Minecraft Island Official Novel Reviews Summary

Engagement and Entertainment

Pros:

• "A great adventure with a thoughtful ending."
• "The whole thing was put together well and flows amazingly."
• "This story didn’t only keep me engaged by teasing how events might be taking a turn next, but also because of the small details, the little references to the actual Minecraft gaming experience."
• "It's actually a book that keeps you reading 'just one more chapter.'"
• "The plot was great and fluent, and the author was descriptive enough in his writing that it actually felt REAL."
• "This book was one of the best books I've ever read. It was very adventurous and fun to read. A total page turner."
• "The great details made it easy to imagine and loved the humor."

Cons:

• "If you are an adult, and have no intention of playing the game, I think you're not the target audience. And you'll hate it."
• "The plot was a little too basic for my preference."
• "Towards the end it got too introspective and boring, but ended on an upbeat note."
• "What a snoozer. Every day the character tries to learn a new way to make something that he should have figured out in about 5 minutes."
• "That said, there were several times I found my mind drifting, and I felt that there were a lot of things left unexplained."
• "However, I can honestly say it would be hard to recommend this to people that either don't like or have no knowledge of Minecraft and do not desire to have any, as this book can be viewed as little beyond fan service."
• "Why did the author make him so whiny? Seriously by the end of the book I was rooting for the Creepers and hoping that the 'hero' would just shut up already."

Writing and Narrative Style

Pros:

• "Very good book, just as good as Max Brooks' last two, which are fab. Very clever ending. Would recomend to anyone who knows of Minecraft."
• "Having Played Minecraft as well as my son loving his time playing Minecraft we both loved the book. Written from the perspective of someone who wakes up in the game but has no idea what is going on and has never played the game before Max Brooks (author) takes you through a self-development journey with a plethora of self-help life advice jewels that anybody could benefit from."
• "I really enjoyed reading a first person, isekai style novel about Minecraft."
• "Well written( obviously it's MAX Brooks)Good. Fun."
• "Max Brooks' fresh interpretation of the world was fun, light, and positively impressionable."
• "The author managed to turn a sandbox game with no plot that is entirely made out of cubes, into a believable story."
• "Max Brooks' energetic, quirky writing style is more than enough to keep readers glued to the page."

Cons:

• "its a very good book the only thing i dont like about it is how he talks to animals, the word moo was probably in the book like a 1000 times!!! it was super annoying."
• "The character is completely one-dimensional, the writing is tired and flat, and the whole thing feels like a tedious way of fictionalizing a how-to manual for game play."
• "I found the descriptive language that was used more resembled what you'd find in a gory/horror novel."
• "There was very little in the way of true character development, and zero foreshadowing or plot twists and surprises."
• "I wish the author would have tried to use more evocative language, more descriptive phrases, and a greater variety of storytelling mechanisms."
• "There was no plot, no phenomenal characters, the character development was forced and mechanical and the end was abrupt and seriously lacking any closure."
• "His constant prattle was very distracting, and it is what ultimately made him so unlikable."

Target Audience and Accessibility

Pros:

• "Granddaughters loved it. They love Mindcraft, so this is good way to transfer that interest to reading."
• "He read this book half-way through the first night he had it. Had to turn off his light at 11pm and make him stop reading. Absolutely loves it."
• "If you or your kids like Minecraft, I think you're going to love this book!"
• "Any parent who wants their kid to read more and play Minecraft less should get their kid this book."
• "Would highly recommend for other kids my age. Would say for 8-12 year old kids!"
• "Son is gripped - its the next step up into 'big books' and some of the vocabulary is quite hard and beyond my son but he is only 8 years old."
• "My 7 year old obsessed boy loves this story. It has sound effects and lasts over 5 hours so it’s worth it. Jack Black does a great job with the narrative."