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Blood on the Beach
Eight teens are dropped off on a remote west-coast island for a week-long treatment program called INTRO (Into Nature to Renew Ourselves). The story is told by two of them: Alice, whose police-officer mother believes Alice might have a substance-abuse problem, and Caleb, who assaulted his abusive stepfather. They are joined by six other miscreants and three staff: a psychologist, a social worker and an ex-cop. On the first night, one of the girls disappears from her cabin. There is a panicked search of the island, but she is nowhere to be found. The adults seem oddly ineffectual in dealing with the crisis—and then the ex-cop gets sick and dies. The radio has been sabotaged, and there is no way to call for help. When the social worker also becomes ill, the kids decide to take matters into their own hands and track down the killer.
272 pages, Paperback
First published March 21, 2017
19 people are currently reading
1184 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 26, 2017
I enjoyed this book! I picked it up on a whim at my library because it's free and if I don't like it, no money was wasted. This book started off as a weeklong camp to help troubled teens work through their issues. Then a camper disappears and her disappearance puts everyone on edge. This book quickly changes from somewhat contemporary to a mystery.
This book was not slow and kept me wanting to read more.
This book was not slow and kept me wanting to read more.
May 7, 2017
This book seems to have a low average rating but I'm not sure why. As far as YA books go it's actually pretty good. I like that there were two LGBT characters (and it's actually decent representation!). The mystery unfolds at a good pace. I personally didn't guess the ending, I totally suspected someone else. It was a fun and fast read, and I liked that it switched between the two perspectives of Alice and Caleb.
January 19, 2025
I really liked this book the characters were great but the mystery while interesting the murderer was really predictable
April 11, 2019
Name: Kaitlyn Banner
Book title: Blood on the Beach
Personal response- The novel Blood on the Beach by Sarah N Harvey and Robin Stevenson is a highly intriguing novel that never lets go of your attention.
Plot summary- In the novel Blood on the Beach we are introduced to one of the main characters Kaleb a “ at risk teen “ who is on his way to a island meant for at risk teens such as Kaleb. Kaleb was given the opportunity to join the INTRO program for at risk teens or serve time in prison, his crime? Kaleb assaulted his mother's abusive boyfriend and stood up for her but his mother had been forced by the unruly boyfriend to either kick Kaleb out or teach him not to treat him that way. Kaleb’s mother did not want to admit that she was under the boyfriends control and based her reasons for sending Kaleb too INTRO was because he drank at a party two months prior. On the boat Kaleb meets a fellow teen Alice. Alice is the daughter of one of the guidance counselors who is escorting the teens throughout the INTRO program. Shortly after the boat reaches the island that INTRO is based out of both Alice and Kaleb are introduced too the other teens that they have too deal with for a full week. Almost three days in something feels off and unfamiliar. The usually counselors have not come to breakfast or lunch for the fact. Caleb and Alice have become good acquaintances in the past days as well, when they both notice the counselors have not been seen all day they believe that they are just testing them per usual. When the teens find out one of the counselors dead they immediately panic. Kaleb and Alice discover a sabotaged kayak and radio transmission. With these discoveries the teens decide to track down the killer by themselves after the death of the social worker because of a unknown illness. Claire one of the fellow teens is actually the killer in the very end the teenagers lock her in the boys cabin for the short period of time before their saving. Del the man who drives the zodiac in between weeks had spotted Caleb and Alice when they were using the duck tapped kayak too find help. Del calls in other police forces and the teens are finally saved. Shortly after the police figure the investigation out and thoroughly go through the evidence and the case itself Kaleb and some of the other teen delinquents are given proper new homes.
Recommendations- Blood on the Beach is a amazing suspenseful novel that any teen or adult would enjoy. I believe that the novel had its cheesy stereotypical moments but other than those the novel was a excellent read.
