Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart (review)

Feeling fully culpable for an unnamed crime, Jonathan is resigned to his fate: a ten-week stint at the Slabhenge Reformatory for Troubled Boys, located on a remote island in the midst of a cold, angry sea and run by a cruel autocrat. Jonathan does find a few friends among the other boys, who are all cowed by the staff into abject servitude and submission despite the fact that they’ve committed only minor infractions. When a bolt of lightning takes out all of their adult jailers, Jonathan and a bully named Sebastian persuade the other residents to hide what’s happened from adult scrutiny and enjoy their freedom. What started as Holes quickly devolves into Lord of the Flies, however, when Sebastian’s reign proves as cruel as and ultimately more dangerous than the adults’ tyranny; Jonathan must then take a stand that offers an unexpected possibility for redemption. The grim situation is mitigated by the kindness and gentle nature of Jonathan and his friend, Simon; readers know that Jonathan doesn’t deserve the harsh treatment he receives, nor do any of the other boys, so no tears need be shed when the adults all die. Readers can therefore happily immerse themselves in the adventure, which moves at a heart-racing clip to a riveting climax. Gemeinhart uses his gothic setting to full effect, creating vivid imagery of a maze-like castle on an island buffeted by wild weather and in danger of being reclaimed by the sea, and moving his characters both literally and figuratively through the storm from the depths of despair to the higher ground of hope.