Review of Sebastian and the Invisible Island
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Rachel Briones
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- Latest Review: Sebastian and the Invisible Island by Michael William Hogan
Review of Sebastian and the Invisible Island
[Following is a volunteer review of "Sebastian and the Invisible Island" by Michael William Hogan.]
Sebastian and the Invisible Island by Michael William Hogan is an original story of adventure and survival with a science fiction twist. Sebastian and his parents, Anne and Cameron, are on the adventure of a lifetime. The family of three is living on their sailboat, the Miss American Pie. For eleven-year-old Sebastian, this exciting opportunity allows him to fish all he wants.
One morning, Sebastian wakes up early to fish before he and his parents leave their anchorage. After gathering his supplies and a few snacks, he takes off in the boat’s dinghy in search of the day’s catch. Distracted by the biting fish and the hope of catching the sunrise, he doesn’t notice when storm clouds start to roll in. On the sailboat, Sebastian’s dad wakes up to the harsh weather and decides to embark early, hoping to get a head start on the incoming storm.
Sebastian tries to fight his way back to the boat as the rain starts falling on him. The wind, strong currents, and rain slow him down immensely, and by the time he reaches the area where his parents should be anchored, they are no longer there. Cue lighting, a shark encounter, and large waves, and Sebastian spots an island in the distance. As he struggles to paddle to the island, it seemingly blinks in and out of sight. Thinking he is going mad from panic, Sebastian finally lands on the other side of the coral reef that surrounds the atoll.
As he starts to take in his surroundings, he realizes that everything is not quite what it seems. Sebastian encounters a flock of green pelicans, which he soon realizes are a species of aliens that have morphed into a different species to increase their survival chances on Earth. He finds that the answers to some of history's greatest questions lie in the aliens’ crashed spaceship. Sebastian realizes that to survive, he must work together with these aliens.
There are many things I enjoyed about this book. The sense of suspense in this book hooked me from the first chapter. I thought it was hard to put down, as I wanted to know what was coming next. I found Sebastian to be a brave and smart character who kept his sense of humor in the face of adversity. I also like the way it tied in the mystery of Amelia Earhart. This book was exceptionally well edited.
I found it a little unbelievable that his parents would sail away from their anchorage without checking in on their child, whom they knew often left the boat in the morning to fish. There was also a mention of cannibalism in this book that I felt was unnecessary and could be disturbing for young adult readers.
This fast-paced adventure was really hard for me to put down, so I am rating it a 4 out of 5. I recommend this book to anyone with an adventurous spirit who likes science fiction.
******
Sebastian and the Invisible Island
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Sebastian and the Invisible Island by Michael William Hogan is an original story of adventure and survival with a science fiction twist. Sebastian and his parents, Anne and Cameron, are on the adventure of a lifetime. The family of three is living on their sailboat, the Miss American Pie. For eleven-year-old Sebastian, this exciting opportunity allows him to fish all he wants.
One morning, Sebastian wakes up early to fish before he and his parents leave their anchorage. After gathering his supplies and a few snacks, he takes off in the boat’s dinghy in search of the day’s catch. Distracted by the biting fish and the hope of catching the sunrise, he doesn’t notice when storm clouds start to roll in. On the sailboat, Sebastian’s dad wakes up to the harsh weather and decides to embark early, hoping to get a head start on the incoming storm.
Sebastian tries to fight his way back to the boat as the rain starts falling on him. The wind, strong currents, and rain slow him down immensely, and by the time he reaches the area where his parents should be anchored, they are no longer there. Cue lighting, a shark encounter, and large waves, and Sebastian spots an island in the distance. As he struggles to paddle to the island, it seemingly blinks in and out of sight. Thinking he is going mad from panic, Sebastian finally lands on the other side of the coral reef that surrounds the atoll.
As he starts to take in his surroundings, he realizes that everything is not quite what it seems. Sebastian encounters a flock of green pelicans, which he soon realizes are a species of aliens that have morphed into a different species to increase their survival chances on Earth. He finds that the answers to some of history's greatest questions lie in the aliens’ crashed spaceship. Sebastian realizes that to survive, he must work together with these aliens.
There are many things I enjoyed about this book. The sense of suspense in this book hooked me from the first chapter. I thought it was hard to put down, as I wanted to know what was coming next. I found Sebastian to be a brave and smart character who kept his sense of humor in the face of adversity. I also like the way it tied in the mystery of Amelia Earhart. This book was exceptionally well edited.
I found it a little unbelievable that his parents would sail away from their anchorage without checking in on their child, whom they knew often left the boat in the morning to fish. There was also a mention of cannibalism in this book that I felt was unnecessary and could be disturbing for young adult readers.
This fast-paced adventure was really hard for me to put down, so I am rating it a 4 out of 5. I recommend this book to anyone with an adventurous spirit who likes science fiction.
******
Sebastian and the Invisible Island
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Latest Review: Sebastian and the Invisible Island by Michael William Hogan
