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Egg Island
Two laconic teenage runaways plunge deep into backcountry, farther and farther away from civilization, searching for an extraordinary place that may or may not exist.
On the move for who knows how long, Julia, age unknown, walks into a gas station. There, the tall, ominous kid with a studded belt and crusty eyebrow ring who’s stocking the fridge stops his work and leads her out back to the restroom. What happens next is technically grand theft auto.
Egg Island is the peculiar and darkly humorous story of Julia: a runaway in search of the elusive locale known as Egg Island, a place where, she has been told, the sky breaks the exosphere and the path to a new home will be revealed. Julia’s journey is the story of the shy camaraderie between two bruised teens, stretching beyond roads, forests, and outer space, as they learn to reconcile their histories with the big, open future.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
On the move for who knows how long, Julia, age unknown, walks into a gas station. There, the tall, ominous kid with a studded belt and crusty eyebrow ring who’s stocking the fridge stops his work and leads her out back to the restroom. What happens next is technically grand theft auto.
Egg Island is the peculiar and darkly humorous story of Julia: a runaway in search of the elusive locale known as Egg Island, a place where, she has been told, the sky breaks the exosphere and the path to a new home will be revealed. Julia’s journey is the story of the shy camaraderie between two bruised teens, stretching beyond roads, forests, and outer space, as they learn to reconcile their histories with the big, open future.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
240 pages, Paperback
Published August 9, 2022
1 person is currently reading
2486 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
May 2, 2022
Shouts out to NetGalley for the ARC.
Egg Island is quite the modern conundrum: a YA book that features young people who, you know, actually talk and act like young people. Irritable, confounding, complex, downtrodden young people, but young people nonetheless.
This fact may mean that it isn't even shelved as YA. There are no aspirational characters, no morality lessons spouted by flat, character cyphers, and no happy romances.
To enjoy Egg Island, you have to accept the conditions of the ride: you will not end up where you wanted to, the journey will piss you off, and the character growth will come in fits and spurts, with plenty of backsliding.
I found the two main characters amusing and engaging, if not occasionally annoying. Not every quippy conversation works, and not every line about teenage ennui lands. However, I enjoyed their dynamic, and how they pushed each other, throughout the bizarre, variegated settings.
This book isn't for everyone, but I hope it finds a wide audience of people not predisposed to dislike it given their genre expectations.
Egg Island is quite the modern conundrum: a YA book that features young people who, you know, actually talk and act like young people. Irritable, confounding, complex, downtrodden young people, but young people nonetheless.
This fact may mean that it isn't even shelved as YA. There are no aspirational characters, no morality lessons spouted by flat, character cyphers, and no happy romances.
To enjoy Egg Island, you have to accept the conditions of the ride: you will not end up where you wanted to, the journey will piss you off, and the character growth will come in fits and spurts, with plenty of backsliding.
I found the two main characters amusing and engaging, if not occasionally annoying. Not every quippy conversation works, and not every line about teenage ennui lands. However, I enjoyed their dynamic, and how they pushed each other, throughout the bizarre, variegated settings.
This book isn't for everyone, but I hope it finds a wide audience of people not predisposed to dislike it given their genre expectations.
June 13, 2022
Egg Island by Sara Flemington
Random stream of consciousness – characters chasing their tales without a real destination in mind – searching for something – and – at the end I wondered if or when they will find it as they did not find it by the end of the book.
That said, I applaud the author for writing a book and am sure this story will appeal to someone even though that did not happen to be me. I felt that the telling of the story was more important for the author than having the characters find what they were looking for or even finding something that would help them grow or become more. I suppose that is true for some in life, but I prefer to spend my time reading words that take me somewhere, see the characters grow and develop and that leaves me feeling hopeful when I read the last page.
Did I read every word? Not really…I read the first few chapters, did not engage with the characters, could not see myself in the story as one of them, and wondered what the true purpose of writing the story actually was, so skipped to the end, read that, read a bit in the middle and decided the book was not for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the ARC – This is my honest review
2-3 Stars
Random stream of consciousness – characters chasing their tales without a real destination in mind – searching for something – and – at the end I wondered if or when they will find it as they did not find it by the end of the book.
That said, I applaud the author for writing a book and am sure this story will appeal to someone even though that did not happen to be me. I felt that the telling of the story was more important for the author than having the characters find what they were looking for or even finding something that would help them grow or become more. I suppose that is true for some in life, but I prefer to spend my time reading words that take me somewhere, see the characters grow and develop and that leaves me feeling hopeful when I read the last page.
