The Island at the Edge of Night by Lucy Strange

What worked:

The early chapters will have readers immediately conjuring mysterious thoughts. The prologue describes Faye sleepwalking and hearing her aunt exclaim, “Oh, what have you done, you wicked child?” Faye is sent to a “different” school, far away from home, located on a desolate island. The headmaster’s wife shows Faye and Boudicca, another new student, to their cells, which the wife says are what the monks used to call their rooms. However, they’re locked inside their rooms to keep them “Safe from each other.” Faye is given a blue pill, a “sort of vitamin”, that the wife says all the children are given. Faye secretly refuses to take the pill because she’s concluded that she can’t trust anyone.

The mystery continues, as readers will try to understand Faye’s character. Something terrible happened one night while she was sleepwalking, and she woke up with an axe in her hand. She’s told that all of the kids at this school have done something horrible, and Faye wonders what she’s done. She feels a tremendous pull from nature, and her safe place always finds her in the branches of a tree. Being cooped up in the school on Auk Island depresses Faye greatly, but she is transfixed by the sight of The Knife. Her father was a renowned botanist until he presented a paper proposing that trees can talk to each other and that fae folk exist.

The author creates a dark, creepy atmosphere through the setting and characters. The island always seems to be covered by dark clouds, rarely letting the shine break through. The desolate landscape is void of green plants, and animals are rarely seen. The Knife towers over everything else, and its secrets beckon to be discovered. Dr Lighter and Nurse Violet clearly don’t like the children under their care, and they use medication, mind games, and threats to make the students subservient. The kids have no way to escape since the doctor and nurse pay the captain’s salary to ferry the only boat to the island.  All mail is read before it can be sent, isolating the students from all contact with the outside world.

What didn’t work as well:

It would be nice to know more about the other students, since they’re not a major part of the plot until the book’s last quarter. Boudicca is an especially interesting character, since she’s most defiant about the strict expectations. She won’t stop asking questions, speaks without permission, and refuses to follow orders. However, she disappears shortly after her arrival and isn’t heard from again until much later.

The final verdict:

The real mystery involves the truth behind Faye’s amnesia, although astute readers will predict what happened. The story’s dark tone and Faye’s natural spirit are highlights of the book, and I recommend you check this book out for yourself.