Tracey Neithercott

See the full review on my blog by clicking the logo!

"Like waves washing away the footprints on the sand, Ember Island gives everyone a clean slate. Ember Island reveals the true you." -- Avatar: The Last Airbender

Gray Wolf Island is a mesmerizing story following Ruby, our main character. Riddled with mystery and new beginnings, the story itself as it moved forward began reminding me of the beach episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Ember Island.

I have to say while the characters were basically faceless people for me, it wasn't hard to feel for them during their moments searching for treasure and trying to keep the truth from coming out. The subject of love interest is a frequent thing I tend to harp on if it's not well done, but much like the characters being faceless, the topic of love was sudden but not all that surprising. It made me feel nothing in particular. However, it also didn't make me hate the book at all. It's weird that these major points in creating a wonderful book can be slightly ignored and create a good story that kept me reading all night. Seriously. It's 12:21 AM and I started reading this several hours ago. I didn't expect to finish this book as quickly as I did.

The mystery filling the pages of this book is what really kept me reading. While I knew that at some point, one of the characters had to die (because what kind of book would it be if no one died?), the reveal of who it was really had me taken aback. The author has a way of keeping you in the dark even when you have a basic understanding of what lies ahead. I can honestly say that I didn't expect the book to go where it did when I first decided to pick it up and that's a really good thing in my opinion. I hate predictable books!

While I feel like more detail would have helped me enjoy the story more than I did, the fact that it came out more than what I originally expected says a lot. I had a blast reading this and the ending was especially satisfying. It didn't leave you wanting more nor did it end on a cliffhanger. It felt like a proper ending for a great read! I totally recommend giving this book a try. I don't normally read mysteries like this, but I can say that because of this book, I might have to take on future mystery stories.

"The voice. The island. I don't know. I think it wants the truth from us, Ruby."
"What truth?"
"All of it."

… (altro)

There’s something about how Tracey Neithercott writes that comes off more poetic in nature than what you’d typically expect to find in a book of the YA genre. Even with its artistic nature there’s still plenty of adventure to be had of course with a treasure hunt, secrets, magic, mystery, lies, and enough surprises to keep your attention riveted. The bonds of friendship formed by the end of this journey are full of heartfelt compassion you can’t help but feel like there’s a part of you truly there with them.

This unique premise and interesting characters will make you glad you dove into this novel as you are taken on an epic journey through some truly gorgeous settings. I’ve read repeatedly where it’s been described as a Goonies-like tale and it’s definitely a worthy comparison.

Her character development alone should make this a MUST-add to your shelf. She’s created these wonderfully complex, original and realistic people that are so well-developed you’ll wish they existed IRL. Thanks to her vivid attention to detail and artistry I could easily see this being made into a movie.… (altro)