The Forbidden Island

Explorer Academy #7

by Trudi Trueit

A heart-pounding final showdown changes the life of Cruz Coronado forever in the seventh and final book in this thrilling fact-based fiction series.

Amid assignments that take the Explorer Academy recruits from the iceberg-filled waters of Antarctica to the bone-dry deserts of Argentina, Cruz Coronado is scrambling to complete the last piece of the cipher. With Nebula agents and the elusive explorer spy still out there, his opportunity to recover his mother’s world-changing formula is slipping away. But as Cruz has learned from his time aboard Orion, true explorers must never give up.

Even after completing dozens of high-risk missions and traveling to all seven continents, Cruz could never prepare himself for one ultimate surprise.

Explorer Academy features: Gripping fact-based fiction plot that inspires curiosity with new technology and innovations; amazing inventions and gadgets; a cast of diverse, relatable characters; secret clues, codes, and ciphers to track down within the text; vibrant illustrations; elements of STEAM; National Geographic explorer profiles in the "Truth Behind" section.

Genres: Middle Grade, Adventure, Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Nature, Childrens

256 pages, Hardcover

Published October 4, 2022

About the author

Trudi Trueit writes the kind of books she loves to read; stories packed with adventure, mystery, friendship, and hope; stories that reminds us to forge our own path and be our own hero! She's published more than 100 fiction and nonfiction titles for kids, including the award-winning EXPLORER ACADEMY series (National Geographic), which was chosen as an Amazon Prime Book Box selection and named one of Barnes and Noble Best Books of the Year for Young Readers. Look for her NEW EXPLORER ACADEMY spinoff series: VELA!

Born and raised in Seattle, WA she lives in the Northwest with her husband and three cats. P.S.: Trudi Trueit IS her real name (by marriage). Visit her website at www.truditrueit.com.

Visit her website at www.truditrueit.

Reviews

[Kaytlin Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

And the adventure ends... not the way I thought it was going to.

Characters:
Cruz, as always, was a nice solid character, and I enjoyed reading from his pov.
Emmett is always my favorite...lol...well him and Sailor. They are both the greatest friends and just so sweet! And smart!
Duggan is so funny, and I wish he was in the books more.
Lonnie...I don't know she and I don't mix well... but she's a good friend to Cruz.
And there are so many other characters, and it's just such a fun series!

Themes:
Teamwork and perseverance are two key themes, and I enjoyed how those were woven in.

Romance:
Just a touch here and there... but nothing detailed. Just mentions that so-and-so might like so-and-so.

Language:
N/A

Overall:
I really enjoyed this series and all the adventures and gadgets within its pages. There is such a fun feel. Keep in mind this is a secular series so the sciene is based off of evolution...but that cam be a good window to explain to kids that the world is not million of years, which is basically the only evolution mentioned in the series.
It's a fun series for middle grade readers!
Recommened for ages 9+

[Jaiden Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uhh....WOWWWWWWWW!!!!!

Language: Nope. Just uses of h*ck, d*ng, and g*sh.

Violence: Some action, mentions of character deaths but not described.

Magic: Nope.

(Other: Two thirteen year-olds kiss on the lips briefly.)

Okay, can I just start this review by saying...WOWWWW!!! THIS WAS THE PERFECT ENDING!!!💖 *Chefs kiss* that ending was just so satisfying, I don't often finish a series with such a satisfying ending, but this one totally nailed it! All the warm fuzzy feelings!💖💖👌👌 those last few chapters were just the best!!💖👌🥰
This book was just so awesome!!! The tension, the action, the betrayals, man!🤩
Man, just poor Cruzer, he's been through so much throughout the series and his emotional growth in this book was just so beautiful! He's all grown up💖💖 and Emmet, Sailor, and Lani are just the best friends anyone could ask for! So loyal and kind and brave!💖💖💖
I was a bit sad Dugan didn't get that much page time, but then at the end! Yay! I loved that scene between him and Cruz so much! Them two have come such a long way!💖
And that ending, wow, wow, WOW!!! I was not expecting tthat, yet it felt so right once it happened!! (If you know you know!) Just so satisfying!! I loved it sooo much, such a sweet ending!💖🥰
I just can't...this book!! THIS BOOK!!! ALL THE STARS FOR ONE OF THE BEST SERIES ENDING I'VE HONESTLY EVER READ!💖💖👏👏👏 WONDERFUL JOB, TRUET!!👏👏💖💖
I could honestly re-read those last three chapters over and over again, they were just too perfect!💖👏🥰🥰🤩🤩👌👌👌
Goodbye Explorer Academy, so glad I got to go on this adventure with you Team Cousteau💖🥰🤗

8+

[Demeter Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Ending!

