The Other Side of the Island

It's the eighteenth year of Enclosure and everything on the islands in the Tranquil Sea have become regulated. Earth Mother and her Corporation, who have a vision for a world with only happiness, control everything from jobs to the weather to children's names - and expect everyone to conform to this view of normality, no matter what the consequence. On Island 365 lives a girl named Honor and her family, who don't really fit into this society. While Honor desperately tries to fit in, her parents try even harder to not fit in. They break curfew, don't pray to Mother Earth, and biggest of all have a second child. When Honor meets Helix she soon finds out some dark secrets; those that don't conform soon disappear...forever. Filled with fear that her parents might be taken, Honor tries to change even more, thinking that if she fits in, no attention will be brought to her parents. Will all her efforts be in vain? Will she and Helix uncover more secrets about the island? From the very first paragraph I was drawn into the story and knew that it would be great. As it progressed, I was certainly not disappointed. Having only read a few post-apocalyptic or dystopian society books, I was a little unsure as to what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised with the ability of the book to hold my attention. I felt like most of the characters, especially Honor, were well-developed and real. Something that really stood out to me was Honor's ability to stay real, and very human-like, in a setting composed of conforming events and questions. In this case it was easy to connect with Honor, because the author made the reader have some of the same questions as she did. Ms. Goodman also did a great job of creating suspense within the novel. There were many times where I was not able to pull myself away from the book at all. The questions that the book brings up keep you enthralled and wanting more. Overall, I was very much impressed with THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND, and am very much hoping that there will be a sequel. Fans of THE CITY OF EMBER, THE UGLIES, and THE GIVER will really enjoy this book. Reviewed by: Tasha

Ten-year-old Honor Greenspoon lives in a time following all of the polar ice melts --- after floods cover most of the land, widespread war breaks out, and the survivors begin putting society back together. In fact, she is born in the eighth year of Enclosure, a time of new beginnings for the survivors, in which the Corporation has constructed a ceiling over the colonies for safety. Like all the other children born in the eighth year, Honor's parents picked out a name from the approved list of H names. Those born in the seventh year have names that start with G, while those born in the ninth year will have names starting with I. These naming rules are just a drop in a very full bucket of rules that the Corporation has set forth to ensure safety and order for the survivors. Unfortunately, Honor's parents don't like to follow the rules very much. They sneak out after curfew and slip past the barricades to view the real night sky hidden behind the false one projected onto the protective ceiling. They even choose to keep their second child when no one else ever has one (or, if they do, they give the baby to a couple who can't have a child of their own). So Honor has a baby brother named Quintilian. This is yet another way for Honor to stand out and not fit in with society. And Honor desperately wants to blend in. Honor works hard at school, learns all the correct answers supplied by Corporation, and even ends her friendship with Helix, because none of the other girls are friends with the boys. However, nothing she does or says convinces her parents to conform. And when people don't follow the rules, they disappear. Corporation can't afford to have people joining in with the rebel group led by the elusive Forecaster. Then one day, Honor comes home from school to find her parents gone. Award-winning author Allegra Goodman has delivered another champion of a story. Her vast and robust imagination has created a foreign and frightening world to replace our own familiar one, a world with incredibly harsh rules and even harsher punishment. Goodman uses this setting well, taking a refreshing approach to address a worthy message about finding the courage to be oneself and standing up for what's right. And then she further spices it up by mixing in danger, action, cleverness and suspense. Along the way, she skillfully builds the character of Honor as she changes, grows, matures and discovers herself over the ages of 10 to 14. This talented writer also uses just the right words to paint a vivid, lifelike picture to surround and immerse the reader into this captivating story. --- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

Ever since Honor moved to Island 365 with her parents from the wild Northern Islands, she's been noticing that her parents don't quite fit in. Island life is peaceful and orderly since Earth Mother enclosed what land was still inhabitable after catastrophic weather terrorized the Earth. But her parents don't worship Earth Mother like everyone else does, and they don't follow the rules. And that scares Honor, because she learns that those who are unpredictable disappear - and they don't come back. I really liked the premise of this dystopia because the societal ills stem not from your usual far right nightmares, but from a militant form of tree hugging. Not that I'm not all for preserving our environment, but this novel asks at what cost? And the answers are chilling. Author Allegra Goodman spends a large part of the narrative on world creation and does it fantastically well. I loved how she took well known speeches from our world such as The Lord's Prayer and The Pledge of Allegiance and twisted them into Earth Mother propaganda. Even classic literature like the Wizard of Oz has been edited to fit Earth Mother's agenda of predictability. The resulting society is scary and powerful enough that its' agents are pretty much everyone - individual villains are quite beside the point. Against this background Honor is realistically conflicted - she wants badly to fit in and for her parents to fit in, but she doesn't want them to be taken or harmed. When the inevitable happens though, Honor wakes from her Earth Mother induced coma and comes out kicking for an edge of your seat climax and resolution not to be missed.

I was completely impressed with Allegra Goodman's newest book, The Other Side of the Island. Great writing, great characters, excellent plot...what more could a teen (or adult like me) ask for?! Honor lives in a dystopian world, years in the future. Her parents move the family to Island 365, one of only a few habitable lands left after The Flood. An ethereal figure by the name of Earth Mother and her new Corporation, lead the governmental system on Island 365 and control the New Weather system, meaning they create their own sun, moon, sky patterns, etc. There are very specific rules families must follow and for the most part, everyone on the island follows them perfectly, making for a pretty happy society. Unfortunately, once Honor's family gets settled in, she learns her parents are Unpredictable. They do not like to follow the rules and violate laws constantly. They won't pray to the Earth Mother and do not believe in her principals. Due to their indiscretions, Honor does not fit in with all the other children at school and feels she will do anything to change her outcast status. She begins to be the model Island 365 citizen and contemplates reporting her parents for not following rules. After an unspeakable tragedy falls on Honor, her only friend, Helix, lets her in on a secret he discovered and Honor begins a quest to make things right in her new world. Most of us bloggers have a small place in our hearts for books on dystopian societies and believe me, with this one, you will not be disappointed in the least. It's fast paced, the characters are realistic and likable, and by the end you will be cheering Honor on wholeheartedly! A very impressive work!

This is a terrific book, both thought provoking and fast paced at the same time. I know my 'tween daughter will enjoy it, too. I hope there will be a sequel.