The Island by Jen Minkman: Review

Hi friends! I have another review for you guys, this time for The Shadow by Jen Minkman. I actually read this book about a week ago, but I've been to lazy to review it.

I suck as a blogger, I know. Hate emails are unnecessary.

YA Dystopian

Jen Minkman

Amazon Link

Publisher: Self
My Rating: 8/10

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.

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. 

"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?

If you are a real Serial Reader, you've seen the review for one of my first novellas ever. And you also know that I pretty much thought it sucked. In more or less words.

I was kind of apprehensive about reading about the Island, because I wasn't in the mood for another sucky book, no matter how short it was. Thankfully, the Island didn't suck at all. It was actually pretty good. 

For one, the Island reminded me of the Giver by Lois Lowry, except it was so much better. And this is why:

• The Island was easier to understand.
• The Island had better characters. 
• The Island was easier to "fall" into.

Catch the gist?

Unlike what I thought would happen, the Island started off with a good scene and never fell off that track. I was able to stay entertained the whole time.

Although the Island is not as long as traditional books, I was amazed at the story that fit into the length. Unlike the last novella I read, it didn't feel rushed, or like the story didn't have time to develop. I would've like more romantic aspects in the story, but I'm just used to the NA romances. 

The Island was highly entertaining. And it was nice to get a fresh taste of dystopian novels.

The only thing is I'm not sure about the Star Wars elements in the book. I think that kind of tainted the story.  

But overall I choose to keep the Island on my shelves.

And come see my review for Shadow of Time, also by Jen Minkman!

Goodreads Link

In My Mailbox Monday: #1

Mailbox Monday is meme where I talk about the books in my mailbox that I have yet to read. Today's book is Shadow of Time by Jen Minkman. Being a host for Reading Addiction Book Tours, I requested this book to review. So far I am on page...three, but only because I want to save the book to read on a road trip I am going on this week. Spring Break! Hiphiphoray!

All the windows down, WOOHOO!

Any. Who. This is the description for the book:

All Hannah needs is a nice and quiet vacation after her first year of teaching French at a high school. She joins her brother Ben for the summer in their mom’s log cabin in Arizona. There, she meets Josh again, Ben’s childhood friend from the Navajo reservation. The little boy from the rez has grown up fast, and Hannah can’t help but feeling more for him than just friendship. But fate apparently has something else in store for her. And it’s not peace and quiet. Night after night, Hannah is plagued by strange nightmares about the past of Navajo Nation and terrifying shadows chasing her. They seem to come closer – and why is Josh always present in her dreams? Sometimes, the past has a way of catching up with you.

And...this is the cover:

Cool, right? This will be the first indie published novel I've ever read! So please, stay tuned for a review. It won't take long to kill this book.

And be sure to check out Reading Addiction Book Tours to see the stops for this book tour!

How many books have you killed lately?