Sarah Robinson is deeply troubled in the wake of her dad's second marriage. She now has to deal with a new stepmom and two stepbrothers, Marco, who is her age, and Nacho, who's younger. Even though they've all moved from Texas to California to start life as a new, blended family, none of the kids seem remotely happy about it.
Sarah's dad and stepmom then decide to take the whole family on a special vacation in order to break the ice and have everyone get to know one another. They'll fly to Tahiti, charter a boat, and go sailing for a few days. It'll be an adventure, right?
Wrong. Dead wrong.
Shipwreck Island is the first installment in a series from S.A. Bodeen.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Bodeen Captured Me again!
By Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf
I don't know what it is about SA Bodeen's writing, but she captured me again. I generally have a really hard time losing myself in MG reads....but Shipwreck Island was definitely the exception to that rule. I was caught up by the first page and this book never let go. Great family dynamics and lots of intrigue, mystery and a touch of woowoo make this the perfect read. Whoever described this as a cross between Swiss Family Robinson and Lost got it spot on.The writing style and pacing are perfect, the dialogue realistic and believable. The plot keeps one interested and invested. What appears to be a simple story about blended families and learning to change and adapt becomes a mysterious story of survival where family lines are redrawn and new bonds are formed.My only complaint would be that the book was too short, but then I remind myself that it is MG and is probably the perfect length for the target audience. That said I am confident that anyone...male or female...middle grade to adult... would enjoy this one if adventure and mystery is your thing.Final Thoughts:I haven't loved a Middle Grade read in a long time and this one was so enjoyable. I can't wait to see what is in store for the family in book 2.Note: Review copy rcvd from Publisher, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.Great start to a series!
By Maggie
Loved it! Shipwreck Island by S.A. Bodeen is an exciting, slightly scary adventure story that is fun for kids and adults alike. The pace is good, and the storytelling is top notch. Shipwreck Island is a definite winner, and should be an excellent series (trilogy? Not sure how many the author is planning for, but it would be fun as a long series!)The basic premise is that Sarah’s Dad, John, has remarried 6 years after the death of Sarah’s mother to Yvonna a beautiful flight attendant with 2 boys named Marco and Nacho (Ignacio). To help create some family bonds, John and Yvonna decide to bring the kids along and turn their honeymoon into a family trip. The plan is to charter a boat in the south pacific area and spend a few days on a tropical island enjoying each other’s company. Like real life, their perfect plans go awry, and the real adventure begins.Overall, this is an excellent mystery adventure novel and I can't wait for the next one!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
So short, yet still pretty amazing :)
By Carina's Books
I wanted to read this book because of that gorgeous cover. It looks awesome. And then the summary. Though I was a little bit worried that I wouldn't like it. But I did. I liked it a lot. It is also a middle grade book, which is all kinds of awesome. The main character, Sarah, is twelve years old. And the other main character, her new stepbrother, Marco, who is also twelve.This book truly isn't that long. Which I wish it had been. It was a very fast read. And I enjoyed reading it. Loved that it was told from the point of view of Sarah and Marco. Though I do wish we had gotten to know them both a little bit more. But I liked them. The plot in this book is that Sarah's dad just married Marco's mom. And now they all live together. Nacho as well.We don't get to read all that much about it, which I'm a little bit sad about, because agh. I really enjoyed this book and I wanted to know more. I wanted it to be even longer. But I also liked that it was short. But yeah. There better be a second book, hih. <3 And it better be out pretty soon, as I do not like waiting, lol. But anyway. I felt with Sarah, who was not happy with the new wife. Sure, I wish she could have tried to make the best of it, but then. I probably wouldn't have been all that happy about it either, at that age. Marco isn't very happy either, since they had to leave their home and friends. Though his younger brother, Nacho, seemed more okay with it. He's adorable. I pretty much liked all the characters.I don't want to say too much about this book, as it isn't that long yet a lot of things happen. But you know most of it from the summary. The family is going on a sail trip, and then they shipwreck. Which is pretty obvious from the title. I found all of that to be pretty awesome to read about, and also a little scary. I liked it. They wreck near this island and that is where it gets even more interesting. I'm not going to say more, just that I liked reading about the island. So creepy. And all kinds of awesome.I'm giving this book a four star. I enjoyed it, but I didn't fully love it, as I had a few issues with the writing. And the length of the book. I wished it had been so much longer, as I'm really curious about what will happen next. And, you know, it ends with a cliffhanger. But I also really liked this book. I'm a bit surprised that I did. But I'm happy. I enjoyed it. It is also a bit creepy, which I enjoyed a lot. Not going to say more. Just, Shipwreck Island was an exciting middle grade book. It was fun to read. And I'm glad that I did. Huge thank you to Ksenia and Macmillan Kids for the print ARC of this gorgeous book. <3
