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The Forgotten Island
When Ana Logan agrees to go on holiday to Thailand with her estranged sister Rachel, she hopes it will be a way for them to reconnect after years of drifting apart.
But now, stranded on a seemingly deserted island paradise with no radio and no food, reconciliation becomes a desperate fight for survival.
For when night falls on The Forgotten Island, the dark secrets of the jungle reveal themselves.
Something is watching them from the trees. Something ancient. Something evil.
Combining the cosmic horrors of H.P. Lovecraft with the grimy sensibilities of the Video Nasties, The Forgotten Island is an outrageous old-school horror novel packed with mayhem and violence.
But now, stranded on a seemingly deserted island paradise with no radio and no food, reconciliation becomes a desperate fight for survival.
For when night falls on The Forgotten Island, the dark secrets of the jungle reveal themselves.
Something is watching them from the trees. Something ancient. Something evil.
Combining the cosmic horrors of H.P. Lovecraft with the grimy sensibilities of the Video Nasties, The Forgotten Island is an outrageous old-school horror novel packed with mayhem and violence.
274 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2018
454 people are currently reading
9622 people want to read
About the author
David Sodergren
21 books2,874 followersDavid Sodergren lives in Scotland with his wife Heather and his best friend, Boris the Pug.
Growing up, he was the kind of kid who collected rubber skeletons and lived for horror movies. Not much has changed since then.
His best known books include the gory and romantic fairy tale The Haar, the blood-drenched folk-horror Maggie’s Grave, and the analog-horror fever dream Rotten Tommy. David also writes under the pseudonym Carl John Lee, publishing splatterpunk
novels such as Psychic Teenage Bloodbath and Cannibal Vengeance.
Growing up, he was the kind of kid who collected rubber skeletons and lived for horror movies. Not much has changed since then.
His best known books include the gory and romantic fairy tale The Haar, the blood-drenched folk-horror Maggie’s Grave, and the analog-horror fever dream Rotten Tommy. David also writes under the pseudonym Carl John Lee, publishing splatterpunk
novels such as Psychic Teenage Bloodbath and Cannibal Vengeance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 657 reviews
October 26, 2022
It's nearly a year since I read this debut from David Sodergren. I've read more than 60 books since then, but I have to say that none of those have stuck with me more than this one. I could blame this on the fact that I'm so unused to reading horror stories, but really, that would be doing the novel a great disservice. Truth be told, this is a really great story, with all the essential components of a fantastic horror book - likeable characters, some great humour, good writing, and (most obviously) a completely fucked up story that will leave your skin crawling for days after you read it.
The novel tells the story of two sisters, whose dream holiday to Thailand turns into a fight for survival when they find themselves on an apparently deserted island. The plot's completely mental, and I genuinely wonder how any mind could invent something so intensely strange. If I didn't know David better, I'd probably send a doctor round to his door just to make sure that everything's alright upstairs (if you know what I mean). But I know it is. David's awesome, and so is this book. Honestly, I loved every page of it. You will too, if you like a good horror story. You'll probably even love it if you hate the genre.
Ugh.
That ending.
My spine gets all icky just thinking about it.
The novel tells the story of two sisters, whose dream holiday to Thailand turns into a fight for survival when they find themselves on an apparently deserted island. The plot's completely mental, and I genuinely wonder how any mind could invent something so intensely strange. If I didn't know David better, I'd probably send a doctor round to his door just to make sure that everything's alright upstairs (if you know what I mean). But I know it is. David's awesome, and so is this book. Honestly, I loved every page of it. You will too, if you like a good horror story. You'll probably even love it if you hate the genre.
Ugh.
That ending.
My spine gets all icky just thinking about it.
January 3, 2025
The amount of times that I've blacked out in Thailand and woken up on a stolen boat. Phew...let me tell you. But I have nothing but great things to say about this book. It was expected as a creature feature, and in many ways it was, but had a ton of other awesome features as well. The entire dynamic between Ana and Rachel was solid. Their troubled and strained relationship, going back as far as their mom passing away, up to current events was top notch. They were absolutely the centerpieces and heart of this entire story. There were also a handful of other good characters here, most surprisingly Ricky. Paul was just Paul...he served his purpose and ended up the way he probably should have. Lisa was goofy. But back to Ricky. Had high hopes for that kid, but left me disappointed. All I'm going to say about that, but his character was complex enough to keep your focus on him. The creatures here were absolutely amazing and were diverse, giving plenty of thrills, scares, and ugly-level kills. The details made you squirm thinking of all those eyes, fangs, and legs. Oh, lord have mercy, all those 8-legged freaks. Hey, that sounds like a great name for a movie about giant spiders. Wonder if it's taken already? Hah! And the story has great pacing and plenty of fantastic dialogue, most notably between Ricky and Ana early on, and is such a great time. The range that it takes between silly to scary is balanced perfectly, too. David Sodergren took a concept that has been exhausted over the last bunch of years, and made it fun and interesting once again. Bravo!! I can't believe that I had this on my to-read list for so long and didn't get to it sooner. Topsider approved!
September 22, 2018
"From out of the shadows it came."
Two sisters, Ana and Rachel, view their trip to Thailand as way to mend their relationship. However, after becoming stranded on an island with no food or supplies, it quickly becomes a fight for survival.
Holy hell, this book was GREAT. It has all the components needed for a fantastic horror novel: great writing, likeable characters (and not so likeable ones too), some well-executed humour, and most important of all... parts that left my skin crawling!!
The start, in particular, was hilarious. Our protagonist, Ana, reminds me a little of myself - her self-deprecating sense of humour and her general attitudes towards life. But, like a lot of old-school horror movies/books, the humour dwindles out to make way for the SHEER TERROR (but don’t fret, there’s still some laughs along the way) And the ending itself was PERFECTION!
Sodergren really brings the scares here, one scene in particular left me feeling quite unnerved 👀 The actual inhabitants of the island (trying to be really vague here) are so fucking awesome in their creepiness. The descriptions were VERY Lovecraftian - almost to the point where I wished I could just google imagery for the “monsters” like I do with Lovecraft, as my mind tried to comprehend the biology of these things!! I just LOVED this book!
I truly felt so honoured to receive a review copy of David's debut novel, and I’m already looking forward to its release so that I can see everyone else freaking out over it too!! Please add this to your Halloween reading list, especially if you’re a fan of proper old-school horror. You won’t be disappointed! Out 1st October!
4.5 stars.
Two sisters, Ana and Rachel, view their trip to Thailand as way to mend their relationship. However, after becoming stranded on an island with no food or supplies, it quickly becomes a fight for survival.
Holy hell, this book was GREAT. It has all the components needed for a fantastic horror novel: great writing, likeable characters (and not so likeable ones too), some well-executed humour, and most important of all... parts that left my skin crawling!!
The start, in particular, was hilarious. Our protagonist, Ana, reminds me a little of myself - her self-deprecating sense of humour and her general attitudes towards life. But, like a lot of old-school horror movies/books, the humour dwindles out to make way for the SHEER TERROR (but don’t fret, there’s still some laughs along the way) And the ending itself was PERFECTION!
Sodergren really brings the scares here, one scene in particular left me feeling quite unnerved 👀 The actual inhabitants of the island (trying to be really vague here) are so fucking awesome in their creepiness. The descriptions were VERY Lovecraftian - almost to the point where I wished I could just google imagery for the “monsters” like I do with Lovecraft, as my mind tried to comprehend the biology of these things!! I just LOVED this book!
I truly felt so honoured to receive a review copy of David's debut novel, and I’m already looking forward to its release so that I can see everyone else freaking out over it too!! Please add this to your Halloween reading list, especially if you’re a fan of proper old-school horror. You won’t be disappointed! Out 1st October!
4.5 stars.
February 19, 2019
Review originally appeared in the holiday issue of SCREAM magazine
You could make the case that David Sodergren’s debut novel The Forgotten Island is the soon-to-be-cult-classic grandchild of Jurassic Park, Arachnophobia and The Ruins. I don’t know how that works out physically since I listed three grandparents but you get a good idea of the book’s DNA. I’ll explain:
Jurassic Park in the sense that the narrative travels around a bit so that the reader can be engaged in simultaneous events as they play out in real time. Arachnophobia for cringe-worthy creature-feature plot details I won’t disclose in this review-you’ll have to find out for yourself. The Ruins in the same way you have some young people trying to have a memorable time on a destination vacation but end up just trying to make it back alive.