Book title: Blood on the Beach
Personal response- The novel Blood on the Beach by Sarah N Harvey and Robin Stevenson is a highly intriguing novel that never lets go of your attention.
Plot summary- In the novel Blood on the Beach we are introduced to one of the main characters Kaleb a “ at risk teen “ who is on his way to a island meant for at risk teens such as Kaleb. Kaleb was given the opportunity to join the INTRO program for at risk teens or serve time in prison, his crime? Kaleb assaulted his mother's abusive boyfriend and stood up for her but his mother had been forced by the unruly boyfriend to either kick Kaleb out or teach him not to treat him that way. Kaleb’s mother did not want to admit that she was under the boyfriends control and based her reasons for sending Kaleb too INTRO was because he drank at a party two months prior. On the boat Kaleb meets a fellow teen Alice. Alice is the daughter of one of the guidance counselors who is escorting the teens throughout the INTRO program. Shortly after the boat reaches the island that INTRO is based out of both Alice and Kaleb are introduced too the other teens that they have too deal with for a full week. Almost three days in something feels off and unfamiliar. The usually counselors have not come to breakfast or lunch for the fact. Caleb and Alice have become good acquaintances in the past days as well, when they both notice the counselors have not been seen all day they believe that they are just testing them per usual. When the teens find out one of the counselors dead they immediately panic. Kaleb and Alice discover a sabotaged kayak and radio transmission. With these discoveries the teens decide to track down the killer by themselves after the death of the social worker because of a unknown illness. Claire one of the fellow teens is actually the killer in the very end the teenagers lock her in the boys cabin for the short period of time before their saving. Del the man who drives the zodiac in between weeks had spotted Caleb and Alice when they were using the duck tapped kayak too find help. Del calls in other police forces and the teens are finally saved. Shortly after the police figure the investigation out and thoroughly go through the evidence and the case itself Kaleb and some of the other teen delinquents are given proper new homes.
Recommendations- Blood on the Beach is a amazing suspenseful novel that any teen or adult would enjoy. I believe that the novel had its cheesy stereotypical moments but other than those the novel was a excellent read.
June 24, 2017
Eight teens, so-called miscreants, who have never met are put on an island for a week by their parents to sort out their numerous societal/psychological problems with a psychologist, a social worker, and her husband, an ex-policeman. Everything goes awry when one of the teen girls goes missing, the ex-cop gets sick and dies, and then the psychologist’s insulin disappears. They have no way of getting off the island, the radio is sabotaged, and it appears that no one will survive. This novel seems far-fetched: The social worker and psychologist do not seem to have a good handle on teens and how to get them to open up and work things out. The teens, although not real good at relationships, seem to strike up close relationships almost immediately. The events seem to be pretty extreme and not very likely to happen. But it was an easy read and I had to finish it to see if my guesses on the plot outcome turned out to be right...they were.
February 18, 2022
Blood on the Beach is an intriguing, fast-paced "And Then There Were None"-type of murder mystery. I liked the format with alternating chapters told from Caleb's and Alice's points of view. I appreciated the relatively low body count, too. I loved the characters of Caleb, Nick, and especially Rahim, and liked Alice and Imogen.
Great ending . . . rather anticlimactic, I agree,
but a conclusion that is both realistic (as the murderer is human and unless the kids had had been forced to kill them on the island, they ultimately have to let the law and the courts do their thing) and satisfying.
Great ending . . . rather anticlimactic, I agree,
but a conclusion that is both realistic (as the murderer is human and unless the kids had had been forced to kill them on the island, they ultimately have to let the law and the courts do their thing) and satisfying.
October 16, 2018
Personal Response:
I liked this book because it was very vivid in describing people’s emotions. It also shifted perspectives from Alice’s point of view to Caleb’s. This made things more interesting and made me want to understand what all of the characters thought. There were a few twists in the book which I did not like, but overall, this was a good book.
