Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaughrean
Publisher: Usborne Publishing
Special thanks to Raincoast Books for sending a copy for review.
Summary:
Every time a lad came fowling on the St Kilda stacs, he went home less of a boy and more of a man. If he went home at all, that is…
In the summer of 1727, a group of men and boys are put ashore on a remote sea stac to harvest birds for food. No one returns to collect them. Why? Surely nothing but the end of the world can explain why they have been abandoned to endure storms, starvation and terror. And how can they survive, housed in stone and imprisoned on every side by the ocean? (Goodreads)
Thoughts:
I have mixed feelings about this book. Some aspects are good, some aspects are eh. I picked it up because it reminded me of Lord of the Flies, but it didn’t exactly live up to what I hoped for it to be.
One word to describe me as I was reading: disengaged. I struggled to flip through the pages. It was so hard to get started. Even with the slightest hint of suspense, it became eroded by the misuse of opportunity and pacing. The suspense was there, but the means (or if there were means at all) to sustain it were lacking. Until I was 70% through the book, the pacing was incredibly slow. A lot of the pages seem like filler. In a sense, it is easily interpreted that way since it was comprised of daily humdrum routines or happenings. The most significant question in those pages is practically just “What’s going on in the Sea Stac today?” Perhaps I am just impatient; perhaps lots of birds have ruffled my feathers; perhaps I am just bored. It was quite tedious in general.
I’m ambivalent about the writing style. On one hand, I like its “written aesthetic” and the language. On the other hand, it’s a bit difficult to describe – let me give an example. It reminds me of the people who put pinecones in a bowl in their washrooms. It looks nice, but it is not significantly important to the purpose of the washroom. The same concept can be applied to the style. It looks and sounds nice on the surface, but once you dig underneath, you can’t really find a concrete purpose. What kept me going was my curiosity about why the boys were left on the island.
Now that the hard part is over, I can get to the good stuff. The chilling sense of isolation, the dark atmosphere, the brutal nature of the Sea Stac – these are all portrayed well. The world and landscape created by the author has been vividly brought to life.
However, what I like the most about this book is that it’s a reflection of human nature. The dynamics and presence of the characters are integral to this story. Each character influences the group as a whole. There’s the older, capable one who calms others, the religious madman who tries to seize power, and a supportive mentor figure (albeit a bit mentally weak). The presence of these adult figures adds depth to the development of the boys’ mentality. Not to mention that the boys also have their own roles from Kenneth, the bully to the younger boys, who are easily brainwashed by faux-religious beliefs. You get to see their voices mature as they grow from a boy to a man. The idea of mob mentality incorporated into this book also has a wider scope and allows for a fuller understanding of the superstitious nature of people that led to other historical events. In addition, the strength of human resolve and emotional attachment is executed with perfection in this novel. Even the little things like how Quill’s sweetheart keeps him company in his mind is sweet and odd, but it shows some peoples’ nature.
The fowling and pictures of birds at the back of the book also made for some thorough Scottish culture. Who knows, maybe I’ve become a Scottish man who loves eating puffins by now. All kidding aside, I liked learning about Scottish culture, from the importance of fowling to their community to their way of life.
Overall, I think readers should give this book a try. It doesn’t resonate with me strongly, but maybe it will for others. Though there are gritty parts to get through, there are also some stunning components and details.
Reviewed by Teresa W.