The Mine by John A. Heldt- Book Review
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.
*I was provided with a copy of The Mine by the author in exchange of an honest review*
I must confess, I never read a time travel book! To be honest I always thought they would a) be boring, b)full of complicated physics stuff and if you know anything about me, you will know that I cannot understand physics to save my life.
SO, when the author contacted me and kindly asked for a review I decided it is time to step into the time travelling world.
Surprisingly, I am glad I did.
What I liked
Character Development
I absolutely LOVE it when an author smoothly shows how a character is improving throughout the story. In this case, I thought Joel experienced the most impressive character development. Joel started out as an arrogant man child and I couldn't stand him at the beginning. Luckily, he matured into a charming and witty young man during his adventure. I did like how well he adapted to his new life in 1941 though. To be honest I think his arrogance was the reason why he did not hyperventilate like a normal human being would if they went through a time portal. If it were me I would have freaked out big time.
The story made me stop and think
I like books that make you think. There were several questions running through my head while reading the book. What would I do if I were in their shoes? Could I survive in an era like this? The answer to the last question would have to be a solid NO. I can't live without my phone, I'm sorry.
Historical facts
I am not American and I was born decades after 1941, so I was pretty clueless to a lot of the 40's references in the story. Which was good because it forced me to google some of these references and major events and now I am more knowledgeable about American history! It is always nice to learn something new when reading a fiction book.
What I didn't like
Could've been more exciting
The story took forever to really grasp my attention. I only got hooked to the plot towards the middle of the book. I expected a lot more emphasis on the actual mine and the time travelling aspect but that was not the case. It was more romantic than Sci-Fi which was a little disappointing in my opinion, I was hoping it would be 50% romance 50% Sci-Fi. But then again that could be a positive side to someone else, it just doesn't work for me. Plus, I wasn't too sure if I shipped Joel and "his lover" *For the sake of not spoiling the book, I won't mention the name* at first because it felt too rushed. But then it was cute and took its reasonable time to develop. All in all, it took me a while to enjoy this story and thank God I was uncharacteristically patient with this book and continued reading it because otherwise I would have missed out on an amazing ending.
Recommendation
This book would be perfect for anyone looking for a cute time travel romance that does not deal with technical time travel issues or science fiction.
Extras
Favourite Quotes
"She was a gem no jeweller could improve."
"I believe men are creatures to be managed, not endured, and I think I've managed him quite nicely."
Favourite Character
Katie!! She is funny and sarcastic and works at a library. She may be a fictional character but I would love to be her friend.
Tell me in the comments below if you read time travel books and if you have any recommendations. I would like to try reading a time travel book with a little more sci-fi included next time.
Au revoir!
About the Author
John A. Heldt is the author of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage and American Journey series. The former reference librarian and award-winning sportswriter has loved getting subjects and verbs to agree since writing book reports on baseball heroes in grade school. A graduate of the University of Oregon and the University of Iowa, Heldt is an avid fisherman, sports fan, home brewer, and reader of thrillers and historical fiction. When not sending contemporary characters to the not-so-distant past, he weighs in on literature and life at johnheldt.blogspot.com
