Author: Ellie O’Neill
ISBN: 9781925030013
RRP: $29.99
Ellie O’Neill is back with her second modern Irish folktale and I loved it.
Maeve O’Brien is an apprentice lawyer in the independent Dublin legal firm Holmes and Friedman, she is 27 and quite the modern lass. Maeve is technologically obsessed and just as obsessed with appearances.
Life is all a little crumbly for Maeve with rumoured redundancies at work and the dust not yet settled from the biggest fight she’s ever had with her bestie, a fight that leaves her living back home with Mam.
Maeve’s boss Harry Holmes has a special job he needs done and he selects Maeve for her tenacity, and her single status that leaves her able to set off on travel commitments at the drop of a hat. Maeve isn’t given much information, just that she needs to collect the signature of a man on documents for the sale of land to build a bridge.
The bridge build is enough to excite Maeve as it reminds her of a time that she worked building sites and construction during college, the tomboy turned in her steel caps and swapped them for stilettos in her final year of college.
Since switching her steel caps for stilettos she has also found an unhealthy obsession with selfies, sometimes taking up to half an hour to capture the perfect shot (ugh who has time for that) and religiously following her likes creeping up and her social life on social media. At 27 she’s obsessed with her appearance, botox being the backbone of her bestie brawl, and drowning in debt.
Escaping Dublin couldn’t come at a better time. This little job could be the cement building block for her career and how hard could it be to get an old man’s signature.
Hy Brasil is almost a completely new world for Maeve, there are no cars, no traffic lights, no fast food and very little in the way of a social life. The best thing that can be said about her island accommodations is that they are dry. High fashion, high maintenance Maeve is being put up in a tin caravan in the middle of a muddy field, and she’s pretty sure she’s not going to like it.
The Enchanted Island takes a, possibly slightly exaggerated, look at the quest for beauty and the perfect appearance, but at what cost. We see how Maeve has lost herself behind the online shopping, credit card debt, botox, designer clothes and quest for the perfect selfie. In Dublin the only time she could be seen naturally was in the dead of night. In Hy Brasil the need to primp and preen seems a little shallow, who will appreciate it – surely not the sheep.
Maeve soon discovers that there’s more to Hy Brasil than meets the eye. The simple signature is anything but, the wind howls like a banshee and the older generation are fit but far from friendly. No-one seems willing to talk about the strangeness but Maeve finds herself more and more intrigued.
Irish folklore is deftly woven into a modern tale of progress and romance. Hy Brasil is an island steeped in history, centuries of history, and the elder islanders have been a part of that history for generations.
The Enchanted Island is an authentic and enjoyable follow-up to O’Neill’s stellar debut Reluctantly Charmed. I was invested in Maeve’s journey and wanted to see where this trip would take her. The history of the island was engaging and I was always wanting to get to the bottom of the mystery, and wondering if Maeve would ever get all of the answers.
There is a strong sense of romance on The Enchanted Island, and a few different romances to follow. Maeve’s romance builds slowly until it becomes encompassing, it was believably written and drew you in until you had to know how she was going to cope because this was all so new for her.
An interesting meld of old world Irish folklore and the modern world, with progress trying to push its way in and upset the balance. It really is quite a reflection on a lot of what is happening across the world today. Definitely worth the read and I will be interested to hear what our readers have to say.
A little bit mystery, a little bit suspense, a little bit folklore and a little bit romance makes for a massive story steeped in history at the same time as modern technology.
30 of our lucky readers will also be reading The Enchanted Island so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below.
The Enchanted Island is book #63 for The Australian Women Writer’s Challenge 2015.
Ellie O’Neill can be found on Facebook, Twitter and her Website.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
This book was light and easy to read. I couldn’t put the book down and just wanted to read and know more about the Island and also about the changes to Maeve.
I would highly recommend this book!
I began reading this book while my daughter was preparing for her first overseas holiday and I must admit that she kept calling me away from the book to help her with packing and such so to start with I struggled to get into the story. I feel that was partly to do with all the stop start type of reading and also the slow build up of the story.
To start with Maeve was someone who had me rolling my eyes as she was very concerned about looking as close to perfection as possible and at any cost which included lying to and stealing from a friend. This all came back to bite her in the end and she found she had no where to live so had to move back home to live with her Mother. Once Maeve accepted the job to go to the Island and get some papers signed I started to see more of the real her and felt a little sad for her and over time I became quite fond of her.
