Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I do have good things to say about Minecraft: The Island. The writing is good, it's written by Max Brooks for goodness' sake. It inspired me to redownload Minecraft (with new-to-me shaders that I'm pretty excited about), which.. maybe that's part of the reason this book exists. And the best part is that it gave me new ways to think about my own future playthroughs of the game.
But ultimately I didn't enjoy reading The Island very much. Despite being written mostly for existing fans of Minecraft, I think you'll enjoy this story more if you don't have any previous Minecraft experience. This book was so poorly paced that I found it difficult to stick with but maybe that would have been okay for those without any existing expectations. Most of the action happens in the last 1/3 of the book, which okay, that's kind of how Minecraft works--you start with nothing and work tirelessly to sustainably protect and feed yourself--but it didn't work for me in book form. That first 2/3 of the book moves like molasses, while the remaining portion flows like molten lava.
I also want to mention that there is a strong focus on teaching life lessons throughout the book, 36 life lessons to be exact! And while I appreciated the effort made to impart knowledge on young readers it was just TOO MUCH INFORMATION. If the book I'm reading teaches me two or three lessons, I'm good. My eyes have probably completely glazed over at the dozen life lessons mark.
In the end, Minecraft: The Island is yet another book that just isn't for me, but it's certainly a decent, adventurous middle-grade read.
But ultimately I didn't enjoy reading The Island very much. Despite being written mostly for existing fans of Minecraft, I think you'll enjoy this story more if you don't have any previous Minecraft experience. This book was so poorly paced that I found it difficult to stick with but maybe that would have been okay for those without any existing expectations. Most of the action happens in the last 1/3 of the book, which okay, that's kind of how Minecraft works--you start with nothing and work tirelessly to sustainably protect and feed yourself--but it didn't work for me in book form. That first 2/3 of the book moves like molasses, while the remaining portion flows like molten lava.
I also want to mention that there is a strong focus on teaching life lessons throughout the book, 36 life lessons to be exact! And while I appreciated the effort made to impart knowledge on young readers it was just TOO MUCH INFORMATION. If the book I'm reading teaches me two or three lessons, I'm good. My eyes have probably completely glazed over at the dozen life lessons mark.
In the end, Minecraft: The Island is yet another book that just isn't for me, but it's certainly a decent, adventurous middle-grade read.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
This book surprised me in a very good way! I honestly got this book just in case of possible lore stuff (Thanks MattPat) and now I'm walking away having loved the story and already impatiently waiting to have the second one in my hands. I highly recommend this book!!
I listened to the audiobook in the car with my kids, all longtime Minecraft fans, and it was so much fun. The story is engaging, descriptive, and loaded with familiar and nostalgic gameplay references - but Jack Black's fantastic narration puts it over the top. We laughed so much, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Well this sure was unique. I love the idea of the whole premise, there was a lot i hadn't considered before that was entertaining.
Great story - audiobook read by Jack Black! Recommend for any parent/adult trying to understand the appeal of Minecraft and learn about the world
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cute, would have loved this in middle school. I kind of want to play Minecraft now, which probably is the aim of this book. God bless Jack Black for being an amazing narrator.