The Islanders

by Lewis Robinson

Shaken by problems at home, confused by the motives of a new love, and reeling from a public meltdown, high school hockey star Walt McNamara joins an exclusive new leadership program controlled by the ultra-wealthy summer residents of Whaleback Island, a granite and spruce oasis off the coast of Maine. But this is no paradise; secrets lurk in its murky waters. As Walt and his fellow misfits, including the determined Aubrey and fierce Tess, are pushed physically and mentally by ex-military instructors, exposed truths from the island’s past and present slowly reveal the reasons behind their intense training. With danger mounting, Walt, Aubrey, Tess, and the others must use their new skills to sort friend from foe and find a way to survive. In The Islanders, award-winning author Lewis Robinson has crafted his most irresistible book yet: a suspenseful reckoning of class conflict in America, with a vivid tale of friendship and family at its heart.

Genres: Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[Leslie Appelbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down! Lewis has created a group of characters so vivid I felt I knew them all. Their struggles on an island in Maine felt like Outward Bound adventures I have experienced crossed with evil masterminds. I read this in a day because I couldn't stop myself.

[Ellie McGrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rugged and remote island in Maine. Troubled youths looking for a better life. A coterie of billionaires offering leadership training. What could go wrong? In his latest novel, Lewis Robinson adroitly builds an unsettling world of gritty characters who gradually realize that the life they're seeking may be in peril. A great read that's impossible to put down.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A smart and engaging page turner with great writing and a huge heart. What more do you need?

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book. Thank you.

This was a good read. The story centers on Walt McNamara, a high school Hockey player, whose life is suddenly unfolding in ways he never saw coming and not in a good way. He's given a chance to join a group of other kids on the island of Whaleback in Maine, where they will all be given a chance to find themselves and become leaders. Shortly after arriving to Whaleback, they are divided into huddles and each huddle forms very, very tight bonds. Every day, they prove to themselves that they can do it, and their friends are key; they truly are a team, a huddle. The stronger and more confident they get, they start to realize that the intentions of the group founders might not be in their best interests.
The story shifts between while Walt is on Whaleback, and what came before.
The first half of the book really focused on the events leading to Walt getting to Whaleback, and the other kids also, and the early days of being on Whaleback, the bonds and friendships that were forming. It seemed halfway through the book, the author suddenly realized he had to get moving on the story line and finish up. All of a sudden things were happening, and there was less detail and build up. I appreciated the pace picking up, but sometimes felt something had just been skipped over.
It was good, nonetheless, and I was cheering the kids on as I was reading.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

This didn't quiiiiite hang together for me. The 'backstory' sections of Walt's story were good - compelling and interesting as his high school life crumbled due to various revelations and family tragedies. But the 'current-day' sections where all these troubled kids are forced into (volunteer for?) a boot-camp style training to become a paramilitary force for the uber wealthy just felt unfinished & kind of generic. They all get brought to this island on the vague promise of high profile jobs at the end of it (and take this just on trust?), and then run around a lot and go swimming in cold water, and these absolute dicks in polo shirts lecture them on 'you're a team, we are training you for great things' rah rah, and there are guns and now they've all bonded together as a unit.... but none of them (other than Walt, and maybe one or 2 of the others a little bit) are really fleshed out into real characters. The very end escalates and has some tension, but most of the book where they are 'training' on this island just felt a bit generic / didn't really get a sense of plot development and ratcheting up of tension throguhout the first 3/4 of the book. I did like the Maine setting, though!

[Dace ჯ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book captivated me from the first page, but then it dragged on and, with a few pages left, I was still guessing how it would end. Maybe I should have checked that it was a young adult book before diving into it and adjusted my expectations respectively.

It's a decent young adult novel and reminded me a bit of The Holes by Louis Sachar. 50 eighteen year-olds from each state of the USA are invited to participate in a leadership program ran by the Club on an island in Maine owned by the ultra-rich members of the Club. While there are huge mansions and golf-courses on the island, the WILDers live in spartan conditions and are taught survival skills by ex-military. Moreover, they start to get suspicions about the real motives behind their training and the jobs they would be offered after it.

The philosophy of the ultra-rich Club members rings alarm bells and resonates very much with the MAGA rhetoric, though the events of the book take place during the Clinton administration.

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robinson provides a sympathetic portrait of a group of college-aged misfits finding themselves and each other on a remote Maine island where they've been brought together at a mysterious boot camp. You can't help rooting for this quirky group of characters as they come together through their common struggles on the island. I found myself glued to the story as Robinson gradually unraveled the mystery behind the camp while also presenting a compelling backstory of the novel's protagonist, a quiet, humble young man with a violent streak grappling with a tough home life. What I most appreciate about the book is Robinson's ability to describe the beauty and brutality of the Maine wilderness. Reminded me of tromping through the Mackworth Island woods with my dog on a late fall day. The views are stunning but that stiff cold breeze can chill you to the bones.

