Island War

  The latest title from reliable author Patricia Reilly Giff, is historical fiction and takes place on an Alaskan Island during World War II.  11 year-old Izzy and 14 year-old Matt both relocate to a remote Alaskan island as each of their families undergo change and transition.  Moving from Connecticut, the two meet on a ferry travelling over to Attu off the coast.  Taking an immediate dislike to each other, they are thrown together by desperate circumstances as they each struggle to survive after being abandoned.  At a spare 208 pages, Giff’s novel is descriptive of the unforgiving environment which threatens their survival.  As the war’s intensity mounts, even the small island is thrust into the changes war forces upon it.  Though brief in length, Island War offers a unique snapshot of a forgotten part of history combining man’s struggle with nature and being forced to make serious choices at a young age.