The Benevolent Lords of Sometimes Island

A moving, fine-crafted adventure of the heart

Semegran's latest novel is a moving and tender story of middle schoolers in 1980s Texas, entering into an adventure that conjures Lord of the Flies with good measures of Stand By Me. The charm is in watching the story of how these boys became older in a matter of days—when their lives were on the line—while the book embraces universal childhood fears and hopes. This is a book rich in detail; it revels in specifics of time and place. It made me feel as if I was living in the part of Texas where it unfolds. The dialogue between the boys rings true, too.

Genuine stories stay with us, and Semegran's book shows the mark of lived experience, observed with the wisdom of survival. If the 1980s were your richest years, this is a book that can remake middle school into a great lesson in love.