2 out of 4 stars
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Island Games: Mystery of the Four Quadrants by Caleb J. Boyer is about the enduring friendship of two young boys. Two best friends, Matthew and Ryan, wake up stranded on an island with no recollection of how they got there and with very few memories of their previous lives. Like a board game, the two friends are forced to play the dangerous games of the island if they want any chance at survival. The island forces them through various trials in which they must use teamwork to overcome. Not only is their friendship tested, but the island also forces the boys to address their inner struggles and insecurities.
I found this book to be highly impressive when considering the author was only twelve years old at the time of writing. This maybe an easy book for a young reader to pick up because the story is fast paced and provides plenty of suspenseful moments. Young readers may also be able to identify with the characters because they come from the mind of someone their age. This offers a current perspective on the thoughts and motivations for teens and preteens which is more authentic than an adult trying to retrieve the memories of their adolescence.
That being said, as an adult reading this book it was somewhat difficult not to critique it as if it were written for adults. The age of the author shows itself in the dialog which was, I hate to say, cringingly sophomoric. Although the writing is impressive for a twelve year old, it lacks maturity and provides a plethora of cliches.
The characters where likable but it was sometimes hard to distinguish between the two. There was also some ambiguity in the character descriptions. The maturity of the characters suggest them to be around age twelve (for example when Ryan pees his pants from laughing so hard). However, Ryan is described as being six foot three and Matthew just under six feet tall which would place the characters closer to age eighteen. This left me wondering just how old are these boys?
The over arching theme to the book was beautiful and tone was serious but sprinkled with lighthearted humor. However, I wasn’t able to enjoy this book as much as I should because it simply lacked the sophistication that I am accustomed to. I give this book a 2 out of 4 stars. I would recommend this book to a young reader (around age fourteen or younger). It is certainly an impressive feat for such a young author.
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Island Games
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