Found by S.A. Bodeen

From Goodreads, 

"In the thrilling final book of S.A. Bodeen's middle-grade Shipwreck Island series, it's up to a young girl to save her shipwrecked family from a time-traveling "curator" of souls and a treasure-hunting criminal—and get them off the island!

Sarah Robinson and her family are shipwrecked on a remote and mysterious island. Their food is scarce and there's no sign of rescue. They have seen strange creatures, rescued a mysterious girl, and found the Curator, who has captured Sarah's father and stepbrother to use in a bizarre time travel experiment. And then the only man who knows about their island comes back—he's looking for buried treasure, and won't leave without it, even if it means leaving the Robinsons stranded.

Time is running out. They must get off the island."

Goodreads - Found

We have finally reached the final book in the Shipwreck Island series.  It is always bittersweet to finish a series.  Luckily, I haven't invested too much time in this series because all of the books are geared for middle school kids and are really short.

Found continues the story that started with the book Shipwreck Island.  Sarah is taking Fox to find the face rock.  Marco is working with the Curator to get the other half of the progenitor so that the Curator can replicate the animals he needs in order for his spaceship to fly again.  Nacho is back at camp with his Mom, Cash, and Sarge trying to stay safe and alive while a lady has them at gunpoint.  The question of if they all survive and get off the island is finally answered in this book. 

This book was probably the fastest-paced book in the series as it had very little time lapse throughout the book.  It was also probably my least favorite in the series.  I felt like there was so much packed into this book which is great, but it felt like it was all crammed in so the series could end.  I don't feel that there was enough detail or emphasis on certain things that happened in the book.  There was a huge secret of what the progenitor looked like and I honestly thought that we would at least find out what it looked like, but sadly we never found out.  I also really hated the ending of this.  The book ended with them getting off the island.  There was no epilogue to this book which was BEYOND frustrating.  I really wanted to know if the kids got a brother or sister and how everyone was doing months after the trip.  It would have been a nice touch to give a glimpse of life after being stranded on an island for a few days. 

I still stand behind my statement that this entire series would have been better suited as just one book.  I think that Bodeen took time and wrote a really solid first book.  The rest of the books in the series seemed more and more rushed as they progressed.  I don't know if Bodeen was putting pressure on herself or if it was her publisher, but there was a clear and distinct lack of details and effort in the last two books than I saw in the first two.  I think this rushed effort really hurt the series.  And again, I still think this would have been better rolled all into one. 

Overall, this book was okay to finish the series.  As the books progressed I started to lose interest in them.  The first book packed a punch, but the fire died down as I read each book.  I give this 3 stars.  I wanted more from this book than what I got.  It was good to finish the series, but it could have been ten times better with more details and an epilogue. 

Trapped by S.A. Bodeen

From Goodreads, 

"It's up to Sarah Robinson to save her shipwrecked family from a time-traveling "curator" of souls and a treasure-hunting criminal in Book 3 of the Shipwreck Island series.

Sarah Robinson and her family are shipwrecked on a remote and mysterious island. Their food is scarce and there's no sign of rescue. They have seen strange creatures, rescued a mysterious girl, and found The Curator, who has captured Sarah's father and stepbrother to use in a bizarre time-travel experiment. And then the only man who knows about the island comes back--he's looking for buried treasure and won't leave without it, even if it means leaving the Robinsons stranded. Sarah knows an important key to finding the treasure, but will she keep it a secret?"

Goodreads - Trapped

We are back with the third book in this series!  I've enjoyed all of these extremely quick reads.  And I'm extremely excited to get the final book from the library at school and get it read. 

Trapped follows the first two books, Shipwreck Island and Lost.  Sarah and Marco have gone to find Sarah's dad and Marco's younger brother.  The end up meeting the Curator of the island who happens to be an alien.  After showing them scenes of his planet and what happened, Sarah and Marco decide to try to help him to save their family and his planet.  The Curator, named Leo, explains why there are strange creatures everywhere.  He is looking for something called a progenitor and explains that it had been traced back to the island.  Marco soon realizes that the progenitor is in a trunk he pulled off the ship they were on in the first book.  They try to hurry to get the progenitor, but a man named Fox appears at the island.  Fox has been searching for "his" treasure and will do anything it takes to get it.  The book ends as all of the kids race to save each other and their families. 

