Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano

 

Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano - 464 pages

Clifford Island. When Willow Stone finds these words written on the floor of her deceased son's bedroom, she's perplexed. She's never heard of it before, but soon learns it's a tiny island off of Wisconsin's Door County peninsula, 200 miles from Willow's home. Why would her son write this on his floor? Determined to find answers, Willow sets out for the island.

After a few days on Clifford, Willow realizes: this place is not normal. Everyone seems to be stuck in a particular day in 1994: they wear outdated clothing, avoid modern technology, and, perhaps most mystifyingly, watch the OJ Simpson car chase every evening. When she asks questions, people are evasive, but she learns one thing: close your curtains at night.

High schooler Lily Becker has lived on Clifford her entire life, and she is sick of the island's twisted mythology and adhering to the rules. She's been to the mainland, and everyone is normal there, so why is Clifford so weird? Lily is determined to prove that the islanders' beliefs are a sham. But are they?

Five weeks after Willow arrives on the island, she disappears. Willow's brother Harper comes to Clifford searching for his sister, and when he learns the truth--that this island is far more sinister than anyone could have imagined--he is determined to blow the whole thing open.

If he can get out alive...

I just could not get into this book, I don't know why, the concept was a good one.  In retrospect, it was a good story, and it was decently written.  I guess it just didn't hit for me.

One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole

 

⭐⭐⭐✩

One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole - 352 pages

Years after a breakdown and a diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder derailed her historical preservationist career, Kenetria Nash and her alters have been given a second chance they can't refuse: a position as resident caretaker of a historic home. Having been dormant for years, Ken has no idea what led them to this isolated Hudson River Island, but she's determined not to ruin their opportunity.

Then a surprise visit from the home's conservation trust just as a Nor'easter bears down on the island disrupts her newfound life, leaving Ken trapped with a group of possibly dangerous strangers--including the man who brought her life tumbling down years earlier. When he turns up dead, Ken is the prime suspect.

Caught in a web of secrets and in a race against time, Ken and her alters must band together to prove their innocence and discover the truth of Kavanaugh Island--and their own past--or they risk losing not only their future, but their life.

This is the first book of this author's that I read.  I really liked the plot of this book and how she handled the character's DID.  She did a great job of defining each identity's personality and every character's personality also.  All of the chaos that happens in this book kept me reading; I blazed through this book in a couple of days; I couldn't put it down.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie-300 pages

What can you say...Its Agatha Christie!  This one is actually very scarey to me.  An excellent plot twist that you don't see coming.  I always enjoy Dame Agatha...she is the one who got me started on my love of mysteries way back in 5th grade! (Yes...a hundred years ago!) Whenever I need to work my little grey cells she's the one I go to.

LOVED it!

Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

 

Raven Black by Ann Cleeves, 376 pages

Raven Black is Ann Cleeves' debut novel and first installment of the Shetland Island Mystery series. DI Jimmy Perez must solve the murder of a young woman in a small, isolated community in the northernmost part of the UK. Perez must battle small-town small mindedness in his dogged pursuit of the truth. The deeper Perez digs into the investigation, the more community ghosts he unearths. 

The mystery is knitted together neatly like a familiar Fair Isle sweater. The pacing is consistent, the ending is satisfying and masterfully seeded, and the characters are ordinary , flawed people. The stylized speech is mostly slang and local colloquialisms instead of written phonetically, which is a score for readability.  

The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island by Dana Alison Levy

The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island by Dana Alison Levy - 259 pages

The Fletchers are spending the month of August on Rock Island - just as they do every year.  They are looking forward to all their favorite things about the island -- soccer on the beach, ice cream in town, and most of all the lighthouse.  But this summer, change is coming to Rock Island.  For the first time there are other children to play with, an ice cream truck is on the island, and the lighthouse is closed due to safety concerns.

This is the second book about the Fletcher family.  I really enjoyed this book and hope the author continues to write about them.

Dodos Are Forever by Dick King-Smith

Dodos Are Forever by Dick King-Smith - 224 pages

Dodos Bertie and Beatrice are living the perfect idyllic life on an island in the Indian Ocean.  They are happily planning their marriage when a boat full of sea monkeys (sailors) and rats invades their islands.  It is the first time the dodos are ever under attack.  Will Bertie and Beatrice be able to survive them to prove that "dodos are forever".

This was a great audio.  I really enjoyed listening to it.  It was a simple story with just enough danger and excitement for kids.

Jack the Castaway by Lisa Doan

Jack the Castaway by Lisa Doan - 144 pages
The Berenson Schemes #1

Jack is dismayed to discover that his parents intend to take him on their next get rich quick scheme to the Caribbean where they plan to start a snorkeling business.  Jack is sure that somehow he will end up dead on this adventure - whether from whale sharks, pirates, or just his parents' neglect.  He had no idea that he would actually end up as a castaway on a deserted island though - all due to his parents lack of planning.
This is the first book in a new series.  I personally found Jack to be a bit annoying.  Yes, his parents are neglectful, easily distracted, and have no clue on how to raise a kid.  But even when they eventually come around as you know they will he continues to bad mouth them and disparage them at every opportunity.  However, I think kids will see it as the ultimate boy knows best story.

Bad Magic by Psuedonymous Bosch

Bad Magic by Psuedonymous Bosch - 393 pages

Clay hates magic.  Unfortunately he is given a magic book that turns into graffiti on the school wall.  He's punished by being sent to a survival camp on a deserted island.

It was interesting to read.  A completely new plot.  Great for boys in middle school.

Bad Island, by Doug TenNapel, 224 pages

Bad Island, by Doug TenNapel, 224 pages

This is really a story for teens- Dad wants to take the family on a vacation, no one wants to go, but especially not his teen son.  When they get shipwrecked on a weird island that turns out to be waaaaay more than it appears, the family grows closer and a pet snake is brought back to life.  And other things happen.  Good for kids and teens.

The Blackhouse by Peter May

The Blackhouse by Peter May - 368 pages
Book 1 in the Lewis Trilogy

The book takes place on the stark island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides off the norther coast of Scotland.  The murder of a childhood nemesis brings DS Fin MacLeod back to the island of his birth to investigate the crime since it seems on the surface related to a previous murder in Edinburgh.  The story alternates between the current events surrounding the crime and MacLeod's childhood on the island.  May breathes so much life into the island of Lewis that it feels like a character by itself.  This is a stark world that is painted beautifully.  The story is good, the characters strong, and the sense of place is outstanding.

Isle of 100,000 Graves by Jason

Isle of 100,000 Graves by Jason - 56 pages

Gwenny's father disappeared five years ago searching for the treasure on the Isle of 100,000 Graves.  When Gwenny finds a map to the Isle she enlists the help of pirates to get there.  With the assistance of a single pirate that she blackmailed into keeping her safe, she discovers the secret of the Isle of 100,000 Graves and what happened to her father.
This was a strange graphic novel.  I loved the idea that the reason the island is called the Isle of 100,000 Graves is because an executioner's school is on the island.  They send out bottles filled with maps to the island to get human guinea pigs for the students to practice their torture and killing methods on.  The drawing style is very unique and I realized on the first page that I had actually read one of Jason's books before.