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HELL ISLAND is another of the novellas published in the UK in the 'Quick Reads' program, the object of which is to increase adult literacy in the British Isles. It is short -- about 100 pages when we take out the blank pages and maps facing each section of the book -- but there is enough action packed into those 100 pages to keep anyone on the edge of their seat. There are four paratroop teams, one from the 82nd Airborne division, one SEAL, one Delta Force , and one group of Marines with Captain Shane 'Scarecrow' Schofield in charge of his group. The Marine detachment includes Scarecrow's regular bunch of fighters, or those who have survived until this point, including 'Mother', a shaven-headed 6ft 2ins woman, who can fight as well as, or better than, any man. There are also some newbies included to make up the numbers. An aged aircraft carrier, the George Washington, had been sent to Hell Island. She had brought 600 marines from Okinawa. They were to leave the marines there and pick up a team of scientists and a secret cargo. But something has gone wrong and the army, navy, air force AND marines are called in. Three of the airborne teams land on her deck, the fourth on the island. Something spooky is going on. The walls and decks of the carrier are painted with blood. And there are bullet holes in the superstructure. As with all of Reilly's books, we wonder who will get out alive. How will Schofield handle this situation? You will have to read the book to find out, but there is as much action in this short book as there is in any of Reilly's full length novels. HELL ISLAND was originally published in Reilly's native Australia as part of their Books Alive scheme. It was reprinted in the Quick Reads program this year. The BBC is one of its sponsors, through its RaW (Reading and Writing) initiative. It would be nice if the US government tried something like this for the functionally illiterate.
Reviewed by Barbara Franchi, June 2006
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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