(4.5 / 5)
I really enjoyed this mystery/adventure/romance/supernatural gem of a book.
When we first meet Maeve she isn’t the most appealing person in the world. She is extremely self centred and completely selfie obsessed! A total social media junkie and shopaholic, she uses her best friends credit card without permission to get botox injections… After her friend kicks her out of the apartment, she is forced to move back in with her mother. With the recession in Ireland putting everyone’s job security at risk, trainee solicitor Maeve gets sent to the island of Hy Brasil to get a signature from an old resident to sell his house so that they can build a bridge to the mainland. If she gets the signature, her job will be secured. However as soon as she arrives in Hy Brasil everyone is hostile towards her, especially the older residents, and the man whose signature she desperately needs is completely avoiding her. How is she going to get the signature and secure her job? How come strange things are happening on the island? Will she ever get out of there?
What a pleasant surprise The Enchanted Island was! When I first started the story and was introduced to Maeve I was less than impressed. She was so self centred – I was afraid that I was going to be completely annoyed with her for the entire book! However it didn’t take too long before she started to mature a bit, and I became totally team Maeve!
I adored all of the characters in this book, especially on the island. The cute gay couple, the surfer boys, the old woman with the beard, the evasive Sean… I couldn’t get enough of these fabulous characters and interactions. Killian was nice, but I found his character was the least interesting… However I still liked him and I really enjoyed the romance!
I love the way Maeve grew as a person. Its amazing what a bit of silence and reflection can do for the soul. I really loved how she started to let go of her online life and actually lived in the moment while she was on the island. I could totally relate to her in that way. I have done two 10-day silent meditation courses, where I couldn’t even speak or make eye contact with anyone, and no internet… I was reminded of this as Maeve began to let go of the outside world.
The star of the novel though, was the island itself. O’Neill did a fantastic job of creating a wonderful atmosphere there. The island was dark for one scene and beautiful and majestic the next. I loved how everyone had their own special relationship with the island and how the island itself seemed to have a life force. And the characters on the island were an absolute hoot!
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely! I thought it was such a sweet, clever and refreshing book! The Enchanted Island is for everyone who loves a good mystery, and a bit of magic.
Thanks to Ellie O’Neill via NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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