Feathered Quill Book Reviews: http://www.featheredquill.com/reviews/teen/auborn2.shtml:
Matthias: The Ghost of Salvation Point
By: Jodi Auborn
Publisher: CreateSpace
Publication Date: December 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4993-2123-4
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor
Review Date: February 3, 2015
Who would think a hundred-year-old ghost and a child in the present-day world would team up to stop a treasure hunter who is desperate to uncover a pirate legend and line their greedy pockets with fortune? Well...it can happen. And it has happened because of the extremely creative and fun mind of Jodi Auborn.
Everyone loves the Indiana Jones world, as well as the pirate kingdom; by adding a ghost into the mix, this plot becomes sheer perfection that will appeal to all sorts of readers.
In 1913, there were lighthouse keepers on our planet. There was no automation at that time to shine the light that let brave sailors see the rocky, jagged cliffs that would take down their boat in seconds. In Salvation Point, Maine, Matthias is one of those keepers. As a young boy, he had watched his father be taken from him by Mother Nature's storm, and he took over the job of lighthouse keeper to make sure that no one ever met that same horrible fate. He worked long and hard, waking up at all hours to trim the wicks before heading to the cottage and sitting with his calico cat. Unfortunately, his fate would end up being as heartbreaking as his loving father's...
Fast forward to a young man in 2013. Dylan is beyond excited for the family trip to Salvation Point. This small town with less than a thousand people in it, will be his host for the summer. His father has actually inherited a house from his Uncle Zack - who, for the most part, was a hermit during his lifetime. Uncle Zack had been the owner of a real lighthouse, with cottage, and Dylan is ecstatic to see it.
Dylan doesn't miss his home in New York City a bit; he spends his time roaming the small town and gets hooked on some pretty wild tales about pirate treasure - legends that are a true part of Salvation Point. But that's not all that amazes Dylan. He will soon discover a man named Matthias living in his bedroom. This is not just any man, this is a ghost - an old lighthouse keeper who speaks in gruff grunts, but soon teams up with the boy in order to stop a pretty villainous cad who's out to get wealthy, even if kidnapping is something that has to be done.
The fun; the imagination; the thrills and adventure - Matthias is a work that all readers - no matter what the age - will want to read. This is an escape, a creative escape. If you are a senior citizen who loves to feel like a kid again; or, you are a kid who thrives on the unknown, this book is for you.
Quill says: An A+ for this author. One of the very few books you keep on your shelf to read again and again when the need for adventure 'calls.'
Bethanie's Books - Reviews and Faves: https://bethaniesbooks.wordpress.com/2015/12/29/matthias-the-ghost-of-salvation-point-by-jodi-auborn-review-by-bethanie/
December 29, 2015
Matthias: The Ghost of Salvation Point
By: Jodi Auborn
Genre: Middle School Mystery Thriller
I love mysteries, especially those that have ghosts in them. I must say that this is one of the best I have read this year. Considering this year is almost over, I would have to say that is really big. Another Bethanie’s Fave has been found. Ms. Auborn has brought to us a timeless story that brings the beauty of Maine into it. Lighthouses have always had a mystery to them, in my opinion, and Ms. Auborn’s story has brought this to life.
What makes it another reason for being a fave is the star is a young boy. She brought the natural boy curiosity to the table in this book. Tell me one boy who wouldn’t want to know of a secret treasure found in the backyard of his summer home next to a lighthouse in Maine. Better yet how about finding your best friend in the ghost that is the keeper of the lighthouse.
I am a southern girl, myself. Born and raised in the state of Alabama. I have always wanted to visit Maine and to see its timeless beauty for myself. This book allowed me to somewhat take myself there. I could imagine being the one who discovered the ghost. I could also imagine becoming friends with him. I can also imagine being the mother or the daughter wanting to just go back home, and the Father just trying to bring his small town where he grew up back to the place it once was.
I love the many aspects in this story. Although most that try to put a lot into their book can’t really bring it together in a good reading flow, Ms. Auborn was definitely able to bring everything together and make it flow perfectly for the reader. There is a ghost story, a treasure hunt, a kidnapping, and yet it all fits together like a beautiful puzzle.
I am so impressed by this author that I plan to get her other books and read them. I also hope that she continues this particular mystery type. Adventure is always fun and exciting. Throw a couple of thrilling moments in it and you have a rather, well-written book. Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would.
Thank you Ms. Auborn for sharing your book with me! Happy Reading!!
~Bethanie
Readers' Favorite Book Reviews: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/matthias
Reviewed by Melinda Hills for Readers' Favorite
Dylan Flint is excited about spending the summer at the lighthouse cottage his family just inherited from Uncle Zack, located on the coast of Maine. With his own sailboat and a keen interest in the history of the area, Dylan is the perfect person to appreciate everything the place has to offer – even its own resident ghost! In Matthias: The Ghost of Salvation Point by Jodi L. Auborn, Matthias is a former lighthouse keeper who still performs his duties. He becomes Dylan’s best friend and helps him through a number of issues that come up, like keeping away from some very bad men convinced that the lighthouse hides a pirate’s treasure. Unfortunately, Dylan’s mom does not believe in ghosts and thinks Dylan needs to get away from the island; but his dad understands that something special is going on. Unlike his sister Alondra, who can’t wait to get out of Salvation Point, Dylan knows that this is exactly where he belongs. Along with the family inheriting the house, Dylan has inherited his uncle’s love of the sea, the lighthouse and everything nature - and the supernatural – has to offer.
Maine’s small town charm as well as the beauty and ruggedness of the coast are clearly and lovingly depicted in Matthias: The Ghost of Salvation Point by Jodi L. Auborn. In this unique story of friendship between a ghost and a young boy, the history of lighthouses and the lure of pirate treasure are brought to life as a family struggles with the choice of returning to a simpler time or enjoying the benefits of life in the big city. Well written and quite enjoyable, children of all ages can learn something about a period of American life as well as what’s in their own hearts as they read Dylan’s story.