I loved the mystery of the Island and its people and trying to work out what they were.
I love this book and its one that I would be happy to reread in a years time and im sure I will.
If you are looking for a book to read over the Christmas holidays then this book would be wonderful if you want a mystery, some giggles and a main character that even though to start with she is sure to flare some negative emotions in the end you will end up very fond of her and she will have you wondering where she will go from here.
Brilliant book to get you through the Christmas break.
Once in a while a book comes along that ticks all the boxes, for me Ellie O’Neill’s “The Enchanted Island” is that book.
The story line is simple, Maeve at 27 is the ultimate Gen Y, obsessed by selfies, the number of likes her Facebook posts get, constantly primping and preening to get the perfect body, the perfect image. She lives in Dublin, is an apprentice solicitor in an independent law firm which is surviving despite the recession, shares a house with her friend Sasha, parties all the time, doesn’t have time for a committed relationship (and there’s always Carl) and is a general good time girl. But then she “borrows” something of Sasha’s one too many times and finds herself, up to her eyeballs in credit card debt, living back with her Mam.
To top it all off there are rumours of redundancies at work, so when her boss Harry calls her into the office she fears the worst. Instead her offers her an opportunity, go to Hy Brasil, a tiny island off the coast of Ireland and get a signature on a conveyance document, to build a bridge to connect Hy Brasil to the mainland. Harry lets her know that she will be stepping on some toes, and to keep it confidential and, in passing, notes that the island has “a reputation as being ….protected.” He also lets her know that on completion of the assignment there will be a guarantee that she will be kept on after her apprenticeship.
So Maeve heads to Hy Brasil via the one small fishing boat that travels to the island daily, and it was here, on page 2, as O’Neill demonstrated her ability to paint a picture with language, I knew I was going to love this book. O’Neill is describing the conditions as Maeve travels to Hy Brasil in a “fishing boat that was offering washing-machine experiences”:
“The rain was black. It collapsed from the sky, building
momentum, getting angrier, before it threw itself down in a
temper.”
Hy Brasil, population of 534, no cars, people get around on bikes, main industries fishing and knitting, treacherous seas, compasses that go haywire, strange noises, the elders who make it clear that Maeve is not welcome and yet an internet that never drops out. There is something strange about this island, and getting the signature she needs isn’t as easy as she thought it would be. Instead of a couple of days Maeve finds herself on the island for an extended period, slowly she meets some inhabitants who make her feel welcome. Gradually she comes to know and understand the island, how it protects itself, and how it is a kind of paradise, it wants you to be happy, it gives you your heart’s desire.
The book is brilliantly written, the storyline easy to follow, sometimes disquieting, yet absorbing at the same time, as O’Neill leads you gently yet firmly towards the books inevitable yet surprising conclusion.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone.
Ellie O’Neill’s The Enchanted Island is and absolutely amazing book that I could not stop reading and finished in a day.
Initially the main character Maeve is an incredibly unlikely, self absorbed and somewhat manipulating debt ridden 27 year old. Fixated on her appearance in order to gain a promotion and social acceptance in her image driven world.
I absolutely loved Maeve’s gradual transformation as the book progressed and was able to gain an understanding on why Maeve had changed from a makeup free tomboy to an image conscious, both obsessed shopaholic.
O’Neill writing was amazing and I was easily able to picture the usual island of Hy Brasil, where the mysterious winds and elders dictated the isolated, initially unfriendly society. The character development of the elders was fascinating and each chapter slowly revealed more about the strange, yet glorious nature of the island. The mysterious deaths and accidents occurring on the island also gave the story an enjoyably mysterious edge.
Maeve’s interactions with both the locals and new comers alike where both touching and in some cases down right hilarious. Her building romance with Killain was sweet, and the concept of the islands powers bringing people made it all the more magical.
The only thing that I disliked about the book was the abrupt somewhat open endedness of the ending and would have loved an epilogue, that gave an update on the characters I grew to care for.
Overall The Enchanted was an amazing, warm story that I would and have definitely recommend to friends, family and co workers. I can’t wait to read the prequel Reluctantly Charmed to re visit the magic and mystery of Hy Brasil.
