Fighting to Survive in a Flooded World

X Isle by Steve Augarde

In the not-so-distant future, climate change has taken over and the earth has been submerged, oceans covering the majority of land on Earth. The survivors are few and struggling, trying to live with limited resources and virtually no technology. There is one beacon of hope: Eck's Island. Jokingly renamed X Isle, it is a place where a select few--young boys only--are taken to work and, as payment, are properly fed and cared for by the divers and salvagers who hire them.

When Baz is selected to board the Eck brothers' boat, it seems like a dream come true. Along with Ray, another recruit, Baz excitedly awaits their arrival, only to realize that their paradise is tainted, not the safe haven they were promised. Clustered in disgusting conditions and forced to work on little food at exhaustive tasks, they take physical and mental abuse daily from their so-called saviors. Baz and Ray protect one another as best they can, and soon they bond with the other boys, trying to survive the brutal labor and the crazy sermons of "Preacher John," the Eck's father and manager of the salvage operation they run. As tempers rise and Preacher John's religious declarations of the apocalypse escalate, the boys realize they're in a dangerous game of survival, and they must plot a way to either escape or be the last ones standing.

X Isle is yet another future interpretation of our world in which the adults have made a mess of things and kids are the only ones who can figure it all out. If you enjoyed The Maze Runner and The Hunger Games, Augarde's close-to-home adventure will keep you up reading into the early hours.

Though a bit of a stretch at times, the story is compelling and detailed, a well described struggle for life as a small band of boys fights for food, self protection, and eventually their lives. With some incredible, emotionally tense scenes and crazy twists throughout, this post-apocalyptic thriller is a really good read. Strongly recommended for the dystopian, post-apocalyptic fan base—X Isle is a good bet when teen fans of the sub genre think they've run out of options.

-Jenny

Age 13+
Copyright July 2010

ISBN: 9780385751933

Available as an eBook

Image from www.goodreads.com