Friday, October 19, 2012

BLOG TOUR # 53 - REVIEW/GIVEAWAY - THE SUN, THE MOON AND MAYBE THE TRAINS by RODNEY JONES - RED ADEPT PUBLISHING

Today on Novels On The Run's blog tour stop,  I have my review of The Sun, The Moon, and Maybe The Trains by Rodney Jones and a rafflecopter giveaway.


Enjoy!



By: Rodney Jones
Published By: Red Adept Publishing
Released: Available Now
Details : Digital , 262 Pages

RATING: 3.75 TIME TRAVELLING STARS!!

Blurb: Goodreads

What would it take to convince you that the woods you just left is a hundred and forty-four years distant from the one you entered?

Ten years have passed since the Civil War broke up John Bartley’s family. Living with his aunt and uncle in the tiny village of Greendale, Vermont, isn’t filled with excitement for a seventeen-year-old.

Until John walks into the woods one day and stumbles into 2009…

Fortunately, he chances upon the outspoken Tess McKinnon. To earn her trust, he must first convince her that he is neither a lunatic nor a liar. The proof he needs is buried at the end of a mountain road, where the ruins of Greendale lie just beneath a layer of dead leaves and moss.

What became of his home? Why is there no record of its existence?



BOOK REVIEW by Michelle :

From the blurb of this book I had no idea I was going to be in for such a delightful read.

The title of this book has been woven early into the story.

“It seemed like nothing was regular anymore, except for the sun, the moon , and maybe the trains.”

I enjoyed what Rodney did with his story. We start off in 1875, meeting John, Emily and Paul. I really enjoyed the ‘feel’ of 1875 that Rodney gave to his story. I felt like I was in 1875. The manners, the speech and how the family unit behaved, horses and wagons and dirt roads. People lived off the land, their clothes more discreet, they lived the simpler life. Rodney makes you be a part of 1875.

I believed his 1875.

This was a very clean and enjoyable read about a boy from one side of his woods and a girl in the future living in near enough the same area, just 134 years in the future, connected by a mysterious woods which had like a portal.

My, how things have changed?

This story is told through John’s POV and how he is seeing this strange world that he has been introduced to. Granted he only got the futuristic version of his area, but the things we all take for granted like footpaths, roads, cars, mobile phones, 20th Century and 21st Century coins, ice cream on tap, a flushing loo that is inside, he had to take it all in and accept it quickly.

Apart from his clothes and the way he spoke and his innocence of the year 2009 and its technology, John blended reasonably well , it was really when Tess was in 1875 that she blended less. She had more to explain, more convincing to do. The way she was dressed, spoke up for herself, where was her family......?

I had a favourite scene , it was to do with Uncle Ed and the demonstration of the digital camera.

I wouldn’t normally pick up a book like this, but I really loved what Rodney did with it. This book wasn’t about a romance, or a ‘Back To The Future’ Michael J Fox style story of characters rigging the system to make a fortune. This was about a boy and a girl through circumstance meeting, Tess being almost the first person John came across who didn’t treat him like a fruit cake for the way he was dressed and the way he spoke.

Tess being a kind hearted person, she threw caution to the wind and took John at face value and and started to believe in him. I wouldn’t say the characters got very deep into each other. I would have liked to have read more depth with their characters. Tess and John are very likeable characters , I felt like there was some great openings to have gone a bit further with the story line in the year 2009.

I liked Uncle Ed. He will grow on you. He is the man of the house, it is 1875 and he is the provider and protector of the household. He is not to be questioned. I almost felt like I got to know Uncle Ed the most as I saw a few sides to him.

Rodney does throw in a bit of a villain type character and a surprise or two, which I enjoyed.

This was a nice read. The story wasn’t about romance and action. It was a story about two young people living a century plus apart and a mysterious woods that could transport them back and forth and a friendship that would get them into trouble.

I would like to read a sequel where Rodney bumped up the story more . He can certainly write and he really drew me into 1875.



Michelle




Contest Fine Print:

Only one prize per person.

Physical prizes may only be won by U.S. entrants.

Red Adept Publishing is not responsible for winning notifications not received by winners.



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3 comments:

  1. It sounds like a pretty good book overall. Great review.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for your review. I do like time traveling stories.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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