Loved the hint at the end 😃

[Kathryn Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful ending to a long journey! The kids and I began this series last summer and it was very fun to go through the school year as Cruz was going through his school year. We’ll remember this reading experience for a long time!

[Lisbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this final book of the series, Cruz and his friends are looking for the final piece of the puzzle that his mother left for him before she died. With time running out, the bad guys will take any risk to stop Cruz from finishing his quest. Dangers surround Cruz on every side, and someone close to him is feeding information to the enemy.

The conclusion to this series absolutely blew my mind! I had no idea what was coming, and was completely surprised. I loved the way the whole story came together for a satisfying conclusion. The adventure is fantastic, and it's really interesting to learn about all the historic sites that the characters visit.

I just adore these characters! They each have some good development and I love their different personalities. Cruz is such an amazing main character. He surprises me in every book!

I really enjoyed the writing style, which has both some serious situations and some humor to keep things light. The pacing is excellent. The writing kept my attention and had me turning those pages.

Cruz and his friends travel to Antarctica where they go on a mission to observe a colony of penguins. They trek through the wilderness of Argentina looking for fossils, and we get to learn about archeology.

The artwork is a cool mixture of illustrations overlaid on top of real photographs, and it adds a wonderful dimension and depth to the story. I loved seeing the characters brought to life in the artwork, as well as the beautiful locations they visit. It really makes a special addition to the story!

The fictional technology is really cool. There is technology that can scan through dirt and rock to find and identify fossils. One of the explorer students even develops a device that can send chemical signals to trees to send and receive messages from trees! Mell, the honeybee robot drone, was very busy in this book, counting thousands of penguins to get an accurate count of the Antarctic colony. I just love that cute little bee!


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Katelynn Balcom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I'm going to start off by saying I have LOVED the explorer academy series!
But this book... meh.
To be honest, I felt like it was an extremely rushed way to end the series, and there were several mistakes that I found that seemed like an editor completely overlooked when going through Trudy's manuscript.

For example, when donating blood, it's not just give a vile to someone and hope for the best. You have to be matched with blood type and if your blood doesn't match someone, the receiver will get a really bad infection.

There were other "typos" that I caught that distracted from the rest of the story for me. Like speaking into an OS band, then saying 'he said into his comm pin'. *eyeroll*

If you have been with Explorer Academy up until this point, you would understand what I am referencing.

To be honest, I felt like there was a rush to tie all the knots that Trudi had been hinting at since book one. Don't get me wrong, I love that the series is FINALLY over, but all the bombs Trudi dropped in the final book, I felt were not only distracting from the story, but distracting for the reader as well.

For example: When Thorne Prescott has been hiding in the explorer's cabin, then emerges with a tiny vile the will supposedly kill them all, why is he doing that then? If he's supposed to get the cipher and decides to drop the vile of paralyzing poison, his efforts would be wasted. Am I thinking about that correctly?
It doesn't make sense that he would come there to steal the cipher then drop a vile of liquid that could kill them all. hmmm....

Another example of a bomb that doesn't make sense, nor was it necessary, is the fact that Cruz's mom has been alive all this time. We've been told she has been dead for the past eight years and now she's actually alive, living in lava tubes in a volcano, waiting for Cruz to find her... ummmm... did I miss something???
I won't spoil it completely, but that entire scene does NOT make sense.

All in all, this book was an okay ending to the 7 book series. Not entirely bad, but not so good either. I am so glad I don't have to wait for any more books to come out.

[Alexandra Franco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic ending to a phenomenal series! I'm going to be on withdrawal now that it's over!

[Beth Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome end to an amazing series!

[Annabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read the whole series and the last one was a little disappointing but it wrapped everything up nicely. I would still recommend this series and book to a friend.