Did I read every word? Not really…I read the first few chapters, did not engage with the characters, could not see myself in the story as one of them, and wondered what the true purpose of writing the story actually was, so skipped to the end, read that, read a bit in the middle and decided the book was not for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the ARC – This is my honest review
2-3 Stars
January 19, 2022
“Egg Island”, Sara Flemington’s debut novel, is a hodge-podge of dark humour and an adventure bereft of destination. Eighteen year old Julia, is on a quest to reach Egg Island. A place located in the middle of nowhere, and leading to nowhere, Egg Island may as well be a myth or an outcome of manufactured folklore. This mythical place - legend has it- accords a spectacular view of a rip in the sky, an Ozone hole. But what is most significant for Julia and her future, is that Egg Island may also contain the only key for Julia to locate her missing father. Keeping her mother and four year old twin brothers in the dark, Julia ferrets herself out her home and embarks on an uncertain and long trek to the elusive Egg Island.
Julia meets Colt, an eighteen year old lad of a gazillion eccentricities in a convenience store adjacent to a gas station. In unsolicited fashion, the tall chap wearing a studded belt and a crusty eyebrow, declares himself (and his grandfather’s car), allies in Julia’s quest. What follows is a series of bizarre escapades ranging from panhandling coins to stealing food, and everything in between. Colt, cars, colonies of hutterites, and cold nights later, the duo find themselves as far from their mission as they were at the commencement of their adventure.
“Egg Island” attempts at being a non-linear Murakami (was there ever a linear version of the man), takes a shot at being a poor man’s Jack Kerouac, while all along trying its best to sound and read like a benign impersonation of Mark Twain. In a futile bid to be all of these, it unfortunately ends up being none of them. Colt with his incessant chattering (most of which consist of mouthing corny lines), and an almost condescending demeanour, ends up being an absolute irritant. There comes a point in the book where you want to avoid him with the same enthusiasm that a cockroach takes to a repellant. Julia, even though the protagonist in the tale is more emblematic of vulnerability and uncertainty than an epitome of optimism and confidence.
The phalanx of characters who waft in and out of the book are more interlopers in a junkie rave – where entries and exits are neither manned nor managed - than surreptitious gatecrashers hoping to steal a meal at a wedding. At one point in time, Julia somehow manages to wriggle herself away from Colt and his car, only to end up in the house of a family of Germans where every woman puts Rapunzel to utter disdain. The combined length of their hair, in all probability, is longer than the safety lines that are required to be laid while traversing to the tip of Mount Everest, and back. Add a beheaded fowl (or was it a hen?) and a dead mouse to the mix, you almost feel yourself calling out for Colt. A call which unfortunately the man heeds the call in a jiffy.
There are however some redeeming passages that reinforce the need for, and the indispensable relevance of a symbiotic relationship between man and Mother Nature. A spontaneous combustion of delight which Colt and Julia feel at the sight of a small turtle abutting a clear stream, for example, conveys to the reader the pristine and giving attribute of nature. Colt unsurprisingly, and abruptly, cuts short the pleasure of the reader by engaging the turtle in an unwarranted and out of kilter monologue. If only turtles could demand aspirin!
(“Egg Island” by Sara Flemington is published by Dundurn Press and will be available for sale from the 9th of August 2022)
Thank you, Net Galley for the Advance Reviewer Copy!
Julia meets Colt, an eighteen year old lad of a gazillion eccentricities in a convenience store adjacent to a gas station. In unsolicited fashion, the tall chap wearing a studded belt and a crusty eyebrow, declares himself (and his grandfather’s car), allies in Julia’s quest. What follows is a series of bizarre escapades ranging from panhandling coins to stealing food, and everything in between. Colt, cars, colonies of hutterites, and cold nights later, the duo find themselves as far from their mission as they were at the commencement of their adventure.
“Egg Island” attempts at being a non-linear Murakami (was there ever a linear version of the man), takes a shot at being a poor man’s Jack Kerouac, while all along trying its best to sound and read like a benign impersonation of Mark Twain. In a futile bid to be all of these, it unfortunately ends up being none of them. Colt with his incessant chattering (most of which consist of mouthing corny lines), and an almost condescending demeanour, ends up being an absolute irritant. There comes a point in the book where you want to avoid him with the same enthusiasm that a cockroach takes to a repellant. Julia, even though the protagonist in the tale is more emblematic of vulnerability and uncertainty than an epitome of optimism and confidence.
The phalanx of characters who waft in and out of the book are more interlopers in a junkie rave – where entries and exits are neither manned nor managed - than surreptitious gatecrashers hoping to steal a meal at a wedding. At one point in time, Julia somehow manages to wriggle herself away from Colt and his car, only to end up in the house of a family of Germans where every woman puts Rapunzel to utter disdain. The combined length of their hair, in all probability, is longer than the safety lines that are required to be laid while traversing to the tip of Mount Everest, and back. Add a beheaded fowl (or was it a hen?) and a dead mouse to the mix, you almost feel yourself calling out for Colt. A call which unfortunately the man heeds the call in a jiffy.
There are however some redeeming passages that reinforce the need for, and the indispensable relevance of a symbiotic relationship between man and Mother Nature. A spontaneous combustion of delight which Colt and Julia feel at the sight of a small turtle abutting a clear stream, for example, conveys to the reader the pristine and giving attribute of nature. Colt unsurprisingly, and abruptly, cuts short the pleasure of the reader by engaging the turtle in an unwarranted and out of kilter monologue. If only turtles could demand aspirin!
