Category: Action/Adventure

The Memory Tree by John A. Heldt

Pub. Date: 30-Apr-2018
Rating: 5 Stars

The Memory Tree by John A. Heldt is the second book in The Carson Chronicles series. The book follows the Carson siblings on their continuing adventure of a lifetime as they struggle to find their lost time traveling parents. Book two picks up where book one ended and, as you can imagine, nothing seems to go right for the siblings.

Shortly after arriving in 1918 the siblings decide they can cover more ground by splitting up. Adam and Bridgett, now expecting their first child, have taken up a temporary residence in Minnesota not far from Duluth. This becomes home base with Adam as the head of the time traveling group. From here he will help guide the search for their parents, Tim and Caroline Carson.

The twins, Caitlin and Cody, decide to visit an old friend from 1889 and so they travel to Pennsylvania. The plan is to visit a family war hero, while in Pennsylvania, in the hopes that their parents have done the same. In the meantime, Natalie takes a journalist position at the Minneapolis Post. She will travel as far as war torn Europe to cover her human interest stories. Greg heads off by himself following yet another trail of ancestral clues to Mexico to meet another family member.

In attempting to cover all the bases, in this time traveling game of tag, will the Carson sibling ever caught a break? It seems they encounter even more problems than they did in 1889. Despite the setbacks and hard ships they will endure, the siblings remain upbeat and optimistic. Their parents have left them a big clue and maybe, just maybe this is the time period they are able to reunite.  

As I have come to expect from Mr. Heldt, the characters are what make this developing story. Told from various POVs , each sibling and their parents have their own observations and contributions to the tale. The passion which Heldt portrays the characters makes them memorable and you can’t help rooting for them even when you know things are not going to work in their favor.

In addition, the events of the time and descriptions of an era, now one hundreds in our past, are deftly woven in and around the unfolding story. Heldt brings you into this magically time in our history and then sends you on this grand adventure with the characters you have grown to know and love. Overall this is a wonderful story that I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

I highly recommend this book for people who love historical stories, with a touch of fantasy, that are grounded in facts. In several ways this series reminds me of Outlander. The historical interwoven with the fictional families, relationships and romance makes for a delightful read. While I used my Kindle Unlimited account to down load this e-book, the author did request that I read and review it. Regards of how I acquire a book, all opinions are my own.

Problems in Prague – JJ Bennett: Junior Spy by Alba Arango

Title: Problems in Prague
Author: Alba Arango
Pub. Date: 10-May-2018
Rating: 4 Stars

Problems in Prague: JJ Bennett Junior Spy by Alba Arango is a middle grade book that reminds me of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books I loved as a kid; Of course, with more modern lingo and cell phones, etc. It is an exciting adventure story about kids as spies and secrets that must be protected at all cost.

Jeremiah Bennett, aka JJ, is currently living in Prague where his father works as a computer tech for the CIA. With the Bennett’s are JJ’s tutor Ms. Hernandez and her daughter Maggie who is the same age as JJ.

During a sightseeing tour at a castle, JJ and Maggie, run into a young Russian girl, Ivana, who JJ had an encounter with, at the airport, the day before. He wants to ask her some questions but she runs away before he has a chance. JJ and Maggie decide to chase after her.  Ivana leads them into the Black Tower and they slip inside unseen. A short time later they caught a glimpse of Ivana leaving a room but she manages to slip away but not before telling them she is a member of the P-KGP.

They decide to investigate the room she exited from. Inside a book they find a cryptic note to a Josef left by a person called Kangsly. Later they find out that Josef is Joseph Stalin and Kangsly was an American defector in the early 1950s. They are now determined to figure out what this P-KGP is and what the note means. What they discover is a secret that must be kept from the Russians and so the adventure begins.

What I loved about this book is the likable characters of JJ and Maggie and the fast paced plot. There was not a lot of descriptive prose, which is a good thing; because in this case I feel excessive prose would turn off the target audience. I could never see an 8 or 12 year old reading a book for its prose! They want action and characters they can relate to.

Speaking entirely as a parent here, I appreciate that the author was sensitive to the audience she was writing for.  The book did not contain any language or scenes that where inappropriate for a young audience, not even any hidden innuendos.  In addition, there were no  violent scenes that might be upsetting to younger readers.

The only negative comment I have is with the plot. JJ just seemed to be too quick to figure things out.  I always thought this of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books too. I must admit, I think me age colors my thinking a little on this one.

Overall I found this book has a good story that was written with a young audience in mind. Therefore, I highly recommend this book for middle grade readers.

I have rated the book four stars and I feel this is the correct rating. However, upon reflecting I wonder how much my age is influencing my rating. I am passing the book on to my grandson, currently 10, who is also a big reader and I hope to update this review sometime in the future with his rating. In the spirit of fairness, I believe the target audience should have their opinion heard and have more weight because ultimately they are the consumer.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion. For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my blog at www.thespineview.com