Publication date- 22 February 2017

Genre – Fantasy fiction, Comedy

Review by – Prakriti Singh

Source- Review copy

Rating- 4/5

Tom and his friends are all set for camping in the trails of Olympic National Park. Sarah, Tom's previously unknown granddaughter, goes along with them. She is stepping foot on the journey that her grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather had once taken. But strange things happen in the trail when she sees an extinct bear and then gets lost. 

Sarah wakes up in a world, thousands of years back, very different from reality, and does not remember anything about the past. She is involved in a months-long voyage across the sea. People have names according to their features and personalities, and Sarah is the Strong Heart. She travels in the canoe, fights wild animals, survives starvation, and just when she is about to reach the destination, she's back in the real world. 

Was it a dream? Will life be the same for Sarah after she encounters a different world, the world their legends have been telling them for centuries? Does this dream have anything to do with the scientific theories about the people thousands of years ago?

Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon is a riveting venture into the legends and history of people. The author uses his knowledge of expedition and wildlife to push the reader deep into the book. Initially, I had been hesitant to read the book, wondering it must be all about camping and trailing in the forest. But I soon found myself engaged with the plot and their adventurous journey.

The initial storyline follows a third-person perspective but changes to a first-person perspective when Sarah starts narrating her tale. At first, no one believes her, but they soon realize that she is the one guiding them. She is low-tempered, easily irritated but a great artist and a brave fighter. Twists and turns taking place in the story make the readers more lured and curious about what would happen next. 

My favorite part of the book was when the words made me feel that I live in their world. I felt as if I was walking with them or paddling the canoe on the voyage. I could see the scenes from the author's eyes. The action scenes were quite intriguing, and the mystery made me hold on to the story.  

Another appealing part of the story was that the author used legend and history to connect to the tale. The proper mentioning of places and wise use of geography was a plus point to the story. There is a brief account of conflicts taking place about the inheritance of the people. The book mentions the culture and descents of the people that make the reader more aware.

The storyline was appealing, but the book had many grammar errors and did not seem professionally edited. Sometimes, the speaker was absent, making it difficult for me to understand the text. It was the most unappealing part of the book that I came across.

I give the book 3 out of 4 stars. Reading the book was a wonderful experience, and I would have given it a full score had it not for the grammar errors and punctuation take it away from the book. The book is a suitable read for both children and adults without any profane language and erotic content. I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure stories assorted with magic and mystery.