Review of Strong Heart
-
DAbhilasha
- Posts: 5
- Joined: 24 Jun 2019, 01:32
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 14
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-dabhilasha.html
- Latest Review: Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
Review of Strong Heart
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon is a story within a story. Tom, William, and Myra are getting ready to go camping and visit Tom's grandfather's grave when Tom's estranged granddaughter, Sarah, shows up on his doorstep. They decide to take Sarah along where could get a chance to honor her great-great-grandfather. In the wilderness, Sarah gets lost for eight days and returns with a narrative of her own where she went on a month-long journey.
This embedded narrative was an important part of the story but I felt it was unnecessarily extended. There were instances when the pace was really slow without providing any significant contribution to the story. The concept of continuing the story in different parts broke the overall flow of reading since both had different paces.
However, I liked the difference in language between Sarah's story and the main story. Using ancient language in one and modern in other gave a sharp contrast. The author also provided a unique description of each of the characters in Sarah's story which was missing in the main story.
Sarah changed after her journey. She had faced hardships, seen deaths, fought wild animals, lived on the ocean enduring harsh weather, and she had battle scars to prove everything. The title, Strong Heart, suits the courage and resilience Sarah exhibited. I would have liked more details about Tom, William, and Myra's characters and similar character development.
There was an educational element to the story when Myra talked about the ice age with a mention of pre-historic times. The author also discussed Native American history from scientific and legendary perspectives. By the end, he combined Sarah's journey with Native American history.
The author very meticulously described both the settings. The detail towards trail path, maps, routes taken and vegetation enhanced my reading experience. It all felt too real, just like Sarah's journey. But I feel like the author didn't give equal attention to the ending. When I finished the book, it didn't seem like the story was complete. I was expecting more since there was a major part left unattended. The author didn't mention the future of Buckhorn and the mining experiment. The ending was very unexpected and hurried.
I would rate the book 3 out of 4 since there were some errors in the text, the main characters required distinctiveness and the end was rushed. On the other hand, there was a difference in language for each story, detailed description of the scenery, and an interesting debate between scientific facts and legends. With much focus on ancient artifacts, the arrival of Native Americans, and related debates, the story will be of specific interest to history buffs.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon is a story within a story. Tom, William, and Myra are getting ready to go camping and visit Tom's grandfather's grave when Tom's estranged granddaughter, Sarah, shows up on his doorstep. They decide to take Sarah along where could get a chance to honor her great-great-grandfather. In the wilderness, Sarah gets lost for eight days and returns with a narrative of her own where she went on a month-long journey.
This embedded narrative was an important part of the story but I felt it was unnecessarily extended. There were instances when the pace was really slow without providing any significant contribution to the story. The concept of continuing the story in different parts broke the overall flow of reading since both had different paces.
However, I liked the difference in language between Sarah's story and the main story. Using ancient language in one and modern in other gave a sharp contrast. The author also provided a unique description of each of the characters in Sarah's story which was missing in the main story.
Sarah changed after her journey. She had faced hardships, seen deaths, fought wild animals, lived on the ocean enduring harsh weather, and she had battle scars to prove everything. The title, Strong Heart, suits the courage and resilience Sarah exhibited. I would have liked more details about Tom, William, and Myra's characters and similar character development.
There was an educational element to the story when Myra talked about the ice age with a mention of pre-historic times. The author also discussed Native American history from scientific and legendary perspectives. By the end, he combined Sarah's journey with Native American history.
The author very meticulously described both the settings. The detail towards trail path, maps, routes taken and vegetation enhanced my reading experience. It all felt too real, just like Sarah's journey. But I feel like the author didn't give equal attention to the ending. When I finished the book, it didn't seem like the story was complete. I was expecting more since there was a major part left unattended. The author didn't mention the future of Buckhorn and the mining experiment. The ending was very unexpected and hurried.
I would rate the book 3 out of 4 since there were some errors in the text, the main characters required distinctiveness and the end was rushed. On the other hand, there was a difference in language for each story, detailed description of the scenery, and an interesting debate between scientific facts and legends. With much focus on ancient artifacts, the arrival of Native Americans, and related debates, the story will be of specific interest to history buffs.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
