A review by abigailbat
Island's End by Padma Venkatraman
3.0
Uido has a vision of the strangers before they appear: magic men with boats that fly and strange sticks that cause fire. But Uido knows that these magic men could destroy the life she holds dear, the ways of the En-ge, people who have inhabited these islands for thousands of years. As an apprentice to the oko-jumu, spiritual leader of her tribe, she will have to figure out a way to protect her people, even as their magic entices more and more.
There's a good deal of adventure and I enjoyed learning about the ways of these island people (the En-ge are based on actual indigenous people who have lived on remote islands, shunning modern ways). Descriptions of island life are lush, including smells, sounds, and tastes. But I never felt truly connected with the main character. There's some distance there, even though the book's written in first person present.
I'd hand it to kids who enjoyed Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (for a strong female native islander protagonist) or Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver (for the mix of action and spiritual/mystical components) or maybe even Nation by Terry Pratcher (for the island setting, although Nation is aimed at a slightly older audience).
There's a good deal of adventure and I enjoyed learning about the ways of these island people (the En-ge are based on actual indigenous people who have lived on remote islands, shunning modern ways). Descriptions of island life are lush, including smells, sounds, and tastes. But I never felt truly connected with the main character. There's some distance there, even though the book's written in first person present.
I'd hand it to kids who enjoyed Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (for a strong female native islander protagonist) or Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver (for the mix of action and spiritual/mystical components) or maybe even Nation by Terry Pratcher (for the island setting, although Nation is aimed at a slightly older audience).