Solitude

Martin's life is characterized by solitude on the island, even before the Day happens and the vast majority of the population of Earth mysteriously disappears. Martin's father moves the two of them to a remote island in order for him to get plenty of peace and quiet so that he can work on his machine, whose purpose Martin does not understand at first. It is unclear how many other people even live on the island, but it seems like Martin goes long stretches without seeing many people at all, which is only broken up by the arrival of the so-called Summer People every summer. The friend he makes among the Summer People, George, ends up being an important lifeline for Martin, even though he gradually begins to ignore him too in favor of the books he brings him. Even when he has the opportunity to see...