The Forgotten Island: A Horror Novel

Ana agrees to go on a trip to Thailand with her sister Rachel to reconstruct their broken relationship. But when they attend a ‘Full Moon Party’ on the beach, their night of fun takes a terrifying turn that leaves them and other party-goers stranded on a desert island infested with humanoid creatures seeking human sacrifices for their god…This is my second book by Sodergren and although “Satan’s Burnouts Must Die!” Is still my favorite, this one did not disappoint. It kinda reads like a b-horror in novel form with creature feature mayhem to over-the-top gore and the obligatory sex-crazed douchebags. The larger than average spiders were well developed with slow revelations of terror that ultimately took a turn from creepy and unsettling to downright terrifying with a lovecraftian twist that really added a new depth to the story. This was my favorite part as it was epic non-stop action with lots of heart-pounding moments of horror and suspense.The only reason for not giving it a full five star rating is all the mention of sex. Sure horror and sex go hand in hand but it got a little annoying for me and then there was a really gross death scene that felt too unnecessarily descriptive 🤢But other than that, I really enjoyed this book. Sodergren is a talented writer who creates strong female leads that I come to love. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author, I have a feeling he’s slowly becoming a new favorite of mine.If you’re in the mood for a vacation cosmic horror, this book is a good choice!

This debut horror novel has it all: beaches, booze, boats, spiders, sex, despicable people whose death you root for, visceral body horror, and even a pug.It’s obvious that Sodergren has spent a long time steeped in the horror tradition, and as a longtime follower of his Instagram, @paperbacksandpugs, I can say that this is—without a doubt—definitely the case. He knows it all, from the most obscure reference to the pop culture stalwarts. His personal love of the horror genre comes across in the style and substance of this novel, and while it feels like it could be a vintage horror paperback from the 80s paying homage to the video nasties, it is a wholly original tale.Here’s the setup: two sisters, one boyfriend, and a new guy they just met on holiday in Thailand. They party wildly all night and wind up on a boat headed for an island that seems deserted—but as any good horror hound knows, “seems” is just another way to say that this is where things are about to get crazy.And crazy is only the start of it.This is a story I found myself really lost in, the type of book that as you’re reading it, the background falls away and you don’t notice time passing or people trying to talk to you, or even if your house might be burning down.I appreciated getting to see from the perspectives of a variety of the characters. They were an interesting (and sometimes nasty—in all senses of the word!) bunch and getting into their heads gave each one room to become a more rounded and believable character. It also made me unsure of who was going to make it to the end of the book and who was toast. The characters filled horror tropes without becoming total clichés—not the easiest thing to do.Ana, the main character, is quite brilliant. I loved how she was an average girl, not super good-looking or skinny, definitely has some bad moments in her past, tends to be insecure, and uses sarcasm to keep people away. Watching her transformation throughout the book is quite great. It’s not like she turns into Lara Croft or anything, but I felt she realistically took on the horrific events around her, adapted how she could, and badassed her way through it. I’d like to think I’d do the same, given the chance.And the monsters—I think you’re going to like them. The opening scene alone is nightmare-inducing, but what’s worse: not knowing what’s down the dark, black hole or having to confront it face to face and try to stay alive? You’ll have to read on to find out! I definitely recommend this horror novel to fans looking for something a little different and unique and a lot of blood-spattering, gore-infested (but still character-driven) madness—especially if they have a fondness for vintage horror films and books. There is a lot to love here, and I know this isn’t the last we’ll see from Sodergren (or his pug).

The Forgotten Island was a fun, little horror story with a lot of bite. Unfortunately, it also had quite a bit of cheese. Possibly intentional, as a kick back to 80s horror. The writing and dialogue was really good, but most of the characters were two dimensional. Sex was mentioned way to much, to the point of it being eye-roll inducing. The group are stranded in their underwear, one couple is constantly groping at each other, and one guy actually tries to rape a girl while monsters are around. And not one, but two guys are misogynistic creeps.Except for the two main characters, Ana and her sister, most of the other characters are so awful that you can’t wait for them to die. Not necessarily a bad thing in a horror, as the deaths of some of these people were very satisfying.All that being said, the horror in this was great. The last 100 pages were filled with grossness, gore, and cosmic horror. I enjoyed every bit of it. One death scene was one of the best I have read in quite a while. Not completely unpredictable overall, especially the very end, but still very enjoyable. I can’t wait to try some of his other work.