The protagonists, sisters Ana and Rachel travel to Thailand to feel like sisters again after a rocky relationship over the last few years.
The dialog between them is immediately compelling-David has a talent for writing the way people really talk and the sisters are actually pretty funny-I found myself laughing out loud a few times.
As far as horror novels go, you can’t have two, attractive sisters on a vacation without some men in the picture as current or potential love interests. The dynamic between all the male and female characters is so entertaining. I enjoyed Act 1 very much as it set the stage perfectly for Act 2.
Once the author set up his story and has his audience’s rapt attention with witty banter and solid character building, he wastes no time dumping them all down the gauntlet of good ol’ fashioned terror-filled violence and mayhem.
In Act 2, Sodergren doesn’t giveaway all his secrets at once and while he distracts the reader with some well played island “adventures” the real threat and the “teeth” of the story is ramping up for a big reveal.
Act 3 is INSANITY. I wish I could describe for you the ferocity of squeamish scenes the last 100 pages or so churns out but this is the fun part and I wouldn’t want to spoil it for anyone.
Page after bloody page is turned and the horror just gets more and more spectacular. There are a few scenes that literally took my breath away. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Obviously, David Sodergren has an extensive past in which he paid close attention during every horror movie he ever watched (he references quite a few of them in this book-ones that maybe inspired his writing or made an impact) because the creature building is otherworldly in terms of nightmare fuel. I’m sure my jaw dropped open for a few of the more descriptive scenes.
I chose this book to review for SCREAM fans because I feel like if any book was written with SCREAM fans in mind, it’s this one. Lots of sex, violence, gore and laughs--this one is sure to be a hit with classic and modern horror fans alike.
You could make the case that David Sodergren’s debut novel The Forgotten Island is the soon-to-be-cult-classic grandchild of Jurassic Park, Arachnophobia and The Ruins. I don’t know how that works out physically since I listed three grandparents but you get a good idea of the book’s DNA. I’ll explain:
Jurassic Park in the sense that the narrative travels around a bit so that the reader can be engaged in simultaneous events as they play out in real time. Arachnophobia for cringe-worthy creature-feature plot details I won’t disclose in this review-you’ll have to find out for yourself. The Ruins in the same way you have some young people trying to have a memorable time on a destination vacation but end up just trying to make it back alive.
The protagonists, sisters Ana and Rachel travel to Thailand to feel like sisters again after a rocky relationship over the last few years.
The dialog between them is immediately compelling-David has a talent for writing the way people really talk and the sisters are actually pretty funny-I found myself laughing out loud a few times.
As far as horror novels go, you can’t have two, attractive sisters on a vacation without some men in the picture as current or potential love interests. The dynamic between all the male and female characters is so entertaining. I enjoyed Act 1 very much as it set the stage perfectly for Act 2.
Once the author set up his story and has his audience’s rapt attention with witty banter and solid character building, he wastes no time dumping them all down the gauntlet of good ol’ fashioned terror-filled violence and mayhem.
In Act 2, Sodergren doesn’t giveaway all his secrets at once and while he distracts the reader with some well played island “adventures” the real threat and the “teeth” of the story is ramping up for a big reveal.
Act 3 is INSANITY. I wish I could describe for you the ferocity of squeamish scenes the last 100 pages or so churns out but this is the fun part and I wouldn’t want to spoil it for anyone.
Page after bloody page is turned and the horror just gets more and more spectacular. There are a few scenes that literally took my breath away. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Obviously, David Sodergren has an extensive past in which he paid close attention during every horror movie he ever watched (he references quite a few of them in this book-ones that maybe inspired his writing or made an impact) because the creature building is otherworldly in terms of nightmare fuel. I’m sure my jaw dropped open for a few of the more descriptive scenes.
I chose this book to review for SCREAM fans because I feel like if any book was written with SCREAM fans in mind, it’s this one. Lots of sex, violence, gore and laughs--this one is sure to be a hit with classic and modern horror fans alike.
August 8, 2019
4.5 Stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/3NWjYSZW6Ns
Wow! I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun reading a horror novel!
From the synopsis, The Forgotten Island will undoubtedly be compared to The Ruins by Scott Smith. I think that fans of that iconic horror book will not be disappointed by this one. The setup was quite similar with a group of friends vacationing in a hot climate. The story started out in classic horror fashion, with plenty of partying and sex, but soon enough things go terribly wrong. I want to be clear that while this novel was reminiscent of The Ruins, it was still entirely its own unique novel that explored different elements of horror. This might be a bold opinion, but I personally liked The Forgotten Islands better than The Ruins.
While I was never personally scared reading this novel, the situations that arose would be absolutely terrifying to experience. I do not want to spoil the kinds of horror that arise, but I will just say that there will be something for everyone in this one.
I loved all the characters because they were all well developed and interesting with plenty of flaws. There were a few purposely unlikable characters who I particularly loved to hate, secretly hoping that they would be killed off in some epic fashion. The kill scenes were great, probably some of the best that I have read in horror fiction. The narrative moved along at a great pace with plenty of action. There was so much happening in this novel that there honestly was not a single dull moment.
Finally, as other reviewers have pointed out, it is fantastic to be able to say that there was NO harm to dogs or other cute pets in this novel, which is such a refreshing thing in the horror genre.
I would highly recommend this one to any horror fans looking for an addicting and entertaining story that would be perfect to read during the summertime.
Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this novel from the author.
Video Review: https://youtu.be/3NWjYSZW6Ns
Wow! I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun reading a horror novel!
From the synopsis, The Forgotten Island will undoubtedly be compared to The Ruins by Scott Smith. I think that fans of that iconic horror book will not be disappointed by this one. The setup was quite similar with a group of friends vacationing in a hot climate. The story started out in classic horror fashion, with plenty of partying and sex, but soon enough things go terribly wrong. I want to be clear that while this novel was reminiscent of The Ruins, it was still entirely its own unique novel that explored different elements of horror. This might be a bold opinion, but I personally liked The Forgotten Islands better than The Ruins.
While I was never personally scared reading this novel, the situations that arose would be absolutely terrifying to experience. I do not want to spoil the kinds of horror that arise, but I will just say that there will be something for everyone in this one.
I loved all the characters because they were all well developed and interesting with plenty of flaws. There were a few purposely unlikable characters who I particularly loved to hate, secretly hoping that they would be killed off in some epic fashion. The kill scenes were great, probably some of the best that I have read in horror fiction. The narrative moved along at a great pace with plenty of action. There was so much happening in this novel that there honestly was not a single dull moment.
Finally, as other reviewers have pointed out, it is fantastic to be able to say that there was NO harm to dogs or other cute pets in this novel, which is such a refreshing thing in the horror genre.
I would highly recommend this one to any horror fans looking for an addicting and entertaining story that would be perfect to read during the summertime.
Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this novel from the author.
October 28, 2025
Unless you're particularly skillful, or lucky maybe, there comes a point in most horror books where the action ramps up but the immersion can slacken as events get unrealistic and too far-fetched, when authors stop considering all the hard work they put into world building and character development and throw caution to the wind while opting for jumps and screams at various levels of diabolical violence. It takes incredible strength of character to pause, back off, calm down and reset. Plus a big dollop of writing skill.
A bit like jumping off a skyscraper: there's no way to stop the descent before splattering onto the pavement and you're dead by then anyway.
Thankfully, David Sodergren manages to break the fall, which is why even though his style of horror is incredibly silly and sarcastic, it retains just enough credibility to keep on track before going too far, before throwing your arms in the air and chucking the book at the wall in guffawing disgust.
This is another fun read by DS and my fourth so far. Although far from perfect and not his best book - Maggie's Grave is better - his mix of gore and humor just somehow do it for me.
This is an impressive debut novel and I'll be buddy reading Night Shoot next, his second novel and my fifth.
The Forgotten Island has surprisingly accomplished character development with really strong and identifiable protagonists, weaselly moral weaklings and a good array of annoyingly disposable cannon fodder, as well as lots of gritty wit and cynicism, possibly even misanthropic tendencies in a world filled with creatures screaming out to mutilate, be mutilated and get good and gone.
David Sodergren knows how to write gruesome horror from a local and colloquial perspective that boomerangs back real fears and banal truths such as how do I look in this silly blouse or is my hair a mess tonight, being able to nip the gore in the bud and come back to earth when he feels like it.
