The Island Mother

Rating: 4 out of 5

Then another realization hits me: I’d rather die than go back to that life.

Holy shit (excuse the language) what can I say about this book. I haven't read many horror stories lately and this one did not disappoint. It had a few moments where I was left waiting for the plot to move along, but boy when it did... everything happened all at once!

The Island Mother is told through three different perspectives. Leigh (Lani), Jesse and Kai. Each person's story leaves you gripping your seat because the chapters shift to another POV at the most intense moments of the story. I spent a lot of time on the edge of my seat with this one.

The story starts out intensely and only lets up, momentarily, when our main character arrives in Hawaii after deciding to leave her meth dealing boyfriend and start a new life. Leigh decides to start over in Hawaii by naming herself Lani. She finds a job at an island resort, but things appear a little strange about the people working there. Lani soon learns that not everything is as it seems. Will she trust the itch that tells her it's time to leave? Or is it already too late for her? Is the new love that she developed enough to survive the weirdness coming from her time on the island? Is it enough to save her from Jesse?

I was chosen for a higher purpose, spent a whole life running so that I could end up here... This is my ohana, and I am the Island Mother.

The creep factor of this book is so well written at times I found myself spooked out in broad daylight! Also, I have developed a new fear of birds thanks to Jon Cohn. The book masterfully creates a beautiful island getaway which is not at all what it appears to be. I have to say though I saw some of the events coming in this book they were written so wonderfully that I did not mind! The characters are so well rounded that it's impossible not to fall into the story. A perfect read for the spooky season for sure.

Warnings: Violence, Drugs, Attempted Rape, Miscarriage