The Blue is Only Temporary

The Mine (Northwest Passage #1) by John A. Heldt

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. 

Summary: In May 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity. He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can't use, money he can't spend, and little but his wits to guide his way. Stuck in the age of Whirlaway, swing dancing, and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war. With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever. THE MINE is a love story that follows a humbled man through a critical time in history as he adjusts to new surroundings and wrestles with the knowledge of things to come.

Review: A decent time travel novel spoiled by a unlikable a main character.

Planets align and people will freak out. People were concerned that planets would align in 2012 and somehow effect the end of the world. That didn't happen and planetary alignments occur with some regularity. Still, it's an interesting explanation for time travel and in a mine no less. I like that Joel Smith didn't go back too far in time. 1941 was far enough to be a shock, but not too far for it to be impossible for Joel to fit in. It's amazing how a few decades can be so different from the present.

Joel does a pretty good job for someone who accidentally goes back in time. He acclimatizes very well and I am surprised how quickly he does it. If I were him, I would have been actively trying to go back to my future. He also manages to fall in love within a month, which I found extremely unbelievable. Though he could have done it much more, I didn't like how Joel took advantage of his future knowledge to gain money. Personally, I found Joel to be too cocky and he just annoyed me with his 'witty' comments.

Rating:

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to those interested in time travel stories in the first half of the 20th century.