Review of Island Games

Post by **Ilze Herholdt** » 01 Sep 2021, 17:21

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

4 out of 4 stars

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Island Games by Caleb J. Boyer is a story about two young boys who find themselves stranded on an uninhabited island. They wake up on the island with no memory of how they got there, where they come from, or even anything from their past life. The only thing they remember is each other. As Matthew and Ryan continue to explore the island and trying to find a way home, they discover that strange things happen at this place. After some time they realize once completing a difficult task they get an award which is a meal and water. Along with these food packets they perceive they receive a key along with it. Having no idea what to do with all the keys they decide to keep it until it is of use. The boys are forced to activate their survival instinct surviving through the toughest heat and the coldest snowstorms. Swinging from vines atop a river of lava, fighting a water beast, escaping from a whole burning prairie; and that is just mentioning a few of the crazy things they did.

What I liked most about this book is that every chapter brings its crazy adventure the boys have to participate in. It also creates a sense of anticipation for what is going to happen next and it surely is very unpredictable. Later in the book, however, the boys start a conspiracy that they were put on the island for unknown reasons to face these challenges. After all, where would the food packets and freshwater they keep on receiving magically appear if there was no one in the upper hand? The only question they failed to answer is why any of this was happening.

Boyer made this book very childlike especially considering some of the conversations between Ryan and Matthew. Nowhere in the book is an indication of how old the boys are but judging from their character, they seem to be early teens. At the end of the book, (without releasing any spoilers) there should've been a more rounding ending to what happened to them. The book allows you to choose your ending.

Island Games is an exceedingly well-edited novel with very few grammatical errors. It has a very upbeat storyline where there is no chance to take a single breath. I hereby rate this book a four out of four stars.

I highly recommend this book to a younger audience or even young adults who might enjoy the thrill. People who have the gift of an overactive imagination will enjoy this book a lot.

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Island Games
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Post by **Ntokozo Joy Ndlovu** » 12 May 2022, 04:10

The cover and the title were enough to make my excitement peak. Definitely adding this one to my list. Thanks for the great review.

Ohna Martin · Post by **Ohna Martin** » 07 Oct 2022, 09:38

Ryan and Matthew are living every boy's dream. But would they soon wake up and find that dream is not as magical as it seemed when they dreamt it safe at home? How will they survive this adventure?

Avishi · Post by **Avishi** » 08 Nov 2022, 03:02

I read this story and found it interesting. The friendship and adventures of Mathew and Ryan are fascinating. And I liked how the story moved quickly and enthusiastically. You gave this book a fair review.

Post by **Mbali Qalinge** » 11 Nov 2022, 12:34

The way you've described the book's plot reminds me of The Lord of the Flies by William Golding, they sound similar, and I'm sure younger audiences would enjoy both.

Phooko Tebogo PC · Post by **Phooko Tebogo PC** » 15 Nov 2022, 04:59

The book sounds interesting, the story line is so compelling. I got to think of the squid game series which was a trend last year.

Lionel Marley · Post by **Lionel Marley** » 28 Dec 2022, 11:42

This book reminds me a lot of Lord of The Flies, although, certainly not nearly as brutal, there are several aspects that they have in common. For example, it is also kids who are young with no adults around with no previous memory of their previous life or how they got on an uninhabited island. However, the youth of this story is something to enjoy. I also like the games that the boys play, at least they have something to keep them busy! Thanks for your review.