By Wesley Thomas
Sarah Randhurst, co-owner of a care center that transforms juvenile offenders into respectful members of society, learns that funding for the center is going to be cut. Martin, her husband, and another co-owner decide that a trip to Prince Island is a great way to have fun and take their minds off the inconvenience of the soon-to-be-closed care center. But given the island’s history (which will soon become a reality), this trip is anything but a walk in the park.
From the first page you are hooked, and even when the book is at its most gruesome and gory, it takes a lot of effort to put it down.
We feel apathetic towards the characters at first, but as each character is gradually developed and how they contrast with each other and cause great conflicts, providing great entertainment for the readers, we can’t help but start to connect with the characters.
Each character is so vividly portrayed in your mind, both in appearance and personality, that you will identify with some and find yourself hating others.
The villains’ personalities are portrayed in such a terrifying way that their mere presence is enough to make one’s heart race.
The characterization of Lestat is truly outstanding, his physique, voice, state of insanity and how he creates the ultimate moment of suspense with just a few words is amazing. The details that fuel your imagination for this character are terrifying and his unpredictability keeps the reader at ease, looking disturbingly normal one moment and spontaneously turning into a sadistic psychopath after being offended by an insignificant comment the next. How he uses the camera is also an example of pure Kilburn talent, creating tension that eventually escalates into inevitable terror.
One of the great things about this book is that all of the characters’ actions are accurately justified. Some writers are great at developing characters but the choices they make are a little exaggerated or unrealistic, but not these characters. Every action is rationalized out of revenge, mental instability, or out of instinct to protect a loved one.
The constant tension is amazing. As you read the book, you become so absorbed in the action that you feel like you are actually there, and your whole body feels inexplicably tense.
Kilburne’s writing also has an uncanny ability to send a shudder through your body, a remarkable achievement for any writer. To hold a reader so intensely in its grip is bound to elicit a genuinely profound response.
But Kilburn does this in two ways: one is by gradually building up a sense of unease that inevitably leads to a panic, and the other is by making the panic completely unexpected, with the calm atmosphere suddenly altered by a startling turn of events.
Additionally, the book’s physical sensations are so vividly portrayed that you’ll find yourself feeling nauseous at certain points in the book.
Furthermore, there is never a dull moment throughout the novel, everyone separates and faces their own hell, and when their scenes start to climax, we are left hanging while we see another character’s horror.
The twist in the story is one of the best I’ve ever read. The shocking discovery made by one of the main characters that they are all part of some terrible conspiracy is shocking.
We are shocked, our cognition is shattered, and we can’t help but ask: Who can we still trust?
I found this psychological question very interesting, the concept explored the idea of magnetism; the idea that the brain can be injected with certain adrenaline to fuel peculiarities and create evil personalities added another dimension to the book. But by the end we discover that this belief is fatally flawed.
The book ends with Kilburne expressing his cruelty through endless torture, his constant fight for survival, and his endless frustration. The climax is what I would call a bittersweet ending, not a fairytale ending, but not completely terrible either. The survivors show admirable and courageous perseverance in the face of impossible odds, which makes them feel compassion.
This is a novel that has your blood boiling, your body hanging on the edge, then being rescued, only to have your throat slit. You will never read a book with such a startling and lasting impact, interspersed with metaphors that make you stop and admire the sheer genius of his writing.
I’ve read countless books about island horror stories; some are strikingly similar, others are wildly different, but this one stood out in that no one put Kilburn in a corner, or more accurately, no one trapped Kilburn on a terrifying island.
Order Kilborn’s outstanding work here today.
grade: 4.5/5
