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Bomb Island
Part coming-of-age romance, part thriller, Bomb Island is a funny and fast-paced Southern summer novel exploring sub-culture communities, survival, and found family set on an island near an unexploded atomic bomb. Summer is in full swing on Bomb Island, Georgia. Fifteen-year-old Fish lives in a commune on the three-mile stretch of sand with his “mother-sage” Whistle and her white tiger, Sugar, a young man named Reef, and an old man named Nutzo, who is still missing. Fish and Whistle spend the days leading tours in their glass bottom boat out to the barrier island’s namesake, an unexploded atomic bomb. This is the summer when Fish meets Celia, the tattooed daughter of a troublesome local charter fisherman bent on exposing Whistle’s commune–and their illegal tiger. When a party at her dad’s place goes sour, Fish brings Celia back to Bomb Island in the hope that she’ll stay there with him. But they still can’t find Nutzo, the tiger’s behavior has become increasingly erratic, and everyone’s summer is about to take a strange, dark turn. Narrated by an ensemble cast of uniquely independent outsiders who have chosen counter-culture lives informed by their desires and past traumas, Bomb Island takes a rollicking journey through the weirds and wilds of Coastal Georgia. Stephen Hundley has crafted a spirited, zany novel with a big heart that examines the strength it takes to live freely and without shame.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published May 7, 2024
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153 people want to read
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May 29, 2024See full review on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution website:
Savannah author Stephen Hundley has inflated a wild and visceral world into existence on a barrier island off the coast of Georgia in his debut novel “Bomb Island.” Among the native flora and fauna dwell a dwindling commune of eclectic humans and a herd of feral horses hunted by a full-grown tiger — while a rogue atomic missile sits just off shore. Fourteen-year-old Fish carries the poignant story as he comes of age, struggling to define his manhood and discover where he fits in society...
https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/mena...
Savannah author Stephen Hundley has inflated a wild and visceral world into existence on a barrier island off the coast of Georgia in his debut novel “Bomb Island.” Among the native flora and fauna dwell a dwindling commune of eclectic humans and a herd of feral horses hunted by a full-grown tiger — while a rogue atomic missile sits just off shore. Fourteen-year-old Fish carries the poignant story as he comes of age, struggling to define his manhood and discover where he fits in society...
https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/mena...
August 11, 2024
This is Hundley's first novel and it's a hell of a one. The opening chapter is disorienting in a perfect way as the protagonist Fish, a young man living on an island off the coast of Georgia, encounters a tiger in the woods and is injured. This chapter made me think of Fiskadoro by Denis Johnson (though it's been over a decade since I read that, so I may be misremembering it).
Then we get to know his life as he deals with a bully, meets a girl, leads glass bottom boat tours of the defunct A-Bomb that fell but didn't explode there. The story gets tangled from there and is best discovered in the reading, but it has a Stephen Graham Jones vibe. It's not horror, though it goes to some dark places; the Jones comparison (which I mean as a high compliment) comes from the outsider community living an off the grid life scrounging around the edge of society.
It brings up some thorny ethical issues, and asks the question, who deserves what for the things they've done. But it's not hitting you over the head with that point, it just arises from the situations.
Great debut novel, and I look forward to reading more by him. Highly recommended!
Then we get to know his life as he deals with a bully, meets a girl, leads glass bottom boat tours of the defunct A-Bomb that fell but didn't explode there. The story gets tangled from there and is best discovered in the reading, but it has a Stephen Graham Jones vibe. It's not horror, though it goes to some dark places; the Jones comparison (which I mean as a high compliment) comes from the outsider community living an off the grid life scrounging around the edge of society.
It brings up some thorny ethical issues, and asks the question, who deserves what for the things they've done. But it's not hitting you over the head with that point, it just arises from the situations.
Great debut novel, and I look forward to reading more by him. Highly recommended!
May 26, 2024
Bomb Island can be described in many different ways. It’s a coming of age story, a travel tale, an animal story, a tale of dysfunctional families, a mystery , a suspense novel and more! The characters are very well described and easy to picture in the story. I was surprised by the many twists and turns that happened. I enjoyed this book! I read it because it was featured at Square Books . So glad I did!
September 30, 2024
Bomb Island is a rip tide through marsh living, boggy feuds, and wild animals. It’s quick and dirty, and if you’ve ever went crabbing using an old chicken leg, the way of life in this story will probably resonate with you.
