Joshua’s Island by Patrick Hodges
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Joshua Harper lives in a happy family with both parents and an older sister. Not the sort of child that would be a victim of bullies, you might think, but he is slightly small for his age and his parents are working long hours. Rhonda the most popular girl in the school takes a dislike to him as she likes to show her power to the rest of the school. She sets her little gang against Joshua and makes the whole school treat him as an outcast. To say the least the head of the school is ineffectual, if not grossly incompetent.
Like many children who are bullied, Joshua feels ashamed and doesn’t enlist the help of his parents. He just has to survive one more year and then he will move school. In science class Joshua is partnered with Eve, one of Rhonda’s group. She won’t talk to Joshua because of everything she’s heard about him, but eventually she realizes that they are all lies and that Joshua is being beaten up on a regular basis.
This is the story of Joshua, with Eve’s help, trying to reach safety within a school environment. It is beautifully written and I believe it should be in every secondary school library (suitable for children eleven and over).
It is written in the first person, which makes the events more immediate as you feel the emotions. It is also written in two points of view, so there is a chapter by Joshua and then one by Eve. This works well, because within each chapter the author sticks strictly to one point of view.
I recommend this book to everyone over the age of eleven. Joshua and Eve are thirteen and there are some excellent younger characters. Obviously this book is aimed at an audience of young people and not at my age group but even so I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
pennyluker 
Comments on: "Book Review: Joshua’s Island by Patrick Hodges" (5)
I love alternating chapters, they provide a much more complete picture of the characters. The deeper the insight, the stronger the emotional investment of the reader, which is key. Another great review, Penny, thank you 🙂
Thank you Ramona. 😀
I’m enjoying reading your reviews Penny. Hope you’re managing to fit in some writing too 😀
Thanks Phil. Yes this seems to be turning into a review website. I am writing but lately I’ve been writing for two anthologies, so I can’t put those stories here until they’re published. I’ve got so many projects on the go that nothing seems to be moving forward quickly. I really need a maid to come and do the cooking and housework and a few long writing retreats. 😉 What are you writing now?
I’ve been working on an anthology too. Quite different from my Whomerley Wood Moat and Probate – A Personal Journey books. Short stories which started life during the OU creative writing modules, but I wanted a few that didn’t as well. And of course there are the two NaNo novels as well. Sorry, I’m useless at housework but make a mean apple pie (see my Facebook page!) Good luck with the writing 🙂