Halam, Ann. Dr. Franklin's Island.Random House, Dell, Laurel-Leaf. 245p. c2002. 0-440-23781-5. $5.50. JS To quote the hardcover review in KLIATT, July 2002: When their plane crashes somewhere off the coast of South America South America, fourth largest continent (1991 est. pop. 299,150,000), c.6,880,000 sq mi (17,819,000 sq km), the southern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. , three teenage science students on the way to a wildlife conservation station are stranded on a tropical island. Semi, a shy and frightened girl, tells of their struggle to survive as resourceful, upbeat Miranda takes the lead and obnoxious Arnie teases both of them. They believe the atoll atoll: see coral reefs. atoll Coral reef enclosing a lagoon. Atolls consist of ribbons of reef that may not be circular but that are closed shapes, sometimes miles across, around a lagoon that may be 160 ft (50 m) deep or more. to be deserted, but then Arnie disappears--and in searching for him, they stumble across the other inhabitants
The game is based loosely on the concepts from SameGame. of the island, and their ordeal turns into a nightmare. They are all captured by a mad scientist named Dr. Franklin Dr. Franklin is a fictional villain from The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman television series portrayed by actor, John Houseman and usually considered a fan favorite among viewers of both series. , who plans to create a new race of creatures with both human and animal traits--and intends that the teenagers become his first trial subjects. Under his transgenic treatment, Semi is transformed into a manta ray manta ray or devil ray or devilfish Any of several genera of warm-water marine rays, constituting the family Mobulidae, that are wider than they are long. and Miranda into a bird, while Arnie, appropriately, is a snake. The three teenagers can communicate telepathically, but are they starting to lose their humanity? And will they ever be able to escape and regain their human forms? This thrilling horror story horror story Story intended to elicit a strong feeling of fear. Such tales are of ancient origin and form a substantial part of folk literature. They may feature supernatural elements such as ghosts, witches, or vampires or address more realistic psychological fears. "was inspired partly by H.G. Wells's story The Island of Dr. Moreau," according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the author, who writes adult SF and fantasy (under the name Gwyneth Jones) as well as books for children. It's an imaginative and absorbing tale that fans of fantasy and horror tales will greatly enjoy. The many sensory details, like Halam's evocations of the joys of being a fish, help make this riveting and memorable, and the close friendship of Semi and Miranda gives the story some emotional depth, too. The spooky cover will help attract an audience. (Note: See also the audiobook version reviewed in this issue.) Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers. S--Recommended for senior high school students. |
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