X-Isle

July 19, 2010
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.

June 15, 2010

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 interaction—perfect for male teens. (Science fiction. 12 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

August 1, 2010

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

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2010
Grades 7-10 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 changethey 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, Augardes story joins other similarly themed fantasies, including Marcus Sedgwicks Floodland (2001) and Julie Bertagnas Exodus (2008).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2011
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.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)