Uncharted Book

"I'm beginning to think the island wants to keep us here."

It was supposed to be an adventure. A little time off to honor the memory of a friend and complete a service project in the tropics. Do good deeds while getting a tan.

But when a storm rocks their plans, five long-time friends from college find themselves hurled onto a desolate island, and relief fades to fear. Here nature rules with a vengenance. The lone shelter from raw conditions is a sinister cave. Are they victims of a bizarre psychological experiment? Or could this godforsaken place have the power to maroon them forever?

Publishers Weekly

Hunt, the author of more than 70 books, departs from her usual fare with this competent, if spooky, faith-based novel. The plot line is a blend of the movies Castaway and The Big Chill, with a touch of the television series Lost, creatively thrown together with the biblical story of the beggar Lazarus and C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce. Six college pals gather for the funeral of their friend and end up being "guilted" by the widow into taking a trip halfway across the world to help build a Christian school. When a shipwreck leaves them washed up on a deserted island, they discover everything is not as it seems: all of their inner sins and crimes are literally on display. As the story unfolds, some readers may be turned off by a truly gruesome serial killer, although it helps Hunt make her ultimate point. Hunt excels at reminding Christian readers that God judges petty sins the same as heinous ones, and that being a "good person" outwardly often hides an interior life that is far from pure. Her theology of hell will be a good discussion point for book groups (a guide is included). General market readers, however, may find the serious faith themes more than they want to contemplate. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.