2022).

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