Where the World Ends

A book about a group stranded on a desert island. Initially there are a lot of characters to get to know and I found it difficult to place in terms of setting and time frame. I found I had to look up information about it in order to gain an understanding of setting to be able to enjoy it fully. Toward the end, in an epilogue style chapter the author explains this and I actually wish I had read this from the beginning as it just allowed the story to have more context. A tragic story really which I did enjoy once I got into it.

McCaughrean doesn't give us a nice happy ending to this tale. That's probably because it's based on a true story and real life doesn't conform to our desire for happily ever after. There's plenty of tension, a wonderful evocation of the dynamics of a community in peril and isolation and completely convincing characters. I learnt a lot about communities from the past and their struggles for survival.

It was really fasinating. I loved how Quill made people keeper of something to make them happy.

Loved the idea of the boys being keeper of things. I also thought the personification of the winters cold was brilliant.
But I thought the treatment of John left much to be desired.

This is a great story. Made me want to visit St Kilda. There were shades of Lord of the Flies so if you enjoyed that this story is a must.

My overall thought on this book, was that it was hard to understand at the beginning but once you were over half way, you understood the story and a lot more of the words.
My favourite character was Davie because at the beginning was innocent and very shy, but at the end his personality and passions changed completely, apart from the fact, he died half way through the book.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for books based on action and adventure.

A very interesting story my favourite character was John the girl.

I loved this book. In places it reminded me of Lord of the Flies but the surroundings themselves, Hirta of the East coast of Scotland, with its stac to be harvested, become as much a part of the story as the boys that are taken there annually to hunt seabirds for their commodities. The story is based on a real-life event that saw the boys dropped off as always, but when the boat doesn't return for them, we find out what life on inhospitable and brutal Hirta brings for them.

This is a fabulous imagining of the events in the long months the boys remained there, and the book led me down a rabbit-hole of internet research after I'd finished, so desperate was I to learn more of this long-since dead tradition.

I would recommend it to KS3 readers (there are short references to period bleeding, and a suggestion of sexual activity) wholeheartedly; I'd also encourage adults to read this as it was fascinating!

My favourite book of the year so far! I couldn't put this book down! The characters were believable and I was concerned about the fate of the central character. The island setting and the mythology surrounding and what happens back on the mainland keeps the pace cracking along. At times very bleak and violent, this is a book I would recommend for 12+. It also deals with issues of identity (including gender/sexuality) and there is an underlying pessimism that might be too dark for younger readers. I was really satisfied with the ending!

Swear words

it was as if the end of time had come early it was easy to lose myself in it and read on for hours

Beautiful book based on a true, harrowing story. It was so easy to empathise with the boys and 3 men who were stranded on the sea stac - especially the main character, Quill. Lots of description of the sea birds of the Scottish isles - some of whom were also given their own personalities!
I would recommend this book for those who don’t mind a little gruesome in the name of survival. I wouldn’t recommend to all my year 6 class - but certainly some of the more mature - in reading and emotion.

This is a really gripping story set in the 1700s. Although this is a work of fiction it is based on a true story which happened on the Island of St Kilda and details an unimaginable feat of survival bay a group of me and boys. It is wonderfully written and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

it was horrible