The Island

by Isabelle Holland

Hilda travels to the tropical island of Maenad at her aunt and uncle's invitation, but immediately after her arrival, ominous sensations lead her to believe that she may never get off the island

Genres: Young Adult

176 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published January 12, 1986

About the author

Isabelle Christian Holland (born June 16, 1920 in Basel, Switzerland — died February 9, 2002) was an author of children and adult fiction. Her father was the American Consul in Liverpool, England during WWII. She moved to America in 1940 due to the war. She wrote Gothic novels, adult mysteries, romantic thrillers, and many books for children and young adults. She wrote over 50 books in her lifetime, and was still working at the time of her death at age 81 in New York City.

Two of her novels have been made into movies:

Bump in the Night, 1991,
The Man Without a Face, 1993

Both of these novels deal with issues or allegations of pedophilia.

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I came to read this in an odd way.

I had read a breathtakingly beautiful novel as a kid about a woman at a beach house, and it was a mystery.

I went on what’s the name of that book and it was suggested that this book, the island might be the book I was searching for

It wasn’t, but I did read it and realized I’d read it as a kid.

I did not like it then and I did not like it now.

Its sort of a young adult Gothic novel, but even though it takes place in a breathtaking setting, the setting wasn’t utilized at all.

I mean, it could’ve taken place anywhere, been anywhere.

Anyway, a girl is sent off to live with relatives temporarily while her family is away, but they are a strange and creepy group and she becomes convinced that they want to kill her.

There is also some romance in the background.

I just couldn’t get into it and wound up skimming. It was a disappointment as I was really hoping that this was the book I was seeking from childhood but it was not.

I do enjoy young adult Gothic novels, but this in my opinion tried too hard for the scares. And it really should’ve utilized the incredible setting much more than it did.

[McKay]

This month I read The Island by Isabelle Holland. I like the book so far because it is suspenseful it feels like something bad is about to happen at any moment. The suspense makes you keep reading, the thing that makes it feel so suspenseful and creepy is the characters and how weird they seem. My favorite character is Hilda because she always seems cautious and scared and doesn't know why but shes right and she always deal with it nicely. My least favorite character is Aunt Louisa because she seems very suspicious and shes the one who invited Hilda over yet not even to really care shes there. My favorite quote from the book is " Not that I really cared very much, but I had to say something to overcome the antipathy to the house that was growing in me by leaps and bounds. It was not ugly, yet - quite suddenly - I found myself hating and fearing it." I like this quote because it allows the reader a sense of suspense without even knowing what happens yet.