Minecraft: The Island (Narrated by Jack Black): An Official Minecraft Novel

Written by Max Brooks

Narrated by Jack Black

Two editions, two narrators, one thrilling story. Enjoy this version read by Jack Black, and then be sure to check out the other available version, narrated by Samira Wiley.

The first official Minecraft novel! In the tradition of iconic adventures like Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of World War Z tells the story of a hero—stranded in the world of Minecraft—who must unravel the secrets of a mysterious island in order to survive.

Washed up on a beach, the lone castaway looks around the shore. Where am I? Who am I? And why is everything made of blocks? But there isn’t much time to soak up the sun. It’s getting dark, and there’s a strange new world to explore!

The top priority is finding food. The next is not becoming food. Because there are others out there on the island . . . like the horde of zombies that appear after night falls. Crafting a way out of this mess is a challenge like no other. Who could build a home while running from exploding creepers, armed skeletons, and an unstoppable tide of hot lava? Especially with no help except for a few makeshift tools and sage advice from an unlikely friend: a cow.

In this world, the rules don’t always make sense, but courage and creativity go a long way. There are forests to explore, hidden underground tunnels to loot, and undead mobs to defeat. Only then will the secrets of the island be revealed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: Jul 18, 2017
• ISBN: 9780525495734

Max Brooks

Max Brooks es un escritor best seller norteamericano especialmente conocido por sus obras La guía de supervivencia Zombie, Guerra Mundial Z, adaptada al cine en 2013 y protagonizada por Brad Pitt, y La marcha zombi. También ha escrito guiones para Saturday Night Live, por los que obtuvo un Premio Emmy, y las novela gráfica Zombi y The Harlem Hellfighters.

Reviews for Minecraft

[jenniferforjoy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well this sure was unique. I love the idea of the whole premise, there was a lot i hadn't considered before that was entertaining.

[thoroughlyme · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Honestly, this book is better than it has any right to be. But I suppose that should be expected when it's written by the same guy who wrote World War Z. This book is a very quick paced, easy to read adventure set within the world of Minecraft. It seeks to answer the age-old question of what you would do if you suddenly awoke in the world of Minecraft, alone and scared.

The target audience for this book is clearly fairly young kids but adults can definitely still enjoy it. Written with Brooks' trademark voice, the prose is a whole lot of fun to read. The book is very aware of what it is and it pokes fun at the kind of story it's telling while still coming across as wholly genuine.

It's a book that should please fans of Minecraft, both young and old. And for everyone else, it's a fairly enjoyable read in a unique universe. It's worth a shot - it won't take you too long to read, anyway.

[villemezbrown · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had a pretty serious Minecraft addiction for a few years, building a 30,000 block perimeter road around my kingdom that stretched 5,000 blocks east to west and 10,000 blocks north to south. Inside this boundary was a modest castle, sixteen fortified villages, a limited overworld subway system, a smaller netherworld subway system, a dozen desert temple homes, four jungle temple homes, an oasis house built around a well, an excavated end portal temple and a completely drained ocean temple, all connected by a cross grid of roads that went straight from one perimeter road to the other. I had plans to double the size of the perimeter road, turning my rectangle into a square, but I quit cold turkey a year or two ago when I realized living the Minecraft life was squeezing out the time I needed to live my real life and read books. So now I spend my free time compulsively writing Goodreads reviews (692 so far) of the 500 books and graphic novels I manage to read each year.

That said, this book was a nice little fix after my long period of self-denial. It was great to read along as the character explored the Minecraft world and learned the ins and outs of crafting and mining. It reminded me of watching over my daughter's shoulder as she played the game and viewed YouTube videos posted by other players. I've glanced at some other Minecraft fanfic, and it always seemed like the writer was cramming a cheesy fantasy tale into a Minecraft setting. I like how Brooks is using his book to address the very nature of the Minecraft universe.

I could have done without the heavy-handed vegetarian theme and would have preferred a lighter touch with the self-help, character-building rules for life scattered throughout, but the rest was quite enjoyable. I'd certainly welcome a sequel.

[silverkitty-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

What if you went to bed one night and woke up in the middle of the ocean?  And had suddenly turned into a blocky version of yourself and been transported to a land where different laws of physics and everything else now applied?  That is the premise of this book.  Our hero manages eat, build a dwelling and avoid monsters in the previously-unknown-to-him Minecraft world, all without ever getting killed.  

This book was recommended by my mom, who knows that I play Minecraft.  It has an interesting premise.  But - it's awful.  It's not awful because it's a children's book.  I have read quite a few children's books as an adult.  It's awful because it has no real plot, no interesting description and lots of kid slang.  There is nothing in it to really grab the reader, and the writing is not a pleasure to read.  I'm guessing it's intended for 8 - 12 year old boys, with the idea of getting them to read something - anything.  I would be interested to get their opinion.  (Just went and looked at Amazon, and their opinion is pretty high, actually.)   But would it be the gateway to more reading?  I don't know, but it's not terribly inspiring and I think I'd rather play Minecraft than read this book about it.