Review of Island Games
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Nabiha Qureshi
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Review of Island Games
[Following is a volunteer review of "Island Games" by Caleb J. Boyer.]
The book Island Games: Mystery of the Four Quadrants, written by Caleb J. Boyer, is packed with mystery and the power of friendship. It centers around two boys, Ryan and Matthew, who wake up on an abandoned island. They find themselves with no memories other than the fact that they are best friends. Confused and terrified, they must find a way to get back home while combating the many life-threatening challenges the island throws at them.
Out of everything, I enjoyed the premise of the book the most. The hurdles on the island were interesting; I liked the challenges the boys had to face. Furthermore, I appreciate how the author kept track of what he wrote and how he managed to connect everything together. It allowed the boys to remember a previous challenge to solve the next one, which promoted critical and deeper thinking.
The message of the book, however, was about friendship. It teaches the readers the importance of friendship and how one can't combat problems without help. Although the boys don't remember one another, they still understand they have a connection. It allows them to trust each other without hesitation, which in turn helps them complete the puzzles and challenges they run into. Throughout the book, the boys help each other when they're in trouble, and when they finish a challenge, they complete it together. There were many instances where one could have abandoned the other, but their friendship prevailed. They were also self-aware enough to understand where they were wrong and apologized when needed.
However, some things disrupted the reading flow. The author repeated several words, often in the same sentence, which became a distraction. Although the boys were supposed to be teenagers, I often thought of them as younger with the way they behaved. The dialogue seemed forced and awkward, and the writing style was juvenile. I felt that the characterization of Ryan and Matthew was average. Their attitudes and behavior seemed too similar, which got in the way of their separate personalities. The switch between their point-of-views was also awkward; sometimes, I would be confused about who was the focus.
Despite the book's faults, I found zero errors. The editing looked very thorough. With everything in mind, I would give this book a rating of three out of five stars.
I recommend this book to young readers, particularly those in middle school.
******
Island Games
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The book Island Games: Mystery of the Four Quadrants, written by Caleb J. Boyer, is packed with mystery and the power of friendship. It centers around two boys, Ryan and Matthew, who wake up on an abandoned island. They find themselves with no memories other than the fact that they are best friends. Confused and terrified, they must find a way to get back home while combating the many life-threatening challenges the island throws at them.
Out of everything, I enjoyed the premise of the book the most. The hurdles on the island were interesting; I liked the challenges the boys had to face. Furthermore, I appreciate how the author kept track of what he wrote and how he managed to connect everything together. It allowed the boys to remember a previous challenge to solve the next one, which promoted critical and deeper thinking.
The message of the book, however, was about friendship. It teaches the readers the importance of friendship and how one can't combat problems without help. Although the boys don't remember one another, they still understand they have a connection. It allows them to trust each other without hesitation, which in turn helps them complete the puzzles and challenges they run into. Throughout the book, the boys help each other when they're in trouble, and when they finish a challenge, they complete it together. There were many instances where one could have abandoned the other, but their friendship prevailed. They were also self-aware enough to understand where they were wrong and apologized when needed.
However, some things disrupted the reading flow. The author repeated several words, often in the same sentence, which became a distraction. Although the boys were supposed to be teenagers, I often thought of them as younger with the way they behaved. The dialogue seemed forced and awkward, and the writing style was juvenile. I felt that the characterization of Ryan and Matthew was average. Their attitudes and behavior seemed too similar, which got in the way of their separate personalities. The switch between their point-of-views was also awkward; sometimes, I would be confused about who was the focus.
Despite the book's faults, I found zero errors. The editing looked very thorough. With everything in mind, I would give this book a rating of three out of five stars.
I recommend this book to young readers, particularly those in middle school.
******
Island Games
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
