The Isles

The Terra Testimonies #1

by Sara Francis

The Invaders left the world in ruin. Their first worldwide devastation, named the Accident, was unforeseen by everyone. Well, almost. Seven men knew of the approaching destruction and acted by preparing six islands as a place of refuge. Rescuing thousands of people, these Keepers decided to get the next generation ready for war; in their own way. Through training, experimentation, and study, the men created an army of young Bionics, Mutants, geeks, doctors, farmers, and militia to fight the battle.

However, things do not go as planned.

Alison is a Bionic who still has faint memories of her past life. These memories continue to haunt her and make her doubt the Keepers who saved her from an explosion eight years ago. She knows in her gut that something else is afoot, but cannot find out what. On the other hand, Sami and Aaron, a Mutant and a geek, have absolutely no memory of the world before and continue to do as they are told. Despite their obedience, their suspicions are aroused repeatedly and cannot shake the feeling of uncertainty.

The flame of these teens’ doubts is fanned by one interesting character that subtly creates chaos on the Isles.
​
Read the record logs of Alison, Sami, and Aaron and join them on their journey to find the truth in their islands of lies. Follow them on their adventure as they put themselves in the lines of danger and learn to use their abilities in combat. The roller coaster of suspicions will have you on the edge of your seat until these teenagers find the answer and do something about it.

Genres: Dystopia

524 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2017

About the author

I write bittersweet stories to show you the light in the dark.

What you'll find in my books
- Found Family
- Friends-to-Lovers
- Secret Identity
- "Can I trust you?"
- Enhanced Humans
- Platonic Friendships

Expect to ride a roller coaster of emotions that contain all the feels.

I have over ten publications including short stories that have been published in Anthologies.

My next book?
The finale of "The Waiting Trilogy". A cozy contemporary fiction with a slow burn romance, a paranormal twist, a little magic, healing moments that hit home, and the most loveable, coffee addicted side characters.

Reviews

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not expect to cry tonight but guess who's crying

((it's me))

Well that was quite the ride! I honestly didn't know what to expect going into this, and now, having read it, I don't think I ever actually looked at the synopsis? Which in some ways made this more fun.

I'm definitely a character-driven reader - I have to love the characters if I'm going to love the book, and I'm happy to report that these did not disappoint. The story is told in the journal entries of our leads, Alison, Sami, and Aaron, each of which I loved from the beginning. They're surrounded by a slew of interesting side characters, some good, some bad, most a mystery.

The world of the Isles was a fascinating one to look into, and one I very much want to explore more of. The darkness isn't shied away from, but there's light too. Hope, and its power, is woven throughout the story, which I always appreciate.

The only thing I struggled with was the sheer number of characters. I'm all for a big cast, but where the Heroes of Olympus have their Seven, the Isles have their Seventeen. And my brain sometimes struggled with keeping that many heroes straight. (not to mention the various other characters, villain or otherwise, who all have unique names but I cannot for the life of me remember who is who xD) But I will say that the cast was super diverse, and each character did have enough to distinguish them that I eventually got the hang of it.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this book! It was unique, the plot was well-paced, the story was intriguing. I cried at the end, which is always great. (No, I don't know if I'll ever forgive Sara for certain character deaths, but that's a story for another day xD)

Four stars from me!

**I received a copy of this book from the author. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.**

[Abby]

This book was really interesting! It was full of fun characters, plot twists, action, danger, suspense, and it made me have questions, oh, so many question, throughout the entire book. I was always guessing and wondering what would happen next. I loved the characters and how they all added so much to the story. Each one was so unique and fun. I got so attached to all of the main kids (but I still get their names mixed up. *sighs* I'm so bad with names!) really enjoyed this one! I need to get my hands on book two!
It did have two swear words and quite a bit of violence. I never felt like the violence was too much because it never went really in depth on everything.
I like the author's writing style. Sara did a wonderful job!

*I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review. I was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts expressed are strictly my own. *
Thank you for sending me a copy, Sara!
.

