The Island at the End of the World

In this unconvincing allegorical postapocalypto, Pa lives on an island with his three children, Alice, Finn and Daisy. They are survivors of a civilization-destroying flood; mom Mary wasn't so lucky—she died while trying to save one of her children. Into this setting washes up Will, a handsome young man who comes ashore and seems to know much about the family. Befriended by Finn, Will faces off with an increasingly hostile Pa, especially after Pa discovers that Alice has fallen in love with Will. As the novel progresses, flashbacks (largely via journal entries) detail life before the flood and the events leading up to the world's drowning; through these same entries, an incredible truth is hinted at, and it's Will presence that allows for its revelation. Unfortunately, though, the “shocking” surprise ending isn't very shocking, and Taylor's take on life after the apocalypse fails to persuade in either its allegorical implications or the day-to-day drama of its Swiss Family Robinson–style situation. (Sept.)