Reckless Girls, Rachel Hawkins

After working for months in Hawaii to save for ship repairs, Lux and her boyfriend, Nico, have finally been able to fix his boat and take two young women on a two-week trip to the deserted Meroe Island. With a sordid past, this island would ordinarily hold no appeal, as there is no fresh water and no edible food source. Further, its history dating to WWII isn’t for the faint of heart. But the money is good, and Lux is excited to start seeing the world as Nico had initially promised. But Lux sees things with rose-colored glasses, and it may just appear that her new friends, and Nico, aren’t what they first appeared to be.

I’m oddly addicted to reading books where people take off on a boat for freedom and exploration. So adding a mystery/thriller element adds an entirely new realm of possibilities. The bulk of reading this book felt like an ordinary storyline. We’re watching this group have fun, meet new friends, and explore the island. Then, when things start to feel comfortable, Hawkins throws a wrench into that comfort. I liked the alternating timelines, and I really enjoyed Lux’s voice. Overall, this is an enjoyable read that might surprise you.

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Reckless Girls is available for preorder on Amazon, Bookshop, and B&N, it releases January 4th.

About the Book:
ONE ISLAND

Beautiful, wild, and strange—Meroe Island is a desolate spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and even rumors of murder. It’s the perfect destination for the most adventurous traveler to escape everything… except the truth.

SIX VISITORS

Six stunning twentysomethings are about to embark on a blissful, free-spirited journey—one filled with sun-drenched days and intoxicating nights. But as it becomes clear that the group is even more cut off from civilization than they initially thought, it starts to feel like the island itself is closing in, sending them on a dangerous spiral of discovery.

COUNTLESS SECRETS

When one person goes missing and another turns up dead, the remaining friends wonder what dark currents lie beneath this impenetrable paradise—and who else will be swept under its secluded chaos. With its island gothic sensibility, sexy suspense, and spine-tingling reimagining of an Agatha Christie classic, Reckless Girls will wreck you.