Plot Summary:
This book was about a few young adults who each got into some trouble. Their parents made them go to a place called INTRO. This is a shoddy business on an island run by two individuals who knew lots of psychology. These people, Claire and Rahim, struggle to keep the six people in control. They try to have friendly talks and tried to get to know each other, but it is way too cheesy. Tara, one of the girls who is suicidal, disappears from the camp area and everyone is troubled by this. They finally conduct a search of their own, but it is unsuccessful until Alice finds blood on the beach. The detective work goes on and on. In the end there is quite a bit of a twist that is not to be spoiled.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to anyone who is older than thirteen. It has details that are very descriptive and I think it requires a higher level of thinking. It is a good book for anyone interested in mystery or young adult drama. Although this may not be a book for me, it is an interesting read for some people, and I can see why.
I liked this book because it was very vivid in describing people’s emotions. It also shifted perspectives from Alice’s point of view to Caleb’s. This made things more interesting and made me want to understand what all of the characters thought. There were a few twists in the book which I did not like, but overall, this was a good book.
Plot Summary:
This book was about a few young adults who each got into some trouble. Their parents made them go to a place called INTRO. This is a shoddy business on an island run by two individuals who knew lots of psychology. These people, Claire and Rahim, struggle to keep the six people in control. They try to have friendly talks and tried to get to know each other, but it is way too cheesy. Tara, one of the girls who is suicidal, disappears from the camp area and everyone is troubled by this. They finally conduct a search of their own, but it is unsuccessful until Alice finds blood on the beach. The detective work goes on and on. In the end there is quite a bit of a twist that is not to be spoiled.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to anyone who is older than thirteen. It has details that are very descriptive and I think it requires a higher level of thinking. It is a good book for anyone interested in mystery or young adult drama. Although this may not be a book for me, it is an interesting read for some people, and I can see why.
January 5, 2018
Blood On The Beach by Sarah Harvey and Robin Stevenson wasn’t my cup of tea. The book is about how Eight kids go to this camp to redeem themselves with the help of 2 adults. One by one bad things happened. They have no idea who it might be.
This mystery book was hard to stay in it. The way the book was laid out was confusing. The story is told by two of the eight kids on the island. I wouldn’t recommend this book to someone who can’t stay focus. The characters were hard to relate to because the situation wasn't favorite. Blood On The Beach is a very confusing detective book.
This mystery book was hard to stay in it. The way the book was laid out was confusing. The story is told by two of the eight kids on the island. I wouldn’t recommend this book to someone who can’t stay focus. The characters were hard to relate to because the situation wasn't favorite. Blood On The Beach is a very confusing detective book.
December 3, 2024
The middle of the book is kinda hard to get through because one of the main narrators, Alice, is really annoying but the rest of the book is pretty decent and the ending is sweet.
April 14, 2017
What a great YA murder mystery in the style of Christie! Weaving today's social issues that are often faced by teens with an authoritative figure .... the question that becomes paramount...who is really telling the truth!!
December 29, 2017
Blood on the Beach is a book I'll probably forget about pretty quickly. In my opinion, the characters were surface level, the mystery was no surprise, and the ending didn't pack a punch. I'm still on the search for a great YA mystery. If anyone has a suggestion, I'm all ears!
April 26, 2017
Thank you to Goodreads for sending me this free novel! When I entered for the chance to win, I did not realize it was a West Coast Canadian Book. It was neat seeing names of towns near where I live.
I totally enjoyed the book and was interested in seeing who were the actual killers. Was not until the end that I realized "who done it". The book had a good pace about it and I enjoyed it.
I totally enjoyed the book and was interested in seeing who were the actual killers. Was not until the end that I realized "who done it". The book had a good pace about it and I enjoyed it.
April 23, 2018
I enjoyed that the alternating male-female narrators didn't end up a couple in the end, as I'd predicted - especially since Alice turns out to be a lesbian! I enjoyed the no-drama presentation of the lesbian characters.
