This was gorgeous. I have not read a book in verse in a long time, but this book was so easy to devour and completely swept me away. The characters, oh my heart! Their passion vibrating throughout this book and really captured my heart. There are so many themes here, the feminism, the censorship and horrors inflicted on Cubans, the troubles of having to flee your home and settle somewhere new, the family drama and the complexities behind the anger. And of course young love; for each other and for the animals who have to rely on humans for help, after other humans put them in bad circumstances in the first place. I loved all that I learned about the animals and the passion the MCs had for them and their care. The emotions flowed so heavily from this book; it will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to Simon Teen for the ARC of Island Creatures by Margarita Engle. All opinions are my own.

Island Creatures is the first story I’ve read that was written in verse. It made for a unique reading experience. Because there were less words, I was able to read it quickly while still getting an interesting story.

I think maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I understood poetry better. The formatting and the specific words chosen didn’t always make sense to me, so I felt like I was missing out on something that I should’ve known.

What I loved about this book was reading about the animals and learning more about them. I’m a big animal lover, so this was my main reason for picking this book up. This aspect of the story did not disappoint.

I’m not sure if it’s because of the format or length of the novel, but in many ways this story felt incomplete. By the end of the book, I felt like I didn’t know or understand the main characters well at all. I also felt like the plot was kind of all over the place without explanation of how or why things happened.

Overall, this story was decent. I do think I would give novels written in verse another try because I didn’t mind this style of writing. Unfortunately, I don’t think this story will be very memorable for me down the road.

Thank you so much to Simon Teen for the complimentary copy of this!

This book will be out July 8th.

The good: I really liked how the author brought to light endangered animals and just the protection of animals. I love how she wrote these two characters who have this strong connection to animals.

The mid: I'm not sure if this is because of it being written in verse but things just sort of happened. Like when it's written in a regular format, there is more opportunity for the development of the characters and the relationship. Because one minute it would be one thing and then next they were together and it's like oh where is the in between.

The good: Even with the above, I did feel like I could get a sense of the relationship between Vida and Adan. I love that they had a relationship when they were young and were able to reconnect as teens.

"We're only human but animals deserve so much more kindness."

The mid: I didn't quite understand why the grandfather hated Vida's grandmother so much so that he had to put his hands on her! We do learn why he hated her but it the hatred didn't justify the reaction. And then for him to give his grandson an ultimatum (which let me tell you, I think that is one of my least favorite tropes or themes in a book) after just getting Vida back in his life. Oh I was not happy! And THEN he didn't even explain to her why he stopped talking.

The good: Going back to the animals, the way the author spoke about animals was just so beautiful. And then when the hurricane came through, my heart broke for everyone involved! I always think about hospitals and nursing homes but I never thought about zoos and what procedures they have to do to ensure their safety.

Because of it being told in verse, it was super quick to read and pacing was fast. Overall I am happy that I read this and it enlightened me on zoos and endangered animals all while still having a romance on page.

3.5 stars

Margarita Engle consistently delivers YA verse novels that reveal distinct apoints of view, complex environmental dilemmas and insights, and lush descriptions, and this latest effort meets each of these particulars.

Vida and Adan were close in their Cuban childhoods and then both unknowingly relocate to Florida with their grandparents. There is some fascinating discussion around health crises and perspectives tied into these moves and circumstances, and I enjoyed how Engle wove this into the situation. When they reconnect, both characters find that their love of animals has only grown since their absence from each other's lives, and their love for each other evolves, too.

I appreciate that Engle introduced a challenging and common situation in the novel with the addition of a sexual assault sub-plot, but this is not as tightly connnected as other elements of the text. There are some other factors, including familial challenges, that make incredible impacts on the characters but are not as thoroughly explored as I am used to experiencing in Engle's work. The pieces are all there; I just expected a bit of a deeper connection to/explanation of some of them.

I'm always thrilled when Engle offers readers something new, and I will continue to be at the front of the line reading and requesting for the long haul.

What I Liked: Island Creatures is a book that is written in prose and goes back and forth through the perspectives of our two main characters, Adán and Vida. Throughout the book you get to meet the people in both Adán and Vida's life to see the various ways in which these families have and continue to impact both of their lives. It's fascinating to see this story play out through both perspectives as you see Adán struggle when he messes things up with Vida and you also get a chance to see how she is feeling through all of this. Within the two perspectives there are pieces shared by the narrator that showcases Vida and Adán's lives when they were children which is a great addition to the story.

This relationship becomes complex near the middle because of previous familial tension between Vida's grandmother and Adán's grandfather. This tension causes Adán to behave in a manner that Vida isn't fond of, and he begins to question what he is doing and how his family's history is impacting his future. This feud between them adds an additional layer to this story and shows you how strong the women in this story are.

This book closes with a hurricane and these moments are just as tumultuous as Adán and Vida's relationship. The author does a great job of building tension through just a few words and throughout the pages of the book leading up to this moment. These final moments of the book make it so hard to put this book down and you have to keep reading just to know what happens in this romantic relationship as well as with all of the animals.

Final Verdict: Island Creatures is a beautifully written romance novel told in prose that showcases the difficulty of making a new place your home when you leave loved ones behind. Those of you who love animals, enjoy romances, and especially love the childhood friends to lovers trope will enjoy this book.

This was a sweet tale of young love amidst family turmoil, coming of age, and societal realities set in a wildlife center/zoo.

Vida and Adàn were childhood friends separated by war and social unrest until fate brought them back together. It’s at orientation that they reconnect, discover and reflect on their shared past. All is well until their families reconnect and everyone is forced to relive a troubled time in Cuba and the source of conflict.

While they navigate their new relationship they’re also making decisions about their futures, trying to mend the rift between their families and avoid a major weather catastrophe headed their way.

This is a heavy read so if you're a parent I'd encourage conversation with your children while reading. There's more than one instance of S- Assult and it didn't feel necessary - the scene felt very misplaced and there didn't seem to be any adult support to Vida in those situations.

I felt at moments it was all over the place and there were some storylines that didn't feel complete to me.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the ARC. All opinions stated are my own.