Customer Reviews

Isle of Night: The Watchers

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff had its moments where I was lost in the world she has created. The heroine, Annelise is known as what is called "kick ass" in the YA world. Annelise prefers to be called by her last name Drew for no reason explained. Drew has graduated high school a semester early because she has perfect SATs and a high IQ. She comes from an abusive family. Her father beats her and her evil witch of a step mother. She's so happy to fly from the coop and to attend college on a scholarship. Drew feels her life is on the upswing until she goes to register and finds out she hasn't graduated because she never passed swim class. She never asks to talk to some higher authority at the college and takes what the registrar says at face value. Now despondent about returning home and going back to high school where the kids there are too perfect but dumb as bricks, Drew is given another chance when she meets the seductive Ronan, who when he touches her, she feels tweeny twinges of pleasure throughout her body.

Drew goes off with Ronan, with hardly any questions asked. Not once does she investigate why she hasn't graduated high school. But if she did, then it would be too easy and harder for the author to get Drew on a chartered plane where she thinks she'll attend a prestigious bordering type school. Drew is in for a world of shock as she ends up on an island along with other girls. Most snarl and hiss at her even though they're all blonde, much like Drew, but are rich and snotty, unlike Drew who is a jeans and T-shirt type of girl. Right off the bat she makes enemies. The reason the female "students" aren't friendly is that they're fighting to save their lives. They all have special abilities and have been chosen to become Watchers to a race of vampires, which are all males. Why? No clue. Every single girl has been banished from the main land because each has done something illegal where they've been exiled essentially. They'll be trained in the art of warfare so they can battle one another until only five girls remain to take the coveted Watcher spots.

Drew is beyond angry and scared because the only ability she has is her brain. She can't believe she allowed herself to be tricked by Ronan who isn't a vampire, but a Tracker who takes girls like Drew to this island of horrors. Now Drew must defend herself, much like she did when she lived with her father, getting over her attraction to Ronan, while ignoring her lusty feelings for the scary, yet seductive vampire professor, Alcantara, who was indirectly responsible for bring her to the isle of night.

Isle of Night is an over the top book that doesn't give any valid reason for anything. The girls are uber-mean, the vampires and their female underlings are borderline sadomasochistic and I expected a serial killer wearing a hockey mask to appear with a machete. The sexism is fierce here, where the girls are treated like property, who must fight to the death like the movie 300 in order to live and be given a coveted position. Why? Again, there's no real explanation for anything that happens in this book, as if the reader will shrug and be fine with it. (And don't get me started how no one from the main land questions about all these missing rebel type girls who are still underage.)

I also think there's a smog monster loose on this skerry tween island ala Lost.

Drew is the highlight of Isle of Night but she's forced into a world that reminds me of a B horror movie. You know she'll be beaten, tortured and perused by the things that go bump in the night, but still come out whole. There's no element of surprise with her other than which man she'll choose to fall in love and be with by the end of this series, which I can't see lasting too long. Far too many clichés occur and the actions and some of the dialogue is laughable, and not in a good way.

It seems Veronica has tried too hard with Isle of Night as if she's jumping up and down in the crowd of other YA books to be noticed. Unfortunately, readers will pass Isle of Night and the future books in this world.

Kaiebabs

To be quite honest I have no idea where to start on this book. From the description I had high hopes for liking it, but it fell flat in so many ways it was hard for me to look past the ways it didn't live up to the synopsis.

Firstly Annelise who likes to be called Drew is supposed to be a genius. Like a real genius. That paired with the fact she come from an abusive family is why the vampires and their trackers picked her as a recruit, however in any class you see Drew in her knowledge is smart but not genius levels. The mathematics discussed in small detail were Sophmore AP at best. I know that being super-smart can translate into having no street smarts so to say but Drew is one of those heroines that seems to have no care for her safety, and knowing that she ran off to go to college without telling a soul its hard for me to believe that she is some kick ass fighter later on.