[John Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that grabs you on page one, and never lets go until you close the cover at the end. I particularly like how the author weaves Walt's backstory in with the action on the island so smoothly. It makes you understand what motivates him so much better and how much emotional chaos was inflicted upon him by nearly everyone in his life, pre-island.
The training the teens go through, their bonding, and gradual realization that something's rotten, are all done nicely. I like Aubrey especially. She's a survivor, able to be empathetic even though she doesn't speak for much of the story. The people running the show exhibit many of the character attributes intelligent members of contemporary society find abhorrent, and what happens to them in the end is almost applause-worthy. This is a great read!

[CC Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure— I am married to Lewis Robinson. But don’t take it from me… The New York Times has given his books rave reviews and this one might be my favorite! The Islanders reminded me of The Breakfast Club, Get Out, Harry Potter and going on wilderness adventure trips with my high school students where I teach.

The main characters are a brave and kind crew of recent high school grads who think they have been recruited to a leadership program / gap year internship only to discover they may not trust the dazzling ultra wealthy dudes in charge. There’s a love story featuring two scrappy introverts, raucous camaraderie and feats of strength and survivalism.

I love this book!

I love this author!

[Linda Sienkiewicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

In “The Islanders,” Robinson delves into the dynamics between the haves and the have-nots. The story follows a high school hockey star who blew his chances, and now grapples with family dysfunction while trying to understand a girlfriend who doesn’t have his best interests in mind. Walt unwittingly joins a leadership program that seems bent on weeding out the weak while offering only vague promises of success and wealth. As Walt’s team of fellow misfits face physical and psychological challenges, the tension escalates, especially when the true nature of those in power is revealed.

“The Islanders” is not just a story about survival, class, and identity —it’s an exploration of what it means to be part of a community that will have you cheering.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked that from the beginning, there was an ominous cloud, a weight hovering that kept me guessing. I thought Walt and the other "kids" were on a wilderness training mission like a last chance to change the path they were on; an alternative to juvenile detention, but something was off. The momentum was good, and the bonds between the WILD recruits were believable. When things got really critical, it made me feel like the book was really about growing up. We stay kids until something critical happens to us or to someone in our lives, and then we realize it's not a game. Real life has already started. We are all responsible for ourselves, and what we do matters.
I think this would be a good read for a mature teen book group.

[Kim Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC. Probably a 2.5 because of ending. Most of the story centers on a group of teenagers (like 18-19) who are sent to a remote island for leadership training. There is one from each state and they seemed to have been recruited by members of this Club for the opportunity. Intermixed is the backstory of one of the participants. Most of the story involves serious physical training by someone who is borderline sadistic. I thought something else was going to happen at the end but it turned out to be a weird rich person situation. Not really a recommend for me.

[Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writing and an engaging coming-of-age story about a group of teenagers trying to figure out who they are and which adults have their interests at heart. Lewis Robinson writes teenagers so well and with such clarity and also puts you right in the middle of the beauty and danger of an island off the coast of Maine. I put this book in the hands of my teenage sons and asked them to read it.

[Odessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half was a struggle and the ending was so rushed but pages 180 - 290 were pretty great. Will always a love a political commentary, especially from the POV of the children who are harmed the most from it, but there were so many interesting characters and points completely glossed over.

Also, Alessandra girl what is wrong with you!?

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jumped from 3.5 for my Maine(iac) sister
It was a will written and interesting
story A lot left untold
I believe The Club was an elitist group
that feared the turmoil in our country today
could lead to civil conflict
They would lay low but if the conflict came
to them they would be prepared to defend their
Lifestyle

[Mallory Haar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book for its cozy, stephen-king-esque depictions of friendships, coming-of-age and the vivid atmosphere of the islands of Maine. It was a page-turner too, a compelling parable about the ways the uber-rich manipulate the rest of us.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book on LibraryThing.com

A good storyline that covers two timelines of a teenager's life. While the story dragged to discover the past actions creating the present timeline, the story itself is good and worth the read.

[Donni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The jury is out on this for me. Don’t take me wrong, it was beautifully written and the way the huddle came together in the end was awesome but I never got the gist of why “the club” was doing the whole thing. Megalomaniacs?

[Esturgis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll be careful about spoilers but what I’ll say is that I started out feeling like this would be a “summer read” (ie east for beach reading, no concentration required). Wrong! Couldn’t put it down. Still had surprises in several spots.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story about a group of "troubled" young adults who are recruited to take part in an Outward Bound type program, BUT IT'S NOT!

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

To YA for me