Island of Fog

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A foggy island is home to eight children. They've never seen the world beyond the fog, never seen a blue sky or felt the warmth of the sun on their skin. And now they're starting to change into monsters! What is the secret behind the mysterious fog? Who is the stranger that shows up one morning, and where did she come from? The children are determined to uncover the truth, and their quest takes them to the forbidden lighthouse...

Published April 24, 2009

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January 5, 2024 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Pasi Korkea-aho I read this book for the first time five years ago and gave it then
five stars. Now that I read the book again, somehow it feels like
it would have been even better this time. Anyway, I enjoyed reading the book both times.

December 14, 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Marilyn Murphy I enjoyed the suspense! And now I definitely want more!

October 20, 2023 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Peggy McFerran It’s entertaining and captivating. I enjoyed reading it very much!

March 14, 2012 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Ryan Page (12) This book is an awesome start to the series and well written by the author.

October 26, 2010 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Roger Eschbacher Interesting characters, compelling story, and a unique setting all add up to a very positive reader experience with "Island of Fog". Technically "written for kids", as an adult aficionado of YA/middle-grade literature, I found this book to be perfectly satisfying -- in the same way I've enjoyed the Harry Potter books or similarly targeted works by Neil Gaiman. In short, it's a perfect pass-along sf/f read for your kid after you're finished with it. I'll be downloading the next two books in this series very soon.

June 11, 2010 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Adam R. Anderson (Barnes & Noble, Chattanooga, TN) I am currently reading ISLAND OF FOG right now and am really enjoying it (I can't wait till I get off work to finish reading it.) I have already talked with another manager and two of my children's / teens booksellers about the book. They are all wanting to read it after me. This gives a great opportunity to get your book known in our store. We have a great team of booksellers and their recommendations go a long way with our customers.

UPDATE: I just finished ISLAND OF FOG this morning. Wow, that was amazing! I have already handed it off to the next person to read, and I have started on LABYRINTH OF FIRE. I would really love to get the books in the store because I know that they would sell. I have started printing the information on the books and handing them out to customers that fit the age group or buying similar titles.

May 27, 2010 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ R. Nabulsi Keith Robinson has created a captivating tale for all ages with interesting characters, high adventure and fantastical creatures. I am close to 40 and I truly could not put Isle Of Fog down until I had read the last page. Every reader will find a character that they can root for and with whom they can identify. The background story is as interesting as the main characters and serves an as a perfect stage on which to tell this coming of age story. This is a fun book to read to young kids but is still fascinating enough that you will read ahead to find out what happens next after the kids have gone. I initially didn't realize it was ever intended for young adults until I read the jacket cover of Robinson's second book. And that says something for the universal appeal crafted by the author.

March 9, 2010 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Max38 Keith Robinson's novel, Island of Fog, is one of those miraculous rarities. Like Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, the book appeals both to juvenile and adult readers. Younger readers will enjoy the work's abundant action and eccentric humor, while adults will be captivated by Island of Fog's explorations of such mature themes as trust, paranoia, and self-reliance in a world gone tragically awry.

Robinson's enthusiasm for his work can be found on every page, and his crisp, simple writing style makes reading the book fun and easy to read. Robinson does deal with some weighty issues, but his droll sense of humor keeps the mood light.

February 10, 2010 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Imogen Rose (author of PORTAL) It's hard enough being twelve and dealing with the unavoidable changes starting to manifest as one slowly develops into adulthood. Imagine adding to these a sudden transformation into another being! This is what Hal and his seven friends face on the Island of Fog, a place where these eight friends have lived all their lives. Shrouded in a mysterious fog, this island is home to only these eight children and their parents. Hal and his friends are determined to find answers to explain their transformations and also the mysterious fog. Keith Robinson takes us on an intriguing journey with a chockfull of surprises on the way. The Island of Fog is a page turner and I look forward to reading the sequel.

February 9, 2010 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Jana Janeway (author of THE MENGLIAD) ISLAND OF FOG by Keith Robinson is a wonderfully constructed, well-paced fantasy, with just enough realism to make it all believable. The two main characters, Hal and Robbie, are likeable twelve year olds, and are perfectly depicted as they interact with each other, their friends, the school bully, and their parents.

All questions are answered in this amazing action-packed tale, leaving you both satisfied and thirsty for more. Everything is described in vivid detail, giving the reader a clear vision of locations and characters, and the dialog is spot-on, bringing the people to life. You come to care about them as if they were your children, your friends, or your neighbors. You are drawn in from the start, wanting to know what is happening, rooting for them as dangerous situations present themselves. I shared their concerns, their suspicions, and most importantly, their desire to learn the truth.

