Hey Horror Lovers,

How’s it hanging? I hope you’re finding some spine-tingling reads out there. Speaking of which, it’s time for another horror book review! This time I read The Forgotten Island by David Sodergren.

I loved my first read by Sodergren The Haar last year (my review here if you’re interested) so when my book bestie Iseult Murphy and I decided to do another buddy read, I was ecstatic when we settled on this book. This post is my individual review, soon to be followed up by a buddy read and rant conversation post.

This is an earlier publication by Sodergren, and I was really amped to see what his earlier writing was like. So, did this book give me nightmares? Keep on reading to find out!

Blurb

When Ana Logan agrees to go on holiday to Thailand with her estranged sister Rachel, she hopes it will be a way for them to reconnect after years of drifting apart. But now, stranded on a seemingly deserted island paradise with no radio and no food, reconciliation becomes a desperate fight for survival.

For when night falls on The Forgotten Island, the dark secrets of the jungle reveal themselves. Something is watching them from the trees.

Something ancient. Something evil.

Combining the cosmic horrors of HP Lovecraft with the grimy sensibilities of the Video Nasties, The Forgotten Island is an outrageous old-school horror novel packed with mayhem and violence.

GoodReads

Amazon

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I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a tiny commission for purchases made through the Amazon links in this post at no cost to you. It’s a great way to help me keep things running on my blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

The Review

I had a lot of fun with this book.

I’ve read The Haar by this author, and while I didn’t like this one quite as much, it was still a solid scary read.

This novel centers on a pair of estranged sisters Ana and Rachel as they travel to Thailand on vacation. After a crazy party, they find themselves on a hijacked boat with others heading for a strange island. With no way of turning around, what horrors will they find? Can they find a way back home, or are they stuck here forever?

I love a vacation-themed horror story, and this definitely didn’t let me down.

Ana and Rachel are sisters with some past family drama, and it all comes out on their involuntary journey. Ana had the most depth of the two, but I enjoyed their interactions that showed how well they knew each other. Paul was an awful boyfriend to Rachel and I hated his guts, while Chakrit was honorable, brave, and had me rooting for him the whole time. This is told in multiple POVs, and each one resonated with me in their own way.

The plot was a lot of fun. Thailand was an exotic place to explore since I’ve never been, and the forbidden island gave off an ominous atmosphere that didn’t let up. There was plenty of action that became a really gritty battle for survival, which kept me on the edge of my seat. I also loved all the shocking reveals along the way. If I had to dig at anything I would say the action could get so fast paced that I would have to backtrack a little to keep what was happening in my mind’s eye.

If you love horror with some seriously scary creatures, this is the book for you!

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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