Lost On Spirit RiverLost on Spirit River by Tommy Batchelor Thirteen-year-old Tony’s parents are in the middle of divorce, his mother sends him to his Grandpa’s along the banks of the Flint River in Southwestern Georgia. With his younger cousin Kathryn, they set out to look for a Christmas tree for the holidays, along with Grandpa’s aging beagle, Sally. The three become lost in a snowstorm, Finding shelter in a hidden cave, stumbling upon Native American wall art. Now an adventure really begins…
Lost on Spirit River website Reviews of book: In Lost on Spirit River, author Tommy Batchelor has written an entertaining young-adult novel with a multi-pronged message. He uses suspense and adventure to capture his audience’s attention…The dialogue is crisp…The characters are well developed… Readers glimpse the spirit world of ancient native tribes in a way that will stir imaginations…Kim Reale’s illustrations solidify the images already created by Batchelor’s exceptional ability to describe scenes and setting. Highly Recommended by William Potter for Reader’s Choice Book Reviews. Blog Tour Book Review- Lost On Spirit River & There’s a Book Blog Book Review: Lost on Spirit River by Tommy Batchelor A sudden freak snow storm in Southwest Georgia is the very last thing the confident and often arrogant Tony bargained for when he set out to find a Christmas tree. Not only does he have to deal with the onslaught of snow, but his mildly annoying know-it-all younger cousin Kathryn tags along as well. Lost on Spirit River was an adventure from beginning to end. When I first picked up the book I knew from the start it wouldn’t take long to finish, but I didn’t anticipate how much fun it would be. The adventure of these two average teens with families much like those of many teens today was great and perfect for young readers. Not only that, but it also exposes them to a bit of “history” with the incorporation of Native American “legends” into the story. Though the accounts of the ancestors may not be factual, they were still similar enough to many of the histories passed down that it will most likely peak their interest into other reading. As for the characters of Tony and Kathryn, they were exactly what you’d expect from young teens. They were flawed and insecure, but confident and willing to learn from their experiences. What I most enjoyed about the character development was the way in which Batchelor was able to give you enough information about each without dragging it on for some time. With young readers this is key, because too much information can often turn them away from the story. Also, the fact that Tony comes from a somewhat broken home and is struggling to come to grips with that will also bring quite a bit of comfort to many who read Lost on Spirit River. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent reading Tommy Batchelor’s Lost on Spirit River. A freak snow storm that spurs an adventure into the past for two young teens is sure to be a hit with readers. And though I’m not incredibly fond of the cover for this fantastic adventure, I found that within it’s pages is a story that will not only be a bit of a history lesson but a means of comfort to many. This is a wonderful adventure that young readers will not want to miss! SFC 5 Star Review by David Broughton
"Don't be too long getting the Christmas tree," Grandpa shouted, "and watch out for the ancient ones." As he laughed, his laughter followed the children out the doors of the cabin. They ran along the path leading them to the river's edge and into the forest. Shadows moved as smoke through the trees. My original review of Lost on Spirit River gave away too much of the delicious story, so rather than publish that one, it chose of it's own accord to rocket deep into cyberspace, never to be seen again. Instead, I'll tell you this, while the story of Lost on Spirit River would be of interest to the younger set, starting possibly as young as ten or maybe twelve, grownups will enjoy this book too, probably more than the younger set. More mature readers will appreciate and notice the well-developed characters, and the intriguing twists in the plot that at first seems rather straightforward. The author, Tommy Batchelor, has done a masterful job of weaving together almost all the eleme nts you could want in Lost on Spirit River, except romance; though the boy's parents do somewhat repair their broken romance at the end, it's not a major part of the story. The story does have danger, action, humor, lessons learned, animals, and as the title suggests, the ancestors' spirits, both good and evil. I rated this book five stars, simply because that's all there are on Amazon's five star scale; it should probably get six stars, on that same scale. To sum it all up, if you enjoy a good, well-written story with a bit of the unusual, what some might call paranormal, then by all means get Lost on Spirit River in some format or another, whichever you prefer. You won't be sorry, that's for sure. Well, maybe you will be sorry, when you finish the book -- sorry that it's over, yet while you're reading it, you'll find it nearly impossible to put down, and will rush to get back to it.
Review from Mundie Mom’s Book Blog Jan.22,2011, 4 of 5 Stars Tommy Batchelor did a splendid job at mixing together Native American lore, adventure and self discovery, set in the beautiful outdoors of Georgia in his story Lost on Spirit River, the first book in his new series. Lost on Spirit River follows Tony and his cousin Kathryn as they go in search of the right Christmas tree in the woods behind their Grandfather's home. A freak snow storm strands them and they find themselves in a cave full of Native American history. It's the history of their ancestors, the Upper Creek Indians. Lucky for them two of their ancient ancestor's spirits are there to protect them from the darker shadows who want to harm them. I completely fell in love with the setting and the Native American lore. Tommy and Kathryn were fun characters to get to know, and I liked seeing how much Tommy changed through the course of this fun read. Tommy puts on a tough guy act, but in the course of being guided by the spirit his Native American ancestors, he discovers the warrior within himself, which causes him to change. I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of this series. I think Lost on Spirit River is an appealing read for tween readers ages 8-12. The story is one that has adventure, history, lore and will leave your awaiting the next book in this series. Lost for Words Blog Review: My rating: 4/5 stars Tony is spending Christmas in Southwestern Georgia at his grandfather's place. While there, he and his cousin Kathryn head into the woods to pick out the perfect Christmas tree. Little do they know that a surprise winter storm is bearing down on them, and they will have to brave the elements and find shelter in a cave if they hope to survive the storm. While they are waiting out the storm, they decide to explore the cave and stumble upon a veritable treasure trove of Native American art. Tony is a character that I think many can relate to, his parents are in the middle of getting a divorce, and he's feeling like it's his fault. He doesn't want people to know how he feels so he acts gruff, and tough. Too tough it seems, as he and his cousin Kathryn, as well as their grandfather's dog, Sally, end up getting lost in the woods during a surprise snow storm. He wants to do everything himself, and he wants it done his way. Kathryn humours him as she knows what is going on with him, but she also puts him in his place when he oversteps his bounds. With both of the cousins interacting in a familial way, it's hard not to think of them as siblings. When the storm overtakes them, Kathryn jumps to the forefront as she is more knowledgeable about the layout of the land. Tony doesn't exactly appreciate how she is taking the lead, but throughout their journey, he comes to realize that he doesn't know everything. With an engaging plot, and surprises at every turn, I think man y will love watching the story unfold. With the added elements of bats, jaguars, and Native American history, the story remains fresh, and those reading along will be rooting for Tony and Kathryn to find their way out of the caves and back home once the storm has passed. All in all, a cute and imaginative read. Many young readers will be able to identify with the characters, and will love the adventure that Tony and Kathryn unwittingly embark on.
Growing up in central Georgia gave Author Tommy Batchelor many outdoor adventures either in the woods or along the banks of the Flint River. “Lost on Spirit River”, is Book 1 of the Spirit River Trilogy and Tommy’s first Middle grade fiction for ages 9 – 12 He resides in Middle Georgia with his wife, Cathy. Contact the Author at tombatch50@gmail.com or signed copies of his books can be purchase at his website at www.tommybatchelor.com
|