(“Egg Island” by Sara Flemington is published by Dundurn Press and will be available for sale from the 9th of August 2022)
Thank you, Net Galley for the Advance Reviewer Copy!
January 29, 2022
I've read this book maybe ten times (cause the author is my gf lol) and I love it (obviously!). It is a weird, endearing, funny, touching, unpretentious, quietly confident debut novel, with fast-paced dialogue, and a simple, straightforward prose style that can be enjoyed by anyone (not just book nerds). It tells the story of Julia, a teenager on the road, who never allows herself to be stuck in one spot for very long, thus immediately challenging how most people have probably spent their teenagehood. The result is a unique, highly entertaining coming-of-age adventure, that takes on a surreal quality at times, but is presented through a grounded, naturalistic lens. The elusive Egg Island serves as both a destination point for our young characters, as well as an opposing, bigger picture idea of how sometimes there are none, that every place can be seen as just another step in a series of steps toward the unknown. It so effectively captures the way in which young people are faced to view the remainder of their lives as either a series of pre-determined life decisions, or something more infinite. It left me feeling adrift in the best possible way, a way I deeply related to, the author being my gf or not hehe. I truly love this book xo
July 25, 2022
Five stars and not just because I once had to rescue the author's betta fish from an aquarium plant that had knotted around its eyeball.
This book is my favourite kind of book: hazy, surreal, emotional in a way that's hard to put your finger on, involves a road trip. It feels like a dream you have when you're napping in the backseat of a car on a summer's day and the car slowly gets hotter and so your dream slowly gets weirder and eventually, you wake up and crack a window and wipe the sweat from behind your knee caps and ask yourself, "Holy hell, was that real?" Yes, it was. Egg Island is real, very real.
This book is my favourite kind of book: hazy, surreal, emotional in a way that's hard to put your finger on, involves a road trip. It feels like a dream you have when you're napping in the backseat of a car on a summer's day and the car slowly gets hotter and so your dream slowly gets weirder and eventually, you wake up and crack a window and wipe the sweat from behind your knee caps and ask yourself, "Holy hell, was that real?" Yes, it was. Egg Island is real, very real.
October 1, 2022
Thank you Goodreads for this giveaway!
A short, quirky read about a teenage girl who runs away from home. I thought the teenage dialogue felt realistic but wish there was a bit more character development. Overall a nice quick read!
A short, quirky read about a teenage girl who runs away from home. I thought the teenage dialogue felt realistic but wish there was a bit more character development. Overall a nice quick read!
July 12, 2022
Egg Island” by Sara Flemington 🇨🇦 @moonchild__________
I read this in a day. It is the most unique, sad, quirky, funny adventure.
Synopsis: Egg Island is the peculiar and darkly humorous story of Julia: a runaway in search of the elusive locale known as Egg Island, a place where, she has been told, the sky breaks the exosphere and the path to a new home will be revealed. Julia's journey is the story of the shy camaraderie between two bruised teens, stretching beyond roads, forests, and outer space, as they learn to reconcile their histories with the big, open future.
Sound intriguing? It is! Author Sara Flemington has such a creative intentional writing style- I found myself flagging quotes that I just kept reading again and again! If you enjoy creative, poetic storytelling & complicated, complex characters- I recommend this one ♥️
“Just another highway ghost looking to cause some mysterious, tragic accident. It didn’t matter. What mattered was getting where I needed to go. Which seemed to be changing with each new road I ended up on.”
“I looked up at the icy sky and wished I could be as petrified as everything else in this place we were in. But I couldn’t be. Not right away, at least. I’d have to stand still in place a little while longer.”
Thank you to @dundurnpress for the opportunity to read this one!
I read this in a day. It is the most unique, sad, quirky, funny adventure.
Synopsis: Egg Island is the peculiar and darkly humorous story of Julia: a runaway in search of the elusive locale known as Egg Island, a place where, she has been told, the sky breaks the exosphere and the path to a new home will be revealed. Julia's journey is the story of the shy camaraderie between two bruised teens, stretching beyond roads, forests, and outer space, as they learn to reconcile their histories with the big, open future.
Sound intriguing? It is! Author Sara Flemington has such a creative intentional writing style- I found myself flagging quotes that I just kept reading again and again! If you enjoy creative, poetic storytelling & complicated, complex characters- I recommend this one ♥️
“Just another highway ghost looking to cause some mysterious, tragic accident. It didn’t matter. What mattered was getting where I needed to go. Which seemed to be changing with each new road I ended up on.”
“I looked up at the icy sky and wished I could be as petrified as everything else in this place we were in. But I couldn’t be. Not right away, at least. I’d have to stand still in place a little while longer.”
Thank you to @dundurnpress for the opportunity to read this one!
