Common Sense Media Review
By Kate Pavao
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Shipwrecked siblings encounter more adventure on new island.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
FORBIDDEN PASSAGE finds the protagonists from Jeff Probst's Stranded series on a new, mysterious island, once again having to rely on their own skills, and one another, to find a way home. The new step-siblings -- reality-show fan Buzz, his "bossy" older-sister Vanessa, smart Jane, and her athletic older brother, Carter -- get swept away in a dinghy shortly after reuniting with their parents on Nowhere Island. They float to a new island, where they find a native population working hard to keep their home a secret (when the kids' parents fly overhead in a rescue plane, the Nakula people sweep the beach clean of their footsteps and cover their village with an intricate system of palm fronds). The only way to get to the other side of the island and have a chance to escape is to participate in a competition against the other Nakula tweens and teens called Raku Nau, where the winners end up on the other side of the island. The only rule of this competition? There are no rules.
Is It Any Good?
This new series starter is a good choice for kids who prefer fast-moving plots over well-written stories. The introduction of an indigenous people -- including bully Chizo and helpful loner Mima -- and their culture adds some interest and conflict, but watching these characters try to navigate the competition is really what will keep readers engaged.
Fans of Probst's first series will find Forbidden Passage follows a pretty similar formula: The siblings may fight with one another, but they're loyal and work to stay together as they move from nonstop adventure to adventure: Buzz and Jane search for vines to rescue Vanessa when she falls into a hole, Carter jumps after Buzz after he falls off a plateau into icy water, and the siblings even help break up a fight between Carter and the island's biggest bully, all as they try to win Raku Nau.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what they would do if stranded on an island. What skills would help you survive?
What do you think will happen next? Do you plan on reading the next book in the series?
Would you choose to participate in the Raku Nau competition with the Nukula kids? Or would you look for another way off the island?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Puffin
- Publication date : September 4, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 160
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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