Keith Robinson's novel, Island of Fog, is one of those miraculous rarities. Like Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, the book appeals both to juvenile and adult readers. Younger readers will enjoy the work's abundant action and eccentric humor, while adults will be captivated by Island of Fog's explorations of such mature themes as trust, paranoia, and self-reliance in a world gone tragically awry.
The plot centers around Hal Franklin, a boy on the cusp of adolescence. In many ways, Hal is a typical boy, frustrated by bullying, wisecracking classmates, numbing school assignments, and growing responsibilities at home. However, Hal lives in an extraordinary setting. He, along with his parents, a small number of peers, and their parents as well, reside on a small, drab island that is at all times engulfed by an impenetrable fog. They are refugees, supposedly the only survivors of a modern world destroyed by some mysterious ecological catastrophe. These survivors- without electricity and other conveniences- eke out a living managing small farms.
The weirdness doesn't end there. Hal and his best friend, Robbie, go out wandering through the woods, bored, restless youths eager for excitement. They find it. To their astonishment, they find that the fog comes from a mysterious hole in the ground. Should they cover up the hole and see the sunshine for the first time in their lives? Before they decide what to do, they are run off by a bizarre sphinx-like creature called a manticore. Hal and Robbie are understandably terrified, but their restlessness continues unabated. For them, getting away from the island becomes a bleak obsession. They concoct a crude raft, hoping to reach the mainland, but up comes a massive sea serpent from the dark depths of the ocean. They expect to die, but the protective monster merely nudges them back to shore. Again, they are shaken up, but their curiosity and restlessness continue to grow.
To make matters seemingly worse, a beautiful stranger arrives. The jittery parents instruct the children to obey her at all costs. She takes an intense interest in the children although it's apparent that she doesn't really care for kids all that much. She asks them if unusual things are happening to their bodies- which they are. With a mixture of fascination and dread, Hal, Robbie, precocious Abigail, timid Dewey, and the other kids are slowly, rather imperceptibly, transforming into monsters. The stranger- Miss Simone- also hints that, in return for their cooperation, she'll whisk them all away to a fantastic, sunny new world. Should they trust the aloof Simone? Is she their friend, or does the probing woman want to lock them away in a laboratory? Such questions lead to intelligent, but entertaining, meditations on fear, civil disobedience, and rebellion.
It's an odd, unorthodox narrative, but it is deeply satisfying. Robinson's enthusiasm for his work can be found on every page, and his crisp, simple writing style makes reading the book fun and easy to read. Robinson does deal with some weighty issues, but his droll sense of humor keeps the mood light.
At times, the book seems rather cluttered. It brims with subplots and is full of dragons, mermaids, centaurs, goblins, and other legendary creatures. Fantasy readers will love such details, but general ones might find it all to be a bit confusing. In addition, Robinson uses too much dialogue at times. He should be more mindful of the literary rule of "show, don't tell." Still, it's an enjoyable, quick, engaging book, and it comes highly recommended.
---Jonathan Maxwell, the author of Murderous Intellectuals: German Elites and the Nazi SS