May 12, 2022
What a quirky little gem of a book this is it made a refreshing change from some of the other novels I’ve read recently
The book flows along in a slightly surreal stream of consciousness form letting the story happen to you and the characters
Although ultimately the book is the story of a rambling journey taken by 2 strangers who meet by chance and subsequently make all their decisions almost as randomly as throwing a dice
I enjoyed the feel and tempo of the book greatly and fell in love with the 2 characters immediately
I saw the book described as like the tv series end of the fucking world and can complexly see this
The book celebrates youth and spontaneity and really made me want to get up drive off in my car and have an adventure
The characters are believable in their oddity as are the constellation of others met on their journey
I’d recommend this book to anyone wanting to add a bit of joy to their lives I loved it .
I read an early copy of the book on NetGalley Uk it is published in August 2022
The book flows along in a slightly surreal stream of consciousness form letting the story happen to you and the characters
Although ultimately the book is the story of a rambling journey taken by 2 strangers who meet by chance and subsequently make all their decisions almost as randomly as throwing a dice
I enjoyed the feel and tempo of the book greatly and fell in love with the 2 characters immediately
I saw the book described as like the tv series end of the fucking world and can complexly see this
The book celebrates youth and spontaneity and really made me want to get up drive off in my car and have an adventure
The characters are believable in their oddity as are the constellation of others met on their journey
I’d recommend this book to anyone wanting to add a bit of joy to their lives I loved it .
I read an early copy of the book on NetGalley Uk it is published in August 2022
May 17, 2022
I really really wanted to like the book, I had such high expectations but it just isn't my cup of tea. Both Julia and Colt and their antics seemed too weird for me to handle. There were some parts, phrases, secondary characters that were interesting and stuck out to me but it didn't happen often enough to keep me hooked. Maybe I'm too serious to enjoy the quirky setting. I do hope you'll give it a read and decide for yourself. The author's note was beautiful btw.
February 7, 2022
A languid fever dream, this story drifts along the bone-dry dirt roads of the far north, in search of the memory of a myth. Semi-feral Julia and Colt are two restless teens who meet by coincidence in a gas station partway through Julia's journey to Egg Island, where she hopes to find her missing father and an alternative to the mediocre working-class life she anticipates. Colt, simultaneously worldly and immature, volunteers to drive her to Egg Island for much the same reason. Together and apart they explore the wild wastelands, meeting an eccentric cast of supporting actors, getting to know each other, and forming a tight bond which sustains them on their voyage of discovery of the world, of themselves, and of their futures.
I loved the premise of this story and wish there had been more about Julia's background. As the central focus of the story, I felt her motivations were at once clear -- she was struggling to cope with her absent mother and wild siblings; and vague -- what was the final impetus to push her on her journey? Why did she seem to have a sadistic streak? The author took a risk in beginning not with Julia's first steps towards Egg Island but with meeting Colt, and as a result the reader lacks information the author has chosen to hide. All that aside, Julia is a captivating lead with great determination and drive, and the author keeps pace with her perfectly. I empathised with her circumstances and with her ability to hold on to hope during an increasingly hopeless journey.
At times Julia's and Colt's actions seem erratic or unbelievable, but the choices we made as teens were often erratic or unbelievable, right? As they struggle to find food, or water, or gas to keep going, as they encounter strange places that seem like mirages in the desert, the world is deliberately painted with a very broad brush, to maintain that sense of disorientation. I found it a good book to dip in and out of, because immersing myself in Julia and Colt's misty landscape that feels like a series of long, straight roads to nowhere was sometimes tiring and left me with that sense of indistinctiveness, of things blurring at the edges. And I think that's the author's intent.
While this is ostensibly the story of Julia and Colt's relationship, it's also about connection: the ties that bind us to other people, to places, and to things. It's about what we can let go, and what we must hold on to, and what sustains us.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the opportunity to review this book. Egg Island will be published on 9 August 2022.
I loved the premise of this story and wish there had been more about Julia's background. As the central focus of the story, I felt her motivations were at once clear -- she was struggling to cope with her absent mother and wild siblings; and vague -- what was the final impetus to push her on her journey? Why did she seem to have a sadistic streak? The author took a risk in beginning not with Julia's first steps towards Egg Island but with meeting Colt, and as a result the reader lacks information the author has chosen to hide. All that aside, Julia is a captivating lead with great determination and drive, and the author keeps pace with her perfectly. I empathised with her circumstances and with her ability to hold on to hope during an increasingly hopeless journey.
At times Julia's and Colt's actions seem erratic or unbelievable, but the choices we made as teens were often erratic or unbelievable, right? As they struggle to find food, or water, or gas to keep going, as they encounter strange places that seem like mirages in the desert, the world is deliberately painted with a very broad brush, to maintain that sense of disorientation. I found it a good book to dip in and out of, because immersing myself in Julia and Colt's misty landscape that feels like a series of long, straight roads to nowhere was sometimes tiring and left me with that sense of indistinctiveness, of things blurring at the edges. And I think that's the author's intent.
