Review by michele1966 -- Island Games by Caleb J. Boyer

[michele1966]

[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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Island Games

Caleb J. Boyer is an award winning author at the age of twelve. Island Games is his first full length novel and hopefully not his last. The book is centered around two teenage boys that wake up and find themselves on a deserted island with no recollection of how they got there.

The two teenagers, Matthew and Ryan, face challenges on the four different quadrants of the island that require them to learn how to work together and overcome the latest quandary they are faced with. They must work for everything that they need: food, water and clothing. The story does an extremely good job of developing the characters over the entire novel. The young men start out without a clue of what they will do, how they will do it or even why it is happening to them. As they face the challenges, they quickly surmise that they will have to work together and use each ones individual strengths to complete the task at hand. Throughout the book we see both young men grow in their character and resourcefulness in handling the game. They start out fairly self-centered and end with generosity for each other.

I like this book because it shows ability for a person’s character to grow when facing hardships and not just disintegrate because something went wrong. This is a positive and uplifting look at teenagers today and what they are capable of when given an opportunity to prove themselves. It was nice to read a book written by a young author without a lot of profanity, sex or drugs.

I thought that this book would appeal to a younger audience, but I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the plot and how well this book is written. I feel that anyone, no matter their age would enjoy this novel. Even though this is technically not a mystery, I will not divulge any of the great scenarios that the author has devised for the characters to face. What I will tell you is that, I would love to see a continuation of this storyline with additional characters.

I would give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I appreciate the subtly the author uses in the plot. I still find it hard to believe that the author was so young when he wrote this book. I would recommend this book to parents of teens, young adults and any person who enjoys a book that holds your attention.

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Island Games
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[Jackie Holycross]

I sounds like a combination of The Maze Runner and Hunger Games with less violence. I like adventure stories.

[crediblereading2]

I agree with you that this is such a fun-packed adventure thriller, everyone will enjoy reading it. Caleb Boyer is truly an exceptional young man. Excellent review.