Somber Island by T. Lynne Tolles

Goodreads Summary:

Phoebe MacIntire, who is a servant to her father and sisters in her own house in Scotland in 1855, is an ordinary girl, with no big dreams for the future. She's perfectly happy in her humble life, with her cot in the basement and her little garden in the backyard. But when her father up and sends her to Newfoundland to be the lifelong servant to Lord Jacobs, she finds her life gets turned upside down.

Her journey across the Atlantic to her new home is long, scary and very unpleasant. When she arrives at the manor on a small island, she finds the beautiful place abandoned and only a note waits for her explaining her duties, the strange dietary requirements, and sleeping habits of her new master.

The very first night in her new home she's haunted in her dreams by a woman who clearly does not want her there and a strange blue-eyed man-wolf creature that follows the woman. Her dreams become more and more violent and mysteries start to be uncovered about a woman who was killed in a fire on the island, a creature that preys on anyone that comes to the island and a love story gone wrong that dates back over a hundred and twenty two years.

Join Phoebe as she explores the past, delving into witchcraft, and vampirism to help a brother save another from a life of sadness and misconception, making some amazing and surprising friends along the way.

My Review:

First of all, I love this cover! It’s beautiful, spooky, and quite fitting of the book!

Now on to the review…

I was a little unsure at the beginning; Somber Island begins by giving a small amount of background about Phoebe and then jumps right into the story. I felt as though I wanted to know more about Phoebe before she was sent away. But after reading more, the beginning did not bother me as much because you learn more about Phoebe and watch her develop as the story continues.

Although the book is based in the past, the language is a little more modern. For me, that small fact made the book flow more smoothly than I think it would have with period appropriate language.

Somber Island kept me absorbed and kept me reading. So, if you’re looking for a young adult book with an interesting mix of a werewolf, a vampire, a ghost and a witch then you should check it out.

I will definitely be reading T. Lynne Tolles’ Blood Series.