The Islands at the End of the World

Starred review from August 18, 2014
After 16-year-old, half-Hawaiian Leilani and her father travel from the Big Island to Oahu so she can take part in a trial for a new epilepsy drug, tsunamis sweep across the eastern shores of the Hawaiian islands; additional chaos descends as people realize that other disasters have struck all across the world. Technology fails, the military tries to gain control, food and resources dwindle, and ethnic factions take up arms to wrest Oahu from the tourists. Lei and her father only want to get home to the Big Island, and thus begins their dangerous journey across jungle, sea, and the islands, even as a strange cloud appears in the heavens that people start calling the Emerald Orchid. Debut author Aslan shows off his promise as a writer, delivering a fresh, of-the-moment take on apocalyptic fiction. The ecology of Hawaii and its mythology glow vividly as Lei awakens to her special connection to the Emerald Orchid and its purpose. First in a planned two-book series, it's an exceptional adventure and survival story that's intimately tied to its setting. Ages 12âup. Agency: Pippin Properties.

Hope for a promising epilepsy treatment brought Leilani, 16, and Mike, her ecologist father, to Honolulu; when a global catastrophe plunges the world's most isolated metropolitan area into chaos, they're desperate to return to family on the Big Island of Hawaii-it won't be easy.Lei-half-Hawaiian, half-white-still feels like an outsider three years after moving from California to Hilo. Nevertheless, her island heritage speaks to her and could be the key to understanding the cataclysmic technological disruptions changing the world. Satellite-based GPS and other electronic communications systems fail, and only well-heeled tourists can buy their ways home. To combat mounting chaos, the military herds those at large, including Leilani and Mike, into internment camps. Leilani's seizures carry voices to her, while an alarming discovery makes her quest to unravel their message and escape from the camp increasingly urgent. Seeking home drains their dwindling resources but strengthens their trust in each other. Flashes of kindness and empathy provide respite from the chaos and cruelty. Anchoring the story, the powerful bond between father and daughter reminds readers that love is as potent as fear and greed. Aslan's debut honors Hawaii's unique cultural strengths-family ties and love of home, amplified by geography and history-while remaining true to a genre that affirms the mysterious grandeur of the universe waiting to be discovered.A suspenseful and engaging series opener made all the more distinctive through its careful realization of setting. (Science fiction. 12 & up) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from June 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-Destruction descends upon Hawai'i. Not from the volcano-goddess Pele, but from a mysterious force that cripples one of the world's pillars, technology. This occurs while Leilani, who suffers from epilepsy, is on O'ahu. Along with her father, they journey across the islands searching for home, supporting each other through every difficult step. Tension builds at a steady pace as the magnitude of the situation reveals itself. The former paradise faces depleting resources, looting, martial law, and chaos. With the world stripped of its electronic casing, the old world blooms. Hawaiian mythology is explored through numerous stories and elements of their journey. Hawai'i is a vibrant, personified setting that is well crafted. The author includes numerous references to the language, ecosystem, and culture. Despite her love for her home, Lei feels like she does not belong, partly because she is half Hawaiian, but mostly because of the disease that prevents her from having a "normal" life. Nevertheless, she feels a connection to her ancestry and the old gods. Slowly, the protagonist comes to a revelation that allows her to accept her blossoming self. Aslan's debut is a riveting tale of belonging, family, overcoming perceived limitations, and finding a home.-Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2014
Grades 7-10 While in Honolulu with her father for a clinical trial related to her epilepsy, 16-year-old Leilani hopes to fit some surfing in between appointments. But when an enormous, green, cloudlike organism appears in the sky after a tsunami, unmitigated panic grips the world. Seemingly overnight, phones and computers no longer function, generators provide the only source of power, and the city is under martial law. Leilani and her father escape from a military-run camp and begin their treacherous journey home to their family in Hilo. This well-paced novel successfully provokes a palpable sense of urgency, and the mystery surrounding the nature of the Emerald Orchid and the hope that Leilani's family will be reunited drive the narrative forward effectively. Aslan has developed his protagonist fully; Leilani is admirable yet flawed, and readers will connect with her struggle to fit in both as an ethnic minority in her community and as an epileptic. Teens should enjoy this utterly unique eco-thriller and eagerly await its sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

Starred review from July 1, 2014
Hope for a promising epilepsy treatment brought Leilani, 16, and Mike, her ecologist father, to Honolulu; when a global catastrophe plunges the world's most isolated metropolitan area into chaos, they're desperate to return to family on the Big Island of Hawaii-it won't be easy.Lei-half-Hawaiian, half-white-still feels like an outsider three years after moving from California to Hilo. Nevertheless, her island heritage speaks to her and could be the key to understanding the cataclysmic technological disruptions changing the world. Satellite-based GPS and other electronic communications systems fail, and only well-heeled tourists can buy their ways home. To combat mounting chaos, the military herds those at large, including Leilani and Mike, into internment camps. Leilani's seizures carry voices to her, while an alarming discovery makes her quest to unravel their message and escape from the camp increasingly urgent. Seeking home drains their dwindling resources but strengthens their trust in each other. Flashes of kindness and empathy provide respite from the chaos and cruelty. Anchoring the story, the powerful bond between father and daughter reminds readers that love is as potent as fear and greed. Aslan's debut honors Hawaii's unique cultural strengths-family ties and love of home, amplified by geography and history-while remaining true to a genre that affirms the mysterious grandeur of the universe waiting to be discovered.A suspenseful and engaging series opener made all the more distinctive through its careful realization of setting. (Science fiction. 12 & up)

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.