Author: MA Bennett

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Price: £7.99

ISBN:  9781471407536

Described as a modern take on Lord of the Flies and also carrying echoes of the cult teen film The Breakfast Club, Bennett’s second young adult novel The Island comes with a hefty raft of expectations - and it does not disappoint.

American-born Link, home-schooled son of hippyish academic parents and self-confessed geek, is relocated to Oxford where he becomes a pupil at the exclusive and traditional (and surely at least a little satirical) Osney School. Sporting prowess is the only talent valued by pupils and staff alike, and Link’s lack in this department immediately marks him out as a target for appalling victimisation by those at the top of the school’s hierarchy. After several years of suffering, his parents agree that he can leave if he just attends the school’s summer camp first, but the plane crashes and he is marooned on an island with six of his tormentors. Now Link’s skills offer the best chance of survival and a new-found power. What will this mean for the group, and is the island really what it seems?

This is a gripping and twisty thriller that also covers some important issues in a thoughtful but very enjoyable way. The treatment endured by Link at school is recounted with dry wit, but the humour accentuates the pain and humiliation of being bullied. On the island, some of the reasons for the tyrannical behaviour of the elite are revealed, but there are no easy answers and it becomes clear that there will always be leaders and followers in any society. Questions about class, gender and cultural preconceptions, how we can be blinded by beauty and shaped by social pressures, all arise along the way, adding depth to the story without becoming too didactic. An island that is definitely worth a visit.

Jackie Murrell is the librarian at Bromley High School.

Pupil reviews: ‘Unexpected, clever and well thought out’

Overall I really enjoyed this book, I thought the plot was interesting and the twist at the end was unexpected, clever and well thought out. As well as liking the plot of the story, I also liked the characters in it. I thought it was really perceptive how the power roles completely changed from when they were at Osney, where everything revolved around sports, to when they were on Lincoln island, where everything revolved around intelligence and survival.

What I liked about my favourite character, Ralph Turk, was that his whole persona of being a delinquent was just an act. He talked in slang, was a drug dealer, got into fights and was constantly misbehaving, but in real life he was really good at chemistry and, as shown on the island, he was capable of being well spoken. I think he hid behind this fake front at school because while he was friends with Sebastian Loam, it was the only way to get the attention of his peers.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an interesting novel that is difficult to put down. It keeps you engaged until the end. I found it fascinating to see how dramatically behaviour and personalities changed in different situations. It also has something in it for everyone, so whether you like mystery, romance or comedy it is worth a read.       

Abigail, aged 13

I thought that The Island had a very interesting twist to the plot and I really liked how everything that Link read became useful when they had to survive on the island. However, I also thought that Link’s personality really changed when they ended up on the island as he became very oppressive and forceful. This was meant to be him getting revenge on his bullies but actually, in the end, I thought he got a little too obsessed with it. I also found that the way Link got his revenge was to a degree that was very harsh, as some of his bullies opened up to him eventually, but then he decided to threaten to tell everyone else about their secrets so that Link got his own way.

Overall, my favourite character was Flora, as she was a neutral person in the story and she was also kind to Link on the first day - when nobody else was bothered too.

Ayano, aged 13

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