I didn't enjoy how inconsistent the characterization of the adult characters was.
And I really didn't enjoy the story's ending. First, Claire turns into a total psychopath, who confesses exactly how to committed all of her dastardly deeds. Then she threatens to destroy all the kids who speak out against her. Then, nothing. She just kind of disappears from the story. The protagonists need a scene in which they vanquish the villain, once and for all, but we never get to see that. It sort of happens, offstage. Not satisfying at all.
Also, am I the only one who really wanted all of the antics on the island to be part of a big elaborate ruse to get the teens working together? I wanted the murder mystery to be the program for troubled teens.
I didn't enjoy how inconsistent the characterization of the adult characters was.
And I really didn't enjoy the story's ending. First, Claire turns into a total psychopath, who confesses exactly how to committed all of her dastardly deeds. Then she threatens to destroy all the kids who speak out against her. Then, nothing. She just kind of disappears from the story. The protagonists need a scene in which they vanquish the villain, once and for all, but we never get to see that. It sort of happens, offstage. Not satisfying at all.
Also, am I the only one who really wanted all of the antics on the island to be part of a big elaborate ruse to get the teens working together? I wanted the murder mystery to be the program for troubled teens.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2020
I loved this book so much and despite how this year I have read a book, not only from my favourite author, but also another one of my top authors this has been my favourite book this year. I couldn't put this book down. I'm kind of in a shocked state after reading it because this book felt so personal and went above and beyond what I was expecting. I didn't guess the killer much to my surprise, but I didn't even bother guessing because of how well the book was written. I loved each and every single character. Even Chad despite how much he sucked at the beginning and how much of a 'Chad' he was. I loved Alice most of all, not only because she was bi which isn't something I've found very much in books I've read, especially as a narrator. She was brave and had a blackbelt in karate as well as how she got offended when people suggested that her size meant she couldn't handle herself. I loved her and how she knew things about mysteries because her mother was a detective and not just because she thought it would be smart. It was proper procedures that weren't baseless. All the characters felt very rounded to me. They all had something that made them have knowledge about a certain area and I enjoyed how much this was actually used. This book reminded me of the trope of a bunch of people on a island and killings start (very Lord of the Flies, which is referenced in the book by the way). The fact that it reminded me of something doesn't discredit it to in the slightest because of how well this book was written. I was in it with Alice (and Caleb too I guess but I felt much more personally attached to Alice) and didn't feel like I knew something the narrators didn't. The pacing was absolutely beautiful in a way that made me end up with my back against a wall out of necessity. This book seriously scared me to the point where I will have to watch at least one nice thing on Youtube after this to feel better. This book also made me cry at the end because the ending, although pleasant, wasn't idealistic and I adored that. It felt finished and beautiful and I just wanted to grab the book, hug it to my chest and cry. I also felt very connected to the setting, not only because I knew the setting very well and because it was very close to home (which terrified me at the though of a killer getting away) but also because I get the whole isolation, no phone no wifi, (even no electricity or shower, not that that was in the book) because I have a cabin that is like that and the idea of getting trapped there is extremely scary, if it were on an island, because we wouldn't be able to reach anyone. My expectations were for this book to be a little scary, but not anything meaningful and I was so wrong because I was cheering all of the good guys on. Also I would like to say, it's not that I don't like Caleb, or that I don't think he's important, but Alice's story reminded me of myself in a way (except that I am by no means a black belt in karate) and it really touched me because of how I felt like I thought a very similar way to her. I connected to her in a way that was only similar to the last character I connected to six years ago (probably more actually) and I admire her strength so much and how she didn't doubt herself despite the crazy situation. This book made missing out on everything during quarantine as well as missing people a lot less hard and I loved it so much. This book has made my year and I need to thank the incredible authors for that. Seriously, thank you for this book. It was believable and I can’t find anything bad to say about it. Also thank you for redeeming Chad from his homophobic comments.