[Allison Bass · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a whirlwind! This book is told through journal entries of a couple different teens, which flowed pretty well from chapter to chapter. Each character has their own special gifts that they bring together in a classic good vs. evil set up. Really, the author does keep you guessing who exactly IS evil. I was never sure who to trust! I like that though. Make me work for it. Make me keep reading to figure this stuff out and then make me pull my hair out when I’m wrong 😂

I think Alison was my favorite character. She just had so many layers and I loved how she really grew into her leadership role. I felt so bad for her at times (all of the kids at some point. The author is good about making you go “No! Why?!? and then have a mild panic attack. They are just babies in my mind and go through a lot.) Anyway, I was just dying to know more about Alison’s past.

I think this is a great novel for fans of sci-fi and dystopian novels. Young adults and middle grade readers will especially like this!

[Morgan Hagar · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Isles" is written as the record logs of the three main characters. I had a hard time getting used to it at first, but really enjoyed it as I got farther into the books.
The premise of "The Isles" was very interesting and I'm excited to see what happens in book two.
Would definitely recommend.

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally I loved loved loved this book! From the moment I opened the book I was intrigued and it had my attention the whole 500 pages.

[Catie John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the kind of person who only reads for school work. But I actually liked this book. It was cool, fun, and exciting!!! I really want to read the next one.

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a very unique way, Sara Francis tells the story of Alison, Sami and Aaron as they face troubles after The Accident. Set in a destroyed world, a bionic, a mutant and a genius write diligently in their records every night.



When I started this book, I kept thinking: is the entire story seriously going to be told through the kid's journal records? I didn't think it would work, but boy was I wrong. Sara Francis manages to pull off the unique storytelling method flawlessly. I also thought that the idea was cliché and burnt out, but, again, I was wrong. Yes, the word being destroyed and overtaken by cruel people is cliché. Yes, bionics, mutants, and genius technology in the future is cliché. BUT the way that this story uses those factors is not cliché. You get introduced to three different characters. You get to know and love them separately; but the moment they come together, you'll love them even more. These incredible kids learn that a lot of things they've stood for there entire lives, are cruel lies, but they handle it with breathtaking courage even when they're trembling in fear. Because of that, I seriously love the characters from this book. (My favorite might be Axel, but I'm afraid I'm partial because I'm Latino too 😉)

For me, usually, a book without romance is boring. The plot has to be VERY good to not require romance to keep you interested. The Isles, I was surprised to realize, doesn't have much romance at all. That didn't affect it negatively in my eyes. In fact, it only made me admire the lack of necessity to rely on romance to keep you reading. Cleanness wise, this book is completely approved by me (I'm quite strict.) There are a few violent scenes, but I don't think it's anything too unmanageable. I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5

[Katie Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!! Ah, the feels of this book, it's so good.
The Isles by Sara Francis is a YA Dystopian novel, number one in her Terra Testimonies trilogy. It's told in the perspective of three teens through their logbooks. It took me a little bit to get past that, because at first I didn't think I'd ever truly worry about them since, if they're writing it, they're obviously still alive. But let me tell you, that is not the case! Things can happen, people can get hurt, and, as the story suggests, nothing is as it seems.

Practically every page of this book was packed with action and suspense, with lots of mystery and plot twists, and sprinkled with humor that made me laugh out loud at times. It kept me guessing, never sure what's true, and what's a lie. The plot was very well thought out and planned, and progressed smoothly. I thought the whole concept of the Bionics and Mutants was so cool!

The characters were probably my favorite part though! There's a lot, so it's a little hard to keep track of them, but the author has a character page on her website that's super helpful! I loved the relationships between the characters and how you can tell they truly care for each other. They'd do anything for each other. My favorite characters were probably Alison and Mark, and I can't wait to read Mark's story in book two!

I'd definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves a good Dystopian book with plenty of suspense and mystery to keep you reading!

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opions are my own.*

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 13 year old and 11 year old both enjoyed this book. They are not huge fans of science fiction but were reading Variant as a school assignment and wanted to read another science fiction. Both preferred The Isles, as did I. The content was appropriate for middle schoolers.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first full length novel by Sara Francis and boy does it deliver. With hints at the Six Million Dollar Man, Ender’s Game, Starship Troopers, and the science of Batman Beyond, it is a science fiction tale to entertain and enthrall. This book is a science fiction tale on a grand scale. It has cyborgs, humans genetically spliced with animals, tech geeks, and weapons galore.