June 27, 2024
As soon as I read the description of Bomb Island on Hub City Press’s site, I knew I had to read it. The characters are rich and true, their inner lives feel tangible and three dimensional. There’s a lot to admire about this debut novel.
January 4, 2026
I think I would do well living with a cult on an island, with a tiger.
August 7, 2024
Interesting characters in a situation that is on the edge of believable. Made sense that the author is from Florida. Atomic bombs and loose tigers make for interesting interactions.
June 28, 2024
A few days past finishing this book, and I find I’m still digesting parts of it. I’m not known for re-reading books, but this is definitely one that I would like to revisit in the future, to fill in some of the gaps for me and perhaps to understand some of the characters’ motivations a bit better. All in all, this is more than your typical coming-of-age story and attempts to answer the fleeting question of how a life is best lived.
You might think at first that the premise of being on this island off the Georgia coast with a wild tiger roaming around is absurd and improbable – but honestly, I think that’s the point. The characters in the book first come to the island in an attempt to escape the monotony and predictability of life in the city, or really just any kind of rigid structure. It’s something that I think about often myself – how many people, if given the chance, would want to live freely, uninhibited by the structures of society? To break free from their day-to-day routine, the revolving and ever-changing responsibilities that plague their modern experience? It’s said that Whistle initially brought the tiger here because “she wanted to see something free, and accepted what came with that”. The danger and unpredictability of the tiger’s presence and the fear it evokes is akin to how anyone might feel from stepping out of their comfort zone and trying to break from their routine. It’s interesting though that Whistle ultimately admits to herself that even this attempt for her to break the mold was unsuccessful – “Mainland rationalism had found her here as slowly as if it had pursued her, at a walk, from the city. It had eaten away at the wards she believed existed on the island – spiritual barriers that emanated from the bomb and allowed for hope, second chances, and spiritual self-sufficiency.” I really enjoyed the constant struggle throughout the story of routine vs. spontaneity and how each character dealt with this, ultimately some opting for a more conventional way of life and others striving to live more freely.
As far as the romance aspect of this book, I can understand and appreciate the development of the relationship between Fish and Celia and felt that it was a natural progression. I’m thankful that it wasn’t just an outright infatuation between the two of them from the beginning – it may have seemed that way to Fish, but I think it was a case of love blinding him from Celia’s true intentions and feelings. It seemed to me that Celia was at first not so much interested in Fish himself as she was the attention she got from him; until, of course, that attention turned into unwanted advances. She was certainly dealing with her own demons but unwilling to share her problems with anyone else.
Whistle in my opinion is the real MVP of this story and the driving force through it all – and by far, my favorite character. She’s the glue that keeps their ‘family’ together and shows Fish especially that there are more and better ways to stand up for those you love and your way of life than resorting to violence – a lesson I can only hope we all learn someday.
I want to make a quick note as well about the writing style, specifically the prevalence of short, concise sentences and descriptions. It might seem simplistic and basic at first, but I think of it as little pebbles being thrown on top of each other in a pile; before you know it, you have a mountain. Each persona is built up piece by piece, and as such makes for an array of diverse, distinct characters. Also, I feel like the book has the slice of life kind of element that you would expect from a short story, but there’s a continuous underlying tension to the story driving it forward. It might not be obvious where exactly it’s heading, but you’re swept up in the current of it, nonetheless. It’s like floating down a lazy river – except there’s a bomb in the river and you’re being forced to stay alert for anything that might submerge and drown you.
And lastly, while there are many memorable passages for me, these are a few of my favorite quotes:
“All kinds of things happen that you don’t know about, and they’re still real.”
“We cannot hide from what hunts us. We have to meet it.”
“No one is waiting to tally who hurt the most at the end of this life. There’s only the love we share now and the good that comes from it. Anything else is wasted time."