The Forgotten Island is set in sweltering Thailand, with parallels to many other books: The Beach by Alex Garland; The Island of Dr Moreau; The Troop; and even The Lord of the Rings and a slice of arachnophobia.
I recommend this and other books by the author.
They're:
👉 Inexpensive
👉 Accessible
👉 Gory
👉 Fun and fantastically sarcastic
There's something about the disposable silliness of these books that makes them curiously essential.
A bit like jumping off a skyscraper: there's no way to stop the descent before splattering onto the pavement and you're dead by then anyway.
Thankfully, David Sodergren manages to break the fall, which is why even though his style of horror is incredibly silly and sarcastic, it retains just enough credibility to keep on track before going too far, before throwing your arms in the air and chucking the book at the wall in guffawing disgust.
This is another fun read by DS and my fourth so far. Although far from perfect and not his best book - Maggie's Grave is better - his mix of gore and humor just somehow do it for me.
This is an impressive debut novel and I'll be buddy reading Night Shoot next, his second novel and my fifth.
The Forgotten Island has surprisingly accomplished character development with really strong and identifiable protagonists, weaselly moral weaklings and a good array of annoyingly disposable cannon fodder, as well as lots of gritty wit and cynicism, possibly even misanthropic tendencies in a world filled with creatures screaming out to mutilate, be mutilated and get good and gone.
David Sodergren knows how to write gruesome horror from a local and colloquial perspective that boomerangs back real fears and banal truths such as how do I look in this silly blouse or is my hair a mess tonight, being able to nip the gore in the bud and come back to earth when he feels like it.
You should visit Scotland sometime. We use “f*ck” as punctuation.
The Forgotten Island is set in sweltering Thailand, with parallels to many other books: The Beach by Alex Garland; The Island of Dr Moreau; The Troop; and even The Lord of the Rings and a slice of arachnophobia.
I recommend this and other books by the author.
They're:
👉 Inexpensive
👉 Accessible
👉 Gory
👉 Fun and fantastically sarcastic
There's something about the disposable silliness of these books that makes them curiously essential.
She may as well have prayed to Cheech and Chong for all the good it did 🤣.
November 2, 2022
Sodergren's debut novel is probably destined for cult classic status and is definitely a homage to the genre. That stated, it is also a great and satisfying read! Ana and her estranged sister Rachel go on a holiday to Thailand from their native Scotland hoping to patch things up or basically just start over. Both are in their late 20s and have not really spoken much since their mother passed away a few years ago from cancer, with Ana taking care of her and Rachel fucking off 'cause she could not take it. So, Rachel and her beau, plus Ana, find themselves in Thailand enjoying to a degree the hostel parties and what not.
One day, they decide to head to a big beach party where they proceed to get smashed and end up waking up on a boat drifting far from land; turns out they drunkenly swam there the night before, but now? With little water and no food, the boat finally drifts up on a beach of a small island with some ruins at the top. Little do they know they just went from the pot into the fire...
The Forgotten Island may start off a little slow, but Sodergren picks up the pacing inch by inch until the action is almost nonstop. This did remind me of The Ruins, filled with some pretty unlikable if not odious characters, but Sodergren also adds in some good people, like our protagonist Ana. This also has a definite Lovecraftian motif to it regarding what they find on the island, but I will not say more due to spoilers. Also, kudos to Sodergren for the editing-- this was well written without the typical typos and such often found in indie works.
Finally, this was at times funny, extremely gruesome, and indeed, quite eerie-- just the things I like in a good horror novel. Looking forward to reading more of Sodergren-- if this is his debut, I cannot wait to see what comes next! 4.5 'buggy' stars!!
One day, they decide to head to a big beach party where they proceed to get smashed and end up waking up on a boat drifting far from land; turns out they drunkenly swam there the night before, but now? With little water and no food, the boat finally drifts up on a beach of a small island with some ruins at the top. Little do they know they just went from the pot into the fire...
The Forgotten Island may start off a little slow, but Sodergren picks up the pacing inch by inch until the action is almost nonstop. This did remind me of The Ruins, filled with some pretty unlikable if not odious characters, but Sodergren also adds in some good people, like our protagonist Ana. This also has a definite Lovecraftian motif to it regarding what they find on the island, but I will not say more due to spoilers. Also, kudos to Sodergren for the editing-- this was well written without the typical typos and such often found in indie works.
Finally, this was at times funny, extremely gruesome, and indeed, quite eerie-- just the things I like in a good horror novel. Looking forward to reading more of Sodergren-- if this is his debut, I cannot wait to see what comes next! 4.5 'buggy' stars!!
July 15, 2022
‘At least we have plenty of water,’ said Ana, trying to cling onto the only modicum of good fortune she could find. Ricky snorted. ‘For a day or two, maybe. Who knows how long we’ll be out here.’ Rachel agreed. ‘We’re just drifting. Does anyone even know we’re out here? There’s no radio, and our phones are lying on a beach somewhere.’ ‘They’ve probably been sold on the black market already,’ said Ana.
A band of tourists on a holiday trip in Thailand steals a boat and ends stranded on a cursed island shunned by everyone after bloody past events that stopped the building of a resort on it.
The fight for survival can begin.
After a small eternity their boat reached the shallows, coming to a stop with a soft thump as the underside struck the sand about thirty foot from the shore. And yet strangely, no one felt compelled to move. They stood waiting, gazing out over the untouched white sand. It was Ana who said what they were all thinking. ‘What if there’s no one here?’
The Forgotten Island by David Sodergren is a brutal and entertaining love letter to H. P. Lovecraft’s cosmic horror and Richard Laymon’s old-school splatterpunk horror novels in an insanely good mash-up between Aracnofobia (1990), The Green Inferno (2013) and other older and better cannibal genre 70’-80’s movies, The Island from aforementioned late splatterpunk american author, Aliens(1996), you can easily guess which scenes were ripped off from it, and much more.
She backed up further until she slammed into a wall. She looked up and saw a face leering over the frame of the window directly above her. One of the creatures pounded towards her and she threw the wrench with both hands then turned and ran. She heard a soft crack but was already on her way out by then. She did not stop to check on her handiwork.
Maybe not the best horror book I ever read, and the ending was far from being unexpected from me, but I totally digged off this entertaining and funny gorefest from start to end, with its cast of despicable doomed main characters so well written that it was a real pleasure reading about their painful deaths.
Ana’s whole body ached. Her arms were tired, her legs worn. All she wanted was a hot meal and a bath. Instead, she picked up a discarded machete from the ground. She caught her own reflection in the blade but hardly recognised the woman that stared back at her. ‘Okay,’ she said quietly. ‘Let’s do this.’ Several years ago, she thought she had lost her sister for good. She wasn’t about to lose her again.
A blast of a debut novel from mr Sodergren, and a perfect summer horror read too, if you are a fan of Richard Laymon’s trademark sex and horror signature style give it a try and enjoy.
If you are not, and gory body horror is not your thing too, just stay away from these pages.
You’ve been warned.
April 10, 2023
Twisted Creature Action!
Small backstory:
Ana Logan along with her sister, Rachel decide that they want to go to Thailand to have some fun as Ana and Rachel want to reconnect after a rocky relationship. But when they both end up on a boat with some people from a party they had attended things go awry as the boat is drifting out in the middle of nowhere.
The partygoers see land finally which looks to be maybe a deserted island so a few of them swim towards it to check it out but even though the island looks to be uninhabitable doesn't mean that there is no life on the island and before they all realize it they are in more danger than they could ever have imagined as "what" lies in "wait" on the island is far beyond their worst nightmares!
That is about all I can give on a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book!
Thoughts:
This was my first time reading this author as far as a full novel as I read his work in an anthology recently which gave me a taste of his writing style. This book is parallel of those old "B horror movies" that I use to watch when I was a kid.
Some of the characters I didn't care for but as far as the horror action along with lots of blood and gore kept me totally wrapped within the clutches of this story. There was some crazy and twisted stuff within this book to the point where I read this whole book within 36 hours as I could not put it down! There was quite a bit of "creature feature" action that kept my insomnia fueled a couple of nights and the pace picks up more once I read past the 50% mark of the book!
Another author added to my ever growing list of authors discovered! Looking forward to reading more work by this author in the future. Giving this book four "Creature Feature Fun" stars!