The Isles is a small colony of humans living on 6 islands, protected from discovery by invaders. The invaders have taken over most of the world, or at least that is what the children have been told. Each of the islands has a different speciality. The Islands are run by island Keepers, and the children for the most part do not remember their past. They are being raised and trained to help take back earth.

Island I Bionics
Island II Saviors (Healers)
Island III Research and Development
Island IV Assets
Island V Seers
Island VI Genetic testing

The story is told as a series of alternating first person accounts, journal entries, either written or recorded. They are told by Alison, Sami, and Aaron. Aaron is one of the head geeks from Island III, Sami is a test subject from island VI she was spliced with a house cat genome, and Alison is from island I and has robotic prosthetics down the whole right side of her body. She was the first successful test subject for biomechatronic implantation.

Because the story is told in journal style each of the three go back and tell what they remember, or what they were told about the time before. Now they are members of the island, and this year during the inter island meetings they become part of a team that wins a competition and end up being selected for a mission to the mainland. But they soon realize a team member knows more than he is letting on, and that all may not be as they have been led to believe.

This is not hard science fiction along the lines of Arthur C. Clark. It is more along the lines of Robert A. Heinlein, Alfred Bester, and Frank Herbert. It is a great story and looks to be a very promising series. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. The style alternating voices was intriguing. The characters are very well written. The plot jumps around a bit because of the format used, and the style but works well. There are some subtle religious undertones to the story. It will be interesting to see what that part of the plot goes in book 2. When you finish this book, you will be desperate to read book two.

The story is written with a Young Adult audience in mind but can be enjoyed by anyone who loves a good sci-fi story. So give the book a try and see who a group of young adults, teens and children who have been trained are preparing to take on the invaders and liberate earth!

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!

[Marlow York · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I really liked this story! I thought it was a cool take on the familiar idea of "We're the good guys and we're going to save the rest of the world from evil." (If you read the book, you'll know what I mean). The storyline turns the tables on what you're expecting the book to be. I also found the different Isles and the people who inhabited them to be really interesting. I was eager to see what animals the Mutants were going to be mixed with and how that affected other aspects of their personalities and how their bodies function. It was really unique, and I felt most invested in the Mutants because of how big a sacrifice they had to make to become more powerful people. There were a few other twists later on in the book that surprised me. I won't spoil them here, but I loved not expecting the things that were revealed later on. I love a good dystopian story, especially one that takes our familiar world and turns it on its head.

The only real issue I had with this book was the narration. Or, I suppose, the way the story was told. The book is told through three perspectives, and each character is writing in record logs (journals, basically) to describe the plot. Because of the "diary entry" style of narration, a lot of the action had a very distant and factual tone. Like, "I woke up this morning and let me tell you what happened yesterday." There are times when the story feels like we're following along with each character in "real time" but I was often reminded that this is a journal entry. I think if the story had been told outside of journal entries I would have been engaged with the action the entire time, rather than pulled out of it during more "telling rather than showing" aspects of the story. Certain events would be more impactful, rather than just a passing fact that each character is remembering at the end of a long day. I think this style of narration also kept me from getting too close to some of the minor characters. Aside from the three main narrators there are a lot of other kids with them, but because there's so many of them I often couldn't remember who was who and why I should care about them. I certainly cared about SOME of them and was invested in the ones I could remember, but others just got lost in the back of my mind.

Aside from the narration style keeping me a bit distant from the plot, I still think this is a great story concept. This is a unique take on familiar ideas and I really understood how much each of the characters cared about each other. I'd love to see how the characters deal with future challenges with the new world they have in front of them.

