When billionaire Malcolm Wyatt invites Paisley to an exclusive first look at his island resort, the true-crime influencer prepares for a weekend of luxury, thrills, and posting.
Turns out, she should have been preparing for her survival.
When billionaire Malcolm Wyatt invites Paisley to an exclusive first look at his island resort, the true-crime influencer prepares for a weekend of luxury, thrills, and posting.
Turns out, she should have been preparing for her survival.
Six screen-obsessed teenagers with minimal adult supervision on an isolated, inescapable island sounds like a recipe for disaster. But Paisley, Harper, Ava, James, Will, and Liam—all prominent influencers—are ecstatic to be the first people to experience Jagged Island.
This resort-style amusement park is the creation of Malcolm Wyatt, a billionaire who apparently hopes to lure the world’s wealthiest vacationers to this isle of thrills and fun. To arouse interest in his new spectacle, Malcolm invites these six social-savvy teens to an exclusive, weekend-long sneak peek at his resort.
For Paisley, the weekend couldn’t have started out better. A true-crime influencer, she is enamored by the gothic architecture, macabre weapon displays, and creepy thrill rides. Plus, the weekend has come with a new friend, plenty of delicious food, and two potential crushes. For her, Jagged Island feels like a spooky, spectacular taste of paradise.
All that changes when people start disappearing.
First, one of the guests vanishes. Then, a staff member goes missing, too. And then the only boat off the island cannot be found. With nowhere to go, tensions rise.
When the island’s cell service and Wi-Fi go out, Paisley and the other influencers realize that there’s evil afoot on Jagged Island. And this amusement park isn’t amusing at all.
As the group frantically searches for their missing members, Paisley wonders, who can she trust?
None.
An attraction in the amusement park is a haunted house featuring ghosts and goblins. Another ride is called a “poltergeist train.” As such, Paisley’s online followers suggest that the resort might be haunted.
An influencer mentions that she is undecided about believing in ghosts and the paranormal. A character mentions being afraid of Ouija boards, and another mentions the Harry Potter movies.
We don’t see much of Paisley’s parents, but they do seem understandably reluctant to allow her to visit Jagged Island. Paisley’s older brother, with whom she seems to have a good relationship, convinces them to allow her to go. Although Paisley initially chaffs her parents’ interference with the weekend, her experiences at the park give her a much greater appreciation for her family.
James, one of the influencers, completely disregards authority and instruction. However, the narrative voice denounces him for this. Against Malcolm’s instructions, Paisley and Will (another influencer) plan to sneak out at night to explore the amusement park.
Paisley is a true-crime influencer and finds murder fascinating. She mentions the importance of detaching her emotions from these murder cases.
While the descriptions aren’t particularly graphic, several characters do get stabbed. In some cases, these people are stabbed repeatedly. Characters discover bodies covered in blood.
Malcolm has a display of weapons and torture devices. The theme park also includes a “haunted house” featuring a room of wax-figure serial killers–including Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer.
A character brings up Squid Games and talks about how it deserves a five-star rating. Another character mentions The Shining.
In the past, a character had been charged with assault for getting in a fight. Later, this character punches someone. Another character shares a traumatic childhood experience where a neighbor was murdered by her own father.
Harper, a 15-year-old, jokes that she wants to sneak some beers.
In terms of profanity, The Island does not shrink away from using it liberally. We find 17 uses of “a–”/“a–hole”, 19 uses of “d–n”/“d–mit,” 29 uses of “h—,” six uses of “p-ss/p-ssed,” one use of “b–ch,” one use of “b—tard,” nine uses of the “s-word,” and 16 misuses of God’s name.
Paisley references having an ex-boyfriend. Ava – who has a pre-existing boyfriend – “makes out” and cuddles with James on the trip.
Both Reeve and Liam flirt with Paisley, and she mentions having a crush on both. Sometimes, Paisley uses their crushes to her advantage.
Two teenagers spend the night together, and it is insinuated that they had sex.
Will, a male character, is a beauty influencer who wears makeup.
Social media and follower counts are important to the characters in this story. How should Christians interact with social media? Should Christians seek to be social media “influencers?”
The Island addresses money, and many of its characters are obsessed with being rich. What does the Bible say about money? Read Matthew 6:24 and Matthew 19:24. How can Christians balance their finances and their faith?
True crime is a popular form of entertainment. How do you feel as though Christians should engage with this genre? Consider Proverbs 4:14-15 and Philippians 4:8. Also consider that the Bible contains its fair share of violence and “graphic” stories.
Get free discussion question for books at focusonthefamily.com/magazine/thriving-family-book-discussion-questions.
Although it lacks the character development and polished sleuthing expected in an Agatha Christie novel, The Island features an interesting murder mystery with plot twists and turns. The story deals with plenty of hot-button issues facing teens and young adults, including celebrity, commercialism and body image. Plus, readers might be interested to see the result of Paisley’s “love triangle.” However, The Island’s reliance on violence and profanity may have many parents feeling its content is a little too mature for its advertised young adult audience.
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Review by Sarah Rasmussen
