Island's End

I am choosing Island's End to move on instead of Under the Mesquite. Island's End received numerous starred reviews and was chosen as a YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. "Drawing on firsthand experience from her travels to the Andaman Islands, Padma Venkatreman was inspired to write this story after meeting with natives who overcame a natural disaster and preserved their unique way of life despite several threats to their survival." Island's End is set on a remote island untouched by time. Uido, the story's protagonist, is chosen to be her island tribe's spiritual leader. She shows strength, courage and a generosity of spirit and kindness towards her tribe and her circumstances throughout the novel. Strangers on a nearby and more modern island wish to challenge the culture, beliefs and ways of life of Uido's people. Life on this other island may be more efficient and seen more lavish; however, Uido learns that this advancement comes with costs. Her challenge is to help her people continue to see and respect and value their way of life, their beliefs in the spirit world, their respect for the land and nature, and their strong sense of community.