[Hana Regenauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I do not usually read science fiction or dystopian novels, I am enjoying Sara Francis' The Isles very much so far.
The way that it is written in the first person point of view of the three main characters really allows you to "get inside their heads" and understand how everything affects them personally. This keeps it interesting too, and makes it so that you don't get bored after a while as I often do with other novels of this genre, since it switches up every chapter. I'm also interested in the characters' lives before the Accident.
I like the many characters, though this sometimes can get a little confusing, but the notes in the back are easy to reference for a quick refresher.
I am enjoying seeing the different personalities of Alison, Sami, and Aaron shine through in each of their logs, as well those of the other characters.
I'm looking forward to finishing The Isles over the summer. It should be a fun easy read to enjoy pool-side :) The fact that there are more books after this one is nice too, since it allows me to discover more about the kids and their stories.
Bottom line: I would recommend The Isles to those who do not usually enjoy science fiction, but are looking for a fun novel that also includes interesting, mysterious backstories.

[Sara Koshofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

After being coaxed by a teenager to read this book, I was sure glad I did! I just couldn’t put it down! As I got to know the characters, Alison, Sami and Aaron, they came alive and as the excitement began to build, I couldn’t help but want to join them as they battle to find the truth. The author has a way of making you feel that you are part of the adventure and you can’t help routing for the good of humanity. It’s great and would make an awesome movie. I can't wait for the sequel!

[Littlewayladygmail.Com]

Such a clever, exciting utopian/dystopian sci-fi. The author takes us deep into this ruined world with relatable characters and great descriptions. You can't help but be totally absorbed as the story unfolds. The end leaves you dying for what will happen next. Fans of Hunger Games and similar books will love this one This needs to be movie.

[Lauren Raciti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! Keeps you on your toes and surprises you throughout. The characters are endearing and unique. This is a great read for teens or adults - can't wait to read book 2 and for book 3 to come out!!!

[Julianna Maczaj]

The Isles by Sara Francis has been the best thing to come into my life, see I dont read much and by much I mean at all but this book was the best read I've ever read!!

[TS · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of a dystopian trilogy. The story unfolds through log/diary entries of three individuals: Alison, a girl who became a bionic at the age of ten, the first successful bionic on The Isles; Aaron, a boy who lives on the island in The Isles that is involved with research and development; Sami, a young girl on an island where they splice humans with animals.

Each island and group of young people has a keeper in charge of them. There are a lot of secrets about everything it seems. They are all trained heavily throughout their days on The Isles but not really told what it all means for their futures or what exactly is going on in the world outside. Only that the invaders have caused mass chaos, destruction, and murder.

Their memories have been wiped, so they don’t know who they were before they came. After some time these three are put with a group of seventeen young people to take a trip to the Mainland for a mission. They form a close bond and seem to be led mostly by Mark, a young man also part of the R&D Isle.

I had so many questions. Some were answered as the story progresses, others I look forward to learning as I continue this series. For one, who the heck ARE The Invaders?? These kids must be so frustrated that so much is kept from them, I can imagine it would be very hard to have trust at all and yet most of them do.

There were some sweet surprises, sad moments, action, adventure, strategy, and battles. There is a lot going on and things to keep track of but the story moves at a great pace. I liked having different perspectives as a window to the events unfolding. Even though there were a couple chapters I had a hard time remembering whose perspective I was in. I haven’t read many books written in log/diary entries, that may be why I struggled more to keep them straight at times.

There are a lot of side characters, several are introduced to us and play significant roles in the unfolding of events. Keeping some of the side characters straight was also challenging at times. I almost started keeping notes, lol! I enjoyed how she included a keeper’s log at the end because that confirmed the identities of the young leaders from each of the six isles. It would have been neat to have a list of other important characters at the end as well.

Overall, it had good character and world building. The ending is tied up nicely to segue into book two without having a frustrating cliffhanger (of course, I have book two so I can start it as soon as I’m ready).

[Novel-Tea Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you a fan of journaling style narration?

For me it depends. The upside to journal/diary style writing is it gives a deeper insight into a character's perspective. The downside is it often destroys any dramatic tension because you know the character recording the entry survives to write their record.

However, The Isles pleasantly surprised me with how well it handled its journaling voice. Not only that, but Sara managed to create not one but THREE unique individual character voices! (That is an incredibly difficult feat to achieve in journal narratives, especially speaking from experience!)

If you're a fan of dystopia with slow build up and sudden tone shifts, stories of government manipulation and crafting super soldiers, school sci-fi academia settings, and an overarching sense of not knowing who you can trust, then this is the book for you!

