A group of very different teenagers get stuck on an island after a plane crash. The book follows Link, a self-proclaimed nerd who is bad at sport and bullied at school as he takes power over the island and other teens.
The writing wasn't bad in general- my issue lies with the plot and characters. It had great potential but... hm. It was predictable and drawn out. Itwas so frustrating.
All the characters were unlikable- particularly Link. He was horrible and a misogynist who constantly went on about how he's a nerd and oh so different from the boys who play sport! He reads books! So different!
I get that this book isn't going to be entirely realistic but a school that bases its treatment of students on who's good at sport? It was hard to enjoy this when it was so absurd. I feel like Bennett subverted from the seriousness of bullying. None of the characters terrible actions had big consequences and all the characters got redeemed. And in the epilogue Flora gets with Link after he starved her for not 'performing' for him? Whaaatt.
This trope of teens-stuck-on-an-island has been attempted so many times before. This book didn't particularly stick out from all of them.
In conclusion... it was fine.
The writing wasn't bad in general- my issue lies with the plot and characters. It had great potential but... hm. It was predictable and drawn out. Itwas so frustrating.
All the characters were unlikable- particularly Link. He was horrible and a misogynist who constantly went on about how he's a nerd and oh so different from the boys who play sport! He reads books! So different!
I get that this book isn't going to be entirely realistic but a school that bases its treatment of students on who's good at sport? It was hard to enjoy this when it was so absurd. I feel like Bennett subverted from the seriousness of bullying. None of the characters terrible actions had big consequences and all the characters got redeemed. And in the epilogue Flora gets with Link after he starved her for not 'performing' for him? Whaaatt.
This trope of teens-stuck-on-an-island has been attempted so many times before. This book didn't particularly stick out from all of them.
In conclusion... it was fine.