Tagged: america
The Fire by John Heldt
(Cover picture courtesy of John Heldt.)
When Kevin Johnson, 22, goes to Wallace, Idaho, days after his college graduation, he expects to find rest and relaxation as his family prepares his deceased grandfather’s house for sale. Then he discovers a hidden diary and a time portal that can take him to 1910, the year of Halley’s comet and the largest wildfire in U.S. history. Within hours, Kevin finds himself in the era of horse-drawn wagons, straw hats, and ankle-length dresses. Returning to the same time and place, he decides to travel again and again and make the portal his gateway to summer fun. The adventure takes a more serious turn, however, when the luckless-in-love science major falls for pretty English teacher Sarah Thompson and integrates himself in a community headed for tragedy. Filled with humor, romance, and heartbreak, THE FIRE, the sequel to THE JOURNEY, follows a conflicted soul through a life-changing journey as he makes his mark on a world he was never meant to see.
[Full disclosure: John Heldt gave me an ARC of his latest novel in exchange for an honest review.]
John Heldt is probably the only man that can make me consistently cry. And that’s a good thing!
Kevin Johnston is the son of Shelly Preston, our protagonist from The Journey. As you may recall, an older Michelle had time travelled back to see her younger self and her story did not end well. So you could say time travelling is in the family and that Kevin can’t get away from it, especially when you learn a certain character from The Mine is his university professor.
Once again I thought I had Kevin’s journey pretty well predicted. Yet he surprised me at every turn. He knew it was a bad idea to go back to 1910 and that it was a bad idea to get so involved in people’s lives in Wallace and yet I understand his motives for wanting to go back there. Yet whatever mysteriously causes time travel is not going to forgive Kevin for messing with history and the conclusion of the novel is absolutely heart-breaking and at the same time, joy-inducing. The Fire is such an emotional roller coaster that I’m having a hard time putting my thoughts down to write this review.
I was so connected to the characters, perhaps more so than I have been in John Heldt’s previous three novels. Kevin really did speak to me. He was a good person if a little flawed because of that chip on his shoulder when it came to women. Still, he got over that eventually and at the end of the novel you can really tell he’s a better person. His relationship with Sarah, his confused feelings for Sadie and his friendship with Andy all made him more realistic and much easier to sympathize with. Yet these characters weren’t put there for the sole purpose of providing opportunities to show what a nice guy Kevin is! No, they’re excellent, well-developed characters in their own right.
I liked how the pacing was generally consistent throughout The Fire and that although it definitely sped up at the end, it wasn’t as rushed as the ending of The Show. John Heldt definitely took more time to build up the historical town of Wallace in order to build up the tension for the coming fire that would level most of the town. His descriptions were much more vivid in this installment of the Northwest Passage series and I think The Fire was a better book for it.
John Heldt’s writing just keeps getting better and better with each book. Although the theme of time travel features in all four, he has created very different characters to tell the story of America and each achieves happiness in their own, unique way. Even if you haven’t read the first three books of the series, The Fire can certainly stand on its own, which is why I recommend you pick it up right this instant. Yes, it’s that good.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Elite by Kiera Cass
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.
America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.
Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.
[Full disclosure: I received a free print ARC from HaperCollins Publishing in exchange for an honest review.]
I know there are some fans out there who are pretty irate at Maxon for what he did (or didn’t do) throughout the book, but I’m more annoyed at America than Maxon. Of course she has reasons for everything she does and they make sense at the time, but if I’m mad at anyone it’s her for her occasional stupidity. Well, I wouldn’t say mad so much as slightly disappointed.
At the end of The Selection it looked like America had finally decided to choose Prince Maxon, but in The Elite Kiera Cass turns things up a notch and throws and wrench into their easy going relationship. The funny thing is, it didn’t feel contrived because the catalyst was events pretty much outside their control. Mainly, the rebels and the king. Part of the reason why I loved The Elite was that we get to see a lot more of how Maxon deals with affairs of the state and how he gets along with his father, the king. It gives his character a little more depth and the explanation for some of his out-of-character behavior at the end of the book makes sense. There were little clues all throughout the two books, but Kiera Cass’ big reveal connects all those hints together perfectly.
Compared to The Selection, I actually enjoyed The Elite more because of the focus on the characters themselves rather than the excitement of the competition. Since it’s down to only six contestants, we actually get to know the finalists a lot more. America has also matured and is really starting to consider how her feelings for Maxon may trump the terrifying prospect of being queen. She does some idiotic things at the end of the book and although they’re annoying at the time, upon reflection I can think of times when I did similar things. People don’t think everything through, so why should characters in books?
I knew we’d be able to see more of these mysterious rebels but I didn’t know they’d play such a significant role in the book. They’re always in the background, a sort of omnipresent threat hanging over the heads of everyone in the palace. Although I can’t say much without spoiling the book, let me say that because of their actions at the end of The Elite I think they’ll play an even greater part in the final book in the trilogy, The One.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
Timeless by Alexandra Monir
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor’s family, she is forced to move from Los Angeles to New York City to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she has never met. In their historic Fifth Avenue mansion, filled with a century’s worth of family secrets, Michele discovers the biggest family secret of all—an ancestor’s diary that, amazingly, has the power to send her back in time to 1910, the year it was written. There, at a glamorous high-society masquerade ball, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life. And she finds herself falling for him and into an otherworldly romance.
Soon Michele is leading a double life, struggling to balance her contemporary high school world with her escapes into the past. But when she stumbles upon a terrible discovery, she is propelled on a race through history to save the boy she loves—and to complete a quest that will determine their fate.
Have you ever read a book that you couldn’t put down? One that was absolutely captivating? One that literally made you gasp for breath when you finished it? Well, that’s how Timeless was for me.
I know a time travel romance is very clichéd and time travel itself is wrought with problems, not the least of which is the time paradox (more commonly known as the grandfather paradox). But once my scientific instincts were quieted, I really did enjoy Timeless. I must admit that I know next to nothing of America circa 1910, so I can’t critique its accuracy, unlike books about ancient Egypt or ancient Rome. But I think Alexandra Monir did quite a lot of research and her writing really brought the period to life. Her writing is absolutely captivating because she has found the perfect balance between description and dialogue, something a lot of writers—especially the younger ones—struggle with.
In addition to her amazing writing, Alexandra Monir has great characterization. Michele is a very believable character and I could really feel her grief over her mother’s death. She falls in love very quickly, but when you meet someone who has haunted your dreams all your life, what do you expect? She is very sympathetic because in the end she does what she thinks is the right thing, even though it cuts her to the core. And because of her decision, we get a very nice cliffhanger ending that makes me anxious for the sequel, Timekeeper.
I give this book 5/5 stars.