‘The Forgotten Island’ is a fun throwback to the kind of quick and nasty chiller that Richard Laymon write in the 80s. In fact if it had had a Steve Crisp cover and Californian leads in place of Scots and I might have been convinced I was reading a lost work from Laymon.The book has a classic B-movie structure – a prologue set in the past where bad shit goes down and lots of people get messed up, followed by a skip forward to the present day and a slow build up to more bad shit going down. In this case the setting is a remote island in Thailand and the bad shit involves hordes of possessed Thai workers and giant creepy spider things.The protagonist is Ana, a young woman with a troubled past who is on holiday in Thailand with her sister, Rachel, and Rachel’s dick of a boyfriend. Things start going wrong when the sisters wake up on a boat adrift in the ocean after a night of partying. When they end up coming aground on the mysterious island where the shit went down in the prologue it’s pretty obvious they’re going to go even wronger before long.There’s a lot to enjoy here if you like simple, readable horror. David Sodergren writes gore really well (something that’s not easy to do) and keeps the story moving along at a decent pace. The characters are mostly fun too, from the slightly grumpy Scots to a couple of free living (and loving) hippies. It’s pretty broad brush stuff, and not what you’d call deep, but it works well in a low budget horror movie kind of a way.There’s some sensitive handling of mental health issues along with the gore, and whilst most of the Thai characters are pretty weak, there is at least one fully rounded one in boat captain Chakrit. The slightly salacious use of sex in the book is a bit less palatable, with lots of leering men and a seemingly ever-present threat of sexual assault for the female characters. It’s something that was common in Laymon’s books, and it felt a bit dated here, but it didn’t intrude too much,Overall then, this is a slight but entertaining piece of nastiness. It’s fast, ferocious fun, even if it isn’t going to win any awards for originality or depth.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that’s so unquestionably comfortable with itself, in that it doesn’t offer apologies for the numerous clichés, but rather celebrates them in all their grandeur. With an abundance of sexual tones – the female characters were in a state of nakedness for most of the book – and an over-exaggeration of gore, it succeeded in that loud and proud approach. I felt many things along the way; excitement, disdain toward the despicable personalities of most of the troupe, and later on a great amount of revulsion. The monster design in particular was phenomenal; I’m a huge fan of the disgusting and the twisted, and Sodergren didn’t disappoint. In fact, his creativity went beyond any and all expectations.Most survival horror works want the reader to like and relate to the characters, and so as a result, dread their inevitable demise. Sodergren turned that sentiment completely around, and in this instance I yearned for their termination, even to the point I fist-pumped the air when it eventually came about. My opinions on over the top, excessive, and downright undesirable personalities can vary, however. Sometimes it’s too obvious when the author wants you to dislike their character, that it almost feels like hand-holding. I want to come to my own conclusions, follow my own mind; even if it’s merely an illusion. With this title, I found enjoyment in my animosity, because that was a large part of the experience.That isn’t to say I hated them all. Ana and Rachel were entertaining and realistic in their relationship. They shared jokes, looks, and history that made their bond as siblings all the more believable. It was the little things that built them up as fully-fleshed people, and their synergy was, at times, heartwarming. I got a kick out of their Scottish heritage, as being Irish myself I felt a kinship when it came to their sarcasm and potty-mouth way of life.The ending hooked me, and admittedly had me re-reading several passages relating to the final showdown. The atmosphere took on a cosmic quality that constructed a foundation for the future; there’s so much potential in this universe. I can’t wait to see what else is in store.In conclusion: The description on the back cover aptly defines The Forgotten Island as outrageous, and it was, in every sense of the word. I may not be into the old Video Nasties, but I certainly believe this one to be more than a simple tale of violence (even though the violence itself was glorious). Recommended, and bravo on that incredible monster.Notable Quote:Often they came to her in dreams, nightmare visions that dissipated upon waking, leaving only the lingering sense of dread hanging over her like a black cloud. They spoke to her faintly in a language she didn’t understand, the words giving her migraines that felt like dead fingers rooting around in her brain.© Red Lace 2019

This story was a great read, full of exciting happenings. Yet gruesome and sickening. Loved grub, a nice little twist in there that was cute. But an island full of weird and wonderful creatures that has your skin crawling . Goes to show what drugs can do to you and to always be aware no matter whom you are with. Also loved the bit about mites go up and tights go down. If you don't know the saying you need to read the book for the answer. I thought it was a fun part. The characters where great, loved all of them and you learnt more about them and their characters all the way through. All in all a worthy read for any horror fan.

Having read a short story in the recent ‘The Horror Collection’ by David Sodergen, I thought I’d give this novel a read and I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. It was a good story with some gory bits that literally made me wince and definitely stood up to the note of being similar to a classic Shaun Hutson book.I’ll definitely be reading more of this authors work and recommend this book for those who enjoy feeling sick at some of the gory bits that go well in a good story.

It's nearly a year since I read this debut from David Sodergren. I've read more than 60 books since then, but I have to say that none of those have stuck with me more than this one. I could blame this on the fact that I'm so unused to reading horror stories, but really, that would be doing the novel a great disservice. Truth be told, this is a really great story, with all the essential components of a fantastic horror book - likeable characters, some great humour, good writing, and (most obviously) a completely messed up story that will leave your skin crawling for days after you read it.The novel tells the story of two sisters, whose dream holiday to Thailand turns into a fight for survival when they find themselves on an apparently deserted island. The plot's completely mental, and I genuinely wonder how any mind could invent something so intensely strange. If I didn't know David better, I'd probably send a doctor round to his door just to make sure that everything's alright upstairs (if you know what I mean). But I know it is. David's awesome, and so is this book. Honestly, I loved every page of it. You will too, if you like a good horror story. You'll probably even love it if you hate the genre.Ugh.That ending.My spine gets all tingly just thinking about it.