The Queen of Junk Island

Adele (Dell), 16, has recently been through a traumatic experience, and, so when her mother suggests spending the summer at the family cottage, Dell thinks it’s a great idea. As well as getting some important R&R, Dell and her mom have to deal with the mess left by a tenant – garbage throughout the woods around the cottage and an actual island of junk in the nearby lake. Dell’s mom, Anne, has a boyfriend who lives nearby, and, for reasons which become clear later in the story, she has invited his daughter, Ivy, to spend the summer at the cottage too. This forces the two teenaged girls into a tense friendship.

Dell is the central character, and author Jones takes us along on her voyage of self-discovery. Dell spends a great deal of time in her own head, sometimes angry, often confused, and doing her best to reconcile her sexual longings and fantasies. Her recent trauma involved a relationship during which a young man posted intimate photos of her on the internet. This public humiliation leads Dell to internalize shameful thoughts of herself, and there are many moments in the novel when Dell’s mother also adds to this trauma, pointing out that Dell should have been more open with her about the relationship in the first place.

Ivy is the other main character of the book. Dell is frequently mean to her at the beginning, but Ivy can hold her own in any situation, it seems. She is the stronger character of the two in many ways, and she teaches Dell about life in practical and quite diverse ways, such as learning to swim and understanding what it means to come out as a lesbian.
There are no particularly likeable characters in the book, and, because so much of the story is centered in Dell’s inner monologue, there are places where the novel moves very slowly. Readers understand that she is confused about many things, including her sexuality, as they are reminded for paragraphs and pages on end.

Jones has many complicated themes in her book, but only two of them are explored in any depth. The overriding theme is that of sexuality, and the author presents characters dealing with being bisexual, asexual, gay and lesbian as well as feelings about masturbation. Oddly enough, the relationship of the girls’ parents is the only heterosexual example. Jones’s author’s note at the end of the novel goes into more detail about her own experiences as background material for the book and perhaps should be a preface rather than an add-on at the end so that readers understand her perspective before they start the novel.

A second theme is that of family relationships and the mysteries and secrets which they may hide. This is clear in both Dell’s and Ivy’s families, and the novel gradually helps readers understand some of the backstory which serves as the foundation for characters and their actions. Within the family theme, Jones also introduces a paranormal element which may appeal to some readers and simply confuse others.

Other themes of the novel include internet bullying, trauma, suicidal thoughts and Indigenous issues. As mentioned above, these are all suggested yet Jones doesn’t delve into any of them in any depth.

The Queen of Junk Island is a long novel which focuses on teen sexuality through both the inner monologue of the main character and her relationships. There is little action to keep the plot moving. Young women with questions and concerns may find it helpful and informative while others who are dealing with trauma and questions about sexuality may find it triggering. Readers have over 400 pages in which to make up their minds.