While this is ostensibly the story of Julia and Colt's relationship, it's also about connection: the ties that bind us to other people, to places, and to things. It's about what we can let go, and what we must hold on to, and what sustains us.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the opportunity to review this book. Egg Island will be published on 9 August 2022.
January 21, 2022
As I finish the last paragraph of Egg Island, the debut novel from author Sara Flemington, I have to wonder. Why? What was the point? Was there one? It sure didn't feel like it to me. Maybe I'm not the target audience for this. It feels like it's meant more for young adults but I'm not even sure what they would get out of it.
To sum things up, our protagonist Julia decides she wants to travel to a place called Egg Island to locate her dad. Right from the get go she's on her way and teams up with a guy named Colt who she meets at a gas station. He steals his grandfather's car and the journey truly begins.
From there they have car troubles and meet quirky characters who are there to either give advice, food, or some mixture of both. It felt like a series of vignettes that didn't really go anywhere by the end. We move from Point A to B to C to D before circling back to A, which by then nothing was gained or lost. No one grew and nothing truly changed for these characters. We went a full 360 to be right back where we were.
Besides that, neither of our leads are particularly interesting or likeable. Julia is fine but she's like a hamburger, in that you're okay with what you have but you wish there was more substance for the overall experience. You're full but not satisfied. Colt is just odd. He's so matter of fact and dry in everything that he does and says that it becomes wooden and irritating as the story progresses. I didn't find any of their bizarre camaraderie believable for a second.
I don't really have much more to say about Egg Island. I'm not angry or upset or happy that I read it. Instead I'm left with nothing and somehow I find that worse.
Thanks to Dundurn Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this debut novel.
To sum things up, our protagonist Julia decides she wants to travel to a place called Egg Island to locate her dad. Right from the get go she's on her way and teams up with a guy named Colt who she meets at a gas station. He steals his grandfather's car and the journey truly begins.
From there they have car troubles and meet quirky characters who are there to either give advice, food, or some mixture of both. It felt like a series of vignettes that didn't really go anywhere by the end. We move from Point A to B to C to D before circling back to A, which by then nothing was gained or lost. No one grew and nothing truly changed for these characters. We went a full 360 to be right back where we were.
Besides that, neither of our leads are particularly interesting or likeable. Julia is fine but she's like a hamburger, in that you're okay with what you have but you wish there was more substance for the overall experience. You're full but not satisfied. Colt is just odd. He's so matter of fact and dry in everything that he does and says that it becomes wooden and irritating as the story progresses. I didn't find any of their bizarre camaraderie believable for a second.
I don't really have much more to say about Egg Island. I'm not angry or upset or happy that I read it. Instead I'm left with nothing and somehow I find that worse.
Thanks to Dundurn Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this debut novel.
February 25, 2022
'Egg Island' is a quirky, at times whimsical series of episodes and dialogues, which sometimes border on the absurd and occasionally recall the iconic 'Pulp Fiction' kind of exchanges, but are, despite their light-hearted nature and occasional wisdom, not enough to drive the story forward.
Both main characters, eighteen-year-old Julia and Colt, are underdeveloped. Though they're no doubt interesting and often witty, we learn nothing about their inner workings or motivations. While at least Colt seems to be romantically interested in Julia, all she wants is to find Egg Island, a semi-mythical place that might or might not exist, which supposedly hides the crack in the universe, and where Julia's dad might be. On the way there, in the car Colt has stolen from his grandad, they encounter places and people that have almost a cartoonish quality. Julia seems to frequently run away from these people, lie to them, steal from them, or all three. I struggled to relate to or like her and wished I could find out more about who she is, than about what she does.
I found the ending quite random and unsatisfying, but enjoyed the cinematic storytelling and the occasional slip of the narrative towards magic realism. There are some really beautifully written passages in 'Egg Island', showing a glimpse of the depth this story could have had.
Many thanks to Dundurn Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book.
Both main characters, eighteen-year-old Julia and Colt, are underdeveloped. Though they're no doubt interesting and often witty, we learn nothing about their inner workings or motivations. While at least Colt seems to be romantically interested in Julia, all she wants is to find Egg Island, a semi-mythical place that might or might not exist, which supposedly hides the crack in the universe, and where Julia's dad might be. On the way there, in the car Colt has stolen from his grandad, they encounter places and people that have almost a cartoonish quality. Julia seems to frequently run away from these people, lie to them, steal from them, or all three. I struggled to relate to or like her and wished I could find out more about who she is, than about what she does.
I found the ending quite random and unsatisfying, but enjoyed the cinematic storytelling and the occasional slip of the narrative towards magic realism. There are some really beautifully written passages in 'Egg Island', showing a glimpse of the depth this story could have had.
Many thanks to Dundurn Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book.
May 27, 2022
Egg island is Flemington's debut novel in which Julia and Colt journey to the mysterious "egg island". As the story unravels we learn more about Julia's motives and how egg island isn't all that it's cracked up to be.
