Review: Zarconian Island by Aja Hannah

*Received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

My stomach knotted tighter, winding so hard it hurt.
Kate watched me, rubbing a piece of her hair between two fingers.
I bit my tongue, trying to work the words out.
"The boat …we're going under.”

Possessing powers that are feared and shunned, eighteen-year-old Alexandra “Attie” Hotep is no virgin to attacks. Her ancestors, the Zarconians-- mixed-blood inhabitants of Atlantis--were rumored to be the English fairies who kidnapped children, the Caribbean sirens that sunk ships, and the dream-like apparitions who broke into psyches. By the 1850s, they were hunted to near-extinction, leaving the existence of Atlantis and Zarconians little more than myth.

When a class trip turns deadly, Attie and her friends become stranded on an uncharted tropical island in the middle of the Pacific, and Attie finds herself targeted once more. With a jungle full of extinct and prowling animals, she struggles to find a compromise between keeping her friends safe and keeping her family's secret.

Enter Doug Hutchinson—the school’s soccer star, and a handsome boy with his own secrets. But Attie and Doug soon realize the animals aren't the only threat. There is a traitor amidst the group, one that plans to turn all Zarconians into permanent myths. And Attie is next on the list.

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My Review

From the minute I picked up Zarconian Island I was intrigued. Seriously, a story about the people from Atlantis? Awesome, sign me up for that ride. And immediately I was wrapped up in a story of mystery, deception, magic, and love.

In Zarconian Island we follow the story of Attie, a young Zarconian who on a school trip winds up stranded on a deserted island. But no one but her best friend knows her secret, because if they did they would surely hunt her and wipe out the Zarconian race completely. But Attie is not alone on the island. In the company of fellow students she discovers that she is not the lone Zarconian on the island, and one in her group wants to make her a thing of the past.

In reading Zarconian Island I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about them being trapped on an island. I know a little late for that, since it is in the synopsis, but I still had mixed feelings. I mean I was excited for what it could all mean and the potential for the story, but still nervous. After all, I had watched numerous movies where teens were trapped on deserted islands and it never seemed very realistic. But I have to say that I was rather impressed with the realism in this book. Sure there were things that I doubted and questioned, but not half as much as I did in those movies.

Deserted island aside, I loved the idea of the story. The idea that there are people among us that are really the lost people of Atlantis is pretty cool. I love how Author Aja Hannah took that idea and pushed it to the extreme, making Zarconians just like everyone else, except for some very rare and awesome abilities. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in Zarconian Island as each of them had their own little secrets and acted just like I imagine actual teenagers would.

My one and only real problem with the story was why did that certain someone, psst the traitor, wait to make their move? They had plenty of opportunities to do what they wanted to do, so why wait. I just didn't get it. I guess it did make for an interesting story, helping to build more intrigue and suspense, but I didn't really care for it. But that was the only thing that bothered me about the story of Zarconian Island. 

So, if you are looking to get lost in a world where just about anything is possible. A story that gives you suspense, love, magic and mystery, then Zarcnonian Island is the story for you. Pick this up and start your adventure.