The Lost King!

For two weeks our reading group Shakespeare started doing independent novel reading. I would like to share with you the book that the girls read, The Lost King by Scot Gardner.

This book is about a boy named Peter King aka Kingy who never wanted to go on a school camp, but was forced to go by his mother. While on camp he was put in a group of 4 with a girl named Emily who he didn’t know, Bethany who had made sarcasm an art form and Jye Sullivan aka Sully who was the bully of the story. Kingy was bullied by Sully ever since primary and now thanks to Sully they had left the track they were on and couldn’t find it; luckily for them they had a few outdoor devices that would help them get back home.

The way the author developed the character Kingy was very effective because he had a lot of outdoor experience even though he wasn’t that into the nature life. Sully was also very dramatic with both girls being in his group but he did take over the group so that was a bit stressful for all of them. This book explains a lot of the character’s emotional feelings like depression and confusion to the remaining characters. The author explains how Sully, Kingy, Emily and Bethany eventually get along with each other, which was a good thing.

In my opinion the most significant conflict in the story was Kingy’s group getting lost in the bush for days because they weren’t rescued or anything. It was their own instinct that got them back home. Getting lost maybe scary, but sometimes when you get lost, you also find what’s real. I think that this book is very interesting for young people 12-14yrs because at this time of their life they aren’t coping much with others. Spending some time together helps them bond and become closer. This book is highly recommended.

Patricia Room 15