[Mark Buxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What worked:
Each book in the series focuses on an actual, real-world environmental or historical issue. Geographic and scientific information are blended into the plot to enhance descriptions of the setting and scenario. This plot begins in Antarctica where the temperatures are dangerously cold and the sun is above the horizon for only a few hours each day. The Cousteau team of Explorers must collect and record observations of wildlife that includes penguins and whales. Later, they travel to Argentina where they’ll search for ancient dinosaur fossils. Finally, the Explorers are headed to Hawaii where more mysteries and dangers await. The author reveals a large surprise during the book’s climax. The final pages of the book provide non-fiction information about some of the locations and findings mentioned in the plot.
Nebula continues to be the major antagonist as they compete with the Explorers to discover a serum that can cure any illness. If discovered, it will make the need for all other medicines and drugs in the world obsolete so pharmaceutical companies will no longer be needed. Spies have infiltrated the academy which poses problems and dangers for Cruz and his best friend Emmett. Emmett has been posing as one of the spies named Jaguar but the boys still don’t know the identity of the actual spy. The characters know this person is on their exploring vessel, the Orion, but they don’t have a clue if they’re looking for a boy or girl, friend or acquaintance. Everyone is suspect so tensions are high. The real Jaguar stole the seventh piece of an eight-piece cipher in the last book and Cruz and his friends can’t collect the last two messages without it. Cryptic clues provide the characters and readers with puzzles that must be solved that will eventually lead to the location of the world-changing serum.
The book is science fiction so a myriad of innovative inventions adds creativity to the plot. Cruz has a drone disguised as a small bee that is often used for reconnaissance, guard duty, and defense. The Explorers’ suits protect them from extreme environmental challenges and Emmett’s glasses change colors to reflect his mood. Black stones holding pieces of the cipher activate interactive holograms allowing Cruz’s deceased mother to communicate additional clues. Biometrics are used to unlock doors and Cruz’s childhood friend invents an “impossible” form of communication. All of the gadgets are based on actual science so they’re plausibly believable.
What didn’t work as well:
Readers need to read the previous editions in the series to understand the backstory and characters in this book. The author doesn’t put much effort into recounting previous events so readers will probably be confused about things that are happening especially the role of Nebula in the plot. The story can be fully enjoyed if readers understand the overall situation. The synopsis accompanying the post indicates this book ends the series but the plot’s resolution leaves the door open for more.
The Final Verdict:
The overall series is imaginatively entertaining and should be enjoyed by lovers of mysteries, adventure, and science. The relationships between characters and elements of espionage enhance the story and I highly recommend you give it a shot.

[Puppy_reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the final book in The Explorer Academy series.

Although I am definitely in age well above the target audience for this book I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would also like to note that this series only works if you read it in order. Each book flows very much into the next, Trueit does not spend time recapping previous events to a great degree and Nebula, The Synthesis and The Explorer Academy itself are all complex to understand unless you build up through the series.

I was even in the upper recommended age range when the first book in this series (The Nebula Secret) was published (I believe I read it almost immediately after publishing) , but I was still pleasantly surprised by it. The Nebula Secret is rather sentimental to me, as I bought it with a Waterstones voucher I had been awarded by my school.

I was immediately drawn into to the world of the Explorer Academy and Cruz’s aim to find his mother's formula.

I have read every other book in this series and felt this was a complete ending to the series. The book's plot line is not as complicated as many of the other books in the series, and unlike all the other books it manages to tie up loose ends. I often finish a series feeling many questions were left unanswered, but not in this case.

The element of mystery in this book makes it more enjoyable, I like the fact the reader - if they want - can figure out the solutions to many of the problems Cruz and team Cousteau face. In this book especially, many clues are given to who the secret Nebula spies on board Orion are. In fact, one of them codenamed ‘Lion’ I figured out relatively easily.

Even for someone like me who is older than the target demographic these books and the way they are weaved through with near future science fascinating. I love reading about all the inventions Cruz and the rest of the explorers come up with. I appreciated National Geographic’s role in this book, and how many of these seemingly other-worldly inventions may soon be reality.

In the end of the book, there is a tiny section from Sailor's point of view, accompanied with ‘the adventure continues.’ This makes me hope Trueit has another book or even a new series up her sleeve? I hope so!

I think part of the wonder of this series is that although I have read it all in the span of around 4 years, it was still so enjoyable, I would highly recommend this series to anyone who wants to find themselves drawn into a mysterious speculative science filled world.

5/5 stars

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The entire series was fanastic, highly recommend reading this. My teenage daughter, my husband, and I loved it. Thank you Lori for introducing the Explorer Academy to us.

pg. 143 "A completed cipher, a Nebula agent captured, and a good grade. Oh, and a kiss, too. Not a bad weedend, all in all." Made me laugh.