However, while this is a book with some faith-based moments and themes, it is important to note that it is not clean.

Content Disclosure: for language, there are moments of PG-13 cussing. In terms of sexual content, there is some mild romantic tension between characters, including some characters that are revealed to be related later, but this is quickly dispelled in a funny Star Wars style reveal. In terms of thematic content, human experimentation, gene splicing, child soldiers, brainwashing, control through physical and mental abuse, control through threat of death, and torture are present. There are also some cultural stereotypes present, but it's definitely for the intention of presenting a diverse cast. For violence, this is where I give my strongest content warning. There isn't much violence in the book, but when it does happen, it's pretty visceral and brutal. For these reasons, I give the book a strong PG-13 rating, mainly for the themes, language, and violence.

Overall though, if you're looking for a great story to satisfy your Dystopia craving, then definitely check out The Isles!

I hope you have a blessed day!

[Rachel E. Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a review from the author.*

I will be honest and say this book wasn't exactly my cup of tea. Not to say it wasn't a good book. I feel like it was paced nicely, had good characters, and really kept me reading. (It only took me so long to finish because I'm terrible at remembering to read e-books.) I saw lots of positive reviews and I know there are lots of people who would enjoy this. It just wasn't quite for me.

My biggest problem was the writing style. I thought the log entries was a cool story telling device, but I like a little more immersive story. I get that these are kids telling this and that's why it's written the way it is, but it was a little heavy on the telling rather than the showing. Again, it's not bad, just not my preference. I also got pretty irritated by the fact no one would tell you anything through the book (although I know it's for suspense) and the ending made me sad.

But I loved the worldbuilding. I do love me a good dystopian world. Setting it in Hawaii was really cool and unique. I thought the Isle were cool and a good idea. I also thought a lot of the tech was really awesome, the Bionics especially. Who wouldn't want to have their own mech suit?

So again, while this wasn't my favorite book, it might be yours! Please give it a try and remember all these thoughts are my own. In the end, it's a good book, even if it wasn't for me.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's quite impressive for a teen to finish a novel, much less one with this scope and ambition. There is a lot of potential and the premise is intriguing. However, the writing and editing doesn't quite have the maturity or polish yet. The characters are unique and interesting, but I found there wasn't enough distinction between their voices in their respective chapters. The diary format works well, but because they start with flashbacks to their arrival on the Isles, I found that they continued to feel very young in their speech and I kept forgetting they were supposed to be teens, not still ten and eleven years old. The writing is a bit rough at times. One thing that kept catching me out of the story was the lack of contractions in the speech, but inconsistently, making it feel stilted at times and not the way people talk. I do hope the author has continued to write, I just think this needed quite a bit more developmental and line edits before it was published.

[Simone Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read the Terra Testimonies trilogy twice and will definitely read it many more times! It is genuinely one of my all-time favourite trilogies!!
I love that it's told from multiple points of view (three people per book). The dystopian vibes and range of characters really keep you interested!
As always, Sara adds mystery and intrigue to her stories that makes you want more. I could hardly put the trilogy down; I was desperate to know what happened next throughout all three books.
Plus, I love that Sara weaves Christianity subtly throughout the book--she executes this perfectly.
Also, this trilogy will break your heart, just as a warning. But in a good way. :)

This trilogy is a MUST-read for everyone!!

[Elisabeth Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of twists and fun characters

I LOVE the detail the author has put into this book. It’s so hard to write in limited POV where you’re literally getting the POV of one person writing in a “journal” all the time, and I think the author did an amazing job staying in each character’s “head.” The storyline was super interesting and the different characters were fun! My only critique is that some of it felt rushed just because there were so many characters. It was hard to be invested in all of them.

[J]

For starters I won this book from a giveaway which is pretty awesome! What really drew me was the ecret islands of kids with superpowers sounds like my kind of book! But as I read more of it it got kind of depressing when there was a giant battle at the end which was sad. and so I don’t know if I want to read next books. But it was a good book and I did really like the characters plus Sara Francis is super friendly on instagram.🥰📚

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books that are about the end of the world. I am excited this book is part of a series.