The Vault Testimonials

By Pop Bop TOP 500 REVIEWER on May 19, 2013 Format: Paperback MILD SPOILER ALERT, because it's very hard to describe this book without drifting into some mild spoilers. (But any spoilers are things that happen in the first few chapters anyway.) It may not be clear from the book description on the Amazon site, but this is in part a time travel mystery. The book follows two different timelines, with the narrative switching time lines from chapter to chapter. In the main story we have Daniel. He has recently moved to a new town, and he discovers a mysterious locked vault on his family's new property. He is befriended by neighbor Emily, and the two of them team up to solve the mystery of how to get into the vault. The property has a mysterious history, (including a murder), and Daniel and Emily have to talk to locals, research old newspaper articles, explore places with flashlights, and all that sort of fun investigative stuff. Meanwhile, a second time line is set in pre-war Nazi Germany. There, as Nazis seize privately owned art they are frustrated by the art disappearing in blazes of lightning. Sometimes this part of the story is told from the point of view of an unidentified shadowy character. Daniel and Emily are fairly well drawn and their adventures are described with economy and a certain amount of flair. They are both engaging characters and both pull their weight in the narrative, although Daniel is the main protagonist. The Nazi episodes have a great deal of well written action and mystery, and while there is a bit of clunky dialogue here and there it doesn't weigh down the story. There are some side stories, (Daniel being bullied, Daniel and Emily being chased by some bad guys, and so on), that do slow things down and aren't really necessary, but that's just a quibble and doesn't detract from the overall appeal of the book. Probably the main appeal, apart from the decent characters, is that the author has tried to come up with a plausible time travel story with a decent mystery. There is no magic, or fantasy quest, or wise stranger who solves everything at the end. There is not a lot of teen angst, or genius whiz-kid heroes. This isn't exactly hard sci-fi, but it does have a certain old-fashioned Rocket-Man kind of vibe, (maybe because of the 1940's storyline), and while there are some holes here and there it will get an alert reader thinking. So, well worth a look. Please note that I found this book while browsing Amazon Kindle freebies. I have no connection at all to the author or the to publisher of this book.

By Candace Fedonczak on July 26, 2013 Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase I have to say that this book really dazzles and delights. It is written with a younger audience in mind, but I found the story to ebb and flow in such a way that kept me fully captivated. While reading this book, I was not only transported by the author's words to another time in my mind, but also a bit in spirit. It is reminiscent of many beloved books I got lost in as a child. The story contains quite a few "good messages" and the historical parts are very interesting and thought provoking. It could definitely open up some great dialogue between you and your child. The ending is very gratifying and doesn't feel rushed or grandiose as others geared for the same age similarly do. I highly recommend this most satisfying piece of escapism...for anyone!