Book Review: WELCOME TO THE ARK

Author: Stephanie S. Tolan
Number of Pages: 256
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: 1996

This book is about four very gifted kids named Miranda, Taryn, Doug and Elijah. They are all sent to a mental instituion for individual reasons- Miranda's parents think she's going crazy, Doug commited many crimes and then tried to kill himself, Elijah is found abandoned and is thought to have autism, and Taryn is said to have special powers. Two therapists at the institution select these fours individuals for a new experiment in which all six of them live in a cabin together as a 'family', separated from the outside world until they've all had a chance to heal. But shortly after this experiment begins the four kids discover that together they can do extraordinary things- they might even be able to end the world war of global violence.

Welcome to the Ark was a touching, suspenseful book. I loved how it switched points of view between the four main characters. It kept it interesting and moving forward. I also really liked how each character was so different, yet they all related to each other in some way. This book deals with many issues- discrimination, violence, mental health- and it deals with them in a very realistic way. The ending was very good- it tied everything together really well. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it was slow in some parts. Overall, it was a great book.

Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) 4 out of 5 smileys

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes.

Hugs,
Aceba