Rate this book

Islands At The End Of The World (2014)

by Austin Aslan(Favorite Author)

3.74 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1306965055 (ISBN13: 9781306965057)

languge

English

genre

Science Fiction

publisher

Wendy Lamb Books

review 1: What a stunner! I picked this up totally on a whim on the New YA shelf at the library, and am I ever glad I did!!I don't want to get into the details of this story too much, as I think it reads better when you don't have a clue what's really going on. So suffice it to say that Leilani is a teenaged girl who travels with her father from the Big Island to Oahu in order to try a new medication for her epilepsy. Being half white and half Hawaiian, she feels as though she never fits in, and she despairs of ever finding her place in the world. While in Honolulu, the world ends. All the electronics stop working, there's no communication between the islands, let alone the rest of the world, and no one has any clue what is really going on. Leilani and her dad need to figure o... moreut not only how to make their way home when all routes are shut down, but also what has caused this terrible blackout. Will they make it?!I have to say, the writing in this is AMAZING. I could not put the darn thing down. I just kept devouring page after page after page. And it's quite refreshing to read a book with a teenaged female protagonist whose every thought *isn't* about the next hot guy she meets. Lei does show interest in some handsome boys, but, as you'd expect, she focuses more on survival than on romance. I give Aslan two huge thumbs up for this.It was also fascinating to see how Aslan wove in the traditional beliefs and legends of the Hawaiian people. It was done so seamlessly that the reader doesn't really miss the main plot line, and it's so refreshing to learn something new while also being highly entertained. You could almost hear Lei and her grandfather intoning the prayer chants. One is quite surprised to find that Aslan himself doesn't seem to be a native Hawaiian; he does that great a job of bringing the old traditions to life. Aslan's description of his post-apocalyptic world is also quite realistic, I believe. Perhaps some folks would be put off by the almost paranormal turn of events, but I'm a sucker for that sort of thing, so it worked for me.I highly recommend this book if you want to get seriously lost in a book that will take your breath away with its non-stop action. Very well done, Mr Aslan!!!!
review 2: well this was not what I expected, it was engaging to read about Hawaiian life and culture so easily connected to the story of Leilani who has just discovered she has epilepsy. But it quickly moves into high gear mode with a mysterious and strange cloud affecting the internet, communication and electronic networks. All of a sudden the world is disintegrating as people become trapped in various places and so begins fight for survival.The disbelief Leilani and her father show increases as the changes happening around them become more and more desperate and all of a sudden they are fighting to get back to the rest of their family. There is more mystery as it seems Leilani has the ability to communicate in new ways because of her epilepsy. The characters are real even in the situations they are in and the reflection Leilani goes through as things deteriorate even more is believable and touches very realistically on understanding both her Hawaiian cultural beliefs and her father's theistic beliefs. a very good read... less

Download links for: Islands at the End of the World

Advertising