The Wall by Jen Minkman Review

The Wall is the first book in a series called The Island Series. It follows the story of two teenagers who grew up on opposite sides of the wall that divides their island. Both learn some surprising secrets about their separate cultures and the wall. Their discoveries threaten to change everything they thought they knew about their worlds, especially when they find that the monsters on the other side of the wall aren’t monsters at all.

This novel has a lot of interesting elements, one side of the island is driven by “the force,” and I’m sure you know exactly where that was derived from since one of the main characters names is Leia. On the opposite side of the wall, the people are driven by the hope of their Goddess sailing back to them. Minkman does a very good job of painting their world and their struggles with their religion. Most of it, I’ve found, is pretty true to life. One particular part of this story is hilarious, but I don’t want to ruin it. The thought of this happening in a post-apocalyptic world is rather amusing to me and quite possible.

The Wall was a pretty quick read. It is written in present tense, which always feels a little clumsy to me. However, this story was still incredibly enjoyable despite that. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. I’m curious to see where she focuses the story from the end of this first novel.

Overall, if you’re a YA fan with a sense of humor, I would absolutely recommend this book.