December 9, 2022
Blood on the Beach is a thrilling and mysterious fictional story that follows the lives of a misfortunate group of teenagers enlisted in a correctional island facility, separated from their families. Alice and Caleb happen to be two of these individuals due to the concern of their parents. However, there seems to be a mysterious or perhaps domestic threat that shakes the remote island and violates the circle's sense of security and consolation as each day goes by. Through the challenges and shortcomings that Alice and Caleb experience, we gain insight into the minds of troubled teens and their decision making, especially when they’re not in the presence of the adult staff.
Sarah N. Harvey and Robin Stevenson, the authors of the book, construct a vivid and elaborate world through their writing by switching perspectives between Alice and Caleb every one or so chapters. Getting acquainted with this sort of perspective changing writing is the only possible exercise your mind will have to go through while reading this book. Although, it quickly becomes a normal occurrence, and the chapter title is an indicator of which of the two juveniles' perspectives you will be reading. The manner of language used in the writing is very expressive, natural and illustrative, which not only helps the reader understand the setting and characters being described, but also shows the reader how Alice and Caleb think as well, which is brilliant. Harvey and Stevenson have a way in which they make the characters feel grounded in reality, despite the fact that they are in a rather “uncommon” predicament that most, including myself, have never experienced.
Blood on the Beach justifiably earns a score of about a four, due to the immersive writing style and compelling characters. To those out there who are searching for a bizarre cruise that is outside the realm of “normal”, but also want to enjoy the familiar world ashore, I recommend this as a read. This book preserves its foot in realism but amplifies climatic moments that make it feel exotic.
Sarah N. Harvey and Robin Stevenson, the authors of the book, construct a vivid and elaborate world through their writing by switching perspectives between Alice and Caleb every one or so chapters. Getting acquainted with this sort of perspective changing writing is the only possible exercise your mind will have to go through while reading this book. Although, it quickly becomes a normal occurrence, and the chapter title is an indicator of which of the two juveniles' perspectives you will be reading. The manner of language used in the writing is very expressive, natural and illustrative, which not only helps the reader understand the setting and characters being described, but also shows the reader how Alice and Caleb think as well, which is brilliant. Harvey and Stevenson have a way in which they make the characters feel grounded in reality, despite the fact that they are in a rather “uncommon” predicament that most, including myself, have never experienced.
Blood on the Beach justifiably earns a score of about a four, due to the immersive writing style and compelling characters. To those out there who are searching for a bizarre cruise that is outside the realm of “normal”, but also want to enjoy the familiar world ashore, I recommend this as a read. This book preserves its foot in realism but amplifies climatic moments that make it feel exotic.
December 9, 2022
so at first I had very mixed feelings about this book, mainly bc I found it very predictable since I had predicted in the first 10 pages of the book that Tara would go missing (since she's the stereotypical quiet girl), and I predicted that imogen would get seriously hurt.
so yesterday I was rambling to my mom about this and she found the plot & mystery very interesting, and it gave me some faith in this book. I just finished it a few minutes ago and it was a lot more enjoyable (and unpredictable) than I thought it would be
I was NOT expecting the killer to be a sociopathic pedophile lmao. I was honestly suspecting Jason (since they didn't really develop him much and it seemed like a plausible option) or nick (since he was being built up as a good guy. but at the same time I wasn't sure because idk if it would've been a good idea to make the only gay guy the antagonist lol)
anyway, just some random thoughts about this book:
· I hate chad SO much. he's such an asshole. it's funny bc I'm not usually an angry person at all but throughout the entire book, I wanted to punt this man into the sun.
· Alice and imogen are so cute!!!!! I am starved for canon wlw relationships in media, this book kept me well fed
· I loved Caleb's whole dilemma bc of his anger issues, and everyone thinking he was the killer bc of it. I actually really loved him as a pov character.
