Review: The Island

The Island by M.A. Bennett
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

What a ridiculous book.

Check my updates - that word basically sums up my entire feelings towards this book: RIDICULOUS

The short version: Ostracised nerd Link is stranded on a deserted island with fellow schoolmate stereotypes. They must learn to work together to survive. There are a sh*t ton of pop culture references.

'People that are bullied aren't necessarily nice people, just because they're victims.'

That quote basically sums up the horror that follows. Link, who is bullied for three years by his classmates, turns into a total menace on the island. He's actually bummed his classmates survived and proceeds to use mind games to assert his domination over them. It's pretty messed up.

I honestly didn't like any of these characters, and the whole thing is just so far-fetched. Firstly, all the stuff at the school. Totally unbelievable that students would be treated in such a manner. It was so exaggeratedly absurd that I was rolling my eyes from the start. How am I supposed to feel sympathy when I just don't see any of this stuff actually happening? Bullying is a very real problem and I feel like this book really undermined the seriousness of it. Then for Link to become an absolute tyrant on the island just seemed too much. I hated the way he thought, and acted, and treated everyone. When we were giving redeeming qualities, they were too little, too late.

Then you get to the actual idea of these kids being stranded on a deserted island. Except no one remembers the crash, no one has shoes, and a whole ton of stuff doesn't add up. I was so bothered by stuff these kids didn't even think twice about. Idiots, the lot of them.

Also, this scrawny, non-athletic kid gets muscles after like three weeks? On a diet of fish and goat? PLEASE. Dude didn't even lift.

The whole overlying theme of this 'Deserted Discs' business did nothing for me, because I've never heard of it. I know maybe a handful of the songs mentioned. Maybe that will be more interesting for English people. *shrugs*

The one thing I did love was the book references, particularly the devotion to The Count of Monte Cristo, which is of course written by my favourite author of all time. But I gotta say, watch out for spoilers because this book has now ruined The Mysterious Island for me. There's a ton of references to books that involve islands, obviously, and the natural reference to The Breakfast Club, and a ton of music references ... it's all about that pop culture. It pokes fun at itself with continual references to Lord of the Flies. But ultimately it fails to be anywhere near as intelligent as all the books it references. It's just too strange and unbelievable.

Sigh. It wasn't terrible writing, it was just a really weak story. The idea is interesting but it went in strange directions and I just never got into the groove. Overall, it was just kind of disappointing.

If you're expecting any of the things the blurb brings to mind (Lord of the Flies, Breakfast Club, Gilligan's Island, etc.) then you're likely to be disappointed. I'd say the key to enjoying this one is low expectations.

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