I really enjoyed this read to the point that I broke night to finish in one sitting. I knew this was the type of book that would plague my dream with crazy theories if I thought of putting it down before the end. I was thoroughly engaged and easily unnerved by the skillfully setup of this suspenseful paranormal mystery.
The mystery seems to start out simple enough, a girl with a somewhat troubling upbringing in foster care uncovers her mother’s death is not what it seems. She is lured to an island where the locals avoid at all cost, but where a group of established scientists have set up shop to “observed” the local birds’ migration patterns and their disturbing predisposition for genetic mutations. Add in a heavy dose of hallucinogenic mist and a large batch of cyclical disappearances by unwitting settlers and you have the ingredients for a great urban legend. Once our main character reaches the island she starts to rediscover memories she previously locked away and acts as the catalyst for the island’s disturbing activity.
The way the book oscillates from present day actions to various letter and audio/video accounts from the past helps to muddle your perception of time and place in the book. I realize this tactic was also necessary for losing track of the characters- which is an important theme later in the book. It was also useful for adding the details needed to build the story’s mythology. It did lead to a bit of confusion while I waited for the protagonist to string together the provided pieces into a cohesive narrative, but I still enjoyed the process. While this story has a definite conclusion, it has potential for expansion. I would absolutely be interested in following the development of other characters in this book and hope we get to see that narrative someday.
The mystery seems to start out simple enough, a girl with a somewhat troubling upbringing in foster care uncovers her mother’s death is not what it seems. She is lured to an island where the locals avoid at all cost, but where a group of established scientists have set up shop to “observed” the local birds’ migration patterns and their disturbing predisposition for genetic mutations. Add in a heavy dose of hallucinogenic mist and a large batch of cyclical disappearances by unwitting settlers and you have the ingredients for a great urban legend. Once our main character reaches the island she starts to rediscover memories she previously locked away and acts as the catalyst for the island’s disturbing activity.
The way the book oscillates from present day actions to various letter and audio/video accounts from the past helps to muddle your perception of time and place in the book. I realize this tactic was also necessary for losing track of the characters- which is an important theme later in the book. It was also useful for adding the details needed to build the story’s mythology. It did lead to a bit of confusion while I waited for the protagonist to string together the provided pieces into a cohesive narrative, but I still enjoyed the process. While this story has a definite conclusion, it has potential for expansion. I would absolutely be interested in following the development of other characters in this book and hope we get to see that narrative someday.