· I also hate mandy. she reminds me of a "friend" of mine
· the entire time, I was so scared that rahim was going to die or be the killer bc I really liked him, he was my favorite character. I can relate to him not knowing what to do at all and being scared he'll mess things up. the idea of him adopting Caleb is also very cute :)
anyway, I really liked this book
so yesterday I was rambling to my mom about this and she found the plot & mystery very interesting, and it gave me some faith in this book. I just finished it a few minutes ago and it was a lot more enjoyable (and unpredictable) than I thought it would be
I was NOT expecting the killer to be a sociopathic pedophile lmao. I was honestly suspecting Jason (since they didn't really develop him much and it seemed like a plausible option) or nick (since he was being built up as a good guy. but at the same time I wasn't sure because idk if it would've been a good idea to make the only gay guy the antagonist lol)
anyway, just some random thoughts about this book:
· I hate chad SO much. he's such an asshole. it's funny bc I'm not usually an angry person at all but throughout the entire book, I wanted to punt this man into the sun.
· Alice and imogen are so cute!!!!! I am starved for canon wlw relationships in media, this book kept me well fed
· I loved Caleb's whole dilemma bc of his anger issues, and everyone thinking he was the killer bc of it. I actually really loved him as a pov character.
· I also hate mandy. she reminds me of a "friend" of mine
· the entire time, I was so scared that rahim was going to die or be the killer bc I really liked him, he was my favorite character. I can relate to him not knowing what to do at all and being scared he'll mess things up. the idea of him adopting Caleb is also very cute :)
anyway, I really liked this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2017
I've had this one sitting around for a little while now, and I figured that my upcoming plane ride was as good a time as any to get around to it.
Not gonna lie, this hit a lot of notes for me that might have made my rating a bit generous. Canadian fiction! Locked-room mystery! Mysterious disappearances! ADORABLE GIRLFRIENDS!
It didn't pan out at all like I expected it to. Based on the back cover, I was expecting something more like Agatha Christie's Ten Little Soldiers where they die off one by one by one. It wasn't like that in the least, and actually, I'm pretty pleased about it! I do feel that the back cover sold it a bit short, but I picked it up anyway so clearly it's not that big a deal.
(For the record, the "female friendships" tag is for Mandy and Imogen.)
Also? Thrilled that Alice and Caleb never even came close to ending up as a couple. I definitely thought it was going to be a "nod at diversity but eventually the mains pair up" deal--and it wasn't--and it was THE BEST.
I felt that it came pretty clear pretty early who the bad guy was, or at least I had it narrowed right down to two options, but it wasn't so obvious that I was left rolling my eyes and wondering why the kids were so stupid. I appreciate it when a book written for more reluctant readers is also not written so as to insult their intelligence. (At least, I assume it's for more reluctant readers--Orca generally aims for the high-interest, low-difficulty demographic with their YA and junior stuff.)
Anyway, four locked-room stars! I would definitely check out another book by this duo.
Not gonna lie, this hit a lot of notes for me that might have made my rating a bit generous. Canadian fiction! Locked-room mystery! Mysterious disappearances! ADORABLE GIRLFRIENDS!
It didn't pan out at all like I expected it to. Based on the back cover, I was expecting something more like Agatha Christie's Ten Little Soldiers where they die off one by one by one. It wasn't like that in the least, and actually, I'm pretty pleased about it! I do feel that the back cover sold it a bit short, but I picked it up anyway so clearly it's not that big a deal.
(For the record, the "female friendships" tag is for Mandy and Imogen.)
Also? Thrilled that Alice and Caleb never even came close to ending up as a couple. I definitely thought it was going to be a "nod at diversity but eventually the mains pair up" deal--and it wasn't--and it was THE BEST.
I felt that it came pretty clear pretty early who the bad guy was, or at least I had it narrowed right down to two options, but it wasn't so obvious that I was left rolling my eyes and wondering why the kids were so stupid. I appreciate it when a book written for more reluctant readers is also not written so as to insult their intelligence. (At least, I assume it's for more reluctant readers--Orca generally aims for the high-interest, low-difficulty demographic with their YA and junior stuff.)
