Review by AmandaReadsBooks1 -- Island Games

[amandathebibliophile]

[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: Mystery of the Four Quadrants is the first novel written by the young and talented Caleb J. Boyer. It is an adventure fiction tale geared toward younger readers, though its message seems to be for people of all ages.

Ryan and Matthew wake up bewildered on a mysterious island. They have no food, supplies, or clue as to how they got on the island. Beyond the knowledge that they are best friends, they can’t remember where they are from or other important details of their lives. They soon realize they have landed on a weird island that is full of dangerous challenges. As they face each challenge, they quickly learn that their survival will depend on working together as a team. Together they defeat strange beasts, avoid eery traps, and battle the many climates the island strangely offers. As they avoid death and conquer each stage of the island’s “game,” they learn valuable life lessons.

As a reader, I was often on the edge of my seat, wondering how and if they’d solve the island’s mysteries and be allowed to go home! I also kept pondering if there was some kind of gamekeeper or master, and found myself considering all kinds of possibilities for how the boys had landed into this bizarre scenario. I must say too that I was quite impressed by this young author’s talent! His characters were well-developed and clear. Never did I confuse dark-haired and goofy Ryan for logical and cautious Matthew. While it’s true they behaved like adolescents with their sarcastic bantering and silly jokes, not only was this appropriate for the genre and targeted audience, but it also helped create some comic relief during the many tense scenes throughout the book.

Still, as much as their behavior was typical of young boys in certain regards, I found the spiritual growth they exemplified to be quite mature. As they go deeper into the mysteries of the island together, they learn to appreciate each other in ways they hadn’t before. Deep thoughts arise in the process of facing challenges, and the boys begin to think about themselves as being in the “eye of the storm” and having to remain calm even with the storm all around them. I really appreciated this spiritual aspect to the story, and found it not too overdone. I think people of all religious and non-religious walks of life could appreciate the message of this book.

The only thing I didn’t love about the story was how repetitive it got in places. While there was definitely non-stop action, sometimes the action was too much of the same thing. Though, knowing now the ultimate message from the author, I think he would say the repetition is a lot like life. So even though I didn’t love this aspect so much, I see why the author chose to write the story that way.

I was also really impressed that the author was only 12 years old when he wrote this story. Between this, the solid writing, and the overarching spiritual message, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I only found two tiny errors, and they were not distracting in the slightest. Therefore, I highly recommend this book to (relatively younger) readers who like non-stop action, mystery, and a story that imparts a deeper message about life.

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Island Games
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[ccranston]

I was also impressed by this young author. His writing shows his youth, but the story line is still captivating. Great job on your review!

[amandathebibliophile]

Thanks for sharing and for the compliment too

[Abigail R]

I can't wait to finally read this. The young author is so impressive. I hope he continues to grow and write more!