Island Sting by Bonnie J. Doerr; Illustrations by Joanna Britt and Laurie J. Edwards

Reading level: Middle Grade
Paperback: 280 pages
Publisher: Leap Books (12/15/2009)

Summary: Kenzie didn't expect her first summer in the Florida Keys to be murder. Or cute guys, awesome boats, endangered species, and gun-toting thugs... When city girl Kenzie Ryan moves to a Florida wildlife refuge, she plunges straight into an eco-mystery. Kenzie trades New York streets for Keys pollution cleanup, and now, instead of hailing cabs, she's tracking down a poacher of endangered Key deer. Her new home does have some benefits-mainly Angelo, an island native, who teams up with her to nab the culprit. But will they both survive when the killer turns from stalking deer to hunting humans? 

My review: The beginning of this book started off a bit shaky for me and I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep reading. Since I don't like to give up on a book I continued reading. Was I glad I did. Island Sting really shot off a few pages later and I found myself not wanting to take a break. This book was new and unique. It opened my eyes to a genre called Eco-Teen and this is an eco-mystery. I haven't read a story like this before. This book is also a great Earth Day read and it's educational--in a good way--and I learned a lot from it. I never knew about the Key deer and how they're endangered, and I didn't know about the Keys in Forida or the wildlife refuge there. The illustrations were nice, too. 

I really liked the story once I got into it. The main lesson in this book was about taking chances, to believe in oneself and to trust what's inside of us. Also, a very important part was to save the environment and to not take what we have for granted. I liked the characters, especially Kenzie, who reminded me of a new and improved hip and green Nancy Drew, and Angelo, as the guy she likes who help her, and I felt they were very brave. 

Overall, Island Sting was a thrilling story of bravery and friendship. Go green! 

Note: Even though this book was classified as a Middle Grade book I thought it was also good for Young Adult readers since there are references to romance and partying. 

Favorite part: "She had to keep her eyes shut. But shadowy images of scruffy merged with those of the drowning animal. This dog would live." (Page 3 of the ARC.)

Cover comment: I didn't get the cover art until I read the book. It was okay, but if I saw this on a bookstore shelf I don't think I'd pick it up. 

Rating: +++1/2 

For fans of: 101 Ways to Go Green; The Green Book; eco-books. 

Book source: Other Shelf Tours 

Reviewed by: Caitlin