Anyway, four locked-room stars! I would definitely check out another book by this duo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2017
At first I had a hard time slogging through this book. The writing itself was so bad that I literally turned to the back of the book to find out whose debut it was. Only to find out that one of the writers has written like over 20 books? So there's no excuse.
This book featured a large cast that in my opinion were not distinguished well from each other. I kept getting the boys mixed up especially. There was two POVs, but I could not tell them apart. Both Caleb and Alice felt the exact same way about the other characters--they both hated Chad, they both didn't like Claire, they both felt bad for Tara, etc etc. Unless Alice talked about her crush, I always thought I was reading from Caleb's POV, which brought on some confusion at times. It is clearly marked at the beginning of each chapter who we're following, but it's first person and the writing was all the same.
The book plot was unrealistic though they tried to explain everything away in the end. When they revealed who the antagonist was, I kept waiting for them to say it was a hoax and someone else had set them up. But they did not. And that was disappointing, as I felt the mystery was solved too easily.
I did appreciate the queer representation, which was nice to see.
This book featured a large cast that in my opinion were not distinguished well from each other. I kept getting the boys mixed up especially. There was two POVs, but I could not tell them apart. Both Caleb and Alice felt the exact same way about the other characters--they both hated Chad, they both didn't like Claire, they both felt bad for Tara, etc etc. Unless Alice talked about her crush, I always thought I was reading from Caleb's POV, which brought on some confusion at times. It is clearly marked at the beginning of each chapter who we're following, but it's first person and the writing was all the same.
The book plot was unrealistic though they tried to explain everything away in the end. When they revealed who the antagonist was, I kept waiting for them to say it was a hoax and someone else had set them up. But they did not. And that was disappointing, as I felt the mystery was solved too easily.
I did appreciate the queer representation, which was nice to see.
January 4, 2022
This book was kind of good, it wasn't the best though. I did not like the character too much and the story seemed to be a little far feached and did not seem realistic at all. I was excited to find out why those people died but they gave no clues, so I couldn't even try to guess who was killing people. Also the characters seemed to not have much personality. I think the idea of the story was good and that it was fun to read from two different perspectives. I would think there would be something that connected the two perspectives together, but there wasn't. It was like reading from the same point of view the whole time pretty much, you just got to learn more about the two of the characters, Alice and Caleb, more than the rest of the teens. Overall I do not recommend this book, but it was not that bad.
November 6, 2018
Fun Agatha Christie-ish read that has interesting twists. Alice's police officer mom may have overreacted by sending her into a week-long treatment program after Alice had a little too much to drink at a party. Caleb finally lashed out at his abusive stepfather to protect his mom, and decided to do the treatment program instead of juvie. Both teens find themselves on the same boat with other troubled teens for INTRO, a wilderness program set on an island. When one of the teens disappears and a counselor is killed, the teens must work together to uncover what is really going on.
What I loved about this most: LGBTQ, the two mains are NOT romantic (praise Jeebus!) and I did not see the twist or killer coming (maybe I'm just dense though). A fun quick read.
What I loved about this most: LGBTQ, the two mains are NOT romantic (praise Jeebus!) and I did not see the twist or killer coming (maybe I'm just dense though). A fun quick read.
January 15, 2018
This book started off slow, and I was tempted to drop it more than a few times in the first few chapters - the adults were ultra annoying and completely did not seem like they knew how to work/build rapport with teens. Despite this, I pushed on, telling myself that it only seems that way because they were portrayed through the eyes of the teens, and boy, am I glad I did. The story was beautifully written, and each character developed really well. Throughout the book, there were many instances where I thought that different characters could be the culprit. Harvey definitely did a good job planting those red herrings!
PS. the behaviour of the adults were properly explained by the end of the book.