Small backstory:
Ana Logan along with her sister, Rachel decide that they want to go to Thailand to have some fun as Ana and Rachel want to reconnect after a rocky relationship. But when they both end up on a boat with some people from a party they had attended things go awry as the boat is drifting out in the middle of nowhere.
The partygoers see land finally which looks to be maybe a deserted island so a few of them swim towards it to check it out but even though the island looks to be uninhabitable doesn't mean that there is no life on the island and before they all realize it they are in more danger than they could ever have imagined as "what" lies in "wait" on the island is far beyond their worst nightmares!
That is about all I can give on a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book!
Thoughts:
This was my first time reading this author as far as a full novel as I read his work in an anthology recently which gave me a taste of his writing style. This book is parallel of those old "B horror movies" that I use to watch when I was a kid.
Some of the characters I didn't care for but as far as the horror action along with lots of blood and gore kept me totally wrapped within the clutches of this story. There was some crazy and twisted stuff within this book to the point where I read this whole book within 36 hours as I could not put it down! There was quite a bit of "creature feature" action that kept my insomnia fueled a couple of nights and the pace picks up more once I read past the 50% mark of the book!
Another author added to my ever growing list of authors discovered! Looking forward to reading more work by this author in the future. Giving this book four "Creature Feature Fun" stars!
January 11, 2024
“It was the hellish sound of the forsaken, a high, gut-wrenching wail that split the darkness like a hatchet to the face.”
A couple of weeks ago, I picked this book up on a whim and decided to read the first chapter to get a feel for the author’s writing. I’d never read anything by him before, but due to the high amount of praise for him on bookstagram & Twitter, already owned both of his paperbacks. I was in bed in the middle of a day off, and ended up devouring the entire book in almost a single sitting, reading through the afternoon and into the evening. To say I was hooked is an understatement; I couldn’t put it down!
This is a perfect-for-summer horror read, which are some of my favorite types of horror books to read. I love the juxtaposition of sunshine, beaches, boats, & beers against the terror of island/jungle creatures and gore. And boy, does this one have a lot of gore! Once the violence starts, it doesn’t stop, and Sodergren’s writing does the viciousness the justice it so rightly deserves. This book is honestly such a treat for horror lovers, especially those who appreciate the specific veins of sort of B-movie slasher films & creature features.
One of the big things I loved about this was that it had a cast of characters that you didn’t completely root for – some of them were really terrible people, so watching bad things happen to them was really fun. Similarly, it added another layer to the story to be able to dislike a fellow character as much as disliking the “bad guy” of the overall story – or maybe a better way of putting it is that the story had both a regular dudebro bad guy as well as a more regular horror-book-esque one, which made the specific brand of horror here more multidimensional than in some other books.
I also really enjoyed the main character, Ana Logan. She was sort of brash, and very flawed, and it was great to read her dialogue especially. I had no idea the author was from Scotland before reading this, but the dialogue seemed so realistic and witty from her that I searched him up on the good ol’ internet, and what do you know? Bonus points for authenticity! Some of her thoughts or lines of dialogue with other characters made me actually laugh out loud while reading, and I love having a little comedy thrown into my horror, so this was perfect for me!
Overall, I’m very happy I decided to pick this one up, and have already made plans to read his newest one, Night Shoot. Definitely recommended, and I can’t wait to see what others he comes out with!
___________________________
Find me outside of Goodreads!
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A couple of weeks ago, I picked this book up on a whim and decided to read the first chapter to get a feel for the author’s writing. I’d never read anything by him before, but due to the high amount of praise for him on bookstagram & Twitter, already owned both of his paperbacks. I was in bed in the middle of a day off, and ended up devouring the entire book in almost a single sitting, reading through the afternoon and into the evening. To say I was hooked is an understatement; I couldn’t put it down!
This is a perfect-for-summer horror read, which are some of my favorite types of horror books to read. I love the juxtaposition of sunshine, beaches, boats, & beers against the terror of island/jungle creatures and gore. And boy, does this one have a lot of gore! Once the violence starts, it doesn’t stop, and Sodergren’s writing does the viciousness the justice it so rightly deserves. This book is honestly such a treat for horror lovers, especially those who appreciate the specific veins of sort of B-movie slasher films & creature features.
One of the big things I loved about this was that it had a cast of characters that you didn’t completely root for – some of them were really terrible people, so watching bad things happen to them was really fun. Similarly, it added another layer to the story to be able to dislike a fellow character as much as disliking the “bad guy” of the overall story – or maybe a better way of putting it is that the story had both a regular dudebro bad guy as well as a more regular horror-book-esque one, which made the specific brand of horror here more multidimensional than in some other books.
I also really enjoyed the main character, Ana Logan. She was sort of brash, and very flawed, and it was great to read her dialogue especially. I had no idea the author was from Scotland before reading this, but the dialogue seemed so realistic and witty from her that I searched him up on the good ol’ internet, and what do you know? Bonus points for authenticity! Some of her thoughts or lines of dialogue with other characters made me actually laugh out loud while reading, and I love having a little comedy thrown into my horror, so this was perfect for me!
Overall, I’m very happy I decided to pick this one up, and have already made plans to read his newest one, Night Shoot. Definitely recommended, and I can’t wait to see what others he comes out with!
___________________________
Find me outside of Goodreads!
Substack | Instagram | YouTube
April 25, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2
David Sodergren is like pizza. Even when it’s “bad”, it’s still good.
This was my least favorite of his books so far. I loved the setting, and the creatures were exquisite. But man, those characters were incorrigibly awful. I know, I know… that was the point, but it didn’t make it any more fun to read, and that’s the whole point of a Sodergren novel for me…irreverent and mostly mindless fun. A completely irredeemable cast diminished that fun factor for me.
Don’t get me wrong, this was still a romp. It played out like a self-aware b-movie, even leaning into that meta self-own at one point explicitly. It was action-packed and full of bonkers creature scenes.
This was a story without lore or explanation, which I guess is ok for what it was trying to do, but I would have liked a little bit more background on these creatures.
I was also hoping for a little more of a redemption arc for our antagonist because, well I’m just at a point in my life where I need that hope.
Overall, this was a fun weekend read type of book. If you’re looking to unplug your brain and sink your teeth into something campy, this is for you.
David Sodergren is like pizza. Even when it’s “bad”, it’s still good.
This was my least favorite of his books so far. I loved the setting, and the creatures were exquisite. But man, those characters were incorrigibly awful. I know, I know… that was the point, but it didn’t make it any more fun to read, and that’s the whole point of a Sodergren novel for me…irreverent and mostly mindless fun. A completely irredeemable cast diminished that fun factor for me.
Don’t get me wrong, this was still a romp. It played out like a self-aware b-movie, even leaning into that meta self-own at one point explicitly. It was action-packed and full of bonkers creature scenes.
This was a story without lore or explanation, which I guess is ok for what it was trying to do, but I would have liked a little bit more background on these creatures.
I was also hoping for a little more of a redemption arc for our antagonist because, well I’m just at a point in my life where I need that hope.
Overall, this was a fun weekend read type of book. If you’re looking to unplug your brain and sink your teeth into something campy, this is for you.
July 30, 2025
3.5 stars.
May 9, 2023
A cosmic creature feature set on an isolated island that just gets crazier and crazier as it goes along. I cannot get enough of this authors writing!!!
May 3, 2020
This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
“They just don't write horror books like they used to.” If you ever find yourself pouting out these words, know that the reason for this is not that ‘horror is dead’ or anything melodramatic like that. The real reason is you’re just not looking hard enough. Fortunately, that’s the whole point of doing what I do; I do the digging so you don’t have to. So here, let me help.
David Sodergren’s debut novel The Forgotten Island will take you right back to the horror boom of the 1980s. It has all the essentials; a high body count, gory deaths, a final girl to root for, goopy-gross monsters, humor, and an unyielding pace, all of this accompanied by Sodergren’s unique touch that truly mixes things up.
This novel follows two estranged sisters, Ana and Rachel, while on their trip to Thailand. When they and their party become stranded on a mysterious island, they quickly discover that they are not alone. The island is home to supernatural tribesman, giant spiders, and an ancient evil that have put Ana and her party on the menu.
Simply put, The Forgotten Island rocked in every way and was the perfect book to kick off spring. I mean, it takes place on a tropical island in Thailand. What better book to read on a beach when the weather warms up? Especially if you are a horror fan who likes monster mayhem and lots body horror. If you aren’t into gory horror, however, this might not be for you. Yes, there are a lot of well-written suspense scenes that genuinely creeped me out, but this is not a slow-burn, psychological horror by any means. I like those too, but this is horror of the wild variety. Proceed only if that’s your bag.
