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Book Review of Isle of Night (Watchers, Bk 1)

Isle of Night (Watchers, Bk 1)
hannahb avatar reviewed on + 45 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


Whatever I expected when I started reading Isle of Night, it wasnt this. I guess I expected Veronica Wolffs novel to be more romance and seduction and what I got was hard-core action and horror. Not that that is a bad thing! Far from it. I think I got used to the sweet, girl-meets-hot-guy-and-they-fall-in-love storyline that most YA vampire-centric novels throw at me. While there is a romantic element to this book, it was most definitely not the front running story.

Annelise is a girl who has been kicked around all her life. Shes crazy-smart, but has never had a chance to escape her nightmare of a life until now. Only it turns out her great escape turns into a huge joke and shes left in an even worse situation than she was before. Enter Ronan, the guy with all the answers.

Truthfully? I found the beginning to be somewhat ludicrous. I mean, what person gets into a plane with a guy she just met? Hot or not, Annelise just seemed too smart for that. Luckily that is explained later, but I was left wondering what was going on for quite a little while. It actually annoyed me to an extent, and I felt like this could be a deterrent to some readers. Stick with it, and I swear it will make perfect sense.

Once I got a few chapters in, though, I was well and truly hooked. I loved learning about Annelises training as a Watcher, as well as the trials she was put through. Some of them literally had me gaping open-mouthed at the pages. It wasnt long before I genuinely cared for Annelise, and was rooting hard for her to prevail. Shes a strong, smart character that I couldnt help but like.

One thing I must advise is that I dont recommend this book for younger teens. It was, at times, quite graphic in the violence. Other than that, its a darkly written tale of survival of the fittest. I cant wait to get my hands on the rest of this series and find out what happens to Annelise.