Review: Little Island by Katharine Britton

Title: Little Island

Author: Katharine Britton

Publication Date: September 3, 2013

Synopsis:

Grace
Flowers
By the water
Have fun! 

These are Joy’s grandmother’s last words—left behind on a note. A note that Joy’s mother, Grace, has interpreted as instructions for her memorial service. And so, the far-flung clan will gather at their inn on Little Island, Maine, to honor her.

Joy can’t help dreading the weekend. Twenty years ago, a tragedy nearly destroyed the family—and still defines them. Joy, Grace, her father Gar, and twins Roger and Tamar all have their parts to play. And now Joy, facing an empty nest and a nebulous future, feels more vulnerable than ever to the dangerous currents running through her family.

But this time, Joy will discover that there is more than pain and heartbreak that binds them together, when a few simple words lift the fog and reveal what truly matters…

My Thoughts:

Every once in a while you pick up a book expecting one thing, but what you end up with is something far more than you could have imagined. Little Island is one of those books. I knew immediately from the synopsis that I was most likely going to enjoy this story, but I found myself absolutely loving it. 

Told in alternating character views, Little Island is the story of the Littles, a family coming together one weekend for their grandmother's memorial. While our main character is Joy, the oldest of the Little children, each character is represented equally, giving us a glimpse at the different perceptions and views of the family's life. The Little family has had their share of heartbreak, especially from the accident twenty years earlier that nearly cost the two youngest children, twins Roger and Tamar, their lives. The weekend is supposed to be a time for the family to grieve together, but instead secrets are exposed and tempers are flared, causing every wrong ever committed brought to the surface. 

When we first meet Joy, her son has just left for college and she has realized she has no idea what she is doing with her life. On a whim, she packs up all of her belongings and leaves her husband for the family's inn. I'm not sure if it is because Joy is the only character voiced in first person or because we hear from her the most, but she was by far my favorite. Her younger siblings, Roger and Tamar, always left her out of their plans and were constantly picking on her. Because she was often left in charge of them or even left sitting alone in her room at night listening to their giggles, never being included and shunned, she has grown up with an uneasy feeling about herself. She isn't comfortable in her own skin and this is something that we had in common. I'm not very comfortable in my own and having a mild case of the "middle child syndrome", I felt a bond with her. 

As for the twins, I had a love hate relationship with them. Roger is an alcoholic and has a pretty rough background, but I still liked him in spite of it. I don't know why, but I just wanted him to get what he was so desperate for and kept my fingers crossed the entire story that things would work out for him. Tamar, on the other hand, is where the hate part comes in. She was incredibly selfish, a horrible mother and just plain mean for no reason. She made my blood boil. But even though I hated her so much, I felt a little sorry for her too. I wasn't happy with myself for that part, I have to admit, but I guess that is the sign of a truly gifted writer. Only someone with such a great talent could take you from extreme levels of anger to just drop you right down to pity and sadness on the very next page. 

You know, of course, that when any family gets together that there is going to be drama and the Little family did not disappoint. Each member is struggling with their own personal dilemma, whether it be a death, secrets, or even a failed marriage, but they all share the same pain from the accident years ago. I knew that this was going to come to a head on their family weekend but what I wasn't expecting were the shocking twists that the author completely blindsided me with. I was blown away at the secrets told and especially by who was telling them. I did not see them coming at all. 

Overall, I think it's pretty obvious that I was a huge fan of this book. I love Chick Lit and I especially love family drama and this was the perfect combination of the two. I was left feeling completely satisfied and was left with not one unanswered question. I'll be rushing out to get my hands on Katharine Britton's other book, Her Sister's Shadow, as soon as possible. 

If you are a lover of family drama, secrets, and Chick Lit, do NOT miss out on Little Island!

For more about Katharine Britton and Little Island, visit her website here. 

Purchase:

Amazon

B&N

The Book Depository

*I received this book for free in exchange of an honest review. This did not influence my opinion in any way and all views and opinions expressed are 100% my own.