Review Time: Bad Island

If the creative minds behind "Transformers" and "Lost" got together and had a baby, it might look a little something like Bad Island by Doug TenNapel. Reese doesn't want to go on vacation with his family. At seventeen, he's fighting constantly with his parents and itching for a little adult responsibility. But he's not old enough to stay home alone so he gets roped into going with his sister, Janie, and a pet snake named Pickles but they hardly expect to get shipwrecked in a freak storm on an island with walking rock creatures and mysterious symbols. Of course, that's exactly what happens. What's more, the island is populated with all sorts of creatures who are somewhat less than welcoming to their newest neighbors. The story is cut with flashback-style scenes of a rebellious robotic prince chafing under his father's rule. In present day, the Reese and Co. fight to survive on what is now clearly the head of the giant robot, who crashed to earth some time a few centuries ago. (I'm not counting that as a Spoiler because it should be completely obvious from the cover shot and the opening sequence.) Chased by a lizard-headed man, legions of tiny demon-things with horns, and a terrifying cross between a giant spider and giant slug, the family learns to overcome their dissent and work together.

Yes, it's all very touching and adorable. The rock monsters and mystery keep the story from being sickeningly sentimental, though, and keep it refreshingly sweet. I really didn't know exactly what was going to happen next, which was a welcome change from the heavy-handed foreshadowing you see in so many YA mysteries. The story was a new twist on an old classic and the characters were realistic, despite their incredible circumstances.

Bad Island is more than an adventure story. It's a story about rebellion--an experience universal to human boys and gargantuan robot princes alike--and about the redeeming power of a family.

Final Grade: A-