When a plane carrying a New England high school's fencing teams crashes, eight teens emerge from the wreckage, battered and stranded on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific. Sixteen-year-old Samantha delivers a first-person account of their efforts to stay alive, interspersed with recollections of her troubled homelife. Initially, the teens follow Sam's brilliant but unpopular best friend Mel, but conflict quickly emerges as different characters vie for power. Prasad's survival tale tips the masculine dynamic of Lord of the Flies in favor of a female-dominated cast, where race is a critical component in the struggle for power. Beautiful queen bee Rittika undermines the group's fragile cohesion by planting the idea that the dark-skinned "Golds" among them ny, including Sam, are biracial e superior to their fellow "Pales." Ethics balance on a knife's edge as the characters make difficult choices and adapt to their new reality: "Our smiles gleamed lupine and dangerous. . . . Now we were creatures of our habitat ral and unpredictable." A compulsive read sure to spark discussion.

Inspired by The Lord of the Flies, Prasad's debut novel for teens features a diverse cast and a good measure of drama.This allegorical story begins as its protagonist, mixed-race (Indian/white) Samantha Mishra, regains consciousness on an unknown island after a plane crash. She quickly reunites with her white best friend, Mel, and then with other classmates from her elite boarding school. Together, they reel under the pressure of survival. They think they've created a utopian paradise, but it quickly regresses into dystopia due to mutiny and disagreement. Flashbacks to Sam's dysfunctional family life and her identity struggles are deftly woven in throughout the story. The motley teen crew is quirky yet predictable in many respects. They include a white dude, a Latino boy, a couple of artsy and crafty girls, a timid Asian, tomboyish white girl Mel, and a bossy, privileged Indian girl, Rittika, and her twin brother. They each respond differently to the issues of survival, courage, and fear. Prasad explores the power dynamics among the teens using an interplay of various influences such as wealth, upbringing, coolness, looks, talent, and self-confidence. She also provides a fresh perspective on issues of racism, class, and identity, with Rittika celebrating her dark skin and creating a "Golds" vs. "Pales" divide with her white classmates.Gripping, though dark and unbelievable at times. (Fiction. 12-17)

Gr 7 Up-When Sam Mishra's plane crashes on an uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, she and the surviving members of the Drake Rosemont fencing team have to figure out how to stay alive. Finding food, water, and shelter turns out to be relatively easyit's other, more insidious forces that prove challenging for these students from an elite boarding school. When the teens discover threatening messages written in the sand, they realize that they are not alone on the island. In addition to the looming menace of the unknown inhabitant, rifts between the teens expose cracks in the veneer of civility. Issues of class and race come into play as group members form allegiances and make decisions that have life-or-death consequences. One charismatic teen, Rittika, attempts to pit those with brown skin (Golds) against those with white skin (Pales), claiming that those with brown skin are survivors, better able to adapt, and in all ways superior to those with pale skin. Sam is forced to decide if she will align herself with Mel, her very white best friend, or with Rittika, a fellow Indian American. Reminiscent of The Lord of the Flies (with a bit of The Swiss Family Robinson ), Prasad's debut is a compelling modern-day adventure. The tale of survival outshines the less well-developed exploration of race and class as it affects student relationships. The rushed and somewhat unresolved ending begs for a sequel. VERDICT An entertaining choice, recommended for additional purchase. Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn