Review: A Time-travelling Youth/Young adult novel with an intricately layered plot
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 6, 2013
Overall, I liked this book. It was a good mix of adventure, magic, fun, friendship and traces of potential romance. A time-travelling adventure layered with plots and sub-plots.The main character is a girl named Elisabeth who is of current time and soon finds herself in Scotland, back in the 1600's! Yikes! What a change that must be. She soon learns it is connected to a necklace she bought. She meets makes some new friends and she teaches them about the future a bit by introducing them to 'modern' music, video games, chocolate, etc. Her problem is not everyone likes what she seems capable of doing ans think she is a witch.Amongst this theme was another story, taking place in the late 1700's with young John who is determined to find and prove there is treasure on Oak island. This story-line kept alternating with Elisebeth's story. While I liked the history lesson here about the early excavations, we do not see how this ties in until the end. Where a certain man crosses both stories. Frankly, I do not think this line was needed. Just seemed like an odd filler. The only way I could fuller appreciate this is if the author does a sequel bringing this man to light more. We see him periodically but never seem to really learn much about him.Some odd things I also noticed in the story is when Elisebeth beings a game from Quinton to play at first is sounds like a handheld game (DS, PSP, etc) but then it is referred to as a computer game a couple times. So I want to know what she brought. A laptop? Also, at one point she helps Fiona dye her hair using her mother's home dye kit. Now, Fiona's hair is black. But after just one dye and a quick jump in the local Lock, and she comes up from the water with golden blonde hair. Now, I have dyed my hair blonde from both auburn and brown. Never once did it go blond after just 1 home kit use. I want to know what brand that was. I want it!The Scotland setting was well done, the voices, the clothing, the food, etc. Also the witch hunts and how those suspected of witchcraft were tested, Nicely done. The author did her homework. From the setting, to Oak Island. I was very impressed with that.Special thanks to the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book. The book was given in return for a fair and honest review.*After initially righting this review on Goodreads, I heard that there will be a second book bringing the mysterious man more to light!! :)