OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Sons of Live Oak" by Chris Cusack.]

The Sons of Live Oak is a young adult historical fiction novel by C.S. Cusack. It is set in the Charleston area of South Carolina in 1861. There is a climate of civil unrest with the threat of war between the North and South looming. The story’s protagonists are Sammy Roberts, his younger brother Jonathan, and Jonathan’s best friend Ben Harrison. They are an adventurous trio, and sometimes their plans get them into trouble.

On a visit to Charleston, Sammy has the idea that it might be fun to go into a saloon for some ale. Unfortunately, the trio does not have enough money to pay for the ale. The three boys are thrown out of the saloon into the back alley. Jonathan loses his temper with Sammy and throws an old crate at him. The crate cracks the plaster from the wall, revealing an old map stuck between two bricks. It turns out that the building was once a dungeon, and the map shows the location of Blackbeard’s treasure. When it becomes necessary for the boys to go to North Carolina for supplies, they are determined to find the treasure at the same time. This decision leads to many misadventures.

I give The Sons of Live Oak three out of four stars. It is an engaging story, and, although it is written for a young audience, adult fans of historical fiction may enjoy it as well. The author creates likable and believable characters. Without going into too much detail, the author points out the problems with slavery. Even in cases where the slaves were treated kindly, such as they were by the Harrison and Roberts families, they are still not free to make their own decisions.

I am not sure if the book was professionally edited. There are several minor errors in the text. These do not detract from the overall readability of the story, but I feel that a professional editor probably would have caught most if not all of them.

I recommend The Sons of Live Oak for fans of historical fiction who want a brief, exciting story. The book is appropriate for teenagers. There is no profanity harsher than “damn the Yankees.” There is some romance in the story but there are no erotic scenes. There are some scenes where young female characters are harassed by older males. While not overly descriptive, these scenes could be upsetting to some readers. The story also contains violent scenes that might be troubling to more sensitive readers.

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The Sons of Live Oak
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The review was awesome and the story was interesting. I like the way the map was discovered. The story is captivating. Thanks for the review ,it was nicely done.

Thank you for such a thorough and informative review! I like the genre but I would not have gone for the title if not for what I learned from your review Onto my shelf

Sounds like an adventurous story. The hunt for the hidden treasure makes this novel all more intriguing. I enjoyed reading this review. Thanks

Would love a story on civil war, this may be one.

Your review was well detailed and revealing. A nice and compelling one which makes the sons of live oak more adventurous than it seems. I will love to read the book as soon as possible.

This seems like a really interesting read. Your review brings out the good aspects of it and I feel excited to read it for myself.
Thanks for the review!

A historical fiction, treasure hunting adventure with three young boys, sounds like a fun read. I love the way the map is discovered. Thanks for a great review.

Sounds like this one might have a Mark Twain flavor to it. Could be fun. Perhaps I’ll see if there are any sample pages on Amazon. Thanks for your review.

These kinds of stories always thrill me. Thanks for the amazing review.