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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
This is my kind of book. End of the world, survival, unusual setting... love, love, love.
Can't wait for the next one -- there better be a next one!
Can't wait for the next one -- there better be a next one!
Disappointed.
The protagonist Leilani and her dad literally took turns to act idiotically throughout the book, displaying huge blind spots in their intelligence. This is definitely the case where readers are smarter than the characters and want to slap them constantly for their actions.
The whole thing with Emerald Orchid was just absolutely..... bullshit.
The protagonist Leilani and her dad literally took turns to act idiotically throughout the book, displaying huge blind spots in their intelligence. This is definitely the case where readers are smarter than the characters and want to slap them constantly for their actions.
The whole thing with Emerald Orchid was just absolutely..... bullshit.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I'm going to admit it... I liked the gosh darn turtles! So sue me!
Overall an intriguing premise, well thought out enough that I didn't drop it when the ~turtles~ appeared. (My suspension of disbelief was also higher because I was 15 the first time.) As a piece of apocalyptic fiction the first part stands solid.
Caveats: I can't prove heck about the accuracy of the depiction of Hawai'i. Similarly can't prove anything about the depiction of epilepsy. Also quite iffy to tie unmedicated epileptic seizures to world saving telepathy :/
Overall an intriguing premise, well thought out enough that I didn't drop it when the ~turtles~ appeared. (My suspension of disbelief was also higher because I was 15 the first time.) As a piece of apocalyptic fiction the first part stands solid.
Caveats: I can't prove heck about the accuracy of the depiction of Hawai'i. Similarly can't prove anything about the depiction of epilepsy. Also quite iffy to tie unmedicated epileptic seizures to world saving telepathy :/
I have been avoiding reading thid book for a while and now that feels stupid. I really enjoyed this book. Leilani and her father Mike go for a trial of her seizures on another island when everything electric goes on the fritz. Chaos ensues with looting and gangs and many trials to hop islands and make it home. Leilani's connection to the Orchid is very nicely done. However, I didn't realize this was only book one. If I had I might have waited until I had book 2.
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Medical content
Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence
Wow, this book was a wild ride. I don't think I read it so much as inhaled it- it was a super fast read, and compelling. The characters are very well written, and the story is both beautiful and terrifyingly realistic (well, mostly). You have to be somewhat open-minded and comfortable with sci-fi to get through the plot twist in the latter half of the book, but it's well worth it. The overall scenario- loss of technology, resources, global catastrophe- is strikingly plausible, which makes this read all the more terrific and terrifying.
Long and short- loved it!
Long and short- loved it!
This book was a bit disappointing because I wasn't expecting it to be fantasy and it threw me off when things started to get paranormal/mystical. I still liked it, just not as much as I would have if it were simply a dystopian/post-apocalyptic story. I won't be reading the next in the series.
Wow! To be completely honest, I sincerely did not know what to expect from author Austin Aslan's debut novel The Islands at the End of the World. But I am coming away sincerely impressed and slightly even terrified with this stunningly original debut.
Right before my eyes, my beautiful islands are changing forever. And so am I ...Hawaii. To most people, it's a vacation spot. But to 16-year-old Leilani, a passionate surfer and epileptic, it's home. When Leilani and her father travel to the island of Oahu, they're not prepared for what happens next. Suddenly, Hawaii is cut off from all technology and electricity; and people are forced to resort to traditional methods of survival. As the two of them embark on a dangerous cross-country journey to get back to their homeland, Leilani realizes the power to stop this crisis may just be inside her.
One of the things I absolutely loved about Aslan's novel was his ability to incorporate Hawaiian mythology and ecology into the story. Hawaii has such a fascinating and beautiful culture, and it really plays a big part in the lives of the people who live there. I felt Aslan did an absolutely incredible job incorporating this culture and it's mythology into the story in a way that made sense.
Character-wise, I found this to be incredible. While Leilani definitely isn't a perfect protagonist, I found her to be relatable and well-developed. You could really feel her pains and her struggles throughout the story, and it was so easy to empathize with her. From her feeling of not belonging on the island she lives on because of her race, to her maturity and determination, she'll truly worm her way into your heart.
Most YA books being published nowadays seem to be bombarded with things such as love triangles and instalove. Thankfully, The Islands at the End of the World does not have either of those two things. Rather, it takes a different route and focuses on another fundamental value: the power of family. The relationship between Leilani and her father throughout the novel is truly a powerful one, even if it isn't perfect. You can truly feel how much they love and care for each other.
If you want to be transported to the beautiful island of Hawaii as it turns into an terrifyingly realistic post-apocalyptic wasteland, give The Islands at the End of the World a try. It won't disappoint.
It was decent. I'm not mad I read it. But it switched genres 3/4 of the way through, and I wasn't into the magical/mystical when I had chosen the book because I wanted an apocalypse tale, not whatever this turned into.
I recently read four different drought/natural disaster related YA books for a 10th grade unit, and this was my least favorite. It started off well; Lei's character was well-rounded and believable, and the blackout/isolation situation was engaging. However, the trek back home lasted too long and derailed for me when her dad suggested they stop and smoke (fresh! undried!) marijuana in a field they stumbled upon. I liked the mythology element, but the mystical space turtles were too weird for me to get behind. I wish the author had paused two-thirds through and completely reworked the rest.