Islands At The End Of The World (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
Stopped at page 182. I just couldn't do it anymore. I was no longer invested in any of the characters or what happened to them. Some of the things I disliked or had trouble getting past:--The story is told in present tense. Not my favorite style, but this is more a personal taste issue rather than a judgement. It just made me a little more biased from the start.--At the start of the story the constant use of the word "whateva" became very annoying. I kept hearing South Park's Carmine's voice in my head as it was said. It would totally pull me out of the scene.--As the story starts to unfold and Leilani and her father realize something bigger and beyond their control is happening, something that could be affecting not only Hawaii, but the rest of the world, they continue to have normal routines and conversations. There was no sense of urgency in their actions, therefore diminishing the impact of the chaos going on around them. The big, blooming, glowing orchid that appears in the sky doesn't seem to truly scare anyone.--An encounter with a soldier is laughable and loses all credibility of how serious the situation has truly become. The state has been taken over by the military and I'm supposed to believe that when Dad starts demanding answers (in a non-threatening way), a soldier in charge pulls him aside and addresses him as Mike and tries to calm him down? In real life, Dad would have probably been down on the ground with a pistol against his head.--Once at interment camp, our two protagonists come to the rescue and create a soccer team. Leilani also manages to convince a soldier to talk to his superiors into giving all the campers face masks to prevent disease. Why would this happen when at first everyone was given a dixie cup and told to save them as they would not be issued another one. This cup was to be good for drinking and eating. I guess I must buy the cheap dixie cups because mine tend to fall apart after using them one time.--Leilani has a crush on the soldier that helps get the masks for everyone. She barely knows him but starts to reveal secrets to him about her plans to get back to the Big Island.--When they plan their escape, Leilani not only decides to act impulsively but makes some very stupid decisions and Dad doesn't really react other than to say she should have warned him. She decides to steal not one but four suitcases full of food. Because two people rolling around two large suitcases would not draw any attention? And the plan is to swim to the nearest island. With four suitcases plus two backpacks!This last one finally did it for me. I just couldn't do it. It's safe to say that I am not waiting for book 2. I am giving this 1.5 stars. The half star is for the great concept. This is a fast-paced adventure novel that, once I got into it (about 50 pages in or so), I simply could not put down. After a mysterious green cloud in space knocks out most forms of technology and communication, society starts to collapse, and protagonist Leilani and her father must find a way to return from Oahu to their family on the Big Island. I enjoyed this book immensely, not only for the non-stop action, but for the liberal use of Hawaiian legends and locales--it really made me want to go back to Hawaii! My one reservation involves an unnecessary scene involving pot smoking. Personally, I have no problem with marijuana, but I know that a lot of people do. and so question its inclusion in a young-adult novel, when the scene could have easily have been written with no drug use whatsoever.So...four and a half stars, rounded up to five.
What do You think about Islands At The End Of The World (2014)?
A few new ideas and a beautiful location serve to make this book a fair read. Not bad writing.
—Chantal
Wow, really great book. Just incredible story, characters, and writing. Review to come soon.
—Caroline
Exciting survival adventure with a strange twist - kept may attention.
—tboz
