Pages: 320
Published: 5th May 2022
Genre: Young Adult Thriller
Content warnings: Suicide, bullying/discrimination
She’s faking her way into the most exclusive social circles for revenge. But how long can her lies hold up?
Seventeen-year-old Lydia Cornwallis has arrived on a remote island populated only by wealthy families and their staff. She quickly finds acceptance, even adoration, from the close-knit families that rule the island. But a storm is coming, and all routes to the mainland are cut off.
But thank goodness the Harrington sisters made it in time, because Lydia simply can’t wait to meet them.
That’s because Lydia’s not really Lydia Cornwallis.
And the Harringtons have hell to pay for what they’ve done.
Lydia will need to draw on epic nerve, quicksilver adaptability and sly cunning in maintaining her cover and exacting murderous revenge. And when she meets someone new on the island and starts to develop real feelings, can that connection survive when nothing else is real?
This is an engagingly written story where impressive ideas and moments of considerable tension are undermined by a feeble plot. For everything that is done right, you are too often having to suspend your disbelief at the entire concept as a flawed main character hell-bent on revenge goes about her mission with no degree of conviction, making it a frustrating read on many levels.
Taking place in a setting that should be idyllic but instead comes across as menacing, it explores themes such as materialism and class divisions, and in doing so the author creates an unsettling atmosphere. Despite being portrayed in not the most subtle way, these topics are handled effectively and they underpin most of the book’s strengths.
The concept might have been a good one if the execution was better, but as it is the plot does not stand up to much scrutiny. It might be a harsh thing to say, but it occasionally reads like a draft. Too much of it is far-fetched and as enjoyable as it might be to read in parts, it was hard to stay fully on board with the directions it was taking, while you can almost sense the author’s attempts to make the story work.
All that succeeds in doing is papering over the cracks, and the primary reason why it fails to really inspire is the perspective of the main character, Shannon. She arrives on the island desperate to avenge her mother’s death by posing as rich girl Lydia Cornwallis and killing teenage sisters Emily and Annabel Harrington, but none of it ever feels in any way convincing.
A lot of Shannon’s plans are naïve and misguided, which is understandable given her age. However, the whole idea of pretending to be Lydia and the real Lydia being alright with that just did not ring true, neither did Shannon’s frequent fantasising about causing Emily and Annabel to have a fatal accident. She was just too mild for something like that and in way over her head, so as a result I just could not buy her murderous intentions for one second.
Annabel and Emily were awful, of course. They live in a world of total privilege where they expect everything to be handed to them on a plate and look down on anyone who happens to be less fortunate than they are. The lack of compassion or basic human decency they show towards their household staff at the holiday home is quite scary, and they can also be unpleasant around their friends.
Despite all of that, it is hard to truly root for Shannon as she just does not come across as a roundly developed character. She is out of her depth and that is clear, but there is little to cling to in order to try and connect with her. That is one of the reasons why the romance with Victor feels forced, as they share nothing meaningful between them.
Speaking of Victor, there is always a sense that there is something more to him and so you can see the twist coming from a long way. He is perceptive and appears to see right through Shannon straight away, but the character he turns out to be later on is, again, not very believable. Of the other members of Emily and Annabel’s crowd, the most memorable is Piglet, who shows some similar tendencies but is much more reasonable and happy-go-lucky.
The setting is pleasingly unique and it is definitely made to sound beautiful with its expensive holiday homes and exclusive eateries, but the presence of the Harringtons and the story of what happened to Shannon’s mother give it a darker tone. As the story progresses it is also made to feel hostile and claustrophobic, with the threat of a hurricane and Shannon’s desperate efforts to leave. It is a sophisticated juxtaposition.
There is a good flow to the writing that makes it easy to read and keeps you fairly immersed, even if the plot contains several obvious flaws. It contains a lot of similar aspects to some of Sue Wallman’s other books, such as an interesting, distinctive setting, a first person female narrative, and a slow burning but very obvious romance. If there is one thing she always delivers on, it is writing style.
Overall, the plot here is just too lightweight to be spun into a genuinely good story. It is fun to read in places but its flaws are conspicuous throughout and not much can be done to salvage it, even with an ending that markedly raises the stakes. Even for a young adult thriller there are far too many issues, and these are impossible to overlook.
I really wanted to love this book, but just could not take the plot seriously. It did not work, even though the writing was good.
My rating: ⭐⭐.5
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