Review by holsam_87 -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon

[holsam_87]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon tells the story of a young girl named Sarah, who is dropped off with her unknown, unsuspecting grandfather. This is problematic, as Tom is about to journey with his friends, Myra and William, to his grandfather's grave located in the wilderness of the Olympic Peninsula. Is it worth taking an inexperienced youngster with them? Will Sarah and Tom bond?

This book covers three themes that should appeal to most fans of the Young Adult genre. It falls into the coming of age topic, finding one's place in the world, and an exploration of culture. Students in their teens would enjoy this the most. However, there are elements that might deter their interest.

The aforementioned piece of literature contains implications of abuse, detailed gore, in-depth animal attacks, and descriptions of the effects of starvation. There is also a subplot where one character experiences a fantastical adventure that seems so unbelievable that one has to experience it for themselves. If you can get past these moments, then this book is a great read. I would recommend reading this in a class where students could have discussions and debates about everything that happens.

For the characters, I had a distinct view of what each of them is like. Tom is hardworking and compassionate. William is stubborn, despite obvious health problems. Myra is definitely younger since she was going with the men to act as a support. As for Sarah, she is shown to have a strong will to keep at an activity no matter what. The developed camaraderie is well-established and shows how much the adults all trust one another and their efforts to build a rapport with Sarah.

Settings are very important. The details about the Olympic Peninsula were enough to help me visualize every step of the story. It also engaged metacognition for me, because I wanted to know how accurately everything was chronicled. I would be interested in doing more extensive research to determine the accuracy of what was recounted.

Editing was done pretty well. While I found eight errors, they were just two misused verb forms and not capitalizing the word dad when it should have been. I didn't locate more errors. Transitions and writing pace were well done too.

It is with great pleasure that I give 4 out of 4 stars to Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon. To even consider a lower score is not giving the amount of credence that this written work deserves. Based on how well this novel has been dictated, I would be interested in more of Mr. Sheldon's work. It is my plan to eventually read Adrift since it will cover more adventures for these characters with differing personalities.

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Strong Heart
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