diff --git a/src/count-islands/index.js b/src/count-islands/index.js
index ec88f6b..ce94a3c 100644
--- a/src/count-islands/index.js
+++ b/src/count-islands/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,50 @@
-function countIslands(grid) {}
+/*
+- use recursion method (method that calls itself)
+- use depth first search
 
-module.exports = countIslands;
+- create a variable to hold the count
+- figure out the edge cases
+  - if there are no islands then return 0;
+- the first loop i will be used to keep track of the outer loop i.e. the rows
+- the second loop j will be used to keep track of the inner loop i.e. the columns
+- if the grid at any point has 1 it should increase the count;
+
+- figure out how to keep track of the island
+  - find an island we change it to 0 to mark as done? i.e. modifying
+*/
+
+function countIslands(grid) {
+    let islandCount = 0;
+    let rows = grid.length
+    let columns = grid[0].length
+
+    if (rows === 0) {
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    for (let i = 0; i < rows; i++) {
+        for (let j = 0; j < columns; j++) {
+            if (grid[i][j] === 1) {
+                checkIsland(i, j, grid)
+                islandCount++;
+                console.log(islandCount);
+
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return islandCount;
+
+    function checkIsland(i, j, grid) {
+        if ((i < 0 || j < 0) || (i >= rows || j >= columns) || grid[i][j] !== 1) {
+            return;
+        }
+        grid[i][j] = 0;
+
+        checkIsland(i + 1, j, grid)
+        checkIsland(i - 1, j, grid)
+        checkIsland(i, j - 1, grid)
+        checkIsland(i, j + 1, grid)
+    }
+};
+
+module.exports = countIslands;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/count-islands/test.js b/src/count-islands/test.js
index 4ee76ba..2e94806 100644
--- a/src/count-islands/test.js
+++ b/src/count-islands/test.js
@@ -1,138 +1,142 @@
 const countIslands = require(".");
 
 describe("Count Islands", () => {
-  test("flat island", () => {
-    const grid = [[1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1]];
-
-    expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(3);
-  });
-
-  test("no land in flat sight", () => {
-    const grid = [[0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]];
-
-    expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(0);
-  });
-
-  test("3x3 island", () => {
-    const grid = [
-      [1, 1, 0],
-      [0, 0, 1],
-      [1, 0, 1],
-    ];
-
-    expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(3);
-  });
-
-  test("4x4 island", () => {
-    const grid = [
-      [
-        [1, 1, 0, 0],
-        [0, 0, 1, 0],
-        [0, 0, 0, 1],
-        [0, 1, 0, 0],
-      ],
-    ];
-
-    expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(4);
-  });
-
-  test("5x5 island", () => {
-    const grid = [
-      [1, 1, 0, 0, 0],
-      [0, 1, 0, 0, 1],
-      [1, 0, 0, 1, 1],
-      [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
-      [1, 0, 1, 0, 1],
-    ];
-
-    expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(6);
-  });
-
-  test("Example island - 1", () => {
-    const grid = [
-      [1, 1, 0, 0, 0],
-      [1, 1, 0, 0, 0],
-      [0, 0, 1, 0, 0],
-      [0, 0, 0, 1, 1],
-    ];
-
-    expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(3);
-  });
-
-  test("Example island - 2", () => {
-    const grid = [
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 0],
-      [1, 1, 0, 1, 0],
-      [1, 1, 0, 0, 0],
-      [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
-    ];
-
-    expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(1);
-  });
-
-  test("large island - 1", () => {
-    const grid = [
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
-      [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
-      [1, 0, 0, 0, 1],
-      [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
-      [0, 1, 0, 1, 0],
-      [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
-      [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
-      [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
-      [0, 0, 1, 0, 0],
-      [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
-      [1, 0, 0, 0, 1],
-      [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-    ];
-
-    expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(9);
-  });
-
-  test("all lands - 5x18", () => {
-    const grid = [
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
-    ];
-
-    expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(1);
-  });
-
-  test("large lands - 20x9", () => {
-    const grid = [
-      [1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1],
-      [1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0],
-      [1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0],
-      [1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0],
-      [1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1],
-      [1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0],
-    ];
-
-    expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(10);
-  });
-});
+    test("flat island", () => {
+        const grid = [
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1]
+        ];
+
+        expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(3);
+    });
+
+    test("no land in flat sight", () => {
+        const grid = [
+            [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
+        ];
+
+        expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(0);
+    });
+
+    test("3x3 island", () => {
+        const grid = [
+            [1, 1, 0],
+            [0, 0, 1],
+            [1, 0, 1],
+        ];
+
+        expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(3);
+    });
+
+    test("4x4 island", () => {
+        const grid = [
+
+            [1, 1, 0, 0],
+            [0, 0, 1, 0],
+            [0, 0, 0, 1],
+            [0, 1, 0, 0],
+
+        ];
+
+        expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(4);
+    });
+
+    test("5x5 island", () => {
+        const grid = [
+            [1, 1, 0, 0, 0],
+            [0, 1, 0, 0, 1],
+            [1, 0, 0, 1, 1],
+            [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
+            [1, 0, 1, 0, 1],
+        ];
+
+        expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(6);
+    });
+
+    test("Example island - 1", () => {
+        const grid = [
+            [1, 1, 0, 0, 0],
+            [1, 1, 0, 0, 0],
+            [0, 0, 1, 0, 0],
+            [0, 0, 0, 1, 1],
+        ];
+
+        expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(3);
+    });
+
+    test("Example island - 2", () => {
+        const grid = [
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 0],
+            [1, 1, 0, 1, 0],
+            [1, 1, 0, 0, 0],
+            [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
+        ];
+
+        expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(1);
+    });
+
+    test("large island - 1", () => {
+        const grid = [
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
+            [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
+            [1, 0, 0, 0, 1],
+            [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
+            [0, 1, 0, 1, 0],
+            [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
+            [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
+            [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
+            [0, 0, 1, 0, 0],
+            [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
+            [1, 0, 0, 0, 1],
+            [0, 0, 0, 0, 0],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+        ];
+
+        expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(9);
+    });
+
+    test("all lands - 5x18", () => {
+        const grid = [
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 1, 1],
+        ];
+
+        expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(1);
+    });
+
+    test("large lands - 20x9", () => {
+        const grid = [
+            [1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1],
+            [1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0],
+            [1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0],
+            [1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0],
+            [1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1],
+            [1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0],
+        ];
+
+        expect(countIslands(grid)).toBe(10);
+    });
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/word-search/index.js b/src/word-search/index.js
index 2e385e5..b458ea1 100644
--- a/src/word-search/index.js
+++ b/src/word-search/index.js
@@ -1,3 +1,73 @@
-function wordSearch(words, word) {}
+/*
+- use recursion method (method that calls itself)
+- use depth first search
 
