{"product_id":"the-island-isbn-9780593481493","title":"The Island","description":"\u003cb\u003eINSTANT\u003ci\u003e NEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BESTSELLER • Hot on the heels of the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestseller\u003ci\u003es The Twin \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e The Lake\u003c\/i\u003e, another pulse-pounding read from the undisputed queen of YA thrillers!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey said goodbye to their friends and family for the weekend. They weren’t counting on forever.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJagged Island: a private amusement park for the very rich—or the very influential. Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley—social media influencers with millions of followers—have been invited for an exclusive weekend before the park opens. They’ll make posts and videos for their channels and report every second of their VIP treatment. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen the teens arrive, they're stunned: the resort is even better than they’d imagined. Their hotel rooms are unreal, the park’s themed rides are incredible, and the island is hauntingly beautiful. They’re given a jam-packed itinerary for the weekend.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut soon they'll discover that something's missing from their schedule: getting off the island alive.Reviews for \u003ci\u003eThe Island\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly \u003c\/i\u003ebestseller! \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Few authors who aren’t named Karen McManus can do YA thrillers \u003cb\u003eas well as Natasha Preston\u003c\/b\u003e.\"--\u003ci\u003ePASTE\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Keeps the tensions high right up to \u003cb\u003ethe very last word\u003c\/b\u003e.\"--\u003ci\u003eSLJ\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Preston utilizes the \u003cb\u003euniqueness\u003c\/b\u003e of the human-made island setting to \u003cb\u003egreat effect\u003c\/b\u003e, providing an \u003cb\u003eimpish playfulness\u003c\/b\u003e to the steadily escalating stakes and body count.\"--\u003ci\u003ePW\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Part \u003cb\u003eAgatha Christie\u003c\/b\u003e, part \u003cb\u003eFyre Fest\u003c\/b\u003e, and part \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGlass Onion\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, Preston’s novel is \u003cb\u003egood fun\u003c\/b\u003e for fans of quick thrillers.\"--\u003ci\u003eBooklist \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eNatasha Preston is the #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Cellar, The Cabin, Awake, You Will Be Mine\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Lost\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Twin\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Lake\u003c\/i\u003e. A UK native, she discovered her love of writing when she shared a story online, and she hasn't looked back. She enjoys writing romance, thrillers, gritty YA, and the occasional serial killer. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVisit Natasha online and follow @AuthorNPreston on Twitter and @authornatashapreston on Instagram.1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e THREE WEEKS LATER\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e From the mainland, Jagged Island looked tiny, but as the boat speeds toward the rocky cliffs, I see that it’s much larger than I thought.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It must be, to fit a whole amusement park, hotel, and restaurants on it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Large hills and hoops of wooden roller coasters jut out of the ground and stretch high into the sky.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Sharp black rock that looks as if someone has carved vertical shards from the surface frames the island. The amusement park sits high off the water. Waves crash against the cliff face and white foam races back into the sea.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Trees are sparse on the island but the few there are full of bushy green leaves. From here, the park is dark, wooden, and void of color.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Even with the blue ocean and clear, sunny skies, the island appears more gloomy than glamorous. I kind of like it. The Magic Kingdom isn’t my thing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Our boat jumps over choppy water as we hurtle toward the jetty. I grip the side of the boat as my butt leaves the padded seat I’m trying to sit on.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “This looks creepy as hell,” Ava says. Ava as in BeautyFulAva. The TikTok girl who my cousin is obsessed with and who my parents want me to be more like. Absolutely not going to happen. Before I left, Ellie made me promise to ask for her autograph, but so far, Ava’s been a total brat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Her contoured face twists in distaste as she stares at the island. Her glossy blond ponytail whips behind her in the wind. She’s as sharp as in her videos, savagely rating brands that don’t live up to her expectations. Her reputation for brutal honesty gets her a lot of attention.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Here, it might just get her hated.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e We’re not her followers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When we arrived at the harbor, she dragged three large bright pink suitcases on board the boat and acted offended when Gibson, our rather hot driver, questioned if she needed it all. I’m trying to not judge her too harshly, but she’s referred to Gibson as “the help” twice and we’ve only been on the boat for fifteen minutes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He looks ready to throw her overboard.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Nah, this looks awesome,” Liam replies. Liam is a gamer, though from his appearance and muscular physique he seems like more of a jock. He has a dominant personality and perfectly styled brown hair. I focused on him straightaway. It’s hard  not to.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e His YouTube channel is massive and he’s TikTok-­famous—­his TikTok has exploded. He’s a big fan of any game with violence and hits back at negative comments in the way a jock would—­with complete and utter annihilation of his opponents.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He’s gorgeous and probably wouldn’t give me the time of day if we went to the same high school.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “No,” Ava says more forcefully. “It’s \u003ci\u003ecreepy.\u003c\/i\u003e Who’s going to look at an ad for this place and want to come here . . . besides goths, freaks, and serial killers?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I wonder how much trouble I’d get in if I shoved her into the water. I doubt Gibson would care.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e James wraps his arm around her shoulder. “I’ll look after you.