andrewrmart's review
1.0
Here are some words or phrases that have been improperly attributed to this book:
thrilling
tense
riveting
mesmerizing
a home run
great
very creepy
very moving
The trouble with writing a mystery novel is that the mystery you come up with has to be remotely interesting. Also, more than one single character involved in that mystery needs to be compelling. Somewhere along the line, those important points didn't get conveyed to the author. I wish I could keep this in my classroom library just for the beautiful cover, but I won't even be doing that.
thrilling
tense
riveting
mesmerizing
a home run
great
very creepy
very moving
The trouble with writing a mystery novel is that the mystery you come up with has to be remotely interesting. Also, more than one single character involved in that mystery needs to be compelling. Somewhere along the line, those important points didn't get conveyed to the author. I wish I could keep this in my classroom library just for the beautiful cover, but I won't even be doing that.
dessa's review
2.0
I really liked the plot summary on the inside cover, but I would have liked it more if David Mitchell wrote it.
froggylibrarian1's review
4.0
Wow, this book was something. In a way it reminded me of Kensuke's Kingdom but then again not so much. This book alternates between events that happen now - the death of Evan's father, the arrival of his grandfather Griff, and a mysterious book. The book tells the story of a Japaneses soldier stranded on an island, an American soldier also stranded on the island, and Evan's grandfather Griff. What really happened on the island that Griff doesn't want people to find out about?
With a mix of ghosts, zombies, war, and regret this was a really powerful book. I thoroughly enjoyed it except for the f-bombs. Because of the searing I will not have this in my library and I don't feel I can recommend it for MSBA but I would recommend it to young adult readers.
With a mix of ghosts, zombies, war, and regret this was a really powerful book. I thoroughly enjoyed it except for the f-bombs. Because of the searing I will not have this in my library and I don't feel I can recommend it for MSBA but I would recommend it to young adult readers.
l1brarygirl's review
5.0
really enjoyed. had some paranormal elements along with it being both historical and a mystery. had a good ending too.
"the truth is bigger than the stories people tell themselves and bigger than the lies they live with." pg. 310 -Griff
nerfherder86's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this historical/contemporary book, especially the audio version with excellent narration by Todd Haberkorn. He managed to sound like a Canadian teen boy, a 91-year old Marine veteran, and a young Japanese soldier in very distinct performances. The modern story is about Evan, who is dealing with the sudden death of his father and the arrival of his very gruff, very mysterious grandfather whom he's never before met (and whom his father called a murderer!). The historical story is a journal written by Oshiro, a Japanese soldier during World War II, telling how he survives all alone stranded on the deserted island he comes to call "Kokoro-jima," the Heart-Shaped Island. These two stories intertwine, as Evan reads the journal and becomes involved in Oshiro's trials, but also learns of the connections between his grandfather and Kokoro-jima. This book has many elements, all equally interesting: the action/adventure/survival story, a mystery, the historical World War II setting, and the contemporary teen coming to terms with grief, loss, trust and suspicion. There's also a cool supernatural element on the island!
bug5slug5andbook5's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0