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imfullybooked's review against another edition
5.0
I have started this book when it first came out back in 2018 and, for some reason unknown to me, put it down and never picked it back up again. Until now. And it was everything I love about middle grade books.
The Storm Keeper's Island is set in Ireland and follows Fionn as he goes to visit his grandfather, who lives on the island of Arranmore, for the first time with his older sister, Tara. As she abandons him for the friends she made the previous summer, Fionn spends a lot of his time with his grandad and learns the island is magical and his grandfather is the Storm Keeper - the protector of Arranmore.
This book was absolutely delightful. The story was really fun and magical. I loved the setting - books set in Ireland and written by Irish authors feel strangely familiar and close to my heart, even though I'm not Irish (I have been living here for 12 years, though).
Fionn was a likeable main character. Very unsure about himself and the trip to the island at the beginning, he develops greatly and finds his purpose. I loved the way his realtionship with his sister was tackled. Constant bickering and teasing is definetly something many can relate to, but it was also visible they both cared about each other. I enjoy the trope of an old grandad-like figure as a mentor (e.g. Dumbledore), and the relationship Fionn had with his grandad was incredible.
The Storm Keeper's Island was such a quick read. Granted, it's only 300 oages long, but it took me on a wild adventure and out of the current bleak reality. It was never dull or boring. I especially loved the magic in it, where memories can be trapped in candles.
I can't wait to continue with the series and follow Fionn on his adventures. I honestly think book was amazing and more people, especially kids, should read it. It's a story worth growing up with.
The Storm Keeper's Island is set in Ireland and follows Fionn as he goes to visit his grandfather, who lives on the island of Arranmore, for the first time with his older sister, Tara. As she abandons him for the friends she made the previous summer, Fionn spends a lot of his time with his grandad and learns the island is magical and his grandfather is the Storm Keeper - the protector of Arranmore.
This book was absolutely delightful. The story was really fun and magical. I loved the setting - books set in Ireland and written by Irish authors feel strangely familiar and close to my heart, even though I'm not Irish (I have been living here for 12 years, though).
Fionn was a likeable main character. Very unsure about himself and the trip to the island at the beginning, he develops greatly and finds his purpose. I loved the way his realtionship with his sister was tackled. Constant bickering and teasing is definetly something many can relate to, but it was also visible they both cared about each other. I enjoy the trope of an old grandad-like figure as a mentor (e.g. Dumbledore), and the relationship Fionn had with his grandad was incredible.
The Storm Keeper's Island was such a quick read. Granted, it's only 300 oages long, but it took me on a wild adventure and out of the current bleak reality. It was never dull or boring. I especially loved the magic in it, where memories can be trapped in candles.
I can't wait to continue with the series and follow Fionn on his adventures. I honestly think book was amazing and more people, especially kids, should read it. It's a story worth growing up with.
littlemelly's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
If I had this book at the age of 11, I would have adored it. An exciting, mysterious adventure laced with folk motives and images that has blown me away. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.
Also, the typography is stunning: the cover art, the lettering, the font, the feel of the paper... A+ job!
Also, the typography is stunning: the cover art, the lettering, the font, the feel of the paper... A+ job!
horr5's review against another edition
2.0
The premise of the story has all the things I love, an island, magic, an adventure, and even candles, but I found it to be so slow. I realize this is the first book in a series, so there had to be some world-building, but for all the repetition some things still made no sense to me. One thing that really frustrated me was how long it took for the main character to even know what a Storm Keeper truly was. I believe I was about 150 pages in before that was revealed. This means that the reader, along with Fionn, is wandering the island blindly without a clue as to what is really happening for more than half the book. The second book has some promise, now that some things are more clear, but I don't think I'll come back for more.
ylmpastmidnight's review against another edition
5.0
There is magic in memory.” - THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND BY. CATHERINE DOYLE
I don’t read any or many middle grade books only because they never interested me much once I was out of middle grade, and that’s been…years.
I don’t read any or many middle grade books only because they never interested me much once I was out of middle grade, and that’s been…years.
anban's review against another edition
4.0
Flitting between a three and four star.
It was good. The story and magic were wonderous, the world unusual and whimsical. The characters were possibly a little lacking in originality but the writing was great. It was consistent, paced well and I really don't have anything bad to say about it. It just didn't grab my magic loving soul and run away with it like other similar stories. It could have been me, I was reading at a fairly hectic life point and it was strongly suggested that I read it, and being the little rebellious dweeb I am, that generally makes me like something less. So I will lean towards the higher rating because I really think it was me. Such a shame cos it really is a good read.
It was good. The story and magic were wonderous, the world unusual and whimsical. The characters were possibly a little lacking in originality but the writing was great. It was consistent, paced well and I really don't have anything bad to say about it. It just didn't grab my magic loving soul and run away with it like other similar stories. It could have been me, I was reading at a fairly hectic life point and it was strongly suggested that I read it, and being the little rebellious dweeb I am, that generally makes me like something less. So I will lean towards the higher rating because I really think it was me. Such a shame cos it really is a good read.
kritikalthinking's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jessmaeshelley's review against another edition
5.0
‘In a field full of wildflowers, a boy and a girl stood side by side beneath an ancient oak tree. The sky was angry, the thunder growling like an angry beast.’