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It won’t be the rough sea that makes me hurl.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Ava smiles up at him with her flawless bat-­winged eyes. James is a movie buff. He reviews them, makes them, dissects the continuity, and rarely rates anything higher than three stars—­his only five-­star review last year was for \u003ci\u003eSquid Game.\u003c\/i\u003e He’s tall and on the skinnier side, but you can tell he works out between all that movie-­watching. He has striking features. His jaw is squared, his eyes are a very dark blue, and his hair is blond and curly. He’s the only guy wearing aftershave. It’s strong, woody.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e And he makes Ava giggle a lot.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I don’t know what she was expecting. The invitation was black with intricate red and gold gargoyles etched into it. All gothic and perfect and authentic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The aesthetic is so on brand for me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A couple days ago, I covered the tragic, historic story of five-­year-­old Maggie, who was murdered at the Rocky Point Amusement Park in Rhode Island. It created a buzz among my followers. Half of them are saying a private island is the perfect place for murder and the other half thinks I’m crazy to stay somewhere I can’t leave immediately if I want to.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It’s only perfect if only you and your victims know you’re there.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I’m sure I’ll find an edge to the resort; the gothic vibe will help.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e We’re almost there now. I have to tip my head up to see the island. A few birds circle above like they’re searching for prey.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This weekend we get to check out the park, spend time on the rides, and hang out at the hotel spa and pool. Then Malcolm is hoping we shout great things and send all our followers to the island.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The invitation described the resort as unconventional and extraordinary. One of a kind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The boat leaps over another wave.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e My stomach flips.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Gibson is the only one who doesn’t look slightly green as we rock over choppy water. He steers the boat and smiles into the sun as we cut through the sea. His eyes are hidden behind dark aviators.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I think he’s around our age, maybe a year or two older. His earlier use of “sup” when he helped us onto the boat threw me a bit, but he’s fresh-­faced and dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt. His light hair is cut quite short with a shaved line down  the side.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He looks happy. Like he could race around on the ocean all day and never get bored.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Beside me, a girl named Harper grips the edge of the boat. She’s a book blogger. She reads at least one book a day and posts so much on TikTok I can’t keep up with her. But her reviews are awesome, and we had a short conversation a few months ago when she raved about a true-­crime novel that I later devoured.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Her skin is dark, and her Afro is tied on top of her head. She smiles at me with her bloodred lips and pulls a well-­read thriller paperback out of her bag with her free hand. The pages are so curled at the edges that it’s not a surprise that she doesn’t mind the odd splash of water on the cover.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I’m not convinced reading’s going to help her nausea.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “It’s funny,” Harper says. “I’ve swam almost every day of my life. We spent two years living in the UK, where I swam the English Channel. England to France—­not all at once, like some more hard-­core swimmers. But you spend all that time in the water and a boat still makes you feel sick.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Impressive,” I say. “How old were you?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Fifteen. We moved back to the States soon after. My dad did the swim too.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Wow. I love swimming, but I wasn’t good enough to make my school’s team,” I tell her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “My parents don’t accept anything less than impressive. Or, rather, perfection.” She rolls her eyes and clings harder to her book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Why does it look depressing?” Ava says, her voice grating. She’s gripping her long ponytail and twisting it around her hand. “I’m supposed to be living it up in luxury, not slumming it on a grim, run-­down island.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “It’s not grim,” Gibson says.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Will, who’s mostly remained silent, finally speaks up. It’s not surprising that it’s a reply to the very hot Gibson. “Nothing weirds me out.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Ava mutters something inaudible, but from the look on her face it probably wasn’t kind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Will’s a rival beauty blogger with a slightly larger audience than Ava’s. That must be killing her. He has shiny brown hair, a fake tan, dark eyes, and smooth skin I would \u003ci\u003eliterally\u003c\/i\u003e kill for.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I snap a picture of the ominous setting for a TikTok I’ll post after Malcolm takes us on the island tour. Which the itinerary boasted would happen right before we check into our rooms.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The top of the hotel comes into view. Constructed from stone with sharp points, two turrets, and carved gargoyle, the hotel is stunning. The six of us get it all to ourselves for a long weekend. We hit the jackpot.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Each of us has more than 500,000 followers. Liam is at 499,900, so he’ll be joining us soon—­probably by the end of the  weekend.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The second I found out who else was coming, I did my research. I’m probably most like Harper and Liam. Though we’re from wealthy families, our follower counts are higher than our bank balances.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “So, is this rich dude a psycho or something?” Will asks ­ca­sually.","brand":"Delacorte Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46305263681765,"sku":"NP9780593481493","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593481493.jpg?v=1767739987","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-island-isbn-9780593481493","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}