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    Orphan Island
    Orphan Island
    Orphan Island
    Audiobook7 hours

    Orphan Island

    Written by Laurel Snyder

    Narrated by Kim Mai Guest

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    A National Book Award Longlist title!

    ""A wondrous book, wise and wild and deeply true."" —Kelly Barnhill, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon

    ""This is one of those books that haunts you long after you read it. Thought-provoking and magical."" —Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series

    In the tradition of modern-day classics like Sara Pennypacker's Pax and Lois Lowry's The Giver comes a deep, compelling, heartbreaking, and completely one-of-a-kind novel about nine children who live on a mysterious island.

    On the island, everything is perfect. The sun rises in a sky filled with dancing shapes; the wind, water, and trees shelter and protect those who live there; when the nine children go to sleep in their cabins, it is with full stomachs and joy in their hearts.

    And only one thing ever changes: on that day, each year, when a boat appears from the mist upon the ocean carrying one young child to join them—and taking the eldest one away, never to be seen again.

    Today’s Changing is no different. The boat arrives, taking away Jinny’s best friend, Deen, replacing him with a new little girl named Ess, and leaving Jinny as the new Elder. Jinny knows her responsibility now—to teach Ess everything she needs to know about the island, to keep things as they’ve always been.

    But will she be ready for the inevitable day when the boat will come back—and take her away forever from the only home she’s known?

    ""A unique and compelling story about nine children who live with no adults on a mysterious island. Anyone who has ever been scared of leaving their family will love this book"" (from the Brightly.com review, which named Orphan Island a best book of 2017).

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMay 30, 2017
    ISBN9780062698124
    Author

    Laurel Snyder

    Laurel Snyder is the beloved author of many picture books and novels for children, including National Book Award nominee Orphan Island, the Geisel Award winner Charlie & Mouse, and the Sydney Taylor Award winner The Longest Night. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, she teaches in Hamline University’s MFA in writing for children and young adults program. She lives in Atlanta with her family and can be found online at laurelsnyder.com.

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    Reviews for Orphan Island

    3.5/5

    131 ratings14 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I loved the first half of this book and then it swiftly took a downward turn after one pivotal event. Jinny is a very selfish character, that’s evident from the beginning of this book and she just continues to be selfish until something horrible happens and she learns the hard way that you cannot love life thinking only about yourself. The first half of this book was 5 stars, the second half was a 1 star read.
    • 3/5
      This book was very good!Kept me interested and I could not wait to finally found out what happened on the island! Then the end came.... and I was drastically disappointed I’m hoping there’s a part two
    • 4/5
      I would describe this book as softly real, bittersweet, and wise. A reflective piece of work with a great soul. I would definitely recommend it. It has meaningful character development, and is an interesting story and plot in general.
    • 1/5
      Our family did NOT like this book. It never seemed to go anywhere. Took place on a seemingly make-believe island, and then throws in some bizarre real-life experiences such as the main character starting her menstrual cycle! Just a poorly written, bizarre book in our opinions.
    • 5/5
      Orphan Island hit all the notes for a middle grade novel... but I felt like the real meanings behind this allegorical story were intended for adults.The setting is mysterious, and never explained. Nine children live on an island, with no adults. The ages are never stated, but clues suggest they must range from 4 to 13. Each year, a mysterious green boat shows up on the island, with a little child in it. The oldest child on the island, who is now 13, must get on the boat and allow it to take them away, into the mists of the sea, to an unknown future. On the island, everything is near perfect. Nature provides food, the animals they share the island with are safe. The island protects them.The new oldest child on the island becomes the "Elder" when the previous elder leaves in the boat. He or she is then takes on two responsibilities: teaching the next year's Elder what they need to do, and teaching their Care (the new 4 year old) everything that child needs to know. The island has been like this for many years.But when it is Jinny's turn to leave, she refuses. She loves the island, and she won't leave it. She pulls the boat up onto the shore, and takes over the training of the new child, as well as the one she was already responsible for.And then things start to go wrong. The safe animals become menacing. Food becomes more scarce. The weather becomes unpredictable. The world is falling apart, and Jinny knows it is her fault, because she refused to do what she had to do.The novel is about childhood. The island is like good parents are. Always protecting, teaching, and caring for the children on it. But around the age of 13, it is time to stop being a child all the time, and begin to take on more responsibilities. It is time to do things you don't want to do, but which you know you have to do. The bliss and wonder of childhood ends. When Jinny refuses to start growing up and doing what she has to do, everyone suffers. Few children really want to leave the safety and joy of childhood. Yet, it is one thing that we all must do.
    • 4/5
      This is a wonderful young adult book. The premise is that nine children live on an island. When a blue boat arrives, one member must leave, and another currently in the boat becomes a new member. When one of the group members refuses to leave when the boat comes for her, major changes occur on the island.
    • 5/5
      Unsettling in all the best ways.
    • 2/5
      The premise was wonderful. The ending? Not so much. No mystery solved. No questions answered. This had the potential to be a life-changing book. Instead, it seems the author simply ran out of steam. Disappointed.
    • 4/5
      Each year a boat arrives leaving a younger child to replace an older child who leaves the island forever.
    • 4/5
      Once a year, the boat comes to the island, bringing one orphan (the youngest) and taking one (the oldest) away. When Deen’s turn comes to leave, Jinny hates losing her best friend — but she hates even more the idea that next year, it will be her turn. As the time passes, she wonders: does she really have to go?I enjoyed this book, but I’m left with a lot of questions. Questions about what happens after the events of the book, and what happened before the events of the book. Questions about the island, its magic, and its connection to our world. I feel like there could be another book about the island and these characters, but I also suspect that there won’t be another book.If you like children’s books with some magic, ones that make you think, I recommend this one. Just don’t expect it to answer all of your questions!
    • 3/5
      The book jacket description made me so excited to read this book! And while I will not spoil anything, I will give a warning: the story itself is beautiful...but there are no answers for anything. No answers on how the orphans got there, why they are there, and where they go when they leave. If that kind of thing drives you crazy, just be prepared!
    • 2/5
      I thought I was going to love this book....and at first I did...until the end. Then I felt as though reading it had been a waste of my time.I loved the premise of the book...nine orphans on a deserted island. Each year, a new young orphan would arrive in a boat (from somewhere) and the eldest orphan would climb in the boat and leave. When the story begins, the boat has arrived, bringing a new child to the island and taking Jinny's best friend away. Now Jinny is the eldest and in charge of teaching this new child everything that she must know to survive. As Jinny grows closer to the day when the boat will arrive again, she begins questioning everything that she knows and trusts on the island.Without giving away the ending, let's just say that it's a big let down. All of the questions that Jinny has and the realizations that she uncovers about their lives on this island are never answered and the ending is just anticlimactic.
    • 5/5
      This book kept me on my toes. Just when I thought I had things figured out, author Laurel Snyder threw in a new twist. Who sent these nine kids to the island? Why can there only be nine kids at one time? Why are there certain rules to follow on the island and who created them? Why does the oldest child have to leave when a new child arrives? If you love mystery, suspense, science fiction, and fantasy, you will love ORPHAN ISLAND. I recommend this book for grades four and up.
    • 1/5
      This book began with such promise, and it sustained my interest for quite a while - then, it was repetitive, and trite, and really? boring Too bad - I would have loved it.