Aslan, Austin. The Islands at the End of the World. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2014. 978-0-375-99145-5. 358p. $17.99. Gr. 7 and Up.
Sixteen-year-old Leilani is the daughter of a native Hawaiian and a professor at the University of Hawaii. Leilani has never fit in because of her mixed heritage and her epilepsy. At the beginning of this novel, she and her father (Mike) have traveled from the big Island of Hilo to Oahu. Leilani will be participating in a research study for a promising new medication that might control her epilepsy, and she is hoping for a seizure-free future. While they are in the city of Honolulu, tsunamis hit the Hawaiian Islands’ Eastern Shore. The tsunamis are followed by a strange green “presence” in the sky. The residents of Oahu have named this phenomenon the Emerald Orchid. These unusual natural events are accompanied by the catastrophic failure of power and communication systems. Native Hawaiians begin to turn on tourists in a fight for meager resources, and those who are trapped in Honolulu are moved to military-run refugee camps. After spending weeks in the refugee camp, Mike and Leilani realize they must escape if they ever want to get home.
The journey home seems impossible. Nothing works, and anything that does function comes at a dear price. Leilani is running out of her epilepsy medication, and there is danger around every corner. When Leilani has a seizure, she experiences strange dreams and hears voices. Her experiences hint at some kind of connection between her epilepsy and what is going on in the outside world.
The Islands at the End of the World is a wonderful book in many ways. Leilani is courageous and special, while being a typical teenager in other aspects. The relationship between Leilani and her father is loving and filled with mutual respect. Themes of Hawaiian religion, mythology, and culture run throughout the book and the Hawaiian language is used throughout the book, giving the story a real sense of “place”. This is the first volume in what will be at least a two-book series, and students will certainly want to see how Leilani’s story ends.
As a word of warning, there are a few YA moments in the book including a marijuana smoking scene between father and daughter. However, this book is so different and enjoyable; it should still be a part of your library anyway.
Science Fiction Susan Fox, Washington Jr./Sr. High School