Action and gore aside, Sodergren truly impressed me with his writing. While this is definitely a popcorn read, his writing is top-notch and very descriptive, but never in a way that got boring or exhaustive. He is also a pro at writing likeable characters…the main characters, at least. Sodergren makes sure the other characters are dislikable enough that you can’t wait to see them get knocked off, but there were a couple characters I didn’t want to see go, especially toward the end. This lead to a few unexpected tears.
Overall, The Forgotten Island by David Sodergren was a blast to read, and I’m very much looking forward to reading Night Shoot and Dead Girl Blues, his other two novels. Check this out!
“They just don't write horror books like they used to.” If you ever find yourself pouting out these words, know that the reason for this is not that ‘horror is dead’ or anything melodramatic like that. The real reason is you’re just not looking hard enough. Fortunately, that’s the whole point of doing what I do; I do the digging so you don’t have to. So here, let me help.
David Sodergren’s debut novel The Forgotten Island will take you right back to the horror boom of the 1980s. It has all the essentials; a high body count, gory deaths, a final girl to root for, goopy-gross monsters, humor, and an unyielding pace, all of this accompanied by Sodergren’s unique touch that truly mixes things up.
This novel follows two estranged sisters, Ana and Rachel, while on their trip to Thailand. When they and their party become stranded on a mysterious island, they quickly discover that they are not alone. The island is home to supernatural tribesman, giant spiders, and an ancient evil that have put Ana and her party on the menu.
Simply put, The Forgotten Island rocked in every way and was the perfect book to kick off spring. I mean, it takes place on a tropical island in Thailand. What better book to read on a beach when the weather warms up? Especially if you are a horror fan who likes monster mayhem and lots body horror. If you aren’t into gory horror, however, this might not be for you. Yes, there are a lot of well-written suspense scenes that genuinely creeped me out, but this is not a slow-burn, psychological horror by any means. I like those too, but this is horror of the wild variety. Proceed only if that’s your bag.
Action and gore aside, Sodergren truly impressed me with his writing. While this is definitely a popcorn read, his writing is top-notch and very descriptive, but never in a way that got boring or exhaustive. He is also a pro at writing likeable characters…the main characters, at least. Sodergren makes sure the other characters are dislikable enough that you can’t wait to see them get knocked off, but there were a couple characters I didn’t want to see go, especially toward the end. This lead to a few unexpected tears.
Overall, The Forgotten Island by David Sodergren was a blast to read, and I’m very much looking forward to reading Night Shoot and Dead Girl Blues, his other two novels. Check this out!
December 5, 2019
This is one of the best horror novels I’ve read this year if not THE best. It had me instantly hooked from the first sentence and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what horrors came next. I adored every single second of this book, it had me flinching and my spine was crawling with shivers at some parts. The imagery is absolutely out of this world, Sodergren really knows how to paint one hell of a gory picture! Horror fans, do yourself a favour and read this book ASAP. I promise you won’t regret it!
October 4, 2018
Super grateful to David for sending me his debut horror novel to review! It’s a homage to 80s horror, lots of guts and gore, but BETTER. Because what puts me off 80s horror, despite the crazy stories & monsters, is the misogyny. The Forgotten Island is all of the 80s horror fun and none of the misogyny - what more could you want?!
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Our protagonist is Ana, a hilarious, foul-mouthed Scot who takes absolutely NO SHIT. After a tough year, she agrees to go on holiday with her sister after they drifted apart in an effort to renew their relationship, but their Thai paradise quickly becomes a nightmare as they get marooned on an island that houses terrors you wouldn’t want to dream of...
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I loved Ana and her sister Rachel. I did NOT love any of the male characters, and that’s okay. When I said there’s no misogyny, okay there is but it’s not brushed off or accepted as true or funny, it is dealt with in THE most brutal ways. If only I had a way of sending the next guy who told me I’d be prettier if I smiled into a Lovecraftian pit of horror.
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If you’ve followed David for any amount of time you’ll know that he’s a super funny guy, and his humour translates so well to his book! Yah it’s horror but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a few laughs along the way!
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ALSO: There is a dog and *spoiler alert* IT DOESN’T DIE. Isn’t that a refreshing first for a horror novel?
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I took off a star because admittedly, a lot of gore is not my favourite thing in the world, but this book doesn’t just rely on splatterpunk for its scares. It played on some of my worst fears, like things with tentacles and things on ceilings...But it is HELLA gruesome!
.
Our protagonist is Ana, a hilarious, foul-mouthed Scot who takes absolutely NO SHIT. After a tough year, she agrees to go on holiday with her sister after they drifted apart in an effort to renew their relationship, but their Thai paradise quickly becomes a nightmare as they get marooned on an island that houses terrors you wouldn’t want to dream of...
.
I loved Ana and her sister Rachel. I did NOT love any of the male characters, and that’s okay. When I said there’s no misogyny, okay there is but it’s not brushed off or accepted as true or funny, it is dealt with in THE most brutal ways. If only I had a way of sending the next guy who told me I’d be prettier if I smiled into a Lovecraftian pit of horror.
.
If you’ve followed David for any amount of time you’ll know that he’s a super funny guy, and his humour translates so well to his book! Yah it’s horror but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a few laughs along the way!
.
ALSO: There is a dog and *spoiler alert* IT DOESN’T DIE. Isn’t that a refreshing first for a horror novel?
.
I took off a star because admittedly, a lot of gore is not my favourite thing in the world, but this book doesn’t just rely on splatterpunk for its scares. It played on some of my worst fears, like things with tentacles and things on ceilings...But it is HELLA gruesome!
October 20, 2021
Mutant giant spiders, enough said!!!!!
March 7, 2025
I’m exhausted after reading this.
August 13, 2024
This book was so much fun! Gory, insane, intense fun! Time for a change of pace to shed all the blood, intestines and bodily fluids from my skin. Time for some cozy fantasy.
July 9, 2019
The Forgotten Island is a brilliant, surprising and entertaining horror novel. What I loved about this book was being able to spend time with its many characters before the horror really kicked off. As a fellow western that has visited Asia I could sadly recognise a lot of stereotypical behaviour that some of the characters displayed in this novels opening pages. These scenes are handle with great humour by the author and I was left laughing out loud at several passages. However, the humour remains even in the novels darkest places thanks to the interaction between two main characters Ana and Rachel, sisters, whose back and forth provided great comic relief. When the horror does arrive I found myself recalling H.P Lovecraft and Jack Ketchum, as it is brutal, grotesque and cosmic all at once.
While the first act is all about comedy and parody the second act of this novel is entirely about dread, which the author handles expertly. This is because of the build up in the previous act we learn to root for our characters. There are several reveals concerning some of them that are surprising and disturbing that I was glued to this book.
The third act is all action, action on a Jurassic Park sized scale that ends with a devastating blow that I won’t spoil but my mouth is still open from. It’s safe to say I loved this book because I bought the authors novel after reading only 60 pages of The Forgotten Island. My only negative would have been the portrayal of the novels male characters, which seem almost all depraved, sex driven fiends. However, this is saved by the author providing a male character in the novels third act that prevents this.
While the first act is all about comedy and parody the second act of this novel is entirely about dread, which the author handles expertly. This is because of the build up in the previous act we learn to root for our characters. There are several reveals concerning some of them that are surprising and disturbing that I was glued to this book.
The third act is all action, action on a Jurassic Park sized scale that ends with a devastating blow that I won’t spoil but my mouth is still open from. It’s safe to say I loved this book because I bought the authors novel after reading only 60 pages of The Forgotten Island. My only negative would have been the portrayal of the novels male characters, which seem almost all depraved, sex driven fiends. However, this is saved by the author providing a male character in the novels third act that prevents this.
July 20, 2024
Gory, fast-paced and a little touch of Lovecraft.
June 13, 2024
Well this was a wild ride. Definitely everything it claimed to be too. An amazing creature feature. The video nasties meets the cosmic horror of lovecraftian lore. Like, a truly grimy, Gory and drama filled read full of terrible characters that are impossible to like. If you don’t know what any of what I said above means… then you may not get this or like it. I saw some people reviewing it badly for the exact things that make it an ode to the video nasties!