Its hard for me to believe that a girl who is super-king-kong-mega smart has no one. Sure, I understand she doesn't have friends inside of her classrooms but shouldn't there be a concerned teacher? Especially since she comes to school beaten by an abusive dad? It is extremely hard to believe that she spent all of her life never making not one single connection in her life. Hard to believe and very convenient for the author.

When Annelise gets to the college registers office she learns she didn't actually graduate due to a swimming accreditation that the school enacted. Instead of asking to speak to her admissions counselor she just walks back out to her car that conveniently doesn't start. So when a hot guy with a Proust tattoo offers to give her a ride she accepts. Oh, and I forgot, super hot guy can tell just by looking under her hood that its the carburetor.

In the car she asks him to take her to the coast, instead he takes her to an airfield where he uses his voodoo stare to get her on a plane bound for a tiny island in the middle of nowhere. On the plane sits two girls, one will become her nemesis.

In order to avoid spoilers I won't go into greater detail, but suffice to say that once Drew gets on the island things in the book do not improve. She is continually telling me how smart she is while doing the most mind numbingly things. She tries hard and learns to fight and I give her that, but in reality I just don't think that Drew is the kind of girl who can trade her book smarts that she keeps telling me she has into ninja star throwing kick assery.

If The Hunger Games, Lost, and Vampire Academy had a baby full of trope it would be this book. I wanted to try hard to look past all of the obvious plays on other series because I wanted to love the premise. For me it just didn't work.

Have you read it and have the same or a different opinion?

Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff has been pitched as a cross between the Vampire Academy and Hunger Games series. I do think that is somewhat fitting - an original vampire community mixed with students fighting to the death for the chance to partner with them. (Also fitting is the fact that the cover reminds me of the craptastic first Vampire Academy covers.) However - if you pick up the book with that comparison in mind, you'll ultimately be setting yourself up for disappointment.

Through a (slightly unbelievable) set of circumstances, Annelise ends up on a remote island to attend school with other girls to compete for her chance to be a Watcher (a human girl who partners up with a vampire to help them on "missions"). Another way of saying this would basically be that she pathetically - and weirdly - follows a hot guy onto an airplane when he asks her to, having no idea where he was taking her. Huh. Both crazy and ridiculously not smart. But, let us try to put that aside to get on with the story...

The path to become a Watcher is not an easy one - it isn't exactly the Hunger Games fight to the death style, at least not directly. Plenty of blood flying and death occur anyway though, so don't be disappointed (that statement makes me sound like a serial killer doesn't it?). I think the plot was a very promising and intriguing one, I'm just not sure about the actual execution. This book - the entire way through - felt like a lot of set-up. I know it's the first book of a series, but I still felt like things never really got off the ground. Still - ultimately I think the plot could still be considered promising. Who knows where the next book could lead?

The biggest let-down for me was the characterization. I closed the book not caring about anyone. Annelise seemed to bend however necessary to fit the plot more than follow a specific character pattern. I hate that. I was also less than impressed with her love interests (*sigh* yet another love triangle). Both guys are hot. That is about all the description we get. No build up, not enough interactions, just insta-love.

So, while I thought Isle of Night sounded very intriguing and the synopsis had me really excited to pick it up, I found the execution extremely disappointing. I wouldn't mind seeing what happens next in the series plot-wise, but I doubt I'll be picking the next book up since I don't have any investment in the characters.

Whatever I expected when I started reading Isle of Night, it wasn't this. I guess I expected Veronica Wolff's 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. She's 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 she's 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 Annelise's 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 wasn't long before I genuinely cared for Annelise, and was rooting hard for her to prevail. She's a strong, smart character that I couldn't help but like.

One thing I must advise is that I don't recommend this book for younger teens. It was, at times, quite graphic in the violence. Other than that, it's a darkly written tale of survival of the fittest. I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of this series and find out what happens to Annelise.

