Review by Cjvarner -- Island Games by Caleb J. Boyer
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Cjvarner
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Review by Cjvarner -- Island Games by Caleb J. Boyer
[Following is a volunteer review of "Island Games" by Caleb J. Boyer.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Island Games: Mystery of the Four Quadrants by Caleb J. Boyer is an adventurous story about two best friends, Matthew and Ryan, who find themselves stranded on a very strange and disturbing island. The story quickly builds to one of survival as the boys encounter multiple threats to their lives. First up to take a bite at the boys, is a massive shark that swims between them and a hope of extra supplies. The boys quickly learn that they need each other in order to survive each challenge. Their friendship strengthens their teamwork and allows them to kill terrifying beasts from land and water while surviving harsh natural elements such as a blizzard, wildfire, and cave-ins.
The story is written for a younger audience who enjoy tales of adventure and the writing style itself may seem less sophisticated than adult readers are accustomed to seeing even in middle-school aged novels. The writing style itself is not bothersome once the age of the author is taken into consideration. Caleb J. Boyer was 12 years old when he finished writing this novel, which is a remarkable accomplishment when you consider just how well-thought out and crafted the story-line is. Throughout the novel, there are sections of more mature writing where it can be seen that the author is still evolving in his craft, therefore, this story is not for an audience who prefer a more mature and sophisticated writing style even in middle-grade books.
The exploration and description of the friendship between the two young male characters is what I liked most about this book. It is a very refreshing account of how two kids can have a bond strong enough to literally save their lives. The depth of understanding characterized in their friendship is crafted beautifully by such a young, but thoroughly impressive writer. The story was action-packed, but thematically sound throughout the very last chapter. It kept me entertained and invested in both boys while I read through it.
There were slight moments when the tone of the writing would make a shift out of the action and into a more philosophical standpoint; the transitions into these moments were a bit jarring to me and where what I dislike most about the book. Once I learned how young the author is, these moments made more sense to me and were a lot less jarring. They can easily be accounted for by the fact that he is a young writer and is very much in the process of developing his craft and own style as a writer. I have a lot of respect for this writer and what he accomplished with this wonderful story.
The things I liked most about this book greatly outweighed those few things that I disliked and I have to give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is not a perfect book, but the small flaw it does have is so easily explained by the author’s background that I have to give it a perfect score nonetheless. I did not give this book 3 stars simply because the author has earned more than three stars just by managing to create such a story at this point in his lifetime. Had I been able to, I would have given the book 3.5 stars instead of 4, because there is room for a few small improvements. Were the author to revisit this novel in a few years, I have no doubt that I would want to give it more than 4 stars. I recommend this book to all young readers from the bottom of my heart.
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Island Games
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4 out of 4 stars
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Island Games: Mystery of the Four Quadrants by Caleb J. Boyer is an adventurous story about two best friends, Matthew and Ryan, who find themselves stranded on a very strange and disturbing island. The story quickly builds to one of survival as the boys encounter multiple threats to their lives. First up to take a bite at the boys, is a massive shark that swims between them and a hope of extra supplies. The boys quickly learn that they need each other in order to survive each challenge. Their friendship strengthens their teamwork and allows them to kill terrifying beasts from land and water while surviving harsh natural elements such as a blizzard, wildfire, and cave-ins.
The story is written for a younger audience who enjoy tales of adventure and the writing style itself may seem less sophisticated than adult readers are accustomed to seeing even in middle-school aged novels. The writing style itself is not bothersome once the age of the author is taken into consideration. Caleb J. Boyer was 12 years old when he finished writing this novel, which is a remarkable accomplishment when you consider just how well-thought out and crafted the story-line is. Throughout the novel, there are sections of more mature writing where it can be seen that the author is still evolving in his craft, therefore, this story is not for an audience who prefer a more mature and sophisticated writing style even in middle-grade books.
The exploration and description of the friendship between the two young male characters is what I liked most about this book. It is a very refreshing account of how two kids can have a bond strong enough to literally save their lives. The depth of understanding characterized in their friendship is crafted beautifully by such a young, but thoroughly impressive writer. The story was action-packed, but thematically sound throughout the very last chapter. It kept me entertained and invested in both boys while I read through it.
There were slight moments when the tone of the writing would make a shift out of the action and into a more philosophical standpoint; the transitions into these moments were a bit jarring to me and where what I dislike most about the book. Once I learned how young the author is, these moments made more sense to me and were a lot less jarring. They can easily be accounted for by the fact that he is a young writer and is very much in the process of developing his craft and own style as a writer. I have a lot of respect for this writer and what he accomplished with this wonderful story.
The things I liked most about this book greatly outweighed those few things that I disliked and I have to give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is not a perfect book, but the small flaw it does have is so easily explained by the author’s background that I have to give it a perfect score nonetheless. I did not give this book 3 stars simply because the author has earned more than three stars just by managing to create such a story at this point in his lifetime. Had I been able to, I would have given the book 3.5 stars instead of 4, because there is room for a few small improvements. Were the author to revisit this novel in a few years, I have no doubt that I would want to give it more than 4 stars. I recommend this book to all young readers from the bottom of my heart.
******
Island Games
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Latest Review: Beneath the Muscle by Lauren Powers