I knew from the first line of The Storm Keeper’s Island, that I would fall under the tide of its tale. Doyle crafts a magical, whimsical, beautiful story. The cracks between sentences are filled with hope and wishes. The atmosphere is soaked with the sea. There is a beautiful balance between humour and darkness, wisdom and adventure. It reads like an old folkloric tale made new.
‘As long as it happened before on Arranmore Island, it can happen again.’
Fionn and his sister sail across the sea on a ferry to Arranmore Island. They are swept away from their comfortable city streets and thrust into the care of their grandfather. Among a crumbled cottage and a nosy village, he rediscovers his home and heritage whilst taking on an unexpected responsibility to wield magic. But a darkness is brewing - an evil ancient being beneath the ground. More than just the exterior plot, however, it carries an emotional depth throughout. As Fionn not only learns to navigate his new surroundings but also learns how to deal with grief and loss.
I loved the way Doyle touched-stoned on this theme. Creating awareness and exploring the multi-facets of depression and grief.
‘Your mother has a warrior’s heart and an islander’s soul. Someday it will lead Evelyn McCauley home. Someday that sky will clear.’
‘There are many different kinds of bravery, Fionn. Often the journeys we take inside ourselves are more difficult than the stormiest seas.’
Doyle’s writing style was like a warm bath that I felt myself sinking deeper into. It reminded me of the stories I was read to as a child. From marmalade toast and tea to the wickers of candlelight, there is a sense of comfort embedded into the sentences.
‘Fionn couldn’t remember his grandmother but his mother said she smelled like roses and smiled like sunshine, spoke like a poet and laughed like a pirate.’
The weather becomes its own character and identity – shifting in almost parallel with Fionn and his grandfather’s emotions.
‘He was standing on the edge of a headland with the clouds gathering in his outstretched hands and the wind wreathing his body. He felt the sea rushing through his veins, leaving salt crystals in the lining of his heart.’
In the atmosphere and Fionn's character development, there is a sense of abandonment and confusion at the beginning (compared to the sense of feeling found and finding courage at the end.) At the point of climax, this return to the original feeling becomes prominent as Fionn explores the possible loss of two people in his life. One already lost, unsure why. And another soon to be lost, slipping through his fingers. It was this grief and fear of letting go, that I found truly harrowing. My heart strings are pulling just thinking about it.
‘You’ll be brave now, won’t you, Fionn? I need you to be brave for what’s to come.’
But in between these moments of darkness, there is a sense of hope…
‘That is your greatest responsibility. To live a life of breathless wonder, so that when it begins to fade from you, you will feel the shadow of its happiness still inside you and the blissful sense that you laughed the loudest, loved the deepest, and lived fearlessly, even as the specifics of it all meltaway.’
‘Somewhere in the distance, a lone crow weaved its caw between the sinking clouds. “The sky is falling,” said Fionn. “The sun will break through again,” his grandfather replied, and there was much more in those two sentences than there had been in everything else that came before them.’
And light-hearted humour where I found myself giggling out loud…
‘A flock of seagulls swooped over their heads and flew out to sea. They circled the ferry as it trundled its way into port. The horn sounded. Fionn winced. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that sound.” “It sounds a bit like a dying cow, doesn’t it?” said Tara.
The world of Arranmore sounds like a dream; a coastal island, wildflowers among the hills, secret caves, whispering trees that grant wishes and stormy weather. I adored the idea of travelling by candlelight. And I loved learning about the history of Storm Keepers - the generations that had come beforehand and the rivalry and challenges that tie into the present moment of the book. Which becomes evident within the characters of those who live in the village – a tight-knit community where everyone knows each other.
(Doyle makes similarities to her own experiences growing up in Arranmore Island – where ‘everybody is your cousin and seems to invite you round for dinner.’)
Doyle also ties in folkloric myth – Morgana and Dagda – the battle on the sea. A cape of souls and a staff of magic. I loved the way she tied in an old tale but in a completely inventive way. The notion of darkness brewing beneath the ground of the Island, ready to be awakened once more, left me unsettled throughout the book as I was reading. Which added another layer of beauty. A story within a story within a story. My favourite kind of tales – intelligent plotting and weaving. Where even a crumb has a ripple effect – the past, present and future become one.
(Quick note; Doyle mentioned how her previous books had been head books and this was her heart book. Gosh I hope she continues to write from her heart!)
I think a great book will make you question the very ground you walk on – like a magical wardrobe, a faraway tree, and a letter to a wizarding school. And after reading this story, I am dying to listen to the wind and decode its whispers.
The Storm Keeper’s Island has left a soft place within my heart. Its imprint will linger for a long time to come and is certainly one of my new favourite books. I cannot wait to read more from Doyle within this world!
