Island's End

Starred review from June 13, 2011
Inspired by the author's trip to India's Andaman Islands, where she had "passing contact with an ancient mode of life that pulses with its own special beauty," this lovely novel introduces readers to a fictional island tribe that has practiced the same customs for thousands of years. Fifteen-year-old Uido is blessed with the ability to visit spirits in the "Otherworld" through dreams and see into the future. She will become the next spiritual leader of the En-ge people, but first must undergo a rigorous apprenticeship with the wise Lah-ame, during which Uido learns lessons in healing and meditation that test her courage and faith. But no amount of mentoring can prepare Uido for her first great challenge: protecting her people from intruders, whose "magic," greed, and diseases threaten to destroy her people. Offering an enticing blend of mystic traditions and imaginative speculation, Venkatraman (Climbing the Stairs) beautifully expresses a primitive tribe's connection to nature and their struggle to find safety in the 21st century. Uido's strength, compassion, and commitment should win respect and spur discussions on the casualties of imperialism. Ages 10âup.

Starred review from June 1, 2011

In an isolated island culture, a girl guides her people into the future despite encroaching mainland influences.

Uido lives on an Andaman Island in the Bay of Bengal. Her family is one of 40 in this island's communal hunter/gatherer tribe; they live in a village of thatched huts during the dry season and move to the jungle for the rainy season. Because Uido visits the Otherworld in dreams, the tribe's oko-jumu (spiritual leader) chooses her as the next oko-jumu. Lah-ame trains Uido in the jungle, teaching her how to start fires, make medicines from plants, perform rituals and chase away lau (illness spirits). What Lah-ame can't teach Uido is how to handle the biggest threat: Strangers who keep landing on their island, bringing matches and digital cameras, provoking curiosity and discontent. An insect-eating plant hints that adaptation enables survival, but Uido's choices become increasingly difficult, especially when the strongest spirit, Biliku-waye, warns her of "[m]onster waves" approaching. Uido's clear, intelligent, present-tense voice consistently engrosses as she pushes through doubt and loss to find the right path. The beach, jungle and cliff settings are palpable. Perhaps most important, Venkatraman never undermines the portrayed religion. There is very little information about Andaman Islanders, making it hard to gauge the authenticity of this portrayal; the author's note indicates a respectful and diligent approach to her subject.

Refreshingly hopeful and beautifully written. (Fiction. 12 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

Starred review from August 1, 2011

Gr 6-9-Isolated from the influence of the mainland, the En-ge people live on one of the Andaman Islands east of India. Uido, daughter of the chief hunter, has the special ability to enter the Otherworld where spirits can send her messages and guidance. Because of this natural affinity, she is chosen to train as the next oko-jumu, or spiritual leader and healer, of the tribe. The position carries increasing responsibility as strangers arrive on the island and the tribe needs strong leadership to ensure their spiritual, cultural, and physical survival. Readers are fully immersed in the lives of the fictionalized En-ge tribe, whose language, culture, and beliefs are based on ethnographic studies of native Andaman Islanders. Despite how unfamiliar her life may seem, readers will immediately connect with Uido. The doubt she feels in her own abilities will resonate with teens, as will her conviction to protect the ways of her people even if they cannot continue to live in isolation. The first-person narration encourages readers to feel Uido's fears, curiosity, joy, grief, and determination. Vividly written and expertly paced, Venkatraman's novel delivers a moving story that will stay with readers long after the end.-Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 15, 2011
Grades 7-10 *Starred Review* As a short introduction tells readers, tribal people continue to preserve their ancient culture on the Andaman Islands, located east of India in the Bay of Bengal. Without that note, readers may well think they are reading a historical novel as this story opens. In her family's hut, Uido, 15, wakes from a dream in which she has wandered in the Otherworld. Later that day, though, a boat with hairy strangers arrives on her island, bringing the modern world to Uido's community. Venkatraman, author of the well-received Climbing the Stairs (2008), goes in a different direction here and succeeds spectacularly as she tells the story of a young woman destined to be her tribe's spiritual leader. In this difficult time, her people are threatened with extinction not just because of the outsiders' influence but also because the tribe itself is undergoing change. Juxtaposed against these challenges is Uido's harrowing vision quest, directed by the group's elderly shaman, which will ready her for her new role. Uido is a remarkable heroinea girl who is involved with her family and hoping for love, yet also a strong presence, aware of her powers, and unwilling to compromise about where they might lead her. As infused with spirituality as this novel is, there is also heart-stopping action and, of course, the larger issues of modernity versus tradition. An intricate yet wholly accessible story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)