Keith Robinson (1)

Sleep Writer by Keith Robinson is a delightful young adult read that smashes fantasy and science fiction into an engaging book.

Can you imagine being a pre-teen in a small town living your boring life doing middle school like things and suddenly an attractive fifteen year old girl moves next door? Life suddenly changes! But, what if she asks you where the nearest graveyard is? Kinda weird, right? But what if things get weirder? What if you join her along to the nearest graveyard in the middle show more of the night (normal pre-teen and teenaged behaviour, obviously), and she tells you that she leaves herself written messages when she sleeps and that they lead her to... aliens? Yeah, summer just got interesting.

Liam, Madison, and Ant become a trio trying to save the world from aliens when they accidentally get caught by said aliens spying on them... And the adventure is one wild ride!

I seriously loved this book! It's fast paced, full of twists and turns that don't leave you hanging, and is totally bingeable. I managed to read the whole thing in one sitting because I just needed to know how my new buddies were going to turn out. This book might be for middle graders and young adult readers but it also can really get an adult reader attached. It works all around for the ages because of the prose Keith Robinson has chosen. We can all remember being a pre-teen and wanting to go on fun adventures, and this book lets us join the gang for the fun of theirs.

And to top it off, this is the first in the series! So we are getting more! I hope we find out more about how Madison got her odd superpowers, and that we get to see Liam and Ant join her on their wild adventures. This is a must read book that will make you fall in love with reading all over again. And this is coming from a reader who typically avoids science fiction! This is the kind of sci-fi anyone can enjoy.

Five out of five stars.

I received this book for free from the author, Keith Robinson, in exchange for an honest review. show less

I see a lot of reviews stating that Island of the Fog: Book 1 is a great children's book and it is but it's so much more than that. I'm nearly 40 and enjoyed the book very much. Not only is the book kid friendly but you will also find yourself loving it just as much as your children do. The world is hauntingly familiar yet contains many elements of fantasy and lore. Most of the time I don't really enjoy reading a book about children. Only a handful of very good authors seem to do books with show more kids as the main characters justice. They're able to get inside the kids complex mind or they are able to recall what it was like to be younger and treat them with the intelligence and respect that they deserve without making them too cliché. Books like Harry Potter or His Dark Materials are great examples. And of course on the other end you have YA books where the authors put way too much emphasis on action instead of characters or story and manage to only paint a mere shadow of the complexity of young adults. Bad examples like The Maze Runner which while a fun read did not manage to capture any depth with the children it portrays. So Island of the Fog was a welcome treat and is very character driven. The characters are complex and vivid and the storyline keeps you hooked until the very last page. The action is used to enhance the story and it does so nicely. For everyone who's ever dreamed of Dragons, unicorns, large sea serpents, centaurs, fairies and Ogre's then this is the book for you. It manages to capture the child within us all and I am greatly looking forward to the next one. show less

Keith Robinson’s fantasy/adventure ISLAND OF FOG kicks off a six-book series (actually two trilogies, with the final book due in spring 2013) filled with mystery, action, dark secrets and mythical creatures that is perfect for middle-grade readers and adults alike. Let’s dive in and see what I uncovered.

What I Loved

The Kids: These eight 12-year-olds were great! They’ve got personality – astute, inquiring hero Hal, his bug-lovin’ buddy Robbie, clever Abigail (who’d rather spend show more time with the guys than talking about “girly” stuff with the girls), timid Dewey, the lovely Lauren (Robbie’s crush), caring Darcy, and organizer extraordinaire Emily. Even bully Fenton (who by the end is pretty freaky) is well-defined and interesting. And when questions start to arise, they pull together as a team to figure things out…without letting their folks in on their investigations. I’m not going to knock them for that; their folks are keeping secrets and these kids are going to find out just what they’re hiding!

The Concept: A fog-shrouded island. A mysterious plague. Children suddenly undergoing unusual changes (are those scales on Hal’s arm?). A stranger from “Out There” who seems to know more than she should. A place where electricity is a thing of the past, stockpiled supplies are dwindling, and fantastical creatures are appearing. And all of it geared to middle-grader readers and up who are looking for adventure. How could I NOT love it?