‘For now though, the island let the boy sleep, dulling the wind and silencing the seagulls so that he might find peace in the safety of his dreams. For a little while at least.’
I knew from the first line of The Storm Keeper’s Island, that I would fall under the tide of its tale. Doyle crafts a magical, whimsical, beautiful story. The cracks between sentences are filled with hope and wishes. The atmosphere is soaked with the sea. There is a beautiful balance between humour and darkness, wisdom and adventure. It reads like an old folkloric tale made new.
‘As long as it happened before on Arranmore Island, it can happen again.’
Fionn and his sister sail across the sea on a ferry to Arranmore Island. They are swept away from their comfortable city streets and thrust into the care of their grandfather. Among a crumbled cottage and a nosy village, he rediscovers his home and heritage whilst taking on an unexpected responsibility to wield magic. But a darkness is brewing - an evil ancient being beneath the ground. More than just the exterior plot, however, it carries an emotional depth throughout. As Fionn not only learns to navigate his new surroundings but also learns how to deal with grief and loss.
I loved the way Doyle touched-stoned on this theme. Creating awareness and exploring the multi-facets of depression and grief.
‘Your mother has a warrior’s heart and an islander’s soul. Someday it will lead Evelyn McCauley home. Someday that sky will clear.’
‘There are many different kinds of bravery, Fionn. Often the journeys we take inside ourselves are more difficult than the stormiest seas.’
Doyle’s writing style was like a warm bath that I felt myself sinking deeper into. It reminded me of the stories I was read to as a child. From marmalade toast and tea to the wickers of candlelight, there is a sense of comfort embedded into the sentences.
‘Fionn couldn’t remember his grandmother but his mother said she smelled like roses and smiled like sunshine, spoke like a poet and laughed like a pirate.’
The weather becomes its own character and identity – shifting in almost parallel with Fionn and his grandfather’s emotions.
‘He was standing on the edge of a headland with the clouds gathering in his outstretched hands and the wind wreathing his body. He felt the sea rushing through his veins, leaving salt crystals in the lining of his heart.’
In the atmosphere and Fionn's character development, there is a sense of abandonment and confusion at the beginning (compared to the sense of feeling found and finding courage at the end.) At the point of climax, this return to the original feeling becomes prominent as Fionn explores the possible loss of two people in his life. One already lost, unsure why. And another soon to be lost, slipping through his fingers. It was this grief and fear of letting go, that I found truly harrowing. My heart strings are pulling just thinking about it.
‘You’ll be brave now, won’t you, Fionn? I need you to be brave for what’s to come.’
But in between these moments of darkness, there is a sense of hope…
‘That is your greatest responsibility. To live a life of breathless wonder, so that when it begins to fade from you, you will feel the shadow of its happiness still inside you and the blissful sense that you laughed the loudest, loved the deepest, and lived fearlessly, even as the specifics of it all meltaway.’
‘Somewhere in the distance, a lone crow weaved its caw between the sinking clouds. “The sky is falling,” said Fionn. “The sun will break through again,” his grandfather replied, and there was much more in those two sentences than there had been in everything else that came before them.’
And light-hearted humour where I found myself giggling out loud…
‘A flock of seagulls swooped over their heads and flew out to sea. They circled the ferry as it trundled its way into port. The horn sounded. Fionn winced. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that sound.” “It sounds a bit like a dying cow, doesn’t it?” said Tara.
The world of Arranmore sounds like a dream; a coastal island, wildflowers among the hills, secret caves, whispering trees that grant wishes and stormy weather. I adored the idea of travelling by candlelight. And I loved learning about the history of Storm Keepers - the generations that had come beforehand and the rivalry and challenges that tie into the present moment of the book. Which becomes evident within the characters of those who live in the village – a tight-knit community where everyone knows each other.
(Doyle makes similarities to her own experiences growing up in Arranmore Island – where ‘everybody is your cousin and seems to invite you round for dinner.’)
Doyle also ties in folkloric myth – Morgana and Dagda – the battle on the sea. A cape of souls and a staff of magic. I loved the way she tied in an old tale but in a completely inventive way. The notion of darkness brewing beneath the ground of the Island, ready to be awakened once more, left me unsettled throughout the book as I was reading. Which added another layer of beauty. A story within a story within a story. My favourite kind of tales – intelligent plotting and weaving. Where even a crumb has a ripple effect – the past, present and future become one.
(Quick note; Doyle mentioned how her previous books had been head books and this was her heart book. Gosh I hope she continues to write from her heart!)
I think a great book will make you question the very ground you walk on – like a magical wardrobe, a faraway tree, and a letter to a wizarding school. And after reading this story, I am dying to listen to the wind and decode its whispers.
The Storm Keeper’s Island has left a soft place within my heart. Its imprint will linger for a long time to come and is certainly one of my new favourite books. I cannot wait to read more from Doyle within this world!
‘For now though, the island let the boy sleep, dulling the wind and silencing the seagulls so that he might find peace in the safety of his dreams. For a little while at least.’