Definitely don’t read this if you’re afraid of any spiders in any capacity by the way.
There are also multiple sexual assault scenes and lots of hard topics like death and suicide are talked about. Along with just lots of normal/consensual but gross sex scenes lol. The language is also pretty vulgar and some of the men in this book have pretty gross thoughts about women. None of this bothered me as it just added to the characters and development. I wouldn’t say it’s problematic or reflects the authors views. As all of the SA scenes end with the woman coming out on top, and the terrible men in here aren’t portrayed in a way that makes it seem like they’re totally fine. No, it’s very intentional and satirical towards these types of men in horror movies. It’s clever and the author definitely knew what they were doing . But I just thought you should know.
I do think the dialogue tags were a little annoying at first and surprisingly even though none of the characters really were supposed to be liked… I thought ana was supposed to be. And it didn’t work for me. I still didn’t like her and wish we were in her sisters head more and kinda wish their roles were reversed lol.
The gore and scary scenes were great and the end scene is satisfying to me. Though the book did fall off a bit for me near the end. The actual last page/ending was satisfying though… as it gave me what I wanted as far as the survival rate of the characters goes lol. It was just an iconic and eerie last line imo.
Definitely some body horror in this as well. And I ALWAYS love that.
I’ll probably pick up another book for this author next time I want a read like this :). This was really clever and entertaining. For sure recommend to those not easily offended.
Definitely don’t read this if you’re afraid of any spiders in any capacity by the way.
There are also multiple sexual assault scenes and lots of hard topics like death and suicide are talked about. Along with just lots of normal/consensual but gross sex scenes lol. The language is also pretty vulgar and some of the men in this book have pretty gross thoughts about women. None of this bothered me as it just added to the characters and development. I wouldn’t say it’s problematic or reflects the authors views. As all of the SA scenes end with the woman coming out on top, and the terrible men in here aren’t portrayed in a way that makes it seem like they’re totally fine. No, it’s very intentional and satirical towards these types of men in horror movies. It’s clever and the author definitely knew what they were doing . But I just thought you should know.
I do think the dialogue tags were a little annoying at first and surprisingly even though none of the characters really were supposed to be liked… I thought ana was supposed to be. And it didn’t work for me. I still didn’t like her and wish we were in her sisters head more and kinda wish their roles were reversed lol.
The gore and scary scenes were great and the end scene is satisfying to me. Though the book did fall off a bit for me near the end. The actual last page/ending was satisfying though… as it gave me what I wanted as far as the survival rate of the characters goes lol. It was just an iconic and eerie last line imo.
Definitely some body horror in this as well. And I ALWAYS love that.
I’ll probably pick up another book for this author next time I want a read like this :). This was really clever and entertaining. For sure recommend to those not easily offended.
December 18, 2018
I really enjoyed this book! It follows some estranged sisters that end up taking a vacation to Thailand. They have a lot unspoken wounds between the two of them. Through a series of circumstances they end up finding themselves on an island with some shady history that the locals and the government don't even acknowledge.
The characters in here were great! The main characters were believable. I loved their back and forth with each other. Sodergren does a great job at executing that balance between developing great characters and keeping the plot momentum going. I couldn't put this book down! There was some great gory scenes, you can tell the author is a fan and a student of the genre. It took turns I was not expecting! Definitely recommend.
The characters in here were great! The main characters were believable. I loved their back and forth with each other. Sodergren does a great job at executing that balance between developing great characters and keeping the plot momentum going. I couldn't put this book down! There was some great gory scenes, you can tell the author is a fan and a student of the genre. It took turns I was not expecting! Definitely recommend.
June 22, 2021
It was good for high school students. Very predictable. None of the characters were likable. By the time the monsters showed up, I was hoping they would all die quickly.
October 19, 2018
YES YES YES!!! What a great read! 5 stars and full review to come!
June 20, 2019
Review to follow...
July 30, 2024
TW/CW: Language, smoking, misogyny, sexism, drinking, self mutilation, sexual assault, cheating, death of parent, death by suicide attempt, sexual harassment, blood, gory scenes, drug use, c-word, cancer (graphic), depression, anxiety, toxic family relationships, abusive relationships, arachnophobia, vomit
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
When Ana Logan agrees to go on holiday to Thailand with her estranged sister Rachel, she hopes it will be a way for them to reconnect after years of drifting apart.
But now, stranded on a seemingly deserted island paradise with no radio and no food, reconciliation becomes a desperate fight for survival.
For when night falls on The Forgotten Island, the dark secrets of the jungle reveal themselves.
Something is watching them from the trees. Something ancient. Something evil.
Release Date: October 1st, 2018
Genre: Horror
Pages: 316
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Writing was good
2. Fast paced
3. Short chapters
4. Atmospheric
What I Didn't Like:
1. Author over sexualizes the women
2. All men are trash in this book
3. Confusing parts when dealing with spider action
4. So much vomit
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
Oh gosh you can really see what Rachel sees in Paul. He's such a charmer. This is one of those cases where a woman knows she's with a real idiot but she continues to give him everything he wants and be with him. Rachel listen to your sister Ana. Dump the loser.
Then again Rachel's a real doof to leave her sister all by herself in Thailand. I can't imagine that safe for a single woman in a foreign country to be left alone is good for her.
I am loving Ana. She is every introvert that is being forced to do something they don't want to do.
I thought I liked Ricky but then he started checking out Rachel's boobs now I'm just like nope.
Paul disappears and no one can find him not that they seem to really care. Then he wakes up on the beach after a pool game where he won some girl as a prize so he has sex with her. God Paul's so cool! Paul even gets mad thinking that Rachel has slept with somebody else and he can't stand this thought because he's possessive. Even though he just had sex with another woman on the beach in front of a whole group of people while they filmed it.
Does this author have an obsession with boobs and nakedness? Every woman in this book minus Ana is more than happy to flash their boobs and their nakedness. Like we get it these women are sexually liberated they're okay being naked but does it have to be beat over our head constantly. Lillian dropping her bra to show the other women it's okay to be naked is weird behavior.
Of course Paul would be the person who would be upset that he would go to Thailand and no one speaks English. It's right on par with his personality.
I doubt Paul would find fishermen that hadn't already left before the sun came up. Fishermen get an early start.
Laughing at what a joke Josh is. He's over here talking about what losers everyone else is for being on social media and working a job, and then says he's going to make a video for YouTube complaining about them when he gets home. What a spoiled hypocrite. He's going to post a video so people comment in agreement with him.
Rachel and Ana get into a fight and Ricky tries to stop Rachel. At the time you think it's because he cares, but really he's just thinking that he wants to have sex with Rachel and she's the best looking one. Gross. Why are all the men in this book terrible people?
After getting attacked on the boat they decide the safest place to hide is on the island in the old hotel building. Talk about stupid characters. Why would you rather hike through the island barefoot and with zero weapons, plus knowing nothing about the island or these creatures? Staying on the boat is a better deal for two reasons;
• If someone wants to rescue you your chances of being found is better on the boat
• It's easier to fight the creatures off if they are coming up the ladder one by one than having them come at an directions on an island they know everything about.
In the end though dumb characters have to do dumb actions.
How is Paul's phone almost dead? He put in a new battery that gave him 12 hours of more power. How long was he out there? How is Rachel's phone still alive when hers has been not charged for days?
I am so frustrated with these characters. They left the boat because it wasn't safe and now they're in the jungle. They decide the best way is to light a fire inside the hotel even though they discuss it drawing attention to other unwelcomed people, but they even mention that it might help them get rescued. But you know what would have helped them get rescued? If they had stayed on the boat! These people never heard of staying in place so you can be found? Sorry it just seems so stupid that these people would do the one thing that would draw attention to them when they have no way to protect themselves against things they don't even understand.
Another sexual assault moment in this book. Wtf. Ricky trying to rape Rachel when they go to find firewood? Why why is this in this book? Seems like this is all this book is is sexual assault scenes. Ah.
‘Help,’ rasped Ricky, his head spinning, the taste of his own semen on his tongue. Ricky swallowed, inadvertently gulping a mouthful of his own cum.
What? How? Why?
Honestly it irritated me the way the author made out like spiders just eat their prey. Spiders usually spit on their prey and wrap them up before they will withdraw the blood out of their prey. It's a way for the spider to ensure that their prey doesn't get away. Seriously the next time you see a spider watch when an insect will fall in its web it will run to wrap it up in silk ensuring that it doesn't get away. Then it'll usually come back to it later.
