Island of Shipwrecks: The Unwanteds, Book 5
By Patricia Tauzer,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Danger looms in action-packed island adventure.
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Based on 1 parent review
Great book, great series
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What's the Story?
After a mysterious hurricane shipwrecks them on an equally mysterious, desolate island, Alex and his Artimean crew seem desperately lost. Their ship is bashed nearly to bits, crew members injured, and supplies low. But they have one another, the willingness to pool their ingenuity, a wavering but not lost sense of hope, and their magic. What, and whom, they find on the island adds an inventive twist to the plot: three ancient scientists, a nonfunctional travel tube back to Artime, and magical medicine with definite side effects. Meanwhile, back on their home island, the Quillens threaten new dangers. High priest Aaron is discovering his own magical powers, though whether they'll help or hinder him is questionable. Other evil forces (a scarred general bent on revenge and a twisted magician lusting for power) are at work, and who's on whose side is no longer clear. By the time Alex and the crew get back home, the island's in an uproar; Artime is in the hands of a new, even more evil threat; and all appears lost. Gondoleery has grabbed Alex's power, thrusting him into the hands of pirates who sent him crashing into the Island of Shipwrecks. Alex's people are injured, his friends lost, and ice covers the land. But the Artimeans pull together, use magic and creative ingenuity to counteract evil and regain control. Unable to enjoy the victory, Alex feels a pain in his side: His twin Aaron is in danger, dying. Alex leaves his island and his people behind and heads back into danger "in search of the broken half of his soul."
Is It Any Good?
This definitely another page-turner; as in Lisa McMann's other four books in the Unwanted series, adventure and fast-paced action is nonstop. And it's sprinkled with just enough friendship, self-doubt, humor, magic, and creative detail that kids will have a hard time putting it down. The story's imaginative, the problems complex, and the solutions fantastic though believable.
The characters, especially those on Artime, seem real, too. Many of them have been in all five books, and even though they grow and change with the passage of time and experience, they remain believably consistent. Readers immersed in the series know what to expect from each of them, and that makes the fantasy all the more enthralling. Also, McMann has a knack for creating just enough intrigue at the end of each chapter, and at the end of each book, to keep the reader wanting more. Two more books are promised in this series, though it's hard to imagine that seven will be enough to satisfy most fans.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about dystopian novels. Why are they so popular? What others have you read, and how is the Unwanteds series different or similar?
How does the author make the Artimeans' imaginative, magical solutions to their problems believable: for example, the magic carpet spell or the transportation spell?
Alex and Aaron are very different people, one is good and one evil. However, they have a special connection because they are twins. How has that affected the story? Why do you think the author made one the leader of Artime, and the other the leader of Quill? Why do you think the pain in Alex's side convinced him that Aaron was dying? Do you think Alex should have gone off alone to save his brother? Would you have done that? Can you think of other stories where twins had such a connection? What does it add to the complexity, and possibilities, of the story?
What do you think about the special powers that Florence, Simber, and Octavia have? How does their magic compare with the magic in the other books in the series?
Book Details
- Author: Lisa McMann
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models , Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Aladdin
- Publication date: February 3, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 464
- Available on: Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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