I enjoyed the sci-fi twists that happened in this book.  There were hints at the sci-fi storyline in the second book, but this one really ramped everything up as we were introduced to Leo who is from another planet.  I love that he was able to show Marco and Sarah everything that had happened that led his people to flee their planet.  The entire alien plotline was completely unexpected, but also really exciting to see how Bodeen weaved it into this story of survival.  I think she also did a great job of subtlety bringing in the fact that our planet will eventually reach a point where there is no return.  Leo mentions that if Sarah and Marco help him save his planet that Leo's people would be able to help the people of Earth if it ever came to it.  I would have loved if Bodeen had spent a little more time talking about our planet and what is happening to it.  I think it was a great opportunity to bring some environmental awareness to young kids and it maybe make a change starting with the next generation.  

As I mentioned in my last review, a map would have been a great addition to this story.  I also think that some illustrations would have been an excellent addition.  There are many unique things in this story from the mashed up animals to the scenery.  I kept trying to visualize what the mashup was of the animal that killed Leo's grandfather and is now stalking them all in the woods.  Obviously a black panther is one of them.  But it kept mentioning a long red tail and a red beard.  I cannot think of any animal that has a red beard besides a turkey.  And the animal didn't have feathers like a turkey does.  A picture would have been much appreciated to really visualize the animal. 

I'm excited to find out more about the progenitor and what exactly it is.  The entire time Leo was shielding everyone from seeing what it was.  I'm excited to read the final book and see how this series ends.  I would love for Leo to save his planet and either come back and visit or bring the family to visit him on his planet.  Either way I'm sure the final book in this series will pack a punch.  I give this 4 stars. 

Lost by S.A. Bodeen

 From Goodreads, 

"The mystery of the island deepens as members of the Robinson family disappear and strange animals are discovered.

Sarah Robinson and her family are shipwrecked on a remote and mysterious island. Their food is running out, and their fear is escalating–there is no sign of rescue. The mysterious girl they found unconscious at the beach is healing, and what she tells them about the strange island and especially about someone called the Keeper has the family on edge. When Sarah’s dad and Marco’s younger brother go missing, the mystery becomes dangerous. Now, it’s a matter of life and death. Now, the family is truly lost."

Goodreads - Lost

After I read Shipwreck Island I knew I had to find the second book.  I was luckily able to check it out from the school library.  I tore through the book that night in one sitting.  It was such a fast-paced read that it felt like it was over before I had even started it. 

Lost picks up where the first book left off.  The Robinson family is trying to figure out who the girl is that was on the beach.  Soon they learn that her name is Cash and she was dropped off by her grandfather and two people that were on their boat.  The people on the boat were looking for a specific island and treasure that the man left on the island.  The family decides to set up a camp and make sleeping platforms in the trees on the beach.  As they are working Sarah's dad goes to collect more bamboo and Nacho takes off too.  But they don't return.  Marco's mom is sick and won't stop throwing up.  Marco and Sarah are worried and decide to go look for Nacho and Sarah's dad.  But they soon run into a valley of trouble and meet the person who is behind the chaos on the island. 

This book was the one that took a wild turn in my opinion.  I thought this entire series would be survival focused, but things start to take more of a sci-fi twist in this book.  I felt like this book didn't pack the same punch as the first book.  It felt like this was just a stepping stone to the next book in the series.  I found some of the mash up of animals super cool and some were super terrifying.  We finally get confirmation that Marco and Sarah have both seen crazy looking animals.  At that point I realized that something strange was definitely happening on this island and that someone has basically been experimenting with animals to make new creatures.  It was an exciting twist in the book to prove that this was not in fact just another survival series.  

