Review of Strong Heart
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Leonie Vermaak
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Review of Strong Heart
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
The night before Tom Olsen and his friends, William and Myra engage in their backpacking trip to Tom’s grandfather’s grave in the Wilderness of the Olympic Peninsula, a knock on the door changes everything. Soaked with rain, his ex-wife introduces him to his 13-year-old granddaughter, Sarah Cooley, and tells him that Sarah and her wild and untamed manner are now Tom’s problem. After much debating, Tom hesitantly decides to take Sarah on the trip with them. Like a typical teen, Sarah complains most of the way until their first camping site. Here she sees a short-faced bear by the river and when she shows all of them the sketch she made of the bear and explained what happened, Tom immediately thinks she’s making it all up and this adds to the uneasiness between Tom and Sarah. After a couple of days, they reach the gravesite and while helping Tom, William, and Myra to secure the grave with rocks, Sarah mystically disappears without a trace. After a couple of days of searching with no luck, Sarah reappears, muddy, bloody, and with torn clothes.
Will she be able to tell them what happened to her, if so will Tom believe her this time?
Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon, is the first novel of the Strong Heart series. It reminds you that sometimes a child’s vision of things is more clear than what we as adults see. A child’s mind is still undaunted and pure, whereas we as adults are more set to see things through our experiences or what we have learned. The novel also reminds a person that you get people who will go to extreme lengths to get riches and fame with no care what they destroy. Sadly, it's nature or history that pays the price most of the time.
This novel is an absolute work of art. The plot is well-executed and even though it plays off between the present and the past, it’s written in such a way, that you easily slip into the change without notice. The author also did superb work creating his characters, Tom and William being the older and wiser. Myra is still in her twenties with a nearly unsatisfied urge to learn more about her people and ancestors, and then there is Sarah in her early teens, with a know-it-all attitude, a loner, and an exceptional artist.
What I enjoyed about the novel will be that it's jam-packed with the history of the Native Americans and their Tribal laws are well explained. The honor they have for these laws is fascinating and admirable. It’s full of adventure and you can’t wait to see what the next page has to offer. I would classify this novel as one of the most informative and memorable novels I've read in a while.
I can't find anything negative to say about this novel, nor did I find any noticeable errors while reading, making it a well-edited book. There is some profanity in the book but not excessively and it does not hinder the read.
With all this said, my rating for this book is 4 out of 4 stars. The novel is captivating and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Even with all the history, it was not mind-numbing. As the scenes of the backpacking unfold you become one with the characters, you can nearly feel the fatigue and strain. The scenery description was breathtaking and while reading, I felt like taking a canvas to paint this glorious place. I would recommend this book to mature teens as well as readers that like adventure and history.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The night before Tom Olsen and his friends, William and Myra engage in their backpacking trip to Tom’s grandfather’s grave in the Wilderness of the Olympic Peninsula, a knock on the door changes everything. Soaked with rain, his ex-wife introduces him to his 13-year-old granddaughter, Sarah Cooley, and tells him that Sarah and her wild and untamed manner are now Tom’s problem. After much debating, Tom hesitantly decides to take Sarah on the trip with them. Like a typical teen, Sarah complains most of the way until their first camping site. Here she sees a short-faced bear by the river and when she shows all of them the sketch she made of the bear and explained what happened, Tom immediately thinks she’s making it all up and this adds to the uneasiness between Tom and Sarah. After a couple of days, they reach the gravesite and while helping Tom, William, and Myra to secure the grave with rocks, Sarah mystically disappears without a trace. After a couple of days of searching with no luck, Sarah reappears, muddy, bloody, and with torn clothes.
Will she be able to tell them what happened to her, if so will Tom believe her this time?
Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon, is the first novel of the Strong Heart series. It reminds you that sometimes a child’s vision of things is more clear than what we as adults see. A child’s mind is still undaunted and pure, whereas we as adults are more set to see things through our experiences or what we have learned. The novel also reminds a person that you get people who will go to extreme lengths to get riches and fame with no care what they destroy. Sadly, it's nature or history that pays the price most of the time.
This novel is an absolute work of art. The plot is well-executed and even though it plays off between the present and the past, it’s written in such a way, that you easily slip into the change without notice. The author also did superb work creating his characters, Tom and William being the older and wiser. Myra is still in her twenties with a nearly unsatisfied urge to learn more about her people and ancestors, and then there is Sarah in her early teens, with a know-it-all attitude, a loner, and an exceptional artist.
What I enjoyed about the novel will be that it's jam-packed with the history of the Native Americans and their Tribal laws are well explained. The honor they have for these laws is fascinating and admirable. It’s full of adventure and you can’t wait to see what the next page has to offer. I would classify this novel as one of the most informative and memorable novels I've read in a while.
I can't find anything negative to say about this novel, nor did I find any noticeable errors while reading, making it a well-edited book. There is some profanity in the book but not excessively and it does not hinder the read.
With all this said, my rating for this book is 4 out of 4 stars. The novel is captivating and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Even with all the history, it was not mind-numbing. As the scenes of the backpacking unfold you become one with the characters, you can nearly feel the fatigue and strain. The scenery description was breathtaking and while reading, I felt like taking a canvas to paint this glorious place. I would recommend this book to mature teens as well as readers that like adventure and history.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper
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Cheryl Erickson
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What a surprise to have your thirteen-year-old granddaughter dumped on your porch. I hope that Tom and Lindsey can find a way to connect and trust each other. I'd be interested in learning more about the Native Americans and their tribal laws. Thank you for the nicely written book review.
Latest Review: The Caroler by Liza Martini
