Island Creatures

What I Liked: Island Creatures is a book that is written in prose and goes back and forth through the perspectives of our two main characters, Adán and Vida. Throughout the book, you get to meet the people in both Adán and Vida's lives to see the various ways in which these families have and continue to impact both of their lives. It's fascinating to see this story play out through both perspectives as you see Adán struggle when he messes things up with Vida, and you also get a chance to see how she is feeling through all of this. Within the two perspectives, there are pieces shared by the narrator that showcase Vida and Adán's lives when they were children, which is a great addition to the story.

This relationship becomes complex near the middle because of previous familial tension between Vida's grandmother and Adán's grandfather. This tension causes Adán to behave in a manner that Vida isn't fond of, and he begins to question what he is doing and how his family's history is impacting his future. This feud between them adds an additional layer to this story and shows you how strong the women in this story are.

This book closes with a hurricane, and these moments are just as tumultuous as Adán and Vida's relationship. The author does a great job of building tension through just a few words and throughout the pages of the book, leading up to this moment. These final moments of the book make it so hard to put this book down, and you have to keep reading just to know what happens in this romantic relationship, as well as with all of the animals.

Final Verdict: Island Creatures is a beautifully written romance novel told in prose that showcases the difficulty of making a new place your home when you leave loved ones behind. Those of you who love animals, enjoy romances, and especially love the childhood friends to lovers trope will enjoy this book.