What an intense ride! Ruth Ware is the master of making a reader feel suspense on behalf of her characters. I felt the despair and anxiety right along with the stranded reality show contestants as their resources dwindled and the minor group tensions escalated to abject control and even

murder.

The setting was also very well portrayed and I felt like I could picture the island they were on.

But this book was more than just an engaging survival story with high stakes - the author tackled some serious 'meat' among the thriller elements.  Ware very deftly made a case for just how toxic a not-openly-racist/sexist-but-'just-asking-questions' podcast bro can be. I was impressed at how she so accurately portrayed a victim's perspective of the control, gaslighting, and misogyny Connor doled out. I found myself, along with the FMC, being able to not quite put my finger on how he was manipulating them, to the point where I almost questioned if I/the characters were really experiencing what they were. The author then also led me to feel fully enraged at Connor once it became clear that any ethical explanation for his withholding resources was gone, and it became clear he wasn't the rational, protective hero but a controlling abuser actively

plotting murder.

 

The book provided a satisfying resolution, but didn't tie things up with a pretty bow. Lila and the three other women

who survived the ordeal will forever be haunted with what happened on the island, and question what guilt, if any, they'll carry for causing Connor's death when it was ultimately a life-or-death situation for them. They'll also feel the weight of essentially canonizing such a sick twisted villian so that they can all continue to live the lives he tried to take from them.

Lots to continue to ponder on after finishing the book.

It was a good book but the whole time I felt like it was missing something 

This book definitely drew me in! The first 1/3 of the book was a bit slower, but then I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading 50% of the book in one sitting! The setting was extremely atmospheric, and Ware did a good job of keeping things tense all throughout the group’s efforts to survive. There were parts of the ending that felt a bit rushed and that I didn’t appreciate as much, but overall I had a really good time following our cast of characters along their survival journey!

I really enjoyed listening to the audio book. There was lots of action and plot lines to follow. The last 10% left me wanting a little more.