You might think at first that the premise of being on this island off the Georgia coast with a wild tiger roaming around is absurd and improbable – but honestly, I think that’s the point. The characters in the book first come to the island in an attempt to escape the monotony and predictability of life in the city, or really just any kind of rigid structure. It’s something that I think about often myself – how many people, if given the chance, would want to live freely, uninhibited by the structures of society? To break free from their day-to-day routine, the revolving and ever-changing responsibilities that plague their modern experience? It’s said that Whistle initially brought the tiger here because “she wanted to see something free, and accepted what came with that”. The danger and unpredictability of the tiger’s presence and the fear it evokes is akin to how anyone might feel from stepping out of their comfort zone and trying to break from their routine. It’s interesting though that Whistle ultimately admits to herself that even this attempt for her to break the mold was unsuccessful – “Mainland rationalism had found her here as slowly as if it had pursued her, at a walk, from the city. It had eaten away at the wards she believed existed on the island – spiritual barriers that emanated from the bomb and allowed for hope, second chances, and spiritual self-sufficiency.” I really enjoyed the constant struggle throughout the story of routine vs. spontaneity and how each character dealt with this, ultimately some opting for a more conventional way of life and others striving to live more freely.
As far as the romance aspect of this book, I can understand and appreciate the development of the relationship between Fish and Celia and felt that it was a natural progression. I’m thankful that it wasn’t just an outright infatuation between the two of them from the beginning – it may have seemed that way to Fish, but I think it was a case of love blinding him from Celia’s true intentions and feelings. It seemed to me that Celia was at first not so much interested in Fish himself as she was the attention she got from him; until, of course, that attention turned into unwanted advances. She was certainly dealing with her own demons but unwilling to share her problems with anyone else.
Whistle in my opinion is the real MVP of this story and the driving force through it all – and by far, my favorite character. She’s the glue that keeps their ‘family’ together and shows Fish especially that there are more and better ways to stand up for those you love and your way of life than resorting to violence – a lesson I can only hope we all learn someday.
I want to make a quick note as well about the writing style, specifically the prevalence of short, concise sentences and descriptions. It might seem simplistic and basic at first, but I think of it as little pebbles being thrown on top of each other in a pile; before you know it, you have a mountain. Each persona is built up piece by piece, and as such makes for an array of diverse, distinct characters. Also, I feel like the book has the slice of life kind of element that you would expect from a short story, but there’s a continuous underlying tension to the story driving it forward. It might not be obvious where exactly it’s heading, but you’re swept up in the current of it, nonetheless. It’s like floating down a lazy river – except there’s a bomb in the river and you’re being forced to stay alert for anything that might submerge and drown you.
And lastly, while there are many memorable passages for me, these are a few of my favorite quotes:
“All kinds of things happen that you don’t know about, and they’re still real.”
“We cannot hide from what hunts us. We have to meet it.”
“No one is waiting to tally who hurt the most at the end of this life. There’s only the love we share now and the good that comes from it. Anything else is wasted time."
September 24, 2024
I was surprised that this was Hundley's first novel and hopefully there will be many more to follow. It was hard to decide how to categorize this one aside from being fiction since it covered so many possibilities. Bomb Island's central character is a young boy named Fish who lives on an Georgia coastal island with a cast of interesting folks in a population dwindling commune of sorts led by a sort of hippy guru of a woman named Whistle. Whistle has a tiger named Sugar that she has raised from a cub who roams the island freely and has become less tame as he reaches maturity. Fish views Whistle as his mother since she has pretty much raised him since she rescued Fish and his real mother from a fire at their commune in Atlanta. The cast of characters also includes Reef who Fish identifies as an older brother and Nutszo and old man that he sees as a mentor. Whistle and Fish operate a glass bottom boat tour that takes tourists out to the island to view the shell of an atomic bomb that was jettisoned by a bomber pilot. They operate out of Royals, the mainland community closest to Bomb Island. Residents of Royals include Elvis-John the owner of the dock/store/bait emporium and Darlin who is Reef's girlfriend. Celia is Fish's fifteen year old semi-love interest who is living in her grandfather's house with her father who is a charter boat captain and pretty much a jerk. She lives with him in the summer and in Savannah the rest of the year with a changing assortment of wealthy boyfriends. So I guess this is a coming-of-age, fantasy thriller, mystery of sorts. Needless to say it is one of the most unusual stories that I have read recently. It brings to mind Mark Childress' "V is for Victor". Overall it was a quick fun read.
