Review by Charine -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon

Charine · Post by **Charine** » 07 Apr 2018, 10:55

[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]

4 out of 4 stars

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"William pictured Sarah, whining, spitting, a profane bundle of rage, buried beneath a pack, being hauled down the trail. At least with her along, his fatness and suffering wouldn't be so obvious."

This excerpt sets the pace for this novel, fast-paced, detailed and witty. I jumped in without reading a review, or the book cover, preferring as usual, to read the novel without pre-formed ideas. The first sentence that grabbed me was the dedication:

For
Those whose greatest pleasure
is curling up with a book on a rainy afternoon;
and to contrary girls
everywhere.
May each of you find your
own short face bear.

The author spoke to me personally and I was hooked. I devoured the novel, thoroughly enjoying every moment, hiking with 13 year old Sarah, her grandfather Tom, his friend the native Wall-Eye and Myra, Wall-Eye's daughter.

Orphaned Sarah got dropped off on Tom's doorstep by her grandmother, just when Tom and friends got ready for their hike into the Olympic Mountains, to tend to Tom's grandfather, Bob-Bob's grave. Suspense and mystery pops up when Sarah disappears, thrown into this mix are the suspicious surveyors from the mine.

Join this unique group of hikers on an adventure of a lifetime, where no one emerges from it unscathed or unchanged... including the reader. Hiking a few miles into the mountains over a span of a few days, or thousands of years depending on which character you're following, every reader will return to their 'normal life' with a different idea about this novel.

This novel contained most of the elements I love: scientific facts, humour, history, outdoors setting, suspense and mystery. The only negative factor about this novel, for me personally, is the abundant use of profanity.

Apart from this, the characters are brought to life effortlessly by this brand-new master storyteller. My emotions spanned the range at each meeting of a new character: love, hate, pity, admiration and I even detested a character or two.

The reader doesn't even need a vivid imagination to be 'present' at each setting, thanks to the author's detailed descriptions, transporting the reader to a land of magic, history and legend. A place of myth, ancient stories, ancient people.

The novel was edited thoroughly, no spelling mistakes or grammatical errors found and research done is impeccable. Therefore I gladly rate this novel 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to any reader, from teen to queen, because you will find a character you can relate to.

******
Strong Heart
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Espie · Post by **Espie** » 29 May 2018, 21:08

Thank you for your review. I honestly didn't notice (or maybe just didn't mind to remember) the profanities in the book, although Sarah's hard-headed and defiant attitude had been really evident. I also read, reviewed, and loved this book. It's good another one (or two) in the series is already upcoming.

Charine · Post by **Charine** » 29 May 2018, 22:30

Espie wrote: ↑29 May 2018, 21:08 Thank you for your review. I honestly didn't notice (or maybe just didn't mind to remember) the profanities in the book, although Sarah's hard-headed and defiant attitude had been really evident. I also read, reviewed, and loved this book. It's good another one (or two) in the series is already upcoming.

Oh I didn't even realize that this was part of a series! Thanks for the update, now I'm absolutely stoked! And thank you for your kind response to my review!

Espie · Post by **Espie** » 29 May 2018, 22:41

Charine wrote: ↑29 May 2018, 22:30
Espie wrote: ↑29 May 2018, 21:08 Thank you for your review. I honestly didn't notice (or maybe just didn't mind to remember) the profanities in the book, although Sarah's hard-headed and defiant attitude had been really evident. I also read, reviewed, and loved this book. It's good another one (or two) in the series is already upcoming.
Oh I didn't even realize that this was part of a series! Thanks for the update, now I'm absolutely stoked! And thank you for your kind response to my review!

I initially didn't know that, too. I only came to know after I already read, reviewed and started reading more from other reviewers about the book. We all learn each day, indeed. No worries and thank you as well for responding back. Cheers.