Chanticleer Book Reviews

Author: john-gillgren

  • THE TREASURE OF OCRACOKE ISLAND by John Gillgren, third book in the Adventure of Cali Family Series

    THE TREASURE OF OCRACOKE ISLAND by John Gillgren, third book in the Adventure of Cali Family Series

    What could be more engaging for children and their families than a featured villain who impersonates the infamous pirate Blackbeard? Gillgren’s third book The Treasure of Ocracoke Island in The Adventures of the Cali Family series brings back old villains, introduces new plot twists, and puts more at stake to find lost treasure.

    It is the early 1700s, and Blackbeard prides himself on wreaking havoc, while also being an intelligent ladies’ man. However, his reign ends when a British ship invades, leading to his beheading at Ocracoke Bay; his treasure’s location is supposedly lost at sea. The year 1942 sails in, depicting the Russian ship Saratov being sunk by two torpedoes, which concealed a footlocker of gold that was going to pay the United States for war supplies.

    The reader is brought back to present day with the Cali family, who are forced to search for the lost treasure of Ocracoke Island. When the women in Carmine’s family are kidnapped by a sinister man resembling Blackbeard, him, Snail, Tommy Osawa, and NCIS Special Agent Moki Loo Tsing must battle against time to save their loved ones.

    Gillgren creates a stunning cast of villains that engage with the Cali family. The Blackbeard offender is both shocking and silly as he uses his faux accent to intimidate the women he kidnaps. Gillgren also brings back the dastardly villain Mr. Chang, who is determined to have his revenge on the Cali family for cheating him of money and opium. It becomes apparent as the novel progresses that Mr. Chang wants more than just wealth.

    This series continues to craft daring heroes and heroines. The women in the Cali family show resistance and strength against Blackbeard’s threat; emulating a sort of Charlie’s Angels attitude against a wannabe pirate with a ridiculous costume. Gillgren also continues to develop characters from his previous books, particularly in regards to Snail. Snail is a youth who shows great maturity when the kidnapping situation becomes intense, and he inspires the older men of the family to follow suit. Such characters are a great inspiration to how families come together in times of adversity.

    The novel contained enough tension and suspense to sink Blackbeard’s ship Adventure. The story contains multiple perspectives of different characters, leaving the reader with many cliff-hangers when the point of view shifted. Each character introduced new waves of anticipation.

    Gillgren’s children’s series The Adventures of the Cali Family offers another treasure travel story that pushes mystery, family, and adventure into new depths of fun.

    This reviewer highly recommends this book for children and their families who are interested in historical stories about adventure and family. Oh, and an ending that twists the tides of a plot.

  • THE TREASURE OF CHING SHIH by John Gillgren, a children’s adventure novel

    THE TREASURE OF CHING SHIH by John Gillgren, a children’s adventure novel

    Gillgren continues to bring excellent children’s fiction as he combines elements of history, romance, and adventure into a new type of treasure hunt. His second book The Treasure of Ching Shih in The Adventures of the Cali Family series induces new waves of excitement and mystery.

    The Cali Family can’t resist the opportunity to go diving in Honolulu, Hawaii for another treasure hunt experience. After all, who could resist diving for stolen loot left behind by the notorious, female Chinese pirate Ching Shih?

    The reader sails into the year 1844 as Gillgren describes that dark, ruthless nature of Ching Shih. While female pirates existed throughout history, she proved herself unstoppable as she took command of her deceased husband’s 1,800 ships and led over 80,000 men. Her thieving knew no bounds as she robbed jewels and opium. However, before the treasure could safely transition to Hawaii, a natural disaster seized the land, and the treasure was lost at sea.

    Fast forwarding hundreds of years later, Mr. Chang visits the Cali family in California to ask for their help in finding Ching Shih’s missing treasure. Their treasure hunt journey is anything but easy. The Cali family deals with villains that have the ruthlessness of Ching Shih herself, and no characters are who they appear to be. In spite of the chaos, the family proves that courage can overcome obstacles, and that hardships can’t break the bonds of friendship and love.

    Gillgren continues to excel as he blends the realms of history and fiction. Ching Shih’s backstory is carefully woven into the plot, and has a huge impact on the story’s happenings.

    What sets this action adventure book apart is its brilliant characters. Carmine continues to be a protective, strong father for his family, and ends up being a great inspiration to his son, Snail, whose bravery allows him to escape when his family is kidnapped. Carmine also doesn’t hesitate to show love to his wife or children, which also inspires Snail to grow a soft heart for Teri, a beautiful Chinese girl connected to the dastardly events of the novel. Mr. Chang also makes a fantastic villain, but the reader can still laugh when Carmine insults him.

    Gillgren offers a fun, suspenseful, yet heartfelt read that will engage children and adults in the intriguing wonders of treasure hunting and sea exploration. Highly recommended for readers of any age who enjoy high sea adventures and a fun read. This is the second book in John Gillgren’s The Adventure of the Cali Family series. This reviewer is looking forward to reading and reviewing the third book: The Treasure of Ocracoke Island.

  • THE TREASURE OF MALAGA COVE by John Gillgren, an adventure children’s novel

    THE TREASURE OF MALAGA COVE by John Gillgren, an adventure children’s novel

    Reading John Gillgren’s The Treasure of Malaga Cove is its own enjoyable treasure hunt. I was immediately immersed in the adventures of history, the ocean, and more suspense than I anticipated from a children’s book. The author takes his readers on a captivating series of diving adventures and page-turning treasure hunts with the Cali Family as they try to solve mysteries of the high seas.

    The story begins in 1577 on Sir Francis Drake’s flagship the Golden Hind. While looking for an easier path to Asia, this ship endure storms, battles with the Spanish and Portuguese, and Drake himself faces the mutiny of his own crew members.

    The plot fast forwards four hundred years into the future. The novel’s protagonist Carmine Cali discovers a skull while learning how to dive in the Malaga Cove in southern California. Waves of mystery wash over the setting as Carmine can’t find the skull on a second dive. He spends several years with his wife, Elaine, and his three children, Snail, Carmen, and Caroline, trying to prove that the skulls exist, and link them to the flagship the Golden Hind and its crew members.

    Gillgren is extraordinary at crafting a realistic and engaging narrative. The planning that Carmine and his family do for each of their dives, in addition to the time constraints, are point on with how a divemaster would construct his or her plans. Readers will anticipate every moment of action as the story pulls them in with the dangers that lurk in the ocean, whether it be the high tides or the sharks casting shadows beneath the water’s surface.

    Readers will appreciate that Gillgren has created such a dynamic protagonist. Carmine’s protective watch over his family highlights his strong character as a father and protector. His reluctance to leave the water when they’ve found new information is realistic and captures the reader in the moment of discovery. He’s a character all readers will love and root for to find the truth in the end.

    Suspense is the buried treasure in and of itself in this tale, and readers will never experience a dull moment. The plot twisted and turned in every direction, revealing by the end which character is deemed untrustworthy. The things I learned about Carmine’s family are presented in such a way that readers look forward to learning more about their individual character arcs in subsequent novels.

    While many events unravel quickly, this is still an appropriate book for a younger audience and for a family to read together. It’s a fun story with straightforward dialogue and plot. And while the author judiciously presents responsible diving techniques and know-how, readers without diving knowledge will be able to follow along with it.

    If anything, I think more detail of the reefs around Malaga Cove would have been a great addition to the story. The ocean adds a rich context to the tale, as well as an element of unexpected danger. However, the lack of some description made me revel in the details that were present.

    Gillgren has delivered a mystery story ala Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew, but with more contemporary individuals playing those roles. The Treasure of Malaga Cove is a fantastic novel for children and their families wanting to dive into the depths of mystery and adventure. I will certainly read the next books in the series:  The Treasure of Ching Shih and The Treasure of Ocracoke Island.

    This is the first book in an adventure series that will invite readers of all ages to set sail into the high seas of their imagination with the adventures of the Cali Family as they hunt for mysterious treasure.