The Fountain - John A. Heldt

AUTHOR: John A. Heldt

Series: Second Chance, #1

GENRE: Time Travel, Historical Fiction.

RATING: 2.5 stars.

In a Nutshell: Good plot. Unsuitable title. Average writing. Will suit historical fiction readers more than sci-fi or time-travel readers.

Story Synopsis:

2022, Oregon. 81-year-old Bill Carpenter has just buried his beloved wife of 57 years. His 75-year-old brother Paul has terminal cancer, and his 72-year-old sister Annie, a paraplegic, is broken-hearted at having done nothing she dreamed of in life. In other words, the three Carpenter siblings have nothing to look forward to. Until one day, when Bill, who used to be a folklore and mythology professor, learns that a legendary ‘Fountain of Youth’ actually exists and a dip in it causes not just rejuvenation but a fresh start in another era. The only issue is that the era isn’t in your control. But as the Carpenters have nothing to lose anyway, they decide to take a chance on the fountain and to their surprise, land up in 1905 Oakland as healthy young adults. What will this new life hold for them?

The story comes to us in the limited third person pov of various characters, including the three siblings.

Where the book worked for me:

✔ The plot was quite interesting. As a historical fiction lover, I enjoyed seeing the parts set in the 1900s. The details of a natural disaster were especially well portrayed.

✔ The bond between the siblings was a treat to read. Each had a distinct personality, and it came out well.

✔ The initial part of the book, with the discovery of the existence of the fountain and the siblings’ decision to change their future through it, was my favourite. I enjoyed how the book focussed on their planning towards the time jump rather than just showing them as taking a plunge without mentioning the nitty-gritties of what happens to the stuff left behind.

✔ There are some really likeable scenes in the 1905 timeline such as (without going into spoilers) Bill’s role in her new job or Annie’s attempt to fit in her school and her attitude towards women's rights.

✔ Despite the hefty 567 pages, it is possible to zoom through the book within a couple of days.

✔ The ending is somewhat bittersweet, a welcome change from the sugary positivity of the rest of the book.

Where the book could have worked better for me:

⚠ As a time travel story, the book is just decent. The initial few chapters are set in modern time but the rest are all in 1905. The titular fountain is of relevance only till they reach the past. It has no mention in the book later. If you are looking primarily for a time travel story, this doesn’t offer much in that respect beyond the first few chapters.

⚠ The situation in 1905 seems picture perfect. All goody-goody characters, no major conflicts, quick and easy solutions to all problems. Except for the natural disaster, the rest is too good to be true. I would have preferred some complicated characters than such unidimensional ones.

⚠ The book requires A LOT OF editing. There are too many short sentences, many stilted conversations, and plenty of line/phrase repetitions within the same para. There seems to be a distinct writing pattern whereby a thought is split between two sentences. For example, "The other girls laughed. They laughed like kindred spirits..." or "He had tried to keep the promise. He had tried hard." This starts off as an interesting way of adding emphasis but gets boring after a while. There are also too many conversation scenes with nothing except back-and-forth staccato dialogues. If all these issues were fixed, the book would easily lose at least a hundred pages. A couple of modern words such as ‘chocaholic’ have also slipped into the historical time setting.

⚠ In contrast to the above, there are barely any descriptions of the place or lifestyle of 1905. It is almost as if the siblings shifted houses rather than shifted a century to the past. While they do research a lot about what life might have been like in the past, their process of adjustment doesn’t get any mention. Some mention of their emotions over the missing amenities from their erstwhile modern lifestyle would have added value. They barely even mention their ‘other’ life.

All in all, I like the idea of the story. Luckily, I was able to realign to the historical fiction setting soon, so the lack of time travel elements didn’t bother me as much. However, it is the lack of editing that brings the book down. Giving it a couple of rounds of strict proofing and trimming off the superfluities will make this indie novel much more enjoyable. Also, if possible, a change in title, because 'The Fountain' is a huge misnomer. A different cover image also would help as the current one also stresses on the fountain.

My thanks to author John A. Heldt for a complimentary copy of “The Fountain”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.