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October 27, 2025In this book, the main characters Reef, Nutzo, Fish, and Whistle live on an island located off the shore of Royals, a fictional place. Whistle also has an illegally imported white tiger named Sugar. Here there was a dummy bomb that got dropped during training for a war. The island dwellers provided tours of the bomb on their glass bottom boat, the Atomic Pleasure. One day Reed took Fish to a party on the mainland where we met Celia, another teen who has a passion in tattoo art and made her own. Celia's father, Derbier owned the house that the party was held at, but also owns a fishing charter and dislikes the bomb island dwellers. One day Nutzo went missing and all of the other island dwellers started to look for him. Eventually, Fish found Nutzo and then they both started to plan an idea to kill Sugar due to his increased aggression. One day Fish and Reef brought Celia and another person, Darlin, to the island and soon after Derbier found out. The next day Derbier came with a gun and shot at Sugar leading him to kill Whistle. After this tragic event, Nutzo, Fish, and Derbier worked together to get Reef, Darlin, and Celia to the nearest hospital. Whilst they were waiting for the ambulance they went back to the island to fully kill Suger who was already injured. Luckily, they killed Sugar without getting injured themselves. A few months later all of the surviving island dwellers all moved to Atlanta and Reef and Darlin ended up starting a family. This was a good book but there was a lot of pg 13 language with a lot of usage of the “f word.” Therefore, I would not recommend this to anyone but most would enjoy the plot line.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2025
Au large des côtes de Géorgie, Bomb island est une petite île de 5km de long sur deux de large qui doit son nom à une bombe atomique non explosée tombée en 1955 par accident, reposant sur ses fonds marins et devenue attraction touristique .
Sur cette île vivait une petite communauté de marginaux, réduite, quand commence l'histoire, à quatre personnes : un vieil homme, un plus jeune, Fish le jeune narrateur de 14 ans et leur « sage-mère », sorte de hippie/gourou accompagnée de son tigre blanc.
Le décor est planté dès le premier chapitre un peu mystérieux , qui voit le jeune Fish aux prises avec le tigre, et les personnages cités apparaissent au chapitre deux mais il nous faudra un peu de temps pour comprendre un peu mieux qui ils sont et comment ils vivent.
Je n'en dirai pas plus sur l'histoire elle même car l'intérêt du livre est de se laisser perdre dans cette île, entre les chevaux sauvages et les baignades à proximité de la fameuse bombe …
Roman sur les choix de vie , la difficulté à s'intégrer à une vie « normale »quand on a toujours vécu dans un profond isolement , et les compromis qu'on est capable de faire par amour. C'est pour moi surtout un roman sur le passage à l'âge adulte, avec tout ce que cela remet en cause et bouleverse.
Même si j'ai trouvé que les personnages n'étaient pas assez fouillés , m'empêchant de m'attacher vraiment à eux, c'est un premier roman prometteur, qui fait preuve d'imagination et de maîtrise.
Sur cette île vivait une petite communauté de marginaux, réduite, quand commence l'histoire, à quatre personnes : un vieil homme, un plus jeune, Fish le jeune narrateur de 14 ans et leur « sage-mère », sorte de hippie/gourou accompagnée de son tigre blanc.
Le décor est planté dès le premier chapitre un peu mystérieux , qui voit le jeune Fish aux prises avec le tigre, et les personnages cités apparaissent au chapitre deux mais il nous faudra un peu de temps pour comprendre un peu mieux qui ils sont et comment ils vivent.
Je n'en dirai pas plus sur l'histoire elle même car l'intérêt du livre est de se laisser perdre dans cette île, entre les chevaux sauvages et les baignades à proximité de la fameuse bombe …
Roman sur les choix de vie , la difficulté à s'intégrer à une vie « normale »quand on a toujours vécu dans un profond isolement , et les compromis qu'on est capable de faire par amour. C'est pour moi surtout un roman sur le passage à l'âge adulte, avec tout ce que cela remet en cause et bouleverse.
Même si j'ai trouvé que les personnages n'étaient pas assez fouillés , m'empêchant de m'attacher vraiment à eux, c'est un premier roman prometteur, qui fait preuve d'imagination et de maîtrise.
January 2, 2025
If you asked me to summarize this book in one word I would say "visceral", not in a explicit physical sense, but in the way that every element of this book being each of the unique characters, the setting, the descriptions, and their feeling were so layered and stuck with me as I was reading this. The thing is you never fully understand any of the characters to their entirety, yet with the information given both through some backstory and their current actions and thoughts my mind was able to complete a full picture of very tangible people that I could imagine as if they were real. Although I think a lot of my connection to this book comes from my identity as someone who grew up in the south, I was in awe with this book and how emotionally attuned I was to every word. The ending was beautiful and I enjoyed how it both wrapped up the story full circle while leaving it open-ended to possibilities and interpretation in a way that made me content and reflective. Brilliant.
