This has been on my list to read for a while. It jumped to the top of my list when I read a book about a sapphic cruise shipwreck which included a scene where the shipwrecked women referenced Lord of the Flies, Castaway and Gilligan’s Island but did not mention Girl Island. I thought it a bit odd – as a bunch of lesbians probably would have referenced it. So, I decided to read it to see if it wasn’t what I thought it was. [It was!]
The prologue – is actually a scene from the last third of the book – but sets the scene nicely – with glaring references to Lord of the Flies (not a criticism).
The book is set in 1993 and is told mainly from the point of Ellery, who seems to be about to join a private sixth form (so 16/17 ish).

This story very much showcases the ‘othering’ and ‘tribal identities’ of young people and how this affects those that are othered and made to feel that they do not belong. It is a reconceptualising of The Lord of the Flies replacing the boys with an all-female cast. [The boys swim away from the island so are not part of the island community and tribes for the majority of the story.] By setting it in the 1990s, this removes modern technology from the story. I am sure now with smart phones and aeronautical developments etc the authorities would have been able to pinpoint where the plane had been going and find them much quicker. It also allowed for what now seems a sort of innocence in the girl’s relationships without the internet and camera phones etc.
I went to an all-girls school and when we studied the book there was much discussion as to what the story would have been if they were girls instead. Unfortunately, I think Girl Island is probably pretty accurate.

I enjoyed this. It is well written, the pacing is good, and it makes you want to read on. Surely everyone had dealings with a group such as ‘The Cronies’ when they were at school? I rarely read YA stories – but I have read a few lately and enjoyed them. I would recommend you read this – but maybe not before going on holiday.
Now to read about pirates.