This is a quirky and fun novel, in which Flemington experiments with linear narrative plunging Julia into a dream-like world. Whilst this in itself is interesting, it sometimes came off as quite disjointed, in a way that didn't work for me. Some of the side characters were a little flat, and whilst they had distinct personalities, they often seemed to do the same thing - they would take Julia in and ask her to do chores in return - leaving some of the story feeling a little repetitive. I felt this novel had a lot of potential, since the vibe and writing lent itself to something a bit different, so I was almost disappointed - but not surprised - by the ending - it felt like a classic YA type thing (which for reasons below I wasn't expecting to read).
This is not an issue with the book itself, but this is listed aa literary on NetGalley and not YA. The novel certainly does have some literary elements but without the YA label, I had slightly different expectations of the novel, which may be why I didn't gel with it as much as I had hoped.
Overall, it's a fun trip and if you are interested in something a bit different, I'd definitely give this a go.
Egg Island is out on 9th August!
This is a quirky and fun novel, in which Flemington experiments with linear narrative plunging Julia into a dream-like world. Whilst this in itself is interesting, it sometimes came off as quite disjointed, in a way that didn't work for me. Some of the side characters were a little flat, and whilst they had distinct personalities, they often seemed to do the same thing - they would take Julia in and ask her to do chores in return - leaving some of the story feeling a little repetitive. I felt this novel had a lot of potential, since the vibe and writing lent itself to something a bit different, so I was almost disappointed - but not surprised - by the ending - it felt like a classic YA type thing (which for reasons below I wasn't expecting to read).
This is not an issue with the book itself, but this is listed aa literary on NetGalley and not YA. The novel certainly does have some literary elements but without the YA label, I had slightly different expectations of the novel, which may be why I didn't gel with it as much as I had hoped.
Overall, it's a fun trip and if you are interested in something a bit different, I'd definitely give this a go.
Egg Island is out on 9th August!
September 6, 2022
First of all I would like to thank the Dundurn Press for sending me a copy of this book.It is always so exciting to see what authors they work with, and what interesting stories they help let out in the world.
Egg Island is such a strange little book. To me, the story felt as though it was taking you through the journey of a young person moving through grief and trying to accept what has happened.
Flemington does this in a way that forces the reader to suspend their disbelief, and travel to the far corners of northern Canada where the outcasts, and niche groups of people reside.
Where you don’t know who you are going to meet next, and how it’s going to turn out, but through the reckless abandonment that only teenagers can embody we are trusting that Julia will get to where she needs to go…. and that Colt will be by her side.
I really resonate with the theme of wanting to fix your grief. Or run from the reality of what has happened. Of telling yourself a story that allows you to keep putting one foot in front of the other. And maybe you will find that place where your suffering doesn’t have to exist.
But I think the thing that allows us to grow. Is to return home to whatever it is, and face it. That even if it doesn’t make sense, we must stay in it. And only then, after Julia heals what is at home may then go back out into the wilderness and explore again.
Egg Island is such a strange little book. To me, the story felt as though it was taking you through the journey of a young person moving through grief and trying to accept what has happened.
Flemington does this in a way that forces the reader to suspend their disbelief, and travel to the far corners of northern Canada where the outcasts, and niche groups of people reside.
Where you don’t know who you are going to meet next, and how it’s going to turn out, but through the reckless abandonment that only teenagers can embody we are trusting that Julia will get to where she needs to go…. and that Colt will be by her side.
I really resonate with the theme of wanting to fix your grief. Or run from the reality of what has happened. Of telling yourself a story that allows you to keep putting one foot in front of the other. And maybe you will find that place where your suffering doesn’t have to exist.
But I think the thing that allows us to grow. Is to return home to whatever it is, and face it. That even if it doesn’t make sense, we must stay in it. And only then, after Julia heals what is at home may then go back out into the wilderness and explore again.
December 29, 2021
I really wanted to like this book. The title was great, the cover was great, the premise was great. I did not like this book as it felt too disconnected for me, lots of stuff happened but I could not understand how it all fit. I did not have a good sense of why Julia was on this quest in the first place or what Egg Island really could do. I did not understand why Julia was always lying to people or being awful to people. There were interesting story threads that never were resolved, the story just moved on to the describe the next encounter, so it just felt like a string of things they saw and said with a variety of characters that didn't tie together. .
'To climb back in through that washroom window and go forward, while our stomachs were still happy, stuffed with blueberry pie, into our whole, brief future of no missing parts.'
I liked this line but the book felt like there were a lot of missing parts for me. It takes great talent to write a book and get published, something I have never done. As a reader, this story was not for me but I hope it will be for someone.
Thank you to Dundurn Press for an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
'To climb back in through that washroom window and go forward, while our stomachs were still happy, stuffed with blueberry pie, into our whole, brief future of no missing parts.'
I liked this line but the book felt like there were a lot of missing parts for me. It takes great talent to write a book and get published, something I have never done. As a reader, this story was not for me but I hope it will be for someone.
