Published in 2023, Natasha Preston’s YA thriller The Island follows Paisley, a teenage social media influencer who is invited to spend a weekend at a billionaire’s amusement park built on a private island. Paisley and her fellow influencers were invited to drum up publicity, but they soon find themselves fighting for their lives as it becomes apparent that they are trapped on the island with a serial killer on the loose. Hailed as the “queen of YA thrillers,” Preston is a New York Times best-selling author of over 10 novels (“YA Thriller.” natashapreston.com). Her work, like 2014’s The Cellar, features action-packed mysteries with lots of twists aimed at a teen audience. The Island explores The Deceptive Appearances of Social Media Personas, The Attractions and Harms of True Crime Media, and The Dangerous Allure of Wealth.

This guide refers to the eBook version of the 2023 Random House edition.

Content Warning: This guide briefly mentions violence and murder, which are present in the novel.

Plot Summary

Paisley, a 17-year-old true crime vlogger, is invited, along with five other teen influencers, to preview billionaire Malcolm Wyatt’s new amusement park on a remote island. Despite her parents’ hesitation, Paisley is excited for the opportunity.

On the boat to the island, Paisley gets to know the other influencers. They include snobbish beauty vlogger Ava, film reviewer James, and Will, a kind makeup vlogger. Paisley is especially drawn to the introverted book reviewer Harper and the handsome gamer Liam. She also meets Gibson, the ship’s captain, and Reeve, the head of maintenance. They are both in their early twenties, and Reeve briefly flirts with Paisley.

What she does not know is that Liam and Harper already know each other. The two are secretly lovers and are planning to kill everyone that weekend in an elaborate revenge plot to free themselves from Harper’s overbearing parents and to quench Liam’s hatred for Malcolm, who is his uncle. His mother, Camilla, works as Malcolm’s underpaid assistant, even though she is his sister. Liam resents her and his uncle.

When they arrive, they are greeted by the eccentric and snobbish Malcolm and given a tour of the Gothic-style hotel and park. After some initial exploration, the group settles in for the night. Paisley agrees to sneak out to explore the park after hours with her new friend Will, but he never shows up. She goes into the park alone, but, spooked by strange noises, she returns to the hotel.

The next morning, Will is nowhere to be found. As the group searches for Will, they discover his dead body and realize a killer is among them. Paisley and Reeve discover that Camilla may be connected to the killer, who they suspect is Camilla’s son Robert. They do not realize that Robert is Liam, whose real name is Robert Liam Jenkins. The group realizes the CCTV footage has been deleted and the cell service and internet are down, cutting them off from the mainland.

James is killed during a power outage while the other men are trying to repair the Wi-Fi. Camilla leads the girls, Ava, Paisley, and Harper, to a first-aid hut in the park, and they hide there, waiting for help. A call comes over the radio, and Paisley realizes it is Reeve asking for someone to help him. He sounds injured, so she leaves the hut and searches the storm-ravaged park to find him and bring him to safety. Along the way, she also reunites with the other men, Gibson, Liam, and Malcolm. Malcolm and Camilla leave the hut to get more supplies. While they are gone, the remaining group decides to hide from them, worrying that they are working with Robert. The group decides to hide in the park’s restaurant, The Black Tulip.

While searching for the cell phone jammer to restore communication, Paisley and Gibson witness Camilla being stabbed to death by the masked killer. As she dies, she says, “Robert.” They narrowly escape the killer and hide in the haunted house, where Paisley finds Kenna’s body. She is cornered by the killer but manages to slash him with a knife before he escapes.

Reuniting with the others at the restaurant, they find Ava, who was supposed to be the lookout, is alive but had hidden instead of keeping watch. The group is now unsure of who they can trust. They decide to go back for the jammer, but it has been moved. Robert appears, brandishing a sword, forcing them to retreat to the service jetty. As Robert approaches, the group jumps into the freezing water, but Paisley becomes separated by a current. Exhausted, Paisley makes her way back to the jetty and resolves to find the jammer on her own.

She reunites with Liam, and they discuss their dwindling trust in the group members. She insists that Reeve must be innocent, but Liam is not so sure. The survivors eventually regroup and change into dry clothes at the hotel. They decide to hide in the club room. They spot a wounded Reeve in the park, and Liam again questions whether he could be the killer. Reeve makes it into the hotel and explains his actions, declaring his innocence.

They plan to start a large fire to attract the harbor patrol, hoping that the wooden check-in booths will be a good target. As they start the fire, Paisley remains uneasy, sensing something off about the killer’s movements. She is still unaware that Harper, one of her supposed allies, is secretly working with Liam/Robert. The fire goes well at first, but a large explosion occurs, briefly knocking Paisley out and separating her from the others. She staggers to her feet and hears shouts that the killer is there. She finds Ava seriously injured from shrapnel, and the two girls flee. They hide behind a fence, where they encounter Harper. The three try to escape Robert, but he corners them, fatally stabbing Ava.

Paisley and Harper flee, and Paisley realizes that Liam, not Reeve, is the killer, after remembering some clues about his family that he inadvertently revealed to her. Liam appears and congratulates her, and reveals he is Malcolm’s neglected nephew and is seeking revenge against his uncle and mother. He takes Paisley and Harper hostage and shows them Malcolm, who he has tied up. He forces Malcolm to confess his mistreatment of Camilla and the injustice that he was the sole heir to the family fortune. Paisley and Harper push a shelf onto Liam and manage to escape, but Liam kills Malcolm.

Outside, they join forces with Reeve, who tells them that Gibson was killed. His last words were “Help her.” Liam catches up to them, and Paisley is shocked when Harper produces a weapon and joins him. She realizes that Gibson was actually saying “Harper.” She and Reeve fight free, and in the struggle, she kills Harper. She and Reeve make it to the jetty, where a rescue boat is finally waiting. However, as she tries to board, Liam grabs her from behind and pulls her back into the water with him. Reeve’s horrified expression is the last thing she sees as she goes under.