Parents' Guide to

The Sandcastle Empire

By Michael Berry, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Action, head games in clever thriller with tropical twist.

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Kids say (2):

Boasting a killer setting and a strong set of diverse female characters, this near-future sci-fi thriller mixes physical action and mental head games. In The Sandcastle Empire, author Kayla Olson combines elements of Lost and The Maze Runner to raise the stakes and keep the level of suspense high. Eden and her companions are well defined and multifaceted. Nothing on Sanctuary Island is quite as it first seems, and the plot takes some exhilarating turns. The book sometimes feels a bit bloated, however, with Eden's interior monologue offering more extraneous detail than true insight. Nevertheless, The Sandcastle Empire is a clever, tricky adventure with a tropical twist.

Book Details

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