I agree with the reviewer that called this book "juvenile and tasteless". It is a poor man's Lord of the Flies, for sure. It seemed like nothing more than a sick indulgence on the author's part. The characters seemed totally unreal, particularly the older sister, and the ending was pure gothic fantasy. I loved Atonement, so obviously Ian McEwan made some headway after this misguided project. I guess we all have to start somewhere.