Review by Sarah Dsouza -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
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Sarah Dsouza
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- Latest Review: Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
Review by Sarah Dsouza -- Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
[Following is a volunteer review of "Strong Heart" by Charlie Sheldon.]
The author of Strong Heart writes a story of resilience, perfectly embodied by a 13-year-old girl named Sarah Cooley. It all begins when she is dropped off at her grandfather Tom’s doorstep. Tom has no previous knowledge of her existence and is taken aback by her petulance. He and his friends had a hiking trip lined up and her unexpected arrival puts him in a fix on whether to take Sarah along or leave her behind. Little does he know that his decision would let loose a series of chain reactions that would change both his and her life forever.
This book is laced with native mysticism, pressing the importance of staying in touch with one’s cultural roots. Human civilization has evolved to a point where, more often than not, we confidently draw a line between folklore and reality. I would say that Charlie Sheldon has a knack for blending elements of science and fiction, effectively giving rise to the thought-provoking question “what if?”. Furthermore, I must commend the author on doing his research before compiling the backdrop information such as historical facts and visual scenarios that were well-reflected in every corner of the book.
Sarah’s bold personage outshines the rest, as she innocently wades her way through a wild, parallel universe of sorts. At a tender age, her artistic stroke sets her apart while her tenacity is simply empowering. I didn’t form as much of an attachment to the rest of the characters as much as I did to Sarah’s. Also, it was endearing to visualize her grandfather develop a soft corner for her within such a short span, despite her flat-out honesty which did sometimes come across as rude. Surely, but gradually, it built up the sentiment of "blood is thicker than water". I did not find any objective errors in this book, so the flow wasn't disturbed.
If I were to raise criticism, it would be related to the ending of the novel. While I appreciate a certain amount of suspense left for the book’s sequel, the number of questions that went unanswered was unsettling. A good portion of this book is written from Sarah’s perspective, so the abrupt shift of writing pattern to a 13-year-old’s disjointed story-telling skills did seem off-putting and decelerated my reading process initially.
All in all, I believe this book deserves three out of four stars for the reasons already mentioned. It is undoubtedly a thrilling read and I can’t wait to read its continuation in the following book. A caveat when reading this would be to watch out for hints of aggression and violence. I see this book to be fitting for an audience of teenagers and early adults, although older individuals may enjoy it too, depending on their taste. The narrative drives home a profound message of familial connection, open-mindedness and valiance beyond age.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The author of Strong Heart writes a story of resilience, perfectly embodied by a 13-year-old girl named Sarah Cooley. It all begins when she is dropped off at her grandfather Tom’s doorstep. Tom has no previous knowledge of her existence and is taken aback by her petulance. He and his friends had a hiking trip lined up and her unexpected arrival puts him in a fix on whether to take Sarah along or leave her behind. Little does he know that his decision would let loose a series of chain reactions that would change both his and her life forever.
This book is laced with native mysticism, pressing the importance of staying in touch with one’s cultural roots. Human civilization has evolved to a point where, more often than not, we confidently draw a line between folklore and reality. I would say that Charlie Sheldon has a knack for blending elements of science and fiction, effectively giving rise to the thought-provoking question “what if?”. Furthermore, I must commend the author on doing his research before compiling the backdrop information such as historical facts and visual scenarios that were well-reflected in every corner of the book.
Sarah’s bold personage outshines the rest, as she innocently wades her way through a wild, parallel universe of sorts. At a tender age, her artistic stroke sets her apart while her tenacity is simply empowering. I didn’t form as much of an attachment to the rest of the characters as much as I did to Sarah’s. Also, it was endearing to visualize her grandfather develop a soft corner for her within such a short span, despite her flat-out honesty which did sometimes come across as rude. Surely, but gradually, it built up the sentiment of "blood is thicker than water". I did not find any objective errors in this book, so the flow wasn't disturbed.
If I were to raise criticism, it would be related to the ending of the novel. While I appreciate a certain amount of suspense left for the book’s sequel, the number of questions that went unanswered was unsettling. A good portion of this book is written from Sarah’s perspective, so the abrupt shift of writing pattern to a 13-year-old’s disjointed story-telling skills did seem off-putting and decelerated my reading process initially.
All in all, I believe this book deserves three out of four stars for the reasons already mentioned. It is undoubtedly a thrilling read and I can’t wait to read its continuation in the following book. A caveat when reading this would be to watch out for hints of aggression and violence. I see this book to be fitting for an audience of teenagers and early adults, although older individuals may enjoy it too, depending on their taste. The narrative drives home a profound message of familial connection, open-mindedness and valiance beyond age.
******
Strong Heart
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