What I Liked

The Execution: ISLAND OF FOG is well-written, perfectly paced, and beautifully edited. It grabs you right from the start and doesn’t let go. It was so easy to connect with Hal, Robbie and Abigail that I was immersed in the story by the end of chapter one, happily following them on their adventures. Keith Robinson jumps right in with an intriguing discovery by Robbie that starts the questions flowing, and then adds in new questions at just the perfect points to keep you wondering and wanting more. Then the reveals start coming, which lead to more reveals, then more…and it is all so smoothly done!

This first book in the series is laying the groundwork for what is to come, so it is all about those questions – why are they REALLY on the island? Is anybody else out there? Why are they changing? What are they becoming? What does a blue sky look like? The great thing is that a TON of the questions are answered; in fact, I can’t think of one that wasn’t! Plus the answers are exciting (some are even a little frightening) and lead to lots of action, setting things up for even bigger adventures in book two.

What I Didn’t Like

I’ve Got Nothing: Frankly, Robinson has done so much right with this book (great characters, pacing, concept, and editing) that I have no idea why this series wasn’t picked up by a major publisher like Disney Hyperion. The ONLY suggestion I have is regarding the cover art. The Kindle version of ISLAND OF FOG has a manticore on the cover; all other editions (paperback, Nook book, etc.) do not have the manticore – which is a shame. The manticore shows the reader right up front that this book is a fantasy, and the way he is drawn even suggests this is for younger readers. The covers that simply show the fog-shrouded trees give the impression that it is a thriller/crime story instead. I say, “Throw that manticore on ALL the covers!”

In ISLAND OF FOG, author Keith Robinson has masterfully crafted a tale that mixes myth and mystery in a very appealing fashion. There is plenty here to entertain readers age nine and up as they follow 12-year-old Hal and his friends on their quest to discover the truth about the mysterious island they call home and who – or what – they really are. An exciting entry in the fantasy/adventure genre. show less

Note: I highly recommend reading Book 1 (Island of Fog) before reading this book.

Our hero kids (Hal, Robbie, Abigail, Darcy, Dewey, Emily, Fenton, and Lauren) from Book 1 continue on with new adventures in this tale. As they settle into their new homes and town in Miss Simone’s world, they also learn more about their abilities. Each will face challenges. There’s child-stealing harpies and dragons with a taste for human flesh. These shape-shifting kids will rise to the occasion!

Not all of show more the villagers are happy to have yet more shape shifters in their mist. The kids have to deal with some bullying and town politics. The centaurs want the humans to stop mining all together, but the mined ore provides energy for the human homes, making their lives easier. Miss Simone talks all the parties into allowing Dewey (who can shift into Centaur form) to be the one to decide after he has investigated the matter. This is the start of the missions the kids will be sent on to negotiate with the magical creatures and humans alike.

Our heroes are all around 12 going on 13 and love’s first blush is in the air. It was rather cute to see that in the midst of all the deadly serious events of the book. In Book 1, they really were just kids with school, play time, a few chores, etc. But in this book they are coming of age and adults are looking to them to make major decisions or take on actions that will affect many. The kids didn’t always do the exact right thing, but they all rose to the challenge. I was especially proud of how the harpies were handled. Totally did not see that coming! And it was harsh! That made the whole scene so much more powerful.

The whole book had a faster pace and more adventures than Book 1. I definitely enjoyed it more. We get to meet some of the first generation of shape shifters and through Dewey, we learn more about how the shape shifters were made. The dragons and their society were interesting to learn about. Plus there are these holes between the destroyed, polluted Earth and Miss Simone’s magical world that we learn more about. Fairies, wood nymphs, ogres, lizards of various types, and of course, a manticore! There was never a dull moment in this tale.

I received this book free of charge from the narrator in exchange for an honest review.

The Narration: Fred Wolinsky did a great job with the narration, keeping all the kid’s voices and the beasty voices distinct. When one of the kids shifts, Wolinsky somehow manages to make the shifter version sound very similar to their human voice, which was great. He even did a few little touches like making certain conversations sound a bit different to indicate it was mindspeak and such. show less