The Island of Excess Love

Gr 10 Up—It's been several months since Pen reunited with her friends and brother at the conclusion of Love in the Time of Global Warming (Holt, 2013). The time since then has been spent peacefully, and they are growing food and making do with meager supplies. But when an empty ship appears in the waters outside her family home, Pen begins to have visions of a destiny she's not eager to explore. Despite misgivings, the group has no choice but to flee to the ship when pursued by a Giant. After a perilous journey, they end up on an island with a boy king who is skilled at illusions. He believes Pen is his queen. Pen's lover, Hex, disagrees, but Pen and the others are under the king's spell. Can they save their friendship and survive a journey through the underworld? The language and imagery are beautiful but haunting. This time, the story parallels Virgil's The Aeneid, and the characters turn to the epic poem for guidance while also seeing it as an omen. This novel is for mature readers, as there are some graphic love scenes. For fans of the first book, this will be a treat, but new readers should check out the previous installment.—Kelly Jo Lasher, Middle Township High School, Cape May Court House, NJ