I was sent a copy of the novel Celtic Run by Sean Vogel to read and review. This novel is for ages 8 and up. It tells the story of 14-year-old Jake McGreevy and his friends during a summer exchange to Ireland. When they first arrive, they find a clue to a possible Spanish treasure lost long ago. They wind up in a mystery adventure, chased by thieves and thugs, as they search for more clues and possibly their fortune.
This novel was a nice read. I could see kids being swept up in the story. There were a few romantic parts as well, as Jake reveals his crush on his best gal pal (Julie) and later on with the daughter of his host family (Maggie). I think this adds a bit to the story to make girls enjoy the tale just as much as the boys. There isn't a lot of back story to the characters, but it is a suitable read for middle school aged kids, I would think maybe 9 - 11 year olds would be the best target audience. I find the grade seven and eight students at my school go for meatier tales than this provides.
I think kids can get lost in the excitement of other kids going on a fantastical adventure searching for buried treasure. It would be fun for them to be swept away into Jake's experience in beautiful Ireland. It's nice to see the growth of the characters over the course of the story as well.
The front cover of the book says, A Jake McGreevy Novel, which makes me think that perhaps Sean Vogel is planning on writing additional stories with this character. I would be interested to read more stories about Jake, if only to get a better sense of who he is. There is some character development in this story, but it is mostly driven by the plot. I'd like to read more to gain an even greater connection to this little crew of characters. I find the students at my school highly enjoy reading a series of books, so it would be great to watch and see if Sean Vogel writes a sequel.
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Sounds like a good book!
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