The Misfit Tribe and The Secret of Mystery Island by BJ Rowling and DG Lloyd @BJRowling @dglloyd66 @olympiapub @sarahhardy681 @BOTBSPublicity

Posted July 30, 2019 by midnightreview in Reviews / 0 Comments

Synopsis:

Some secrets are best kept hidden… and some are just too magical not to share.

Teenagers, who unexpectedly acquire a vast collection of magical, mystical powers and abilities, find an ancient map.

This map leads them on a quest for buried treasure to a mysterious island filled with hidden secrets, booby traps and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. What could possibly go wrong? A lot!

My Review

Not going to lie, there was a fair amount of curiosity about one of the authors, which led me to wanting to read this book. However, I also love a bit of magic and a bit of adventure so I was excited to give this a go.

This book gave me very Famous Five vibes but with a thoroughly modern setting. Think drones, Geocaching and modern teenagers banned from phones for a weekend!

One of the boys (J.J) from one of the competing families, finds an ancient treasure map. It had been left behind from one of his ancestors and while on the island, himself and his friends decide to go on a treasure hunt. Along with the map J.J finds some trinkets, each of the group takes the one that they are most drawn to. Once they arrive on Mackinac their adventure begins.

Adventure and Teenagers

This has all the hall marks of a classic adventure tale. A treasure map, clues and riddles to solve and even an evil adversary. Some parts reminded me very much of Indiana Jones, think booby traps complete with arrows. A slight hint of James Bond with the English bad man.

Having said all of that this really is a tale all of its own. It’s very clever and I loved the link from the modern to the old. The slight hints of magic are subtly done and add to the confusion of the situation the gang find themselves in.

The group comprises of 3 young friends, their two older siblings and a friend of theirs. They really gelled well, there was the normal teenaged angst alongside wanting to fit in but also a need to find their own paths. I loved the characters and found them all very real and well rounded.

Final Thoughts

Okay, I couldn’t go the whole review without mentioning Harry Potter. Unless I am very wrong (and I don’t think I am) there is a very subtle reference to it early on. I’m pretty sure only true fans will spot it. If you read this and do please let me know.

I loved this book. Yes it is a classic adventure tale, but it had originality all on its own. I found myself really routing for the kids. The story also had moments of fun, pain, real sadness and great joy. It was brilliant. I sat and read this in a day and I can’t wait until my 8 year old is older as I think he will love this book.

Although the book wraps up nicely, I do hope this isn’t the last we see of J.J and the rest of the group. I feel there is still some unexplored areas, such as the magic, that I would love to read about. Fingers crossed.

My thanks to Sarah for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the authors and publisher for giving me a copy to review. As always this is an honest review.