Island Paperback – March 31, 2014

I was sucked in; I finished in 3 weekdays. It was just so interesting to read from a point of view that was completely real. No gloss, no glitter, no attempt make every scene agreeable or deliver a moral or lesson. Nor was there an opposite attempt to be over the top witty, gritty, or horrific. Throughout the whole book I kept thinking "that's exactly what I would have been thinking in my head in that situation, but I wouldn't have written it down that way, haha". The cast of characters was great in my opinion. Nobody particularly original, but a perfect set up to make you like the good guys and really, really hate the bad guys.Many people seem to be disturbed by what goes through the main character's mind, but I found it refreshing that this kid actually wrote what he was thinking instead of what he wanted someone to see that he wrote. Most males under 30 think this way, Rupert just happens to be more self-aware and articulate than is typical. Though he does feel guilt, he doesn't shy away from his thoughts; he let's them flow. His only fault it is he's not very good at hiding what he's thinking, judging by others reactions to him.Who's to say how people would act in this situation. The outcome of this book is certainly plausible in my opinion. Rupert probably would have turned out a normal kid had he not gone on this trip. But being thrust into an extreme situation can do extreme things to people. The people in this story didn't necessarily act noble or the way we wanted them to, but they were believable.I don't really read much in this genre, but like a lot of the recent posters, I picked this up because it was advertised on my kindle for $2. I thoroughly enjoyed the escape this book offered. What a ride! Don't expect an over the top thriller. Enjoy it for what it is: a vivid adventure.

You really need to check your brain at the door with Richard Laymon's "Island." If you're willing to, though, you will be reasonably entertained by this shallow, slasher-film-esque novel.The plot, as is often the case with Laymon, is pretty basic: vacationers get stranded on a deserted island, discover someone is out to get them, and get killed one by one.The book is written as the diary of a horny teenage boy named Rupert.One of the things that always amuses me about Laymon's books is that the characters never act remotely human. He puts his characters in these fantastic situations and then has them react to them like no one ever would. Normally I get a kick out of this, but I think it went overboard in "Island." I get that Rupert is a sex-starved kid, but no matter what situation he finds himself in, he always finds a chance to talk about how cool it is to see a girl in a bikini or to feel female flesh. There are scenes where he's minutes removed from death and he's gee-whiz-ing about the idea that a girl might like him. Also, the other characters, who don't have the excuse of being so young, similarly act bizarrely: they watch their husband or father die a violent death and then joke around two seconds later.With such a simplistic plot, there's no excuse for this book to be over 500 pages. Laymon himself has Rupert mention that he has to "stop being so detailed," and I agree. There's a point in this book -- before the restart of the ending -- where it becomes completely flat.The ending is both totally entertaining and totally absurd. Sort of like this book, actually. But that's the thing about Laymon -- he's not really a good writer, his plots are anemic, his characters are almost cartoons, but the pace is so fast, the gore so much like bright-red paint splattered spectacularly on an actor, the characters so prone to preposterous behavior. His novels really are the equivalent of B-movie slasher films. I love those and I love Laymon's books. I don't consider this one of his better ones (he's usually able to build more suspense than he does here), but it's yet another fine little dessert.I'm not one of those people who take Laymon seriously. Frankly, I find it impossible. To me, this is deliberate schlock. Sometimes it works beautifully (as in "Come Out Tonight") and sometimes it borders on parody (as it does here).If you know Laymon and accept him for what he is, this is a quick little read that won't bore you (for long, anyway). I wish the plot wasn't so basic -- it pretty much follows an ABC strand from beginning to end -- but there are more than a few fun scenarios to be found here, even if the characters do often feel like they're from another planet.

This is horror story narrated by a horny loser by the name of Rupert Conway. He was on a boating trip with his girlfriend Connie, her sisters, their parents their boyfriends. Then, while they were basking on the beach of a deserted island, the boat blows up with one of the sister's husband on it - or so it seemed.What follows is a series of frightening episodes in which the men are murdered one by one. Even though he was next after the girls' father and another one of the sister's husband were killed, Rupert couldn't take his mind and his eyes off the ladies' bikinis.Despite the fact that Laymon must write in a style that matches the narrator's voice, the descriptions are vivid, sexy and horrifying. His attention to detail makes Rupert look like a real voyeur. There is enough mystery and suspense to keep me reading and dialogue between the confused and frightened characters is actually quite intelligent. With a little suspension of disbelief, the plot is even plausible.However, I think the author had a perfect chance of ending his story after 70% of it is told. It would have ended at a climax. Instead, Laymon introduces even more bizarre twists in the tale. No amount of suspension of disbelief could entice me to read on. Those who are curious about what words Laymon has for the naked Kimberly, the most beautiful of the sisters may still want to read on.