Novel Novice

Vampires, boot camp, and some Hunger Games-esque violence combine to create a thrilling, fast-paced paranormal adventure in Isle of Night: The Watchers by Veronica Wolff.

Is life offering fewer and fewer options? Then join the dead.

When Annelise meets dark and seductive Ronan, he promises her a new life-if she has the courage to chance the unknown. Now, she’s whisked away to a mysterious island and pitted against other female recruits to become a Watcher-girls who are partnered with vampires and assist them in their missions. To survive and become a Watcher, Annelise has to beat out every other girl, but she’s determined to do so, because to fail doesn’t mean dishonor-it means death.

The first thing that struck me about Isle of Night is how well Wolff makes improbable situations believable. Every time I wanted to question Annelise’s actions, she gave me a reason to accept and believe what was happening.

It doesn’t hurt that Wolff has created some really interesting characters. Annelise is a fighter (in more than one sense of the word), so it’s easy to root for her. But she’s far from perfect, and her flaws have a definite impact on where the story goes. Likewise, Wolff has created a total swoon-worthy potential paramour in Ronan. He’s handsome, charming and he has an accent. It’s easy to fall for him — though the stuttered relationship he has with Annelise was, at times, frustrating as a reader, simply because I want to see more between them. This is something I hope will flourish more in the next book.

And while there are villainous, unlikable characters sprinkled throughout Isle of Night, the real antagonist in this book isn’t so much a single individual as a set of circumstances. Life has not dealt Annelise the nicest hand, and the cards stacked up against her prove a formidable opponent.

In a book with so much action, it should also be mentioned that Wolff does a great job of bringing those scenes to life — right up to the very last climactic sentence that leaves you anticipating the next book.

This is definitely a genre book — but if you’re a fan of vampire stories, romance and action (as I am), then Isle of Night will prove a fantastic, thrilling read. It is in stores now!

Filed under: Book Review