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Searching... Monmouth Public Library | YA Fic Augarde, S. 2010 | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Ever since the floods came and washed the world away, survivors have been desperate to win a place on X-Isle, the island where life is rumored to be easier than on what's left of the mainland. Only young boys stand a chance of getting in, the smaller and lighter the better. Baz and Ray are two of the lucky few to be chosen, but they soon discover that X-Isle is a far cry from paradise. Ruled by Preacher John, a dangerous religious fanatic, it's a violent, unpredictable place, where terrible things can happen at any moment. The boys hatch an extraordinary plan in order to protect themselves-the construction of a mighty weapon of defense. But can they complete this weapon in time, and are they really prepared to use it to secure their freedom?
Powerful and compelling, X-Isle is a fast-moving thriller and a great read for boys. Filled with suspense, fights, adventure, and mystery, this is a book that will keep you guessing right to the very end.
Author Notes
Steve Augarde was born in Birmingham, England, but spent most of his life in the West Country, working as an illustrator, paper engineer, and semi-pro jazz musician. He has written and illustrated over 70 picture books for younger children and has produced the paper engineering for many pop-up books, including those by other artists-as well as providing the artwork and music for two animated BBC television series. His first book for older children, The Various , won a Smarties Silver Award in 2003. Steve is married, with two daughters, and lives in Yorkshire.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-A catastrophic flood has covered the world, leaving most of human civilization underwater. Life on the mainland is so hard that survivors compete to have their young sons taken away to an offshore island. It is rumored that on this island, used as a base for divers who scavenge underwater warehouses, the chosen boys must work for their keep but are safe and well fed. However, when Baz's father manages to win him passage with a valuable bribe, Baz finds that island conditions are much worse than he expected. He and the other boys live in a single filthy room. They are worked to the point of exhaustion, barely fed, and sometimes tortured. Preacher John, the island's leader and a self-appointed prophet, begins to use his Sunday sermons to suggest that God demands human sacrifice to make the flood waters recede. The boys' lives may be in danger, and they slowly begin to formulate a plan to turn the tables on their oppressors. A last-minute plot twist, though heavily foreshadowed, isn't quite worked through. But readers looking for grit, suspense, and a good underdog story will find much here to enjoy.-Hayden Bass, Seattle Public Library, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Two years after floods have drowned most of the world, Baz's best hope for survival is to bargain for passage to Eck's Isle-nicknamed X Isle-a former school where it's rumored boys get three meals a day and a safe bed in exchange for work. But in reality, the boys are forced to compete for food, the "capos" supervising them are brutal, the Eck brothers tyrannical, and the leader, Preacher John, a madman. When boys start dying, the survivors realize they must make terrible choices-and take even worse risks-to have any chance of surviving long enough to regain their freedom. Augarde's near-future apocalyptic world is gruesomely hardscrabble without being overly graphic. It edges to the brink of Lord of the Flies territory but Augarde (the Touchstone Trilogy) never fails to display the boys' humanity, even during the most inhuman of moments. The story turns nerve-wracking when the boys set their freedom plan in motion, and it doesn't duck the moral consequences of their actions. A gripping tale of fighting for the slenderest chance of hope. Ages 12-up. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
After the world floods, X Isle is supposed to be a refuge for the young men chosen to go there. Baz and Ray's delight over being picked quickly changes to horror when they realize that the island is a forced labor camp run by a madman. The characters are well realized, and issues of starvation, murder, and camaraderie heighten tension. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
In a devastated future world, two boys struggle to survive a brutal, bizarre existence on X-Isle. Two years after the "floods came and washed the world away," Baz leaves his Dad on the mainland when he wins a coveted place as a laborer on X-Isle, a mysterious salvage operation isolated on high ground. En route, Baz is drawn to Ray, a small, smart and steely boy. Both expect to work hard in exchange for food, shelter and clothing. Neither is prepared for the abusive climate they encounter as captives of Preacher John, a religious fanatic convinced the floods are a punishment demanding biblical sacrifice. Treated like dogs, the boys eventually band together with fellow captives, devise an ingenious bomb and are forced to make life-or-death decisions. In this dangerous, dicey and displaced world tainted by evil men and base instincts, the surviving boys of X-Isle foster hope in a surprising conclusion. A powerful, disturbing story laced with quirky, memorable characters and fast-paced masculine action and interactionperfect for male teens. (Science fiction. 12 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Following a cataclysmic flood, the few people left on the mainland struggle to survive. Parents offer gifts to get their sons to Ecks' Island; this seems to be their only chance for a future. Only a few are chosen, and Baz and Ray are the last. When they reach the island, what they find is not a bright future but a nightmare. They learn that the unofficial name of the island, X-Isle, is true on several levels: hard labor, hunger, fear, distrust, and submission are the norm. Baz and Ray become catalysts for change they encourage cooperation, ingenuity, and trust among the boys as they seek ways to overthrow the fanatic Preacher John and his cruel sons. Futuristic in its setting, this is a thrilling story of survival, with twists and turns enough to keep readers engaged and waiting for a sequel. First published in the UK in 2009, Augarde's story joins other similarly themed fantasies, including Marcus Sedgwick's Floodland (2001) and Julie Bertagna's Exodus (2008).--Petty, J. B. Copyright 2010 Booklist