Review: The Island by Jen Minkman

What: The Island (The Island #1) by Jen Minkman

Who: Patchwork Press

When: June 1st 2013

How: A copy of this novel was provided on behalf of Patchwork Press via Net Galley.

‘I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.

Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers.

If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier – the Wall.
Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that’s what everyone says.
I have never seen one.’

Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason – they believe in illusions. That’s what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?

Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?

On the island is a wall. On one side of the wall live the elusive Fools; those who believe that people from the world beyond will come and save them. On the other side lives Leia, and her people. At the age of 10, all children are forced from their parents’ home to live with other children and teenagers in the manor. Their leader, Sol, reads from The Book; the only relic of their ancestors’ past. But things are changing; Leia has reason to believe that Sol has been lying to the children. And when she meets a Fool in the forest one night, her doubts are raised again. Is the history of her people true? Are the Fools actually the wise? Is there really a whole world out there? What is true, and what is false?

The concept of this book is amazing. To be honest, I was a little confused in the middle, I was left thinking: what on earth is going on? But eventually, everything is explained. And the explanation is somewhat sad, but also intriguing. I guess you have to read it to find out what I am talking about.

This novella was fast-paced, easy to read, and interesting. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the dystopian genre, although keep in mind that it is not strictly dystopian, and is a little bizarre (which I most definitely liked).

I felt that this novella could have been longer, and at some points was lacking descriptions, and left me wondering what Leia’s surroundings looked like. Details were left out, and I felt that I could have gotten to know the characters a little better, had it been longer. That being said, I was never left wanting for action, or feeling bored.

After finishing this novella, I started to think how other books in history have influenced the thinking of many people; regardless of the origin. It was interesting how this little book caused such thoughts.

I definitely liked how quirky this novella was, and I will definitely read more novels/novellas from Jen Minkman.

© 2013, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity. All rights reserved.