-module.exports = wordSearch;
+- the first loop i will be used to keep track of the outer loop i.e. the rows
+- the second loop j will be used to keep track of the inner loop i.e. the columns
+- if the letters in the words at any point is equal to the word it should return true
+- keep track of the word search by marking letters as visited once we've iterated over it
+  - 
+*/
+
+function wordSearch(words, word) {
+    let row = words.length;
+    let column = words[0].length;
+    let wordLen = word.length;
+
+    for (let i = 0; i < row; i++) {
+        for (let j = 0; j < column; j++) {
+            if (words[i][j] === word[0] && wordCheck(i, j, 0)) return true;
+        }
+    }
+    return false;
+
+    function wordCheck(i, j, wordIndex) {
+        if (wordIndex === wordLen) return true;
+        if (i >= row || i < 0 || words[i][j] !== word[wordIndex]) return false;
+
+        words[i][j] = "V";
+
+        if (wordCheck(i - 1, j, wordIndex + 1) ||
+            wordCheck(i + 1, j, wordIndex + 1) ||
+            wordCheck(i, j - 1, wordIndex + 1) ||
+            wordCheck(i, j + 1, wordIndex + 1)) return true;
+
+        words[i][j] = word[wordIndex];
+        return false;
+    }
+
+};
+
+
+// words = [
+//     ["C", "D", "Y", "C", "X"],
+//     ["A", "N", "Y", "Z", "X"],
+//     ["T", "F", "Z", "A", "T"],
+//     ["M", "D", "B", "U", "T"],
+// ];
+
+// word = "CAT";
+
+// words = [
+//     ["D", "S", "A", "N", "C"],
+//     ["I", "N", "O", "I", "T"],
+//     ["T", "A", "T", "R", "O"],
+//     ["M", "F", "O", "U", "T"],
+// ];
+
+// word = "SANCTIONS";
+
+const words = [
+    ["G", "A", "T", "J", "M"],
+    ["R", "G", "R", "G", "N"],
+    ["A", "M", "A", "K", "E"],
+    ["N", "M", "A", "E", "U"],
+    ["D", "L", "R", "R", "Q"],
+    ["M", "Y", "M", "A", "A"],
+];
+
+const word = "GRAMMARLY";
+console.log(wordSearch(words, word));
+
+
+module.exports = wordSearch;
\ No newline at end of file