Review by Bets_9 -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
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Bets_9
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- Latest Review: Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
Review by Bets_9 -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
I found Strong Heart: The Strong Heart Series, Book 1 by Charlie Sheldon, an interesting and fun book to read. The story begins with three friends packing to head up into the mountains on a camping trip. This trip is not for fun though, this trip has a purpose. Tom the eldest member of the group, was up in these same mountains years ago when his grandfather died. At the time, Tom was unable to properly bury his grandfather. This trip was planned so Tom could give his ancestor a proper burial. Tom also plans on replacing the ancient artifact he found and removed from Olympic National Park. However, just as the group is preparing to leave a surprise visitor shows up that could change their plans.
Tom it seems is unknowingly a grandfather. Their guest, Tom's previously unknown granddaughter Sarah, is being dumped on the group. They are all unsure at the prospect of taking her along. However, the decision is eventually made to do just that. Although, everyone wonders if they made the right decision once they are on their way. Along the way though, everyone is ensconced in a discussion of ancient legends and the native peoples that had lived in the area. They also fill her in on the struggle that is taking place over some proposed mining in the park. Some of the native peoples and the Buckhorn Corporation are at odds over this. Myra a member of the group, is against this proposal and is working to find reasons to stop it from happening. Also, over the length of the book, a great debate takes place on where, when, and how life in the Americas began. Through a vision a member of the group has, the reader is shown how these ancient people could have made such a journey. Even though all this going on, the author manages to keep the entire story compelling.
There are many stories taking place in this book that turn out to be interconnected and intertwined wonderfully. I give this book a 4 out of 4 stars for that reason. I enjoyed every aspect of this book. The characters were well developed. They make mistakes, yet learn and grow from them. There are real and interesting discussions on the origin of humans in North America. A big part of this book deals with native peoples and their legends. I found this to be interesting and enjoyable. I also liked the story within the story, of the ancient people's possible trip to North America. This book is filled with interesting ideas, adventure, suspense, and even some danger. It is a page-turner that I didn't want to put down.
I think this book is best suited for adults. I don't think the discussions of ancient life, artifacts, or of what should be used as evidence in a scientific debate, would interest anyone younger. There are also some rather vivid descriptions of violence to both people and animals, which may not be suitable for younger readers. The descriptions of animals being killed for food may not sit well with some. It also contains some mild vulgarity as well.
I believe this book was professionally edited, I only found a few mistakes and those were minor. They neither detracted from nor confused the story in any way.
I read this series out of order and yet, still enjoyed it. I started with the second book in the series and then read this one, the first in the series. Having done that I can still say, they are great books. After reading the second book, I was looking forward to reading the first book so I could find out what I had missed. Now that I have, I can say that these books are worth it. They both managed to keep my interest and have me hooked. I am looking forward to the next installment.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I found Strong Heart: The Strong Heart Series, Book 1 by Charlie Sheldon, an interesting and fun book to read. The story begins with three friends packing to head up into the mountains on a camping trip. This trip is not for fun though, this trip has a purpose. Tom the eldest member of the group, was up in these same mountains years ago when his grandfather died. At the time, Tom was unable to properly bury his grandfather. This trip was planned so Tom could give his ancestor a proper burial. Tom also plans on replacing the ancient artifact he found and removed from Olympic National Park. However, just as the group is preparing to leave a surprise visitor shows up that could change their plans.
Tom it seems is unknowingly a grandfather. Their guest, Tom's previously unknown granddaughter Sarah, is being dumped on the group. They are all unsure at the prospect of taking her along. However, the decision is eventually made to do just that. Although, everyone wonders if they made the right decision once they are on their way. Along the way though, everyone is ensconced in a discussion of ancient legends and the native peoples that had lived in the area. They also fill her in on the struggle that is taking place over some proposed mining in the park. Some of the native peoples and the Buckhorn Corporation are at odds over this. Myra a member of the group, is against this proposal and is working to find reasons to stop it from happening. Also, over the length of the book, a great debate takes place on where, when, and how life in the Americas began. Through a vision a member of the group has, the reader is shown how these ancient people could have made such a journey. Even though all this going on, the author manages to keep the entire story compelling.
There are many stories taking place in this book that turn out to be interconnected and intertwined wonderfully. I give this book a 4 out of 4 stars for that reason. I enjoyed every aspect of this book. The characters were well developed. They make mistakes, yet learn and grow from them. There are real and interesting discussions on the origin of humans in North America. A big part of this book deals with native peoples and their legends. I found this to be interesting and enjoyable. I also liked the story within the story, of the ancient people's possible trip to North America. This book is filled with interesting ideas, adventure, suspense, and even some danger. It is a page-turner that I didn't want to put down.
I think this book is best suited for adults. I don't think the discussions of ancient life, artifacts, or of what should be used as evidence in a scientific debate, would interest anyone younger. There are also some rather vivid descriptions of violence to both people and animals, which may not be suitable for younger readers. The descriptions of animals being killed for food may not sit well with some. It also contains some mild vulgarity as well.
I believe this book was professionally edited, I only found a few mistakes and those were minor. They neither detracted from nor confused the story in any way.
I read this series out of order and yet, still enjoyed it. I started with the second book in the series and then read this one, the first in the series. Having done that I can still say, they are great books. After reading the second book, I was looking forward to reading the first book so I could find out what I had missed. Now that I have, I can say that these books are worth it. They both managed to keep my interest and have me hooked. I am looking forward to the next installment.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
