Monday, June 9, 2014

(Review) The Mine by John A. Heldt

 
 
Title: The Mine
Author: John A. Heldt
Pages: 286
Published: February 13th, 2012
PublisherAmazon Media EU S.à r.l.
Review Copy: Yes

Why did I want this book?
John asked me to review his book.
Synopsis:
In May 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity. He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can't use, money he can't spend, and little but his wits to guide his way. Stuck in the age of swing dancing and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war. With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever. THE MINE is a love story that follows a humbled man through a critical time in history as he adjusts to new surroundings and wrestles with the knowledge of things to come.

Cover:
I like the cover, it looks good. Specially for a self-published book!

Title:
The title fits too in combination with the cover image.

Writing style:
Unfortunately, I had some problems with Johns writing style. It was fluent, but the direct speech stands alone too often. Sometimes during my read I wasn't sure who was speaking. Don't get me wrong, I usually like a mix of different kinds. Some stand-alones and some linked together into a sentence. But it has to be clear, who speaks.

Characters:
The character development is great. Specially Joel's character has depth and he was interesting. When he checks out an old mine, he ends up in the past. A couple of months before the war at Pearl Harbor starts. He meets his relatives and has to be careful not to change major events. He also needs to find a way home.

Noteworthy:
It is self-published, but it was really good. Thumps up!

Stuck in my Head:
“Are you having a good time?' Grace asked. 'Do you really need to ask? If have a good time watching you eat crackers.”
What I didn't like:
Joel handles things in the past a little bit too easy. If that would have been me, I would have had way more problems with the whole situation.

Quick and dirty:
Great story, great character development and definitely a good book. The writing style could have been better when it comes to conversations but The Mine is a book that I would recommend to a friend.


Thank you to ...
... John A. Heldt, who gave me this review copy in exchange of a honest review!

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