This novel is sure to capture your attention, whether you are nine years old or ninety-nine, or any age in between. I highly recommend ISLAND OF FOG, and am personally looking forward to the postman delivering the sequel, LABYRINTH OF FIRE.

December 31, 2009 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ tgs Bought both Island of Fog and Labyrinth of Fire and must say I was impressed. Quite an interesting read and even though it says for children (much like the Harry Potter books) it is a good read for adults as well. Quite good work from an up and coming author. Look forward to more.

November 23, 2009 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Laura Canning (Airstrip One Publications) I've been meaning to review Island of Fog for some time, since reading it a few months ago. I've also been lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the sequel, Labyrinth of Fire, which is also a brilliant read. Keith Robinson creates a very believable, witty, action-packed world on the 'Island of Fog', where Hal and his friends have grown up without seeing sunlight and where they seem to be isolated from the outside world. When Hal and his friend Robbie find a hole in the forest the fog is apparently coming out of, the mystery starts. But not only do they have to deal with the idea of the fog and whether their parents have been lying to them all this time, they and their classmates also seem to be physically changing into different creatures...

The link between the changes, the fog and why the children and their parents are effectively marooned on the small island all becomes clear as the story hurtles on at breakneck pace. This is a superb book for children, with plenty of action, mystery and humour as well as great characterisation of Hal and his friends, and a very detailed plot that will keep any reader involved with the story. Hal is one of the most likeable characters I have met in children's fiction, and the reader will feel involved with him right to the end.

The best thing about Island of Fog is that it's only the first of a series. Hal and his friends solve the mystery in this book, but that only leads to more questions, and more action in the sequel Labyrinth of Fire. Both are truly excellent books for young people in the best tradition of children's fiction - I'll be buying anything else Keith Robinson writes.

September 30, 2009 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Brandy Wyatt, Rossville Public Library "Island of Fog" is filled with fantasy, mystery and adventure. It grabbed my attention from the very beginning. I started reading Sunday night and by early Monday morning, around 1:30 a.m., I was done. Yes, I read it in one sitting, about 4½ to 5 hours. I could not put the book down, even though I had to go to work the next morning.

It’s a great book written for ages 9 and up. It’s not just for kids, adults will love it too. You don't have to take my word for it. Best-selling sci-fi/fantasy author Piers Anthony said "I love it! Normally I don’t find children’s fiction all that interesting; this was an exception."

I can't wait to continue the story.

August 5, 2009 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Michelle (Torch Under The Blankets) I love young adult fiction and make no excuses for it. I eagerly awaited the arrival of my copy of Island of Fog but when it arrived I was suddenly nervous because I really wanted to like it. I tentatively stepped into the prologue, let out the breath I was holding and launched into the first chapter. Now my book has a distinct bend in the middle from being stuck under my arm while I tended to my life of the last 3 days. What a great adventure Keith Robinson took me on. In keeping with the tradition of young adult fiction, Island of Fog brings together a group of young people who have to solve a mystery in order to save themselves and those they love.

Island of Fog travels along at an enjoyable pace and the suspense has you hungry for each page turn. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and love that young adult fiction can take you off on a great adventure without you being muddied up by 'adult themes'. Island of Fog ends but the story is certainly not wrapped up and I searched the last few blank pages with hope of finding an excerpt of the next book. So, Keith Robinson, thank you for Island of Fog and as I can feel a series coming on, I sit, eagerly awaiting book two.

July 3, 2009 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Piers Anthony, bestselling author of the XANTH series I love it! The story is interesting throughout, and builds nicely to a reasonable explanation for all mysteries. Normally I don't find children's fiction all that interesting; this was an exception. Congratulations on a fine juvenile novel.

June 18, 2009 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Nigel Rowe A fantastic book from a new author is a treat worth savouring. This book had me turning pages as if there were to be no tomorrow! A great story, with a plot twisting controllably to a satisfactory finish. Let's see it in the bookshops, and here's looking forward to the sequel!

June 17, 2009 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Ming So folks, grab a cup of hot, steaming coffee and a blanket and sit beside the window with only little shimmers of light here and there at dawn. Trust me, reading Island of Fog in "fog" is the best thing you can do, for you're up for a trip down the winding, foggy lane. :-)

And the story itself starts out with a gripping prologue. It's as good as a prologue by Dan Brown and far better in that it actually connects with the story. The first chapter is brilliant. We have here Hal and Robbie who've found the source of the ever-present feeling of gloom created by the fog, and plan to block it out, just to see the blue sky just once in their lives. Brings up a pang of sadness, does it not? And then we are left to wonder at the itch and sudden strength shown by the boys.

