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A review by shieldbearer
Survival (Island II): Survival by Gordon Korman
4.0
Island: Survival is another engaging, easy-to-read installment in Korman's Island trilogy. After the events of the previous book- six teens on a character-building journey on a sailing program known as Charting A New Course to avoid juvenile hall or to deal with other problems in their lives. Naturally, things go wrong and at the end of the last book- after a grueling experience floaing adrift in the ocean- the kids finally make their way to a deserted, uncharted island somewhere in the South Pacific. Gordon balances the characterizations of the six children really well. The story never feels crowded and it's not confusing to tell the different characters apart.
Korman excels at allowing his characters to feel and their backstories have actual weight on their thoughts and their actions, instead of just lingering out of sight to be summoned forth when the character has a moment to angst. They also affect a character's development and maturation as the story goes on- particularly in the case of JJ.
Evenmoreso than in the previous installment, personal responsibility is an ongoing theme in this novel. Every character is, in some way or another, responsible for the reason they were sent to CNC in the first place even if it is no fault of their own. Luke trusted the wrong person, Charla couldn't slow down, Will and Lyssa couldn't get along, Ian couldn't tear himself away from his technology, and JJ went too far in his attempts to get his father's attention and love. However, most of the characters begin turning these weaknesses into strengths. Charla's physical prowess allows her to fish without any tools, Will and Lyssa begin to mend and Ian has accumulated a lot of knowledge from browsing the internet and watching the Discovery Channel. However, JJ refuses to believe that any of this is real and thinks that the CNC is watching from hidden cameras- and that they will come and save them any day now. As a result, he contributes as little as possible to the daily chores on the island.
Korman knows how to escalate situations without making it seemed forced or cheesy, and even when there's no action or violence, he keeps things interesting with understanding of character dynamics. He knows how to keep everyone sympathetic to the reader while still allowing tension to build between the characters. JJ and Luke butt heads a lot, understandably because of their very different backgrounds and the current dynamics of the group.
Korman excels at allowing his characters to feel and their backstories have actual weight on their thoughts and their actions, instead of just lingering out of sight to be summoned forth when the character has a moment to angst. They also affect a character's development and maturation as the story goes on- particularly in the case of JJ.
Evenmoreso than in the previous installment, personal responsibility is an ongoing theme in this novel. Every character is, in some way or another, responsible for the reason they were sent to CNC in the first place even if it is no fault of their own. Luke trusted the wrong person, Charla couldn't slow down, Will and Lyssa couldn't get along, Ian couldn't tear himself away from his technology, and JJ went too far in his attempts to get his father's attention and love. However, most of the characters begin turning these weaknesses into strengths. Charla's physical prowess allows her to fish without any tools, Will and Lyssa begin to mend and Ian has accumulated a lot of knowledge from browsing the internet and watching the Discovery Channel. However, JJ refuses to believe that any of this is real and thinks that the CNC is watching from hidden cameras- and that they will come and save them any day now. As a result, he contributes as little as possible to the daily chores on the island.
Korman knows how to escalate situations without making it seemed forced or cheesy, and even when there's no action or violence, he keeps things interesting with understanding of character dynamics. He knows how to keep everyone sympathetic to the reader while still allowing tension to build between the characters. JJ and Luke butt heads a lot, understandably because of their very different backgrounds and the current dynamics of the group.