I have a self imposed rule with books. I give them fifty pages to win me over. If I'm not intrigued by then, I tend to move on. I've never been so glad to have that rule than I am after finishing--and loving--ISLE OF NIGHT by Veronica Wolff because the first fifty pages did not entice me at all. But, and this is a big but, from then on, the rest of the book became one of the most dangerous, romantic, and exciting paranormal YA titles I've read all year.

Right out of the gate, ISLE OF NIGHT tripped and fell flat on its face and stayed down for the first fifty pages. Annelise, a brilliant victim of domestic abuse, did not endear me to her initially. She was supposed to be witty and sarcastic, but instead struck me as petulant and desperate. Her home life also came across as trite and insincere despite the sad circumstances. I didn't feel sorry for her, and I should have. Especially when a handsome stranger sweet talked her first into his car, then onto his plane with promises of a new future.

But!

Once Annalise and her tall, dark, and criminally handsome escort reached the Isle of Night, everything changed. Suddenly Annalise was witty and sarcastic. The references to her past abuse did arouse my sympathy, as did the situation she found herself in: a kill or be killed scenario with a secret academy of gifted girls all competing--whether they wanted to or not--for the chance to become Watchers, the deadly yet beautiful assistants of vampires. The school is seriously scary and girls are killed on a regular basis for breaking rules, failing to pass tests, or the whim of the vampire headmaster.

Mixing elements from Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Mean Girls, ISLE OF NIGHT may have problems at the start, but the rest of the book is about as good as paranormal YA gets. There are vicious girls, mysterious guys, scary and seductive vampires, and a school where prowess with a blade is just as prized as elegance in a ballroom. The complete 180 this book took still has me dizzy, and if it weren't for those first fifty pages, I'd probably be giving ISLE OF NIGHT a 5/5 bat rating. As it is, I'm buzzing with anticipation for the next book in The Watchers series, VAMPIRE'S KISS, which will be published on March 6, 2011.

Sexual Content:

N/A

Isle of Night was a fantastic start to a new series that was a ton of fun to read. With it's fast paced action, I could scarcely put it down. Wolff balanced all the elements needed to great a perfectly epic story.

It took me several chapters to be fully on board. I wasn't quite understanding what was going on and it was a bit unbelievable, then all at once everything made sense and I just couldn't put Isle of Night down. I was up until some crazy hour of the morning reading, until I finally made myself put it down. The whole situation with Isle of Night was so well done - it was this perfect balance between intriguing, scary, and a bit of just down-right creepy.

The vampires in Isle of Night were different than others - in Wolff's world male's become Vampires and females train to become Watchers. This in itself was really interesting, as it was brand spanking new.

I loved the characters. Annelise was so incredibly spunky, I loved her. Ronan was one gorgeous hunky guy. I really hope to see more from Emma as well in future books, as she was super lovely.

I am very excited to see where this series will go. Book 2, Vampire's Kiss, is due out early next year, and I am very excited for it! Isle of Night was an absolutely fantastic read!

Loved the cover. Loved the plot concept. Didn't like the book too much. That about sums up my experience of Isle of Night. I have seen people compare it to The Hunger Games and Vampire Academy mixed together into one book, but this one didn't have near as much impact as the previously mentioned books had.

Yes, Annelise must learn to survive and fight for her life to become a Watcher on the small secluded island. Yes, she is surrounded by male vampires and other girls who are out to make sure she doesn't survive. That is about where the similarities end. Ronan was mysterious and had some sexual appeal to him, but we never really got to see that much of him. When we did it was more as an instructor and less of a possible romantic interest for Annelise. I am still not sure about why the male vampires need Watchers and why Watchers are only women. There are no women vampires either which was never really explained.

The author left too many things unanswered for the plot to fully take shape. I feel this book was a mediocre book when a first novel in a series should set certain things in motion. Instead I am left wondering who Annelise is suppose to be falling for in the love department, where the vampires are taking the weaker girls, and why they really need to be training to be a Watcher in the first place. I really had to struggle to continue for the first half of this book. The last half of the book does have a bit more action but it wasn't enough to carry the book.

