novel for the moving narrative, which she said adeptly illustrated "the teens' concern with appearance and conformity" despite their quandary. Journalists of Publishers Weekly called the book a "nightmarish thriller of white-knuckle intensity" and lauded its "[rich] characterizations". Elizabeth Bush of The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books noted that the novel "would be no more than a B-movie embarrassment" had Halam not skillfully "pull[ed] her plot together" at the end. Jane P. Fenn of School Library Journal called it "an astonishing and terrifying science fiction adventure". Roger Sutton of The Horn Book Guide to Children's and Young Adult Books wrote that although Dr. Franklin's Island has "overhasty plotting", it is "a solid adventure story informed by ethical questions of current import". Victoria Neumark of Times Educational Supplement noted that the story was viable because Halam based it on "an almost banal teen perspective". Journalists of Teacher Magazine commented that the novel "effectively addresses animal rights issues and the ethics of genetic engineering". See also References Further reading "When Science Blurs the Boundaries: The Commodification of the Animal in Young Adult Science Fiction" from Science Fiction Studies 2001 British novels 2001 science fiction novels British science fiction novels Children's science fiction novels Children's novels about animals Biopunk novels Fictional islands Novels set on islands The Island of Doctor Moreau Orion Books books