This book had the same problem as the last that it felt more like a chapter of a book than an actual book.  Everything is so fast paced in this series that the books are over before you really get started.  I really enjoy this series, but I think it would have been better fit as one big book than being split into four really short and quick reads.  I also wish that the books would have had a map of the island in them.  It would have been awesome to have a map in the first book that showed the outline of the island, but only shown the things that they had discovered.  The second book could have had more details on the map as they progressed and discovered more on the island.  It would have been an excellent visual to have that would honestly add to this entire series. 

This was a quick read that was just a stepping stone to the next book in the series.  The first book was really interesting and pulled me into this series.  This one was okay.  The ending left me excited for the next book of course.  I give this book 4 stars.  

Shipwreck Island by S.A. Bodeen

 From Goodreads, 

"Sarah Robinson is deeply troubled in the wake of her dad's second marriage. She now has to deal with a new stepmom and two stepbrothers, Marco, who is her age, and Nacho, who's younger. Even though they've all moved from Texas to California to start life as a new, blended family, none of the kids seem remotely happy about it.

Sarah's dad and stepmom then decide to take the whole family on a special vacation in order to break the ice and have everyone get to know one another. They'll fly to Tahiti, charter a boat, and go sailing for a few days. It'll be an adventure, right?

Wrong. Dead wrong.
Shipwreck Island is the first installment in a series from S.A. Bodeen."

Goodreads - Shipwreck Island

Some big things have been happening in my life recently.  A few weeks ago I broke up with my boyfriend of three and a half years.  He will be moving out soon and I will eventually be moving into my own place.  A year ago I said we should have a yard sale to get rid of things we didn't want.  The idea was quickly shot down.  Now that I'm doing my own thing I have decided to have a yard sale when it gets a little warmer.  That being said I have been going through things that I no longer need or want.  I have also been working through the books that I have had stored in boxes or on shelves.  I'm trying to get as many read as possible to either put them in my classroom library or put them in the yard sale.  This one was absolutely amazing and quickly went into the pile to go to my classroom library. 

Shipwreck Island is told by Sarah and Marco.  Each chapter rotates to a different point of view of the two kids who have been thrown together into a family dynamic after their parents got married.  Sarah's mom died some years back and it has been Sarah and her dad for a while.  Marco, his brother Nacho, and their mom have been happily living their life in Texas.  But when Sarah's dad marries Marco's mom they are soon step siblings.  The family decides to take a luxury honeymoon family vacation.  But shortly after they leave they run into a bad storm that leaves the captain dead and their family shipwrecked on an island.  They must work together to figure out how to survive the twisted island they are on. 

This book was a pretty quick read for me.  It isn't very long, but it packed a solid punch.  The alternating views were exciting because we were able to see Sarah and Marco's thoughts and opinions concerning the marriage, honeymoon vacation, and being stranded on an island.  I love the concept of this newly blended family going on a quality vacation together to get to know each other.  They hadn't spent much time together and the kids knew pretty much nothing about each other.  They were then quickly thrown into this awful situation of being shipwrecked on a deserted island.  This really forced Sarah and Marco to be their true selves and not put on a front because they were unhappy about the marriage and new family.  Emergencies and unplanned events often bring out people's true colors. 

I sort of hated that the time frame in this book was just a few days.  The entire book felt short and similar to read a few chapters of a book.  The book was over before it even really started.  Which of course had pros and cons.  It made me frustrated because I wanted more of the story, but excited to read the next book in the series.  I also questioned what kind of parents would get married in such a short amount of time without ever having introduced the kids to each other.  The first time they met was when Marco, Nacho, and their mom was moving in with Sarah and her dad.  I feel like the parents only cared about themselves in the entire situation. 

I really enjoyed this book and was extremely excited to read the next one in the series.  I was unfortunately unable to get it at Books A Million and it wasn't available on Scholastic.  Of course I could have purchased it on Amazon, but there was no way that I could wait that long.  I ended up checking the second book out of the library at school.  I give this 5 stars.  If you like adventure and survival books this is definitely a series for you.