The Reading Bud

Book Blog by Heena Rathore-Pardeshi

Book Review: Class of ’59 by John A. Heldt

31978127Author: John A. Heldt 
Release Date: 1st September 2016
Series: American Journey (Book #4)
Genre: Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction-Time Travel
Edition: Ebook
Pages: 293
Publisher: Self-published

Rating: ★★★★

Blurb:

When Mary Beth McIntire settles into a vacation house on June 2, 2017, she anticipates a quiet morning with coffee. Then she hears a noise, peers out a window, and spots a man in 1950s attire standing in the backyard. She panics when the trespasser sees her and enters the house though a door to the basement. She questions her sanity when she cannot find him.
In the same house on March 21, 1959, Mark Ryan finds a letter. Written by the mansion’s original owner in 1900, the letter describes a basement chamber, mysterious crystals, and a formula for time travel. Driven by curiosity, Mark tests the formula twice. On his second trip to 2017, he encounters a beautiful