Review of Island Games

[Destiny C 4]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Island Games is a captivating young adult fiction novel full of adventure and mystery that embraces the meaning of friendship and appreciating the little things in life. A talented young man wrote The Island Games, Caleb J. Boyer, who tells the story about two best friends battling different weather conditions and beasts to survive a mysterious game that takes place on different quadrants of an island. Matthew and Ryan strangely wake up on the island’s shore, unsure how they got there or why. Both of the boys do not remember much but often have vivid flashbacks of being held in a lab while dreaming one night. Despite not knowing how they arrived on an island, their survival instincts kick in, and they immediately look at their surroundings and devise a game plan to create shelter and find food and water. Shortly they find a boat on the other side of the shore. The ship held crates filled with backpacks, blankets, clothes, food packets, and water. After surviving a shark attack and getting off the boat before it sank in the ocean, the games finally began. Did someone kidnap Matthew and Ryan to test their abilities or to teach them a lesson? Why were they chosen to play these games? Throughout the story, Matthew and Ryan travel through different areas of the island, battling different climates and creatures to win food packets and water to survive. After each challenge, they also collect keys with prominent features. What do the keys unlock? The boys face some challenging circumstances, but they stick by each other side, and their friendship grows stronger, and teamwork is the key to survival on the island.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is the mystery behind the games and the world the author created. The world the author creates is so beautiful and well-thought-out. It is unique and out of the ordinary. It’s amazing how the boys are still on the same island, but in one area, there are sea creatures, then in another place, there’s a jungle with beasts that are like a pig. But they always see a volcano in the distance, which lets them know they are still on the same island. The author uses descriptive words and literary elements to bring the story alive. The character development is unbelievable for writing this story at a young age. Matthew and Ryan are brave and strong. They act and speak like real-life teenagers, and I love how they tease and make each other laugh to lighten up their situation. While the writing may be simple, the story plot was engaging and kept my interest as I read each chapter, wondering what challenge Matthew and Ryan would have to conquer next and if there was a way off the island.

I enjoyed reading the story very much, so I don’t have negative things to say specifically. However, there is one drawback to the novel. The author left the ending open like a cliffhanger ending. There is a message from the author, Caleb J. Boyer explaining why he ended the book with a cliffhanger. I believe there is much to learn from the story and the ending. Therefore, I really can’t count the cliffhanger against the book as I normally would as the author writes a cliffhanger ending on purpose as a teaching point instead of getting the reader to purchase the next book. Although there are no grammar errors, the author does change the narrative from the first-person point of view to the third-person point of view in the middle of the book, but it does not take away from the story.

Overall, I rated The Island Games 4 out of 4 stars because of the creative storyline, realistic characters, and the messages the author incorporated into the story’s theme. I enjoyed reading this adventurous young adult novel. I recommend reading this book if you are a fan of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and mystery. I would also recommend this book to teens who are twelve years old and up. I even think some adults may find Boyer’s book fun to read because of the adventure and the challenges Matthew and Ryan must face to survive the games.

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Island Games
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