They had no torch, no light of any kind.
I thought Rachel has her phone (that's how Paul's tracking her) but how does she not have a torch?
There is zero absolutely zero way that Paul would risk his life to go and get Rachel and Ana sorry there's no way. The only reason he was even going to get Rachel was the hope that she would be so grateful she would let him do whatever he wanted to her body. It's not like this dude is going without having sex with random women so why would he risk his life for this one person? No it just doesn't match the character you built up for Paul. Can't have this guy who was so nonchalant on caring about Rachel and then he's going to jump on this island and risk his life after what he saw on the other boat. That's the most unbelievable part about this whole entire book. Paul finally backs out after he sees Rachel being tortured. That's when it hits him that he doesn't want to help her anymore. Like I said I don't even think Paul would have went this far. I don't even think he would have continued past seeing the thing on the boat.
They should have called this spider Island. Seems like the spiders are mostly taken care of everything. Most of the people seem to be killed off by them.
All the weird action dealing with the spiders came off so confusing. I had to reread what was happening to make sense of the action and even then I was confused.
Oh my god. I'm telling you the oversexualization of things are driving me insane. Anna gets a bath in the waterfall but of course she has to strip naked. She then brings in her sister Rachel to wash her hair and of course we even get a remark that she washes her breasts. Why why why???
There is zero way I would be bringing Rachel home. We all know that she is probably impregnated with the spiders baby that's why her stomach is bulging and that's why there's a hole in her belly. So is she just going to infect the world when she goes back?
Rachel having the spider dudes baby is not surprising. But odd how easy it was for Ana to get pregnant. She didn't have to go through the ritual. Chakrit makes a comment about how it takes the upside down man spider to bounce back after he's like impregnated one of the women, but magically I guess he didn't need that after Rachel and then Ana.
Final Thoughts:
This book was confusing because on one hand I was loving it and enjoying reading this slasher, but on the other hand I couldn't tell what the book was trying to say. The woman are so overly sexual with walking around naked and public sex while the men were painted as these giant jerks pining for them. It almost came off like the author was saying these men wouldn't be acting like this if the women weren't flaunting themselves in front of the men and asking to be sexually assaulted because of their actions. It felt like "see what happens when women act like sluts - they're just asking for it".
Some parts of the story were just outright confusing. There's a part wear a cathedral has been made but then it's like a dimensional thing for the spiders and they're in clouds waiting next to their prey. I don't even know what that was about or what it meant. Just some parts this author wrote seemed so confusing.
Ending felt like it wouldn't end. It's dragged on that Rachel is pregnant with the spider baby(ies). We already know this but each chapter keeps dragging it on like we don't know what's going to happen. It's like I sat next to Rachel and her stomach was bulging and then it's like three chapters later Rachel's stomach has veins through it. It just needed to get on with it. We did not need 25 extra pages going through Rachel's pregnancy with her spider Daddy.
I just have to laugh because when you come to the conclusion of this book is really just horny things trying to get off it really changes your perspective of the book. Every guy is really just trying to sleep with every woman and then even at the end of it the male spider is trying to sleep with the women.
I really thought I was going to love this book because we had such a great beginning. The characters were somewhat interesting and the writing was pretty good, but then we just get to this island isn't really about a slasher which on me I thought that's what it was going to be about instead it ends up being about spiders. I would think if you're terrified of spiders do not read this book. I personally love spiders.
One thing that bothered me about the book was that Anna is perceived to have psychic like a powers. That goes nowhere. It's pretty pointless and it serves no purpose to this book. In a book that's already so saturated with mindless pointless things it seems irrelevant to even throw it into a story. It almost felt like the trope of is she crazy or does she really have powers.
IG | Blog
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
When Ana Logan agrees to go on holiday to Thailand with her estranged sister Rachel, she hopes it will be a way for them to reconnect after years of drifting apart.
But now, stranded on a seemingly deserted island paradise with no radio and no food, reconciliation becomes a desperate fight for survival.
For when night falls on The Forgotten Island, the dark secrets of the jungle reveal themselves.
Something is watching them from the trees. Something ancient. Something evil.
Release Date: October 1st, 2018
Genre: Horror
Pages: 316
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Writing was good
2. Fast paced
3. Short chapters
4. Atmospheric
What I Didn't Like:
1. Author over sexualizes the women
2. All men are trash in this book
3. Confusing parts when dealing with spider action
4. So much vomit
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
Oh gosh you can really see what Rachel sees in Paul. He's such a charmer. This is one of those cases where a woman knows she's with a real idiot but she continues to give him everything he wants and be with him. Rachel listen to your sister Ana. Dump the loser.
Then again Rachel's a real doof to leave her sister all by herself in Thailand. I can't imagine that safe for a single woman in a foreign country to be left alone is good for her.
I am loving Ana. She is every introvert that is being forced to do something they don't want to do.
I thought I liked Ricky but then he started checking out Rachel's boobs now I'm just like nope.
Paul disappears and no one can find him not that they seem to really care. Then he wakes up on the beach after a pool game where he won some girl as a prize so he has sex with her. God Paul's so cool! Paul even gets mad thinking that Rachel has slept with somebody else and he can't stand this thought because he's possessive. Even though he just had sex with another woman on the beach in front of a whole group of people while they filmed it.
Does this author have an obsession with boobs and nakedness? Every woman in this book minus Ana is more than happy to flash their boobs and their nakedness. Like we get it these women are sexually liberated they're okay being naked but does it have to be beat over our head constantly. Lillian dropping her bra to show the other women it's okay to be naked is weird behavior.
Of course Paul would be the person who would be upset that he would go to Thailand and no one speaks English. It's right on par with his personality.
I doubt Paul would find fishermen that hadn't already left before the sun came up. Fishermen get an early start.
Laughing at what a joke Josh is. He's over here talking about what losers everyone else is for being on social media and working a job, and then says he's going to make a video for YouTube complaining about them when he gets home. What a spoiled hypocrite. He's going to post a video so people comment in agreement with him.
Rachel and Ana get into a fight and Ricky tries to stop Rachel. At the time you think it's because he cares, but really he's just thinking that he wants to have sex with Rachel and she's the best looking one. Gross. Why are all the men in this book terrible people?
After getting attacked on the boat they decide the safest place to hide is on the island in the old hotel building. Talk about stupid characters. Why would you rather hike through the island barefoot and with zero weapons, plus knowing nothing about the island or these creatures? Staying on the boat is a better deal for two reasons;
• If someone wants to rescue you your chances of being found is better on the boat
• It's easier to fight the creatures off if they are coming up the ladder one by one than having them come at an directions on an island they know everything about.
In the end though dumb characters have to do dumb actions.
How is Paul's phone almost dead? He put in a new battery that gave him 12 hours of more power. How long was he out there? How is Rachel's phone still alive when hers has been not charged for days?
I am so frustrated with these characters. They left the boat because it wasn't safe and now they're in the jungle. They decide the best way is to light a fire inside the hotel even though they discuss it drawing attention to other unwelcomed people, but they even mention that it might help them get rescued. But you know what would have helped them get rescued? If they had stayed on the boat! These people never heard of staying in place so you can be found? Sorry it just seems so stupid that these people would do the one thing that would draw attention to them when they have no way to protect themselves against things they don't even understand.
Another sexual assault moment in this book. Wtf. Ricky trying to rape Rachel when they go to find firewood? Why why is this in this book? Seems like this is all this book is is sexual assault scenes. Ah.
‘Help,’ rasped Ricky, his head spinning, the taste of his own semen on his tongue. Ricky swallowed, inadvertently gulping a mouthful of his own cum.
What? How? Why?
Honestly it irritated me the way the author made out like spiders just eat their prey. Spiders usually spit on their prey and wrap them up before they will withdraw the blood out of their prey. It's a way for the spider to ensure that their prey doesn't get away. Seriously the next time you see a spider watch when an insect will fall in its web it will run to wrap it up in silk ensuring that it doesn't get away. Then it'll usually come back to it later.
They had no torch, no light of any kind.
I thought Rachel has her phone (that's how Paul's tracking her) but how does she not have a torch?