Thank you to Dundurn Press for an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
June 24, 2022
Egg Island is a picaresque, coming-of-age novel about two teenagers on the road towards a mythical place called Egg Island, where reportedly, there's a hole in the ozone. Julia believes her absentee father is on that island; Colt, whom she meets at a gas station, seems mostly along for the ride. Along the way, they meet random characters who spout bits of wisdom and a turtle they half-jokingly adopt as their child. They also eat cans of beans and tell random stories that seem imbued with layers of meaning about life and existence.
In short, Egg Island is the kind of novel I can imagine English classes mining for lots of rich material for discussion, and book clubs with a more literary bent having long, complex conversations over. Many readers will likely enjoy it. It's not quite my kind of thing, but I can imagine finding it profound when I was in university, and it's an engaging enough read that I finished the novel.
Full review on my blog: https://literarytreats.com/2022/06/23...
In short, Egg Island is the kind of novel I can imagine English classes mining for lots of rich material for discussion, and book clubs with a more literary bent having long, complex conversations over. Many readers will likely enjoy it. It's not quite my kind of thing, but I can imagine finding it profound when I was in university, and it's an engaging enough read that I finished the novel.
Full review on my blog: https://literarytreats.com/2022/06/23...
July 2, 2022
This book was a quick read for me, which is always a positive. The chapters were reasonable length so it made it easy to pick up and put down again. I enjoyed meeting the variety of characters that made an appearance through the book that always had some interesting quirks. However, I found it hard to warm to the main characters and just found them to be a bit unlikeable. I don’t know if it was the fact they’re teenagers and the mannerisms I just found annoying or they were just unlikeable people. I also felt like the book was kind of written just as a prequel to the actual story because not much actually happened in terms of plot development or action.
Overall, it was a read that I was able to get through easily but I would have enjoyed there to be more development in terms of the story and for some action to take place or questions to be answered.
I am grateful to have received this ARC via Netgalley and this is my honest review of the book.
Overall, it was a read that I was able to get through easily but I would have enjoyed there to be more development in terms of the story and for some action to take place or questions to be answered.
I am grateful to have received this ARC via Netgalley and this is my honest review of the book.
January 22, 2022
"He looked me in the eyes like he was going to love me then murder me, then spend the rest of his life building a shrine for me".
Egg Island is a sweet tale of two teens who find each other on the search of the mythical egg Island. It's hilariously silly, deceptively simple and a quick read with a lot to leave the reader thinking about.
The author prefaces the book with similarities to 'the end of the Fxcking world', and the book certainly has similar vibes, but is equally unique in it's delivery and end product. An enjoyable read.
"If you think about it, the dinosaurs were here for like, millions of years, just stomping around, not doing anything useful. We've been here for way less time than that, and look at everything we've done. We invented cars, escalators. We even sent a man to the freaking moon."
Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc.
Egg Island is a sweet tale of two teens who find each other on the search of the mythical egg Island. It's hilariously silly, deceptively simple and a quick read with a lot to leave the reader thinking about.
The author prefaces the book with similarities to 'the end of the Fxcking world', and the book certainly has similar vibes, but is equally unique in it's delivery and end product. An enjoyable read.
"If you think about it, the dinosaurs were here for like, millions of years, just stomping around, not doing anything useful. We've been here for way less time than that, and look at everything we've done. We invented cars, escalators. We even sent a man to the freaking moon."
Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc.
January 29, 2022
on a quest to locate her dad on egg island, we get lost in the travels of eighteen year old julia, the people she meets, the troubles she encounters. accompanied by colt, a gas station attendant who makes it his duty to help her on her journey.
this book held so much promise, i wanted so dearly to enjoy it but quickly found it to be a drag. the storyline held many interesting encounters for our protagonist just to jump to the next with no resolve, many lose ends, many moments of questioning, what is happening? what is the point in all this?
this book has left me indifferent, the writing was wonderful but it hasn’t left me with much to say. maybe i’m not the target audience? as i believe pre-teen me would devour this story and all its whacky twists and turns.
thank you dundurn press and netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this debut novel!
this book held so much promise, i wanted so dearly to enjoy it but quickly found it to be a drag. the storyline held many interesting encounters for our protagonist just to jump to the next with no resolve, many lose ends, many moments of questioning, what is happening? what is the point in all this?
this book has left me indifferent, the writing was wonderful but it hasn’t left me with much to say. maybe i’m not the target audience? as i believe pre-teen me would devour this story and all its whacky twists and turns.
thank you dundurn press and netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this debut novel!
September 20, 2022
EGG ISLAND is an odd, sad, darkly hilarious, coming of age adventure about friendship and finding yourself.
This one is tough to review. It's one of those books where you kind of have to just let go and see where you end up. An intriguing premis, I liked the mystery of the journey but found it more of a YA than I was expecting, which I dont usually read. BUT this may have just been a case of the reader not fully being able to focus on the book at the time of reading. The steam of consciousness style is hit or miss for me too so if this sounds intriguing to you definitely give it a try! There were some lovely lines throughout that caught my attention and I would definitely give this author another try! Thank You to @dundurnpress for sending me this book opinions are my own.