Abigail Porter is the best drawn character of the lot. Bossy, annoying, and an insufferable know-it-all and snoop. I just love it how she takes charge over everything despite the fact that someone else usually leads... now what was the name of that girl? I think this is one problem here - the rest of the children are not as finely drawn as Hal, Abigail, Dewey and Fenton, but perhaps that is to be expected when you have so many characters. The other children are not really very memorable.

I loved the manticore attack during the first half of the book, and that Thomas remembers some people but not others - it is very nostalgic. It just seems so sad that a child supposedly killed should turn up to be alive - and in the form of a monster - but it's a very well-balanced sentiment, leaving no room for unnecessary brooding. We are quickly bribed into taking an intellectual view of the 'person', enormously helped by Abigail's scientific outlook to life.

Miss Simone is made out to be a sinister character, and a crooked one at which leaves the reader wondering where exactly the story is going. The twist comes when she jumps off the cliff and I was quickly reminded of the prologue, and I was left thinking, "Now what are those parents really up to?"

The chapter about everyone's transformations is brilliant. Fenton in particular has a definite mystery about him, and somehow I felt it was not really dealt with as well as the rest of the story - more about this later.

All through the book we have little hints here and there about what might have been Out There. The lack of toothpaste, the incredible immune systems, etc.

Finally, the ending. It's wonderful how they end up in Miss Simone's Land, but here I was distinctly left with the feeling of something being amiss. Fenton's mystery still seems to be hanging. Thomas is just conveniently removed from the scene, whether Hal can fly or not is still being pondered. Perfect hints for a definite sequel immediately following Island of Fog.

Despite all that, I think it's a wonderful story, one that deserves to be published by a big house with hard covers and dustjackets and beautifully sketched line drawings in ink - I for one like illustrations, but its absence does not bother me, but in the case of Island of Fog, I think they're necessary - I had to look up on Google what exactly a manticore looked like!

June 15, 2009 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Philip Mannering Excellent Beyond Belief. Right from the very start, the author has made his mark. Just look at the opening paragraph of Chapter One: "Halfway into the silent woods, Hal Franklin paused before a clump of blackberry bushes and scratched at his left forearm. Why was it itching so much today? He unbuttoned his cuff and was about to roll up his sleeve when Robbie called from up ahead, his voice sharp and clear." If that doesn't have a hook, I don't know what does!

The author is very careful with his information -- giving just enough to let the mind wonder about the solution. There are almost too many mysteries, but all are handled well. In a mystery and suspense novel, you have to know enough things so that everything doesn't become confused. And the author has done just that.

I agree with Ann Fisher (the Literary Editor) when she wrote in her review that there is a growing sense of jeopardy and, in my opinion, this helps in the mystery. The setting is great -- and the characters are even better. Out of the eight children, I think I like Abigail, Hal and Dewey the best; their character development is the most. Best of all, the plot is just too exciting to put down. And this just decides it all.

May 29, 2009 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Hannah Jacks The Island of Fog was extraordinary I absolutely loved it. The Island of Fog is one of the best books I have read so far and I really enjoyed reading it.

November 18, 2008 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Ann Kempner Fisher (Literary Editor) Let me tell you why I like this young-adult fantasy story so much. To begin with, the premise is intriguing, and the unfolding of the plot is extremely well executed. Best of all, the kids are all so engaging and so real that we can't help but get caught up in all that happens to them. They take us on their dramatic journey throughout the entire story.

The book gets off to a clever, mysterious and suspenseful start with a scary set-up for what's to come. There's a growing sense of jeopardy and sinister possibilities that build with escalating tension toward all sorts of startling revelations. And these revelations and events are all unpredictable, which is a huge plus.

So, in terms of plot, your fertile imagination and your literary skills have served you well. In fact, the story held up right to the very end. It did not disappoint, or weaken, but remained suspenseful and piqued my curiosity even after I began to learn and understand what had brought the small group of parents and their kids to the island and why. And since the book is full of twists and turns and surprises, I never knew what was going to happen next. Which definitely makes for a page-turner.

The story's structure is solid and well-balanced. Chapters are succinct and each chapter ending "flips" us into the next. I like the chapter titles and the chapters themselves move seamlessly along, and transitions within chapters are smooth as well. The attack in Chapter 17 is beautifully choreographed with kids and creatures. And the excitement and jeopardy never let up.

You've also created a powerful, visual authenticity of time and place. The atmosphere/environment of the island, the fairly primitive lifestyle and the endless gloom are all evocatively conveyed.

And the escalation of the children morphing into scary and not-so-scary beings is excellent... visual, graphic, and easy to picture. Would look terrific on film, even an animated one.