3 out of 4 stars
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A mysterious island... fantastical enemies... and a challenging game filled with twists and turns where the ultimate prize survival itself. These are the challenges faced by Matthew and Ryan in Island Games: Mystery of the Four Quadrants.
Written by a 12 year old prodigy, author Caleb J. Boyer clearly knows his audience... which makes sense, being that they’re his peers. Set on an unknown island, the story plays out almost like a challenging video game. There are beasts to defeat, rewards to capture, and different levels of environments to explore. Beneath all the action, there are life philosophies being offered to the reader and, although they are not exactly subtle, the story is engaging enough to keep audiences feeling entertained rather than preached to. It is, in short, the kind of adventure tale that any young fan of dystopian stories would delight in.
When Matthew and Ryan wash up on the shore, they don’t have a clue where they are... or who they are. The only thing either boy can clearly remember is their friendship, which turns out to be the only thing they have to depend on. Without any adults, supplies, or Google Maps to help, the boys soon realize the only way to survive the many challenges that lie ahead is to be brave, trust their instincts, and above all, rely on each other. As they do battle against mystery beasts, sharks. fire, and quicksand (to name a few), the boys realize a few “life lessons” that help them navigate through the island, and ultimately, through life. In this way, it is a bit of a coming of age story.
“Matthew looked at Ryan and started to recall the events of the past few days in which every time they were faced with a challenge or an obstacle they had to overcome, when they tried to do it on their own, they were stuck. But, when they worked together, they had conquered the obstacle.”
Although the story mechanics can feel a bit repetitive at times- conquer the obstacle, collect the reward, become transported to the next environment- the story has its charm and is fast-paced enough to keep the young reader engaged. It’s probably not quite sophisticated enough for the older teen but Boyer’s 12-year-old contemporaries will be charmed. I gave this novel three out of four stars . Boyer has room to grow as he matures, but I have no doubt that this talented writer will do just that. At an age where many kids don’t even want to read, Boyer has burst out the gate with a charming debut novel. No doubt he’ll be one to watch and I think we’ll see even more exciting works from him in the future.
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Island Games
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