The one thing that almost ruined it was on page 180, could have been written differently, remember that authors have huge influences on their readers, the power of persuasion is coming from all angles, and this shouldn't have been in it at all, "You couldn't visit unless you had a doctor's note and agreed to quarantine for two weeks. It worked. Nobody on the island got sick." Should have said something along the lines of, "the natives never experienced the diseases that had affected the outside world, hindering them from not developing resilience or immunities, so no one is allow on the island." But two weeks of quarantine and a doctor's note is all it takes! Did they stay six feet apart and wear masks as well? Give me a break. Delusional.

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

selle sarja lõpp oli mulle pettumus - võibolla on asi selles, kui kaua seda oodata tuli (mingitel segastel asjaoludel ei olnud seda UK-s võimalik ei e- ega paberversioonina kuskilt hankida ja pidingi ära ootama, kuni eestikeelse tõlkeni jõudsin) ja äkki ma mingid seosed tõesti jõudsin vahepeal ära unustada. pluss lugesin üsna kiirustades, et järgmisele pikisilmi oodanule raamat üle anda. igal juhul tundus mulle, et otsad tõmmati kokku kiirustades ja mitte ülemäära loogiliselt.

mõned lahendused /vastused arvasin ikka ette ka ära, no põhiliselt ühe - selle, kes on avastajast spioon. põhipaha ei arvanud.

aga lõpplahendus jättis mu ikka täiesti nõutuks.

Cruzi ema oli kogu see aeg elus, aga lihtsalt... peitis end - okei siis, ses mõttes, et tal jah oli, keda karta. aga ma tõesti ei saa aru, kuidas kogu see peitusemäng ja Cruzi globaalne aadrejaht midagi muutis ja miks/kuidas ta arvas, et see, kui Cruz ise ta üles leiab, on kuidagi... ohutum või mingeid muid tulemusi annab.

ja mis värk selle valemikiviga siis kokkuvõttes ikka oli - kui see oli ema ise, kellele see lõpuks viia tuli, siis mis oli kogu tsirkusest kasu? emal oli ju valem kogu aeg olemas?

ühesõnaga, ma kas jätsin midagi olulist kahe silma vahele või meil tõesti ongi tegu raamatusarjaga naisest, kes jätab oma mehe ja väikse lapse 8 aastaks ja teeskleb surnut lihtsalt selle nimel, et siis teismelisele pojale üks tõeliselt vahva ja ägeda auhinnaga aardejaht korraldada? ee... okei.

noh ja ma loodan, et keegi päriselt sellistes tingimustes ei hakka vereülekandeid korraldama, nagu siin raamatus tehti.

pingviinid muidu olid toredad.

vb loen kunagi rahulikumates oludes veel korra üle ja arutan teistega ja saan paremini aru ja hakkan rohkem hindama seda osa.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

D & I have enjoyed reading this whole series out loud together! I will have to look back to see what year we started reading the first book. It's been a long time and b/c of that stretch of time (delays this year due to a school reading challenge) we have forgotten some of the important details like who's who and which agent is which (real name vs Nebula name, for example). But overall, we have loved this series. And what a surprise that Cruz found his mom (alive and waiting for him!) at the end of the last clue. But that part was kind of a stretch, for obvious reasons, it's hard to believe she would be alive but hiding from her own family in real life. We liked this series. At the end of this book, it seems to go on to more books to go into the explorers 2nd year. I am not yet sure if we will continue reading this series. But it was a great one!!!!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

D & I have enjoyed reading this whole series out loud together! I will have to look back to see what year we started reading the first book. It's been a long time and b/c of that stretch of time (delays this year due to a school reading challenge) we have forgotten some of the important details like who's who and which agent is which (real name vs Nebula name, for example). But overall, we have loved this series. And what a surprise that Cruz found his mom (alive and waiting for him!) at the end of the last clue. But that part was kind of a stretch, for obvious reasons, it's hard to believe she would be alive but hiding from her own family in real life. We liked this series. At the end of this book, it seems to go on to more books to go into the explorers 2nd year. I am not yet sure if we will continue reading this series. But it was a great one!!!!

[Al Gritten · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting end to this series for pre-teens, early teens. Cruz and his friends must find the final piece of the puzzle to solve the cipher and unlock its secrets. Bur time is not on their side as they struggle to finish out the classwork for the year, race against the mysterious Nebula, and try to uncover the spy in their midst. And as they get closer to the goal, the more dangerous things become. Trueit has a very readable writing style and through the series of books her characters have grown together like a family. The characters are complex and realistic and the mix of geography, biology and other sciences with futuristic technology makes this adventure series even more compelling. In addition, at the end of each book are short articles on the science upon which much of the plot is based. It is both a good read and an educational one. I thoroughtly enjoyed this series!