There is zero absolutely zero way that Paul would risk his life to go and get Rachel and Ana sorry there's no way. The only reason he was even going to get Rachel was the hope that she would be so grateful she would let him do whatever he wanted to her body. It's not like this dude is going without having sex with random women so why would he risk his life for this one person? No it just doesn't match the character you built up for Paul. Can't have this guy who was so nonchalant on caring about Rachel and then he's going to jump on this island and risk his life after what he saw on the other boat. That's the most unbelievable part about this whole entire book. Paul finally backs out after he sees Rachel being tortured. That's when it hits him that he doesn't want to help her anymore. Like I said I don't even think Paul would have went this far. I don't even think he would have continued past seeing the thing on the boat.
They should have called this spider Island. Seems like the spiders are mostly taken care of everything. Most of the people seem to be killed off by them.
All the weird action dealing with the spiders came off so confusing. I had to reread what was happening to make sense of the action and even then I was confused.
Oh my god. I'm telling you the oversexualization of things are driving me insane. Anna gets a bath in the waterfall but of course she has to strip naked. She then brings in her sister Rachel to wash her hair and of course we even get a remark that she washes her breasts. Why why why???
There is zero way I would be bringing Rachel home. We all know that she is probably impregnated with the spiders baby that's why her stomach is bulging and that's why there's a hole in her belly. So is she just going to infect the world when she goes back?
Rachel having the spider dudes baby is not surprising. But odd how easy it was for Ana to get pregnant. She didn't have to go through the ritual. Chakrit makes a comment about how it takes the upside down man spider to bounce back after he's like impregnated one of the women, but magically I guess he didn't need that after Rachel and then Ana.
Final Thoughts:
This book was confusing because on one hand I was loving it and enjoying reading this slasher, but on the other hand I couldn't tell what the book was trying to say. The woman are so overly sexual with walking around naked and public sex while the men were painted as these giant jerks pining for them. It almost came off like the author was saying these men wouldn't be acting like this if the women weren't flaunting themselves in front of the men and asking to be sexually assaulted because of their actions. It felt like "see what happens when women act like sluts - they're just asking for it".
Some parts of the story were just outright confusing. There's a part wear a cathedral has been made but then it's like a dimensional thing for the spiders and they're in clouds waiting next to their prey. I don't even know what that was about or what it meant. Just some parts this author wrote seemed so confusing.
Ending felt like it wouldn't end. It's dragged on that Rachel is pregnant with the spider baby(ies). We already know this but each chapter keeps dragging it on like we don't know what's going to happen. It's like I sat next to Rachel and her stomach was bulging and then it's like three chapters later Rachel's stomach has veins through it. It just needed to get on with it. We did not need 25 extra pages going through Rachel's pregnancy with her spider Daddy.
I just have to laugh because when you come to the conclusion of this book is really just horny things trying to get off it really changes your perspective of the book. Every guy is really just trying to sleep with every woman and then even at the end of it the male spider is trying to sleep with the women.
I really thought I was going to love this book because we had such a great beginning. The characters were somewhat interesting and the writing was pretty good, but then we just get to this island isn't really about a slasher which on me I thought that's what it was going to be about instead it ends up being about spiders. I would think if you're terrified of spiders do not read this book. I personally love spiders.
One thing that bothered me about the book was that Anna is perceived to have psychic like a powers. That goes nowhere. It's pretty pointless and it serves no purpose to this book. In a book that's already so saturated with mindless pointless things it seems irrelevant to even throw it into a story. It almost felt like the trope of is she crazy or does she really have powers.
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December 6, 2020
Bloody hell... what a book!
This book was probably one of the best adventure horrors that I’ve ever read, it was everything I could have hoped for... well except for the spiders, I bloody hare spiders.
Sodergren has crafted a creepy and horrific offering and one that has played on my mind since reading, if that’s not the sign of a great storyteller and a masterful story then I don’t know what is.
Sodergren has also created in Ana and Rachel some full realised characters that made it a joy to adventure with. They were so brilliantly rendered that it felt like I was spending time with old friends, they are fierce, flawed and just great fun! I really enjoyed the sprawling narrative once they got to the island and the spending time with each group once on the Island made for a unique storytelling experience that reminded me of Jurassic Park (as I recently re-read this with the new Folio Society edition and it’s fresh in my mind) where we flit back and forth between our separated cast of characters - it also had me reminiscing about those old movies of Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts - such is the scope of the book and the adventure at hand!
The creature work in this book is stunning and seeing as this was a debut it’s just jaw dropping and mouthwatering - also it creeped me the hell out! The gore and the guts and the blood and the depravity are also stunning - I really enjoyed also the ulterior motives of our characters that are slowly drip fed as the story builds and we warn (or not) to the characters.
Stunning book and I can’t wait to discover more of Sodergren’s work!
This book was probably one of the best adventure horrors that I’ve ever read, it was everything I could have hoped for... well except for the spiders, I bloody hare spiders.
Sodergren has crafted a creepy and horrific offering and one that has played on my mind since reading, if that’s not the sign of a great storyteller and a masterful story then I don’t know what is.
Sodergren has also created in Ana and Rachel some full realised characters that made it a joy to adventure with. They were so brilliantly rendered that it felt like I was spending time with old friends, they are fierce, flawed and just great fun! I really enjoyed the sprawling narrative once they got to the island and the spending time with each group once on the Island made for a unique storytelling experience that reminded me of Jurassic Park (as I recently re-read this with the new Folio Society edition and it’s fresh in my mind) where we flit back and forth between our separated cast of characters - it also had me reminiscing about those old movies of Sinbad and Jason and the Argonauts - such is the scope of the book and the adventure at hand!
The creature work in this book is stunning and seeing as this was a debut it’s just jaw dropping and mouthwatering - also it creeped me the hell out! The gore and the guts and the blood and the depravity are also stunning - I really enjoyed also the ulterior motives of our characters that are slowly drip fed as the story builds and we warn (or not) to the characters.
Stunning book and I can’t wait to discover more of Sodergren’s work!
May 16, 2025
Backpackers in Thailand: a full moon party, fluorescent body paint, flame throwers, thumping techno, and alcohol... lots and lots of alcohol. What could possibly go wrong?
This book reeled me in with the sweltering tropical heat and seedy bars full of faceless, inebriated tourists. The atmosphere had a suffocating feel from the beginning. I found it original, convincing and became completely hooked on the story. I loved the characters (especially Ana) although I could have perhaps done with a couple more redeeming characters to anchor my investment. I enjoyed the slow build up of circumstance, although it reached a crescendo of full-on madness and gore a little too early to comfortably sustain. Overall it was a fun, cringing kind of horror.
This book reeled me in with the sweltering tropical heat and seedy bars full of faceless, inebriated tourists. The atmosphere had a suffocating feel from the beginning. I found it original, convincing and became completely hooked on the story. I loved the characters (especially Ana) although I could have perhaps done with a couple more redeeming characters to anchor my investment. I enjoyed the slow build up of circumstance, although it reached a crescendo of full-on madness and gore a little too early to comfortably sustain. Overall it was a fun, cringing kind of horror.
July 13, 2021
The plot is fun, some holiday makers in Thailand end up very intoxicated and on a boat in the ocean which eventually lands on the titular Forgotten Island. Once there a cult or sorts attacks them while they wait for some way of escaping or for someone to come save them. This book has David's unique humour and all the bits of horror and gore I enjoyed from Maggie's Grave. Again his writing style made this a page turned and I struggled to out it down. I laughed out loud whilst reading and was a bit creeped out at parts. Thee story very cleverly played on some primal human fears and also on some phobias I know many people have.
My favourite film is Cannibal Holocaust, I'm sorry 😂, and the cover and synopsis of this book made me think of that. Fun fact David wrote the book while listening to the soundtrack to the film aswell as many others. The book is not like this films, which was quite refreshing, however there are some clear nods to the cannibal exploration films from the 70's and 80's.
Overall I'd give this a solid 4.7/5, I think had I read this first it would probably sit at a 5 but Maggie's Grave was the best thing I've read for years so I was spoilt with that.
My favourite film is Cannibal Holocaust, I'm sorry 😂, and the cover and synopsis of this book made me think of that. Fun fact David wrote the book while listening to the soundtrack to the film aswell as many others. The book is not like this films, which was quite refreshing, however there are some clear nods to the cannibal exploration films from the 70's and 80's.
Overall I'd give this a solid 4.7/5, I think had I read this first it would probably sit at a 5 but Maggie's Grave was the best thing I've read for years so I was spoilt with that.
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