Review by Amina Yusuf -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
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Amina Yusuf
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Review by Amina Yusuf -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
Review of Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
Tom and his friends, William and Myra are in the midst of preparing for a hiking trip into the Olympic National Park, when they have some unexpected visitors. The visitors are Ruth, Tom’s ex-wife and a young girl, whom she claims is Sarah, his granddaughter. He is shocked to learn that he has a granddaughter, who did not look too happy to stay with him. Tom is also not thrilled to be left with a bad-tempered thirteen years old girl, who has halted his plans. William persuades Tom to take Sarah along with him on the hiking trip in order to fulfill the promise he made to his grandfather forty-five years ago. Will Sarah become a liability to Tom and his friends or will she prove to them that she can survive the wilderness far better than they think?
Strong Heart is the first book in the Strong Heart series by Charlie Sheldon. It is a fictional tale of adventure, legends, time travel, magic and history set in the Olympic National Park and the North Pacific Coast. It is a wonderful coming of age story about an orphan, Sarah and her adventures in the Olympic National Park while on a hiking trip with her grandfather, Tom and his friends, William and Myra. Sarah,Tom and his friends hiked into the park unaware of the the challenges heading their way.
When Sarah has a strange encounter with an extinct species of bear, her grandfather and his friends dispute her story. After that incident, Sarah disappears into the forest, while Tom and his friends spend the whole day searching for her. On the eighth day of her disappearance, Sarah reappears with bruises, a concussion and a missing finger. On top of that, she recounts a bizarre story regarding her disappearance to Tom and his friends, which to them sound completely out of the ordinary.
What I liked most about the book are the plot, characters and the setting. I enjoyed reading about the legends and history of the Native America people and the arguments about their origins. The characters are fascinating, even though the author did not provide much background information on them. The strong female presence in the book is worth mentioning. Sarah is bad-tempered and says what she wants irrespective of what other thinks. She is also talented, smart and determined. Myra, William’s daughter is a free spirit, who expresses her mind and also looks out for Tom and her father. She is also passionate about the plight of her people and their native lands. Tom is a lovable character. He is old but determined to make the journey to the Olympic National Park to fulfill his promise to his grandfather. William, Tom’s friend is a wise old Native American, who is strongly connected to his people’s myths and legends, and believes there is truth in what Sarah saw. The picture painted by the author about the scenery in the Olympic National Park and the North Pacific Coast is beautiful and fascinating. I liked that the book is also a quick read. It is a fast-paced adventure story, with interesting twists and turns. The book explores various themes such as friendship, family, humor, sympathy, trust, history, myth, legend, magic, anger, second chance, sea adventure, wilderness, love, fear, determination, courage and survival.
What I liked least about the book is the ending. It did not end the way I expected it to. However, I am happy the book is the first in the series.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because the plot is filled with adventure, time travel, suspense and history. The characters are fascinating and realistic. The book is also a quick read for readers, who enjoyed a fast-paced story. I do not give it 3 out of 4 stars. I noted a few errors such as missing and misplaced commas. On page 9, line 7, there is an extra ‘it’. On page 26, ‘Across the Bering land bridge’ looks like an incomplete sentence. However, it did not derail my interest in the story.
The book will appeal to readers, who enjoy a fast-paced adventure story infused with history, myths and legends. It will also appeal to readers, who enjoy Native American history. I will also recommend this book to readers who are interested in the Olympic National Park and the North Pacific Coast.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Review of Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
Tom and his friends, William and Myra are in the midst of preparing for a hiking trip into the Olympic National Park, when they have some unexpected visitors. The visitors are Ruth, Tom’s ex-wife and a young girl, whom she claims is Sarah, his granddaughter. He is shocked to learn that he has a granddaughter, who did not look too happy to stay with him. Tom is also not thrilled to be left with a bad-tempered thirteen years old girl, who has halted his plans. William persuades Tom to take Sarah along with him on the hiking trip in order to fulfill the promise he made to his grandfather forty-five years ago. Will Sarah become a liability to Tom and his friends or will she prove to them that she can survive the wilderness far better than they think?
Strong Heart is the first book in the Strong Heart series by Charlie Sheldon. It is a fictional tale of adventure, legends, time travel, magic and history set in the Olympic National Park and the North Pacific Coast. It is a wonderful coming of age story about an orphan, Sarah and her adventures in the Olympic National Park while on a hiking trip with her grandfather, Tom and his friends, William and Myra. Sarah,Tom and his friends hiked into the park unaware of the the challenges heading their way.
When Sarah has a strange encounter with an extinct species of bear, her grandfather and his friends dispute her story. After that incident, Sarah disappears into the forest, while Tom and his friends spend the whole day searching for her. On the eighth day of her disappearance, Sarah reappears with bruises, a concussion and a missing finger. On top of that, she recounts a bizarre story regarding her disappearance to Tom and his friends, which to them sound completely out of the ordinary.
What I liked most about the book are the plot, characters and the setting. I enjoyed reading about the legends and history of the Native America people and the arguments about their origins. The characters are fascinating, even though the author did not provide much background information on them. The strong female presence in the book is worth mentioning. Sarah is bad-tempered and says what she wants irrespective of what other thinks. She is also talented, smart and determined. Myra, William’s daughter is a free spirit, who expresses her mind and also looks out for Tom and her father. She is also passionate about the plight of her people and their native lands. Tom is a lovable character. He is old but determined to make the journey to the Olympic National Park to fulfill his promise to his grandfather. William, Tom’s friend is a wise old Native American, who is strongly connected to his people’s myths and legends, and believes there is truth in what Sarah saw. The picture painted by the author about the scenery in the Olympic National Park and the North Pacific Coast is beautiful and fascinating. I liked that the book is also a quick read. It is a fast-paced adventure story, with interesting twists and turns. The book explores various themes such as friendship, family, humor, sympathy, trust, history, myth, legend, magic, anger, second chance, sea adventure, wilderness, love, fear, determination, courage and survival.
What I liked least about the book is the ending. It did not end the way I expected it to. However, I am happy the book is the first in the series.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because the plot is filled with adventure, time travel, suspense and history. The characters are fascinating and realistic. The book is also a quick read for readers, who enjoyed a fast-paced story. I do not give it 3 out of 4 stars. I noted a few errors such as missing and misplaced commas. On page 9, line 7, there is an extra ‘it’. On page 26, ‘Across the Bering land bridge’ looks like an incomplete sentence. However, it did not derail my interest in the story.
The book will appeal to readers, who enjoy a fast-paced adventure story infused with history, myths and legends. It will also appeal to readers, who enjoy Native American history. I will also recommend this book to readers who are interested in the Olympic National Park and the North Pacific Coast.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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