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
This one is tough to review. It's one of those books where you kind of have to just let go and see where you end up. An intriguing premis, I liked the mystery of the journey but found it more of a YA than I was expecting, which I dont usually read. BUT this may have just been a case of the reader not fully being able to focus on the book at the time of reading. The steam of consciousness style is hit or miss for me too so if this sounds intriguing to you definitely give it a try! There were some lovely lines throughout that caught my attention and I would definitely give this author another try! Thank You to @dundurnpress for sending me this book opinions are my own.
For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong
January 21, 2022
This book has so much promise and is an excellent mix of fascinating characters… but I felt like there were too many loose ends and story lines that never were resolved. Overall, I did enjoy the journey of Julia and it had a decent ending. I would read more by this author and I did like the way she described things and people. It was good for a first book but I think she needs to really hone in a writing style of her own. It did remind me a lot of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” but feel that it is missing something. The dark humor and snarky camaraderie between Julia and Colt kept me reading. This was a fascinating book in the end.
Thank you, Net Galley, for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is scheduled for release in August of 2022.
Thank you, Net Galley, for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is scheduled for release in August of 2022.
October 3, 2024
Julia and Colt take a road trip to find Egg Island. The book started off extremely strange, almost expecting a serial killer/murder vibe with how Julia was traveling around.
Julia set off in search of Egg Island and meets Colt who is nice enough to try and take her there. And so begins their journey to a place that may or may not exist. I honestly spent most of the book wondering how Julia didn’t get murdered.
The book includes many different characters that Julia meets along the way. I kept imaging that this whole story was made up by extremely imaginative kids in a tree-house. It’s definitely a story about the journey and not the destination despite the characters constant talk of the destination.
Maybe they will find Egg Island one day.
Julia set off in search of Egg Island and meets Colt who is nice enough to try and take her there. And so begins their journey to a place that may or may not exist. I honestly spent most of the book wondering how Julia didn’t get murdered.
The book includes many different characters that Julia meets along the way. I kept imaging that this whole story was made up by extremely imaginative kids in a tree-house. It’s definitely a story about the journey and not the destination despite the characters constant talk of the destination.
Maybe they will find Egg Island one day.
September 28, 2022
I loved this! It was a real breath of fresh air. Egg Island is a surreal coming-of-age road trip - two bruised teenage runaways are searching for a place that may not exist. It had echoes of the wonderful “The End of the F***ing World” - quirky, darkly funny with pockets of joy.
It examines the relationship of Julia and Colt but also delves into the wider connections which tie us to other people, places and things.
Egg Island is a sad, peculiar, endearing read - it was a pleasure!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All views are my own.
It examines the relationship of Julia and Colt but also delves into the wider connections which tie us to other people, places and things.
Egg Island is a sad, peculiar, endearing read - it was a pleasure!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All views are my own.
July 12, 2022
Thank you to @dundurnpress for the gifted copy of Egg Island by Sara Flemington.
This book was very interesting. So much happens, but so little at the same time. But it keeps you interested. You want to see how this journey plays out. You are rooting for Julia and Colt. They are both odd little ducks and I love them and their story.
It was funny, sad, heart wrenching, and wonderful. I love the friendship between the main characters, it was beautiful.
This book was very interesting. So much happens, but so little at the same time. But it keeps you interested. You want to see how this journey plays out. You are rooting for Julia and Colt. They are both odd little ducks and I love them and their story.
It was funny, sad, heart wrenching, and wonderful. I love the friendship between the main characters, it was beautiful.
February 26, 2022
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this - a delightful adventure despite its realities of having nothing and trying to find yourself. The end was right but I can't help but feel it needed a bit more, but in other ways again, it was right. I'd definitely give this one a go, short digestible chapters, loveable characters, bit weird at times but in a good way.
I enjoyed this - a delightful adventure despite its realities of having nothing and trying to find yourself. The end was right but I can't help but feel it needed a bit more, but in other ways again, it was right. I'd definitely give this one a go, short digestible chapters, loveable characters, bit weird at times but in a good way.
July 22, 2022
If it wasn't so short I probably would have dnf it. I enjoyed the beginning and thought the story would be really fun and exciting! It was more so a coming of age/ flat out runaway story. I was hoping for some degree of magic almost.
Thank you to dundurn press for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to dundurn press for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 7, 2022
I could not get into this book. It was just so odd and all over the place. Two people never really going anywhere. Just going from one point to another. The writing style didn’t click for me.
The cover is more intriguing than the book.
https://theworldisabookandiamitsreade...
The cover is more intriguing than the book.
https://theworldisabookandiamitsreade...
December 26, 2021
i can't tell if this was meant to be an elaborate homage to the fun parts of lost (2003-2010) but either way, it worked for me. it's been a long time since i read anything in one sitting!
couldn-t-finish
August 1, 2022I was unable to finish this ARC as the copy I had, had missing words.
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