May 29, 2024
Hundley’s debut novel did not disappoint! Colorful characters and gritty coastal setting. Not all coastal island living is glamorous and this made me love the rough barrier island setting even more. Hundley knows his setting having lived near the area in his youth. Definite coming-of-age story, but action and twists I wasn’t expecting made me emotional. And I was not expecting that. Bomb Island will stay with me long after I’ve closed the pages.
November 1, 2024
had me on the edge of my seat by the end!!! i really thought this couldn’t decide what it wanted to be—i wanted it to lean more into its bildungsroman vibe, or the surrealism, or the suspense, etc. still a great read though, def recommend to anybody looking for a fast-paced book with a unique cast of characters.
December 31, 2024
I struggle to rate this book because it wasn’t a poorly written book, the story just wasn’t; for me. I really struggled to get into it.
I’m also super sensitive towards animals in books/movies. The tiger in this one should have been my warning.
If you like live-off-the-land stories, read this one. You’ll probably love it. Just let this be your warning about the tiger.
I’m also super sensitive towards animals in books/movies. The tiger in this one should have been my warning.
If you like live-off-the-land stories, read this one. You’ll probably love it. Just let this be your warning about the tiger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2025
I was so privileged to be able to meet the author of this wonderful book, and I got to ask loads of questions about his creative process. He seemed so down to earth it made me so comfortable to ask things.
June 3, 2024
Quick read very summery vibes. Lot of interesting plot threads that get resolved pretty satisfyingly. The setting was probably the best part.
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June 20, 2024You can access my review for this title through Chapter 16's website here: https://chapter16.org/troubled-paradise/
July 15, 2024
Interesting concept and got through it fast. Wish the editors would have found more of the typos though…
October 17, 2024
weird pacing but a cute lil read
December 17, 2024
In no way would I call this a romance. Coming-of-age or adventure, more like.
January 5, 2025
3.5, rounded up. I like the strong sense of place in this novel, interesting characters with an unusual storyline.
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September 10, 2025DNF page 50
October 13, 2025
loved this!!
November 3, 2025
This was a very enjoyable read. Tragic and said and magical, literary and unique. I appreciated the characters and the plot.
July 5, 2024
This is a imaginative coming of age story, with a crazy setting on a coastal sea island. The island is inhabited only by abandoned horses, some polyamorous middle-aged freethinkers, a young teenage boy...and a white tiger. So yes, there is a bit of magical realism in play, too. But the issues of being a teen in a crazy world are very real, and the author writes from a place that feels very real.
I would like to read this author’s short stories in The Aliens Will come to Georgia First. He writes well, but I think he got lost writing this novel. The setting on a Georgia barrier Island is beautiful, but I was not sure when the story took place. Pre cell phone era for sure. I wanted more background for everything. Each character could have been the protagonist of their own story. A collection of interconnected stories might have been the perfect way to tie all of these misfits together.
The weirdest part of the story is the bomb, which is a true story, believe it or not!
I would like to read this author’s short stories in The Aliens Will come to Georgia First. He writes well, but I think he got lost writing this novel. The setting on a Georgia barrier Island is beautiful, but I was not sure when the story took place. Pre cell phone era for sure. I wanted more background for everything. Each character could have been the protagonist of their own story. A collection of interconnected stories might have been the perfect way to tie all of these misfits together.
The weirdest part of the story is the bomb, which is a true story, believe it or not!
August 13, 2025
3.5 - it was just a solid novel! A unique plot and the attention given to setting was appreciated.
a touch manic pixie dream girl & I would have liked either minimal character switching or from all parties perspectives. Some characters felt a little underbaked.
Still overall a fun read and well paced novel. It executes themes of exoticism and family patterns subtly but strikingly. the pull of the island life was palpable even with knowing all its flaws. the author lets us feel the connection and uniqueness of the landscape to the point we also believe there might be magic at play.
a touch manic pixie dream girl & I would have liked either minimal character switching or from all parties perspectives. Some characters felt a little underbaked.
Still overall a fun read and well paced novel. It executes themes of exoticism and family patterns subtly but strikingly. the pull of the island life was palpable even with knowing all its flaws. the author lets us feel the connection and uniqueness of the landscape to the point we also believe there might be magic at play.
December 9, 2024
The history of the failed bomb is interesting though i haven't had a chance to do further research yet
Very close to a 5⭐ for me. Great cast of characters, interesting plot and well paced.
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