The Islands at the End of the World
age 12+
Strong heroine, spirituality anchor gripping eco-thriller.
- By Austin Aslan
- Genre: Fantasy
- Release Year: 2014
What parents need to know
Educational value
Positive role models
Violence
Sex
Language
Consumerism
Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Islands at the End of the World is a haunting eco-thriller that explores humanity's savage side when people are isolated and frightened. Simmering ethnic resentment leads to brutal executions by roving gangs, and power-hungry people seize the opportunity to bully their way to the top of the heap. Lei and her father are nearly killed several times as the islands plunge into chaos, and they witness shootings and dead bodies. Father and daughter reluctantly resort to underhanded means -- including stealing and wielding a weapon -- for self-preservation. That said, there are touching moments of humanity, particularly Lei's encounter with a guard at a camp and a spiritual leader trying to help his community meet the challenges of a tech-free world with generosity, compassion, and faith. Spirituality is a strong thread, mingling both Christian tenets and traditional Hawaiian beliefs. Lei's dad talks her into trying pot as a respite during their arduous journey. Some stress-induced cursing includes "a--hole," "son of a bitch," "damned," "hell," "Christ," and "goddammit." There's a planned sequel, The Girl at the Center of the World.
User reviews
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Kids say
What's the story?
Sixteen-year-old Leilani is half-white, half-Hawaiian, and a relative newcomer to the Big Island, but she feels rooted there. Her classmates, however, disdainfully regard her as an outsider -- and it doesn't help that she's prone to epileptic seizures. But when she and her dad are stranded on Oahu after a mysterious global power outage, their mixed heritage has even more troubling ramifications: As resources dwindle, some locals begin hunting down non-natives. Lei and her father escape a military camp and dodge arrows, dogs, and bullets on a desperate journey across the islands toward home. Along the way, Lei realizes that her strange, dreamlike seizures may be tied to the global crisis -- and she just might be the one person who can save the world.
Is it any good?
QUALITY
THE ISLANDS AT THE END OF THE WORLD is a riveting, beautifully written first novel by Austin Aslan. His background in biology and geography and his passion for Hawaii’s history and traditions transform this from just another apocalyptic fantasy into a nuanced meditation on our relationship with our history, our present, and our future on this planet. Lei is a terrific heroine: She seems an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances, but her compassion and desire for normalcy help her surmount daunting obstacles. The relationship between father and daughter is touching and authentic. The violence is often startling and sometimes gruesome, and the collapse of civility seems frighteningly realistic.
Aslan brews a satisfying mystery by pulling together bits of Hawaiian mythology and Christian beliefs, a splash of science fiction, and a few classic apocalyptic scenarios, all grounded in ecology. Setting the story in Hawaii is convenient -- what place could be more cut off from the rest of the globe? But Aslan takes it much further, letting Hawaii's complexities serve as a microcosm of the larger world. It's an intriguing tale for anyone who loves the Hawaiian Islands -- but it might be best to read it after your holiday in paradise.
Families can talk about...
Families can talk about the popularity of apocalyptic tales. Why are end-of-the-world scenarios so enduring as a dramatic setup?
Hawaii is romanticized and idealized as a paradise. Does this book change the way you view the Islands and the people who live there?
How do you think your community would react to a crisis like the one in The Islands at the End of the World? Would the balance of power change?
Book details
| Author: | Austin Aslan |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Topics: | Magic and fantasy, Adventures, Great girl role models, History, Science and nature, Space and aliens |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Publisher: | Wendy Lamb |
| Publication date: | August 5, 2014 |
| Number of pages: | 384 |
| Available on: | Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle |
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
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Good Book
WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. Leilani, the main character, would do anything to get her father and herself back home to her family, after all electronics and circuits go out. With nuclear meltdowns and power outages across the globe, all of Hawaii is lawless: shootings, drugs, stealing, and murder. Contains lots of information about Hawaiian culture and very positive characters. Also contains light swearing, such as b--ch and damn. Violence includes fires, shootings, murder, and tsunamis. Overall a great book.
What other families should know
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Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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