Is it something I would read again? Probably not. Would I continue with the series? Yes just so I can see if things are resolved and to see if the author is going to explore more options in the next book.

With the description given above (no need to repeat it,) I found this to be a light entertaining read. It has your typical teenager with self doubt issues, a hot mentor and that evil character riding our heroine. I love action in stories, and felt the action came towards the ending of the story. This book for me was a page turner with it's quick pace and short chapters. The details were light, so I would have loved to know more about the vampires, Watchers, and the whole island in general. I hope to have more details come to the surface in the future books. If you like vampires, academies, and fighting tournaments then what are you waiting for. I look forward to the second book Vampire's Kiss: The Watchers in this series out March 2012

Language, violence and some gore was present.

Isle of Night starts off promisingly. The main character is a self-admitted (more on this later) genius and wanting nothing other than to escape from her drunk father and stepmother, she gets herself an early admission to college. Only...not really.

What do I say about Isle of Night? The first thing that I noted about it was what ended up annoying me the most. Annelise, as I mentioned, is a genius. Does she behave like a genius? No, of course not. Does she continuously (in almost every single page of the book) say that she's a genius? Yes. As though the reader has managed to forget that very important fact in the space of, I don't know, two pages? At first it's annoying. Then it becomes a nuisance and by the end of the book, I am rolling my eyes. I think the first thing they teach in author school is "show, don't tell." This book tells a lot and shows very little. If you want me to think of Annelise as a genius, make her act like one. Even if she is only book smart, she will view the world in a very different manner than what I observed in the book. In fact, apart from her brain (which seems to be more her imagination than fact) the girl behaves like any other too-often used heroine out there. I sound peeved but if you read the book, you will understand why I feel the way I do.

The violence. The violence here is not gratuitous but that does not mean it is not as (if not more) disturbing. You have pages upon pages of battle scenes where girls fight to the death for the chance to progress to the next stage in Watcher training. The main character kills a number of girls and no, I am not comfortable with that. I don't think it makes her cool and maybe I am have too weak a stomach but death and murder are serious business and overuse of that trope makes me concerned. Now you'll ask me why I was okay with the violence in The Hunger Games but I did not like it here. Hm. In my opinion, in The Hunger Games, violence was located in a war. The context was such that violence was, if not appropriate then, unavoidable. Here, the characters seem to relish the violence and committing it. In other words, they seem to take pleasure in it even the ones we are supposed to like. I didn't like that. Obviously this is subjective as reading always is but if I had a kid who liked paranormal fantasy, this is one book I would hold off from her/him.

The romance...is not really present. There's a hint of it and there's a whole truckload of hormones going but there's nothing explicit which is kind of refreshing. This means there's something for the next book in the series to explore. The writing is strong and the pacing is brisk. If it were not for the factors I mentioned above, I would have really liked the book. As it is, I don't think I'll be reading the next one in the series. It's way too violent for my tastes.

First off, what attracted me to this book is the cover. It's absolutely gorgeous! That said, the phrase "Never judge a book by it's cover" rang true with this book. Not that it was horrible but i found myself rolling my eyes at how immature Drew was. I understand this is a YA book and the main character is only 16, but her personality was more like a twelve year old. Another thing that annoyed me was the fact that all these girls are shipped off to the Isle of Night to become watchers, but we never learn why vampires need watchers. There is never an explanation as to why all of this is happening, nor does anyone question it. Also, only men can become vampires in this series....why? Nothing is ever explained and it's annoying.

It took awhile to get through this book but i was determined to finish it and by the end i was actually happy i did. Alcantara, a vampire, really intrigues me and the book was just more interesting with him in it. I will definitely pick up the next in the series simply because he'll play a bigger role in it. I'm hoping that in the 2nd book, Drew won't be so whiny and annoying.