PS. the behaviour of the adults were properly explained by the end of the book.
November 30, 2020
I loved this book. Simple, easy, not very creative wording but I loved the book. It was a murder mystery, which seems pretty obvious, but it wasn’t your typical murder mystery. This is going to sound werid, but overall this was a completely normal murder mystery, which is what makes it different. Most of these type books keep the pages turning, making you throw out guesses as to who the criminal is with every turn of the tides. This book is more like what you would find in a real life situation, the clues slowly coming together over time until you find the true culprit. Amazing book and I would definitely suggest it to others.
April 16, 2018
Blood on the Beach is a classic who-done-it set on a remote island where troubled teens are sent to get in touch with their feelings. Alice and Caleb takes turns narrating the series of events that leads them to believe that one of them is a killer and is sabotaging their attempts to get help.
Each of the characters has a hidden story and as their troubled past is explored, Alice becomes more and more suspicious. It was also nice to read about a bi or pan character as she stumbles through her first romance. Recommended for teens who love murder mystery thrillers.
Each of the characters has a hidden story and as their troubled past is explored, Alice becomes more and more suspicious. It was also nice to read about a bi or pan character as she stumbles through her first romance. Recommended for teens who love murder mystery thrillers.
June 17, 2020
I read this book on TumbleBook Cloud High.
It is the story of eight trouble teens, who are dropped off on a remote island for a week long treatment program. The eight teens and three camp counselors are the only ones on the island.
One teen ends up missing, someone else ends up dead. The question is who did it? Each teen has a troubled past so all are suspects.
The story is told by two of the teens, Alice and Caleb. It is a fast and fun read with a surprising ending. It is a great choice for reluctant readers.
It is the story of eight trouble teens, who are dropped off on a remote island for a week long treatment program. The eight teens and three camp counselors are the only ones on the island.
One teen ends up missing, someone else ends up dead. The question is who did it? Each teen has a troubled past so all are suspects.
The story is told by two of the teens, Alice and Caleb. It is a fast and fun read with a surprising ending. It is a great choice for reluctant readers.
May 6, 2017
i got this book for a honest review This book is about a bunch of teenagers with different problems or facing difficult things, such as drugs, alcohol, being homosexual, alcohol, and assault. Then one of them disappeared.I really enjoyed the book and was interested in seeing who were the actual killers. The writing was decent and the characters were well developed. i really enjoyed this book it was super fun and exciting.
February 12, 2019
Eight teens. One remote island. Who will make it out alive?
I read this book nearly a year ago and then promptly forgot the title. But it had the elements I love in a read...mystery, suspense, and murder. When so-called troubled teens are sent to a reform island, the last thing they expect is to find a body on the beach. But, when the adult counselors start turning up dead, the teens are forced to work together to figure out what is happening.
I read this book nearly a year ago and then promptly forgot the title. But it had the elements I love in a read...mystery, suspense, and murder. When so-called troubled teens are sent to a reform island, the last thing they expect is to find a body on the beach. But, when the adult counselors start turning up dead, the teens are forced to work together to figure out what is happening.
May 8, 2017
Thank you goodreads for sending me a free copy! I personally enjoyed the book very much. I give it a four stars because the beginning felt a little slow for my taste but once the action picked up I couldn't put the book down. I thought the ending wasn't predictable as I thought it was someone else. Hope this review is helpful.
August 6, 2017
Blood on the Beach was an interesting, fast-paced read for me. I enjoyed the plot and was interested in how everything would play out. I thought the characters were a little flat which took away from the overall execution, but overall it wasn’t an enjoyable read.
*Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review
*Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review
September 25, 2017
Enjoyable and fast read. I really connected with both narrators, even though I've never been in either of their situations before. Truly, I could relate in some way to all of the kids, even the douche Chad. I also like that the two narrators don't fall into a predictable role either, but that's all I'll say about that.
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