2 out of 4 stars
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If there were an opportunity to gain one million dollars, would you risk your life for it? Two very rich men, Alstaire Angle and his friend, McCallister Findley, came up with an idea for a real human research experiment called “Angleland” in the fictional book, The Experiment on the Island of Angleland (Book One) by Terry Ray. Twenty males and twenty females would be put on an island that the two millionaires purchased. There would be no laws on the island, no communication with the outside world, and no way to get off the island. The participants had to live on the island for ten years and never tell anyone any details of the experiment. At the end of the ten years, they would each receive one million dollars. The island had plenty of fresh water, fruit trees, fish, and food sources. Would you be willing to be a part of this experiment?
The 40 healthy participants were from different backgrounds, races, religions, and political views with different educational levels, skills, and training. The people chosen represented a diverse group that reflected society. I liked that there was a doctor, a nurse, military men, a farmer, a cook, a fisherman, and even a chemical engineer. These were but a few of the necessary talents needed to not only survive on the island but to flourish.
I enjoyed best how the people had to organize and get things done in the beginning just to be able to eat and have shelter. I also liked that people developed comforts and crafted conveniences and businesses to establish themselves and to live as comfortably as possible. This made me think about how society forms.
The main characters Spider, Hawkeye, and Ed were described well and had military and police training backgrounds. Some of the women were portrayed as weak, divisive, and lazy, while others had helpful skills, worked hard, and were brave. The author did a good job of describing many of the characters.
Just when I was getting comfortable in reading about the experiment, terrible violence happened and the islanders were at war. The war itself would interest many people, as Spider and Hawkeye had to strategize attacks, but what I disliked the most were the atrocities that happened and the twists that occurred. Of course, one would expect some violence would happen on such a secluded island with no laws and no repercussions, but this was a nightmare.
If you are not bothered reading about extreme violence, this book may be for you. People who are interested in sociology and human behavior may want to read this book, as it is full of believable behaviors and situations. However, if you are sensitive to any type of violence, i.e. killings, rape, torture, etc. and do not like the tearing down of some Muslim beliefs, you will want to steer clear of this book.
I rate The Experiment on the Island of Angleland by Terry Ray 2 out of 4 stars. One star was deducted because of the more than ten errors found and the need for editing. Another star was deducted because I felt that the violence was over the top and the interrogation techniques were cruel, which ruined the book for me. However, if I could rate it a 2.5-star rating, I would because the storyline was exciting, intense, and full of intrigue, as I wondered how the people on the island would form into a community and live peacefully with each other. The author wrote extremely well with good character developments and descriptions of the island and situations.
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The Experiment on the Island of Angleland
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