Review of Sebastian and the Invisible Island

[HollyPerry]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Sebastian and the Invisible Island" by Michael William Hogan.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Sebastian and the Invisible Island is an exciting mash-up of E.T. and Castaway. Sebastian Youngfield leaves his parents’ sailboat to go fishing on a small inflatable dinghy, as he has many times. Sebastian loves fishing. However, this morning, he misses the signs of the incoming storm. Sebastian is caught in a raging tempest and tossed about on the sea. A close call with a shark, losing most of his supplies, and an unfortunate encounter with a coral reef leave Sebastian on a seemingly deserted island. The story is just getting started. Several surprises create endless fun for kids and adults.

I was captivated by Sebastian and the Invisible Island by Michael William Hogan. While written for a younger audience, I was spellbound by the story's beginning. Hogan foreshadowed the storm so cleverly that I could see the carefully crafted scenes playing out in my head as though on a movie screen. Emotionally, I was caught up in Sebastian’s and his parents' experiences. At first, I didn’t believe that Sebastian would accept the strange things that happened as readily as he did, but then I realized I was thinking about the story as if it was happening to an adult. Children are far more adaptable than grown-ups. Although the events are fantastical, Sebastian’s reactions and abilities align with what one would expect from a child. The survival skills Sebastian demonstrated in the story were both believable for an 11-year-old and reassuring. The reader believes his mother and father would have trained Sebastian in specific survival skills. Usually, stories fall apart when it comes to details like this. Hogan establishes Sebastian as an intelligent, clever, resilient boy early in the story. Readers believe in Sebastian’s skills and cheer him on through all his perilous adventures. Sebastian and the Invisible Island is an exciting, feel-good story appropriate for kids of all ages. I give it five stars out of five.

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Sebastian and the Invisible Island
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