I enjoyed reading this book very much. It was interesting following Maeve’s transformation from being a shallow, social media addicted person who will do anything to maintain her looks for a good selfie, even going as far as stealing from her best friend, to a much more thoughtful person who learns to think of other people’s feelings and not being worried about letting her emotions show.
The island of Hy Brasil, I seemed to have a love hate relationship with the place. One moment I wanted to visit it and see all the wonderful natural features, the next I thought it was evil and too dangerous to even contemplate going there.
The characters in the book are different to say the least, they are definitely colourful and a little bit mystifying.
I couldn’t put the book down and read if over one weekend. I had to keep turning the page to find out what happened next, there were many twists and turns, although it was easy to keep up with them all.
I enjoyed the Irish humour dotted through the book.
I was a little disappointed with the end, I didn’t think the book was completely finished with the story. I’d love to read a sequel to find out what happens to all the characters, especially Maeve and Killian.
I will definitely be putting Ellie O’Neill on my favourite authors list and will look out for her other novel Reluctantly Charmed.
what a lovely read, thank you.I loved following her story on the island,and her inner voice, kept me absorbed and laughed out loud.Feel good story line, friends, love,life and watching her learn and grow from past mistakes. A real page turner.I felt I was with her the whole way. Well written, relatable and easy to read. Characters were interesting and funny and loved how she related to the locals.Left me wanting more as I felt apart of the island.i would definetly recommend.
My review is late as we were caught in the Pinery SA bushfires 2 weeks ago.
The book was a fantastic read and I recommend to all 🙂
Thank you for giving me this book to read.
This book is a wonderful read that kept me entertained and intrigued.
The story has many parts to it which makes it all the more involving.
Maeve is sent to the island of Hy Brasil to find Sean Fitzpatrick. All she needs is his signature, a simple task really.
What she discovers is a wonderful journey of self discovery and finding out about life and realising the importance of it all.
Maeve meets Killian and feelings are happening out of her control.
Then there is this Irish island that holds many mysteries that aren’t ready to be told will she find the answers.
So for Maeve and her story there are many things that make it sound like a complicated story but it really isn’t.
It really is just one story that has a few little stories with in it self that will keep you intrigued and wanting to know more.
This book from start to finish is a wonderful story of love, truth, happiness and secrets. A fantastic read that you will thoroughly enjoy.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review another great book
This book was based solely around the Character of Maeve. I found Maeve was a relatable character as she is a similar age to me and uses a lot of social media as I do too. I found myself hating Maeve at times, she is often quite shallow and her decisions can be awful and I just wished I could shake some sense into her. I liked reading about Maeve’s time on the Island, and her journal of personal growth – by the end she is making much better personal choices and is much happier (despite not realising that she may not have been that happy before until that point).
Most of the other main characters are likable too but there is always some mysterious surrounding them and they keep at least part of their lives hidden from us from Maeve. There are then the other characters, the “elders” which are less likable and strange so we don’t really know what is going on with them for a lot of the book. By the end of the book lots of their secrets are revealed, and a greater understanding of their stories is cast upon Maeve.
The island is interesting and very mysterious, and we never really get all the answers at the end so it leaves you thinking a little bit, even though the main possibility is hard to comprehend because it’s not really possible in real life. In the end, it actually doesn’t matter either way what is behind the Islands magic, it is just the way it is. The magic of the island is a major concept throughout the book and one that Maeve struggles with but I think by the end she finds some kind of peace with it, and to some extend the end is “happily ever after” (despite the recent bad events surrounding the last chapters).
Overall, the book is well written and easy to read. I liked that the chapters were fairly short so I could fit one in here and there throughout my day. I enjoyed reading the book and that everything came together in the end, but I didn’t get *really* hooked into it. I would still recommend this as a good read.
I really enjoyed The Enchanted Island & would recommend this as a great summer read!
I had anticipated a light hearted chic-lit book and was pleasantly surprised that it had a little more depth than that.
The author Ellie O’Neill has a real gift for landscape imagery and I could clearly see the Hy Brasil she describes.
Maeve was an interesting main character and I enjoyed seeing her grow as the book progressed. I loved that she put down her phone and started living in the real world. Quite a few unexpected twists made this a really enjoyable book to read..
Fingers crossed for more Ellie O’Neill books in the future