The Island demonstrates that even a good child from an ordinary, normal family can have an identity crisis. The crisis may surface quietly and gradually, especially if the central character has a sensitive, introspective personality. The crisis need not involve overt rebellion, angry exchanges, and antisocial behavior. Rather it manifests itself in passivity, silence, and withdrawal.

Thus the novel lacks the crude language and sensational plot elements that often characterize novels about an adolescent's crisis of identity.

Wil's anxiety is ultimately a spiritual one. It can be mistaken for other things: his father accuses him of using drugs, his mother fears he has joined a cult, and the counselor worries that he does not have the normal hang-ups of young people. Paulsen's criticism of the adult world is constructive. The book is a plea for tolerance and patience in dealing with someone at a turning point...