[Gable Roth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The series finale! Seems like she might be setting up for one or more sequel series. Could be entertaining.

What I liked most about this series was the non-fiction aspect of it. What a great idea to incorporate non-fiction into a fun adventure series!

This book had a surprise ending that kind of opened a huge plot hole for me. Not my favorite. It made me wonder if he really needed to do any of the things he did throughout the series. And was that really the best way to resolve the conflict?

So, from my perspective these were entertaining books. The plot was a little weaker than others but the concept of learning real world facts while reading a fun series was awesome.

[Aimi Tedresalu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Põneva teadusmaailma tutvustava noortesarja seitsmes ehk viimane raamat, kus lugu peaks saama lõpplahenduse. Tegelikult ju saabki, mis oli kohati üsna ootamatu ja üllatav. Noortel saab uurimislaevaga Orion maailmale tiir peale tehtud, muuhulgas Antarktikas pingviine loendatud, samal ajal ka saladusliku valemikivi viimast tükki otsides . Aga mulle tundub, et viimaseks see raamat nüüd küll sellelt autorilt ei jää ja kohtume nende tegelastega veel :) Äge sari, soovitan ise lugeda ja noortele lugejatele ka nina alla pista.

[Sheela · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars—feels like this there was a bit of a rush to get the series finished and wrapped up in a bow. Lots of interesting reveals but also many plot gaps. There’s also a bit of lack of feeling from Cruz. This is the kid who bubbled with nerves over a potential romance and constantly worried that someone close to him was plotting against him, but he didn’t react all that much to all the big reveals in this story that should evoke complicated emotions.

[MsGem · Rating 3 out of 5]

OMFG. I have so many feelings. I was so nervous about this book, and high expectations that were unfortunately not met. The ending was sorta standard for a kids book, which isn't what I expected and I didn't like. There were SO. MANY. PLOT TWISTS. Some were annoying, some were amazing, some were downright depressing. Even though the final book wasn't what I hoped it would be, I still love this series and would 100% recommend.

[John Teske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a great series, so educational, so much fun!

Have to admit, I was excited to see it is continuing (?) but maybe not for too many more books - looks like 2 new ones focused on Sailor...

I really enjoyed the plot, character development, the tech, the settings, the history, the education that all these books provided. And so wholesome too, a rare treasure now a days!

Just great!

And yes, I did read this over just 2 days!

[Silvannus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this finale of the explorer academy series. I had finished book six months ago, and after the cliffhanger in that book, I had spent much time
Predicting this book. I was able to predict the betrayal of bryndis. Unfortunately for my predicting skills, I DIDN’T predict the survival of Petra! I should have!

[VBergen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found most of the book tiring, maybe because the series with seven books was too long. The last part of the book had unexpected twist though.
As a mother of a boy I would never imagine putting my son in all that danger, ever more so because Cruz is so young, he is not even 18! that's odd, and very cold from his mother's part...and what's with the last pages? Is Sailor a mermaid? °_°!

[Mckinley Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was a fun and exciting read! With cliffhangers, mystery, and anticipation on every page, finishing a book doesn't take long. The characters were realistic and relatable, and I enjoyed the family/friend relationships. The ending made me especially happy too. :) Overall, this was a fast-read, adventurous series.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great conclusion to this series. I was secretly hoping that there was another book on the horizon. Seems like there could be with Cruize's second year at Explorer Academy. I'm not ruling it out but we are so glad we read this book series, so engaging and interesting, albeit, unrealistic with actual costs and expenses that a true floating academy would require to stay "afloat" if you will.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic end to the Explorer Academy series! There were twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and I was sure Cruz wouldn't escape Nebula's spies a few times, but the ending was just right for the adventure that this series has taken me on.
As always, the sci-fi tech inventions were SUPER cool!

[Melissa Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cruz find the last piece of the cipher in this book. Filled with actions and twist and turns ,it gives all the feels.Wonderful book that brought warm feelings to my heart.I love these series and would highly recommend them.

[Leslie Sachlis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventure, suspense, mystery, puzzles, unexpected twists, family and friends combine to make this a book that is impossible to put down. Amazing. The book left me wishing there were more adventures to come.

[Jovelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't describe how much I loved this book and the whole series. I could rant for hours about the
incredible plot twists and characters. This may well be my new favorite series of all time.
SIX STARS!!!