The Island
Heather Baxter is a new stepmom trying to connect with her husband Tom and his two kids on a family trip to Australia. When a detour takes them to a private island owned by a dangerous clan, the Baxter's find themselves hunted, isolated, and forced to fight for survival.
- Tom - Heather's husband
- Heather - Tom's wife/stepmom to children
- Owen - Son, 12
- Olivia - Daughter, 14
- Petra - Dutch tourist, Hans's wife
- Hans - Petra's husband
- The O'Neill family - Locals who live on the island
- The Baxter's travel on a ferry to the private island alongside Petra and Hans in hopes of seeing some koalas.
- While driving around the island Tom hits and kills a woman on a bicycle.
- Heather convinces Tom to hide the body in the bushes and go back to the ferry as if nothing happened.
- Their actions are found out before they can leave the island and they are brought before Ma, the head of the O'Neill family for dealing with.
- Tom is stabbed and killed for his role in the cover-up.
- Everyone else is able to escape and run into the wilderness of the island to evade the O'Neill's.
- Hans gets separated from the group and is killed.
- Petra separates from Heather and the kids to buy them time, but she is caught and killed.
- Heather sneaks up on the O'Neill's compound.
- She finds Petra's and Han's bodies being eaten by fire ants.
- Hans is barely alive and begs Heather to slit his throat and dump his body in the well to contaminate the O'Neill's water supply. Heather honors his request.
- Heather finds out that Tom is not dead after all, the O'Neill's had been tending to his wound.
- Tom said he made a deal with the O'Neill's to get them all off the island.
- Heather realizes Tom's deal was to sacrifice her and Owen to get himself and Olivia off the island.
- Heather makes the decision to leave Tom behind so she can save both Olivia and Owen.
- Heather finds a vehicle and is able to drive across a sand spit at low tide to get them off the island.
- Heather and the children become their own family of three.
- The ending suggests that Heather reports everything to the authorities, but the aftermath is left unresolved.
- Tom - Dead - Killed by the O'Neills
- Heather - Raising Owen and Olivia as her own and enjoying motherhood
- Owen - Alive - Happily living with Heather
- Olivia - Alive - Happily living with Heather
- Petra - Dead - Torn apart by the O'Neill's dogs
- Hans - Dead - Tortured by the O'Neills and had his throat slit by Heather at his request
- Violence
- Murder
- Animal death
- Car accident
- Rape
- Torture
- Sexual assault
- Suicide
Ambiguous
Publisher: Mulholland Books
ISBN: 9780316531283
Publication Date: May 17, 2022
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
