Review: One Came Home

One Came Home 
by Amy Timberlake

Book Description:
In the town of Placid, Wisconsin, in 1871, Georgie Burkhardt is known for two things: her uncanny aim with a rifle and her habit of speaking her mind plainly.

But when Georgie blurts out something she shouldn't, her older sister Agatha flees, running off with a pack of "pigeoners" trailing the passenger pigeon migration. And when the sheriff returns to town with an unidentifiable body—wearing Agatha's blue-green ball gown—everyone assumes the worst. Except Georgie. Refusing to believe the facts that are laid down (and coffined) before her, Georgie sets out on a journey to find her sister. She will track every last clue and shred of evidence to bring Agatha home. Yet even with resolute determination and her trusty Springfield single-shot, Georgie is not prepared for what she faces on the western frontier.

Review:

I enjoyed Georgie's story a lot more than I had thought I would.  I was worried the whole book was going to be about pigeons. Ugh.  No, this book is about a girl who can shoot a thumb right off a man and uses her spunk to track down the sister that everyone believes is dead. 

Georgie was pretty awesome.  She's a girl who speaks her mind, she's smart, and she shoots a gun better than most men. In fact, I loved reading about her at fourteen and I would love to read a follow-up book when she's a couple of years older. I think things could get really interesting in Georgie's life when she's around eighteen. 

Historical fiction fans, western fans, adventure fans, mystery fans I would recommend this book to all of you. 

Review: Island of Thieves

Island of Thieves

by Josh Lacey

 

Book Description:

"Only boring people get bored…Interesting people can always find something to be interested in." That’s what Tom Trelawney’s father says, anyway. Tom shouldn’t have been interested in playing with matches but he was...bored. Now the shed is in ashes and strange Uncle Harvey is the only one willing to have him stay while his parents vacation.

Tom soon discovers Harvey is going to South America on a treasure hunt and though nephews aren’t invited, he manages to tag along. Before it’s over he’ll drive a car, fire a gun and run for his life. Tom realizes that life may be about following the rules, but survival may be about breaking them.

 

Review:

This was an exciting book that seemed almost like an action movie playing in my head.  It felt very much like I was watching National Treasure where there were car chases and guys shooting guns at them and they were attempting to solve clues.  I was on the edge of my seat for the whole second half of the book! 

I'm actually kind of hoping that Lacey writes another book featuring Tom and his Uncle Harvey. I thought they worked well together and just managed to scrape through by the skins of their noses often enough that I never really was assured they'd both be okay in the end...

Love action movies? Love treasure hunts? Check this book out.