Review by cxsimpson -- Island Games by Caleb J. Boyer

[cxsimpson]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Island Games" by Caleb J. Boyer.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Two teenage friends wake up on the beach with no memories and no idea what is happening. Matthew and Ryan very quickly have to start working together to stay alive and get out of there. The boys are forced into life-threatening situations with no end in sight. What comes next is always a surprise, for both the reader and the characters, but they must keep moving if they have any hope of getting out of there.

I rate Island Games: Mystery of the Four Quadrants by Caleb J. Boyer 3 out of 4 stars . I knew going into it that the author was 12 years old, so I was expecting to read something written by a preteen. Overall, I think Boyer did a good job creating a compelling story. I found myself wanting to read more to learn what happened to Matthew and Ryan. The reason I give it 3 stars instead of 4 is because there is room for improvement in the writing style.

There was no profanity or erotic scenes in this book. There were some grammar and spelling errors. I did come across a lot of run-on sentences, but overall, I enjoyed the story. Some of the dialogue does not read exactly the way you would expect two teenagers to speak, but the boys’ relationship is pretty true to a real-life friendship. They make fun of each other, but when it comes down to it, each boy is willing to put themselves in danger for the other.

Boyer has great potential in his writing career. He wrote a 200+ page novel with a unique and compelling story at 12 years old. It does remind me a bit of the new Jumanji movies and anyone who has seen them can see some similarities between the two, but not in a way that seems derived. A group (or pair) of teenagers going on an unexpected adventure is not something new, but this story is different enough that I did not get bored reading it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure stories, specifically teenagers. The story also focused a lot on teamwork and perseverance. Matthew mentions a few times things his parents have told him about not giving up and pressing on. The whole story is about working together to accomplish great things. These are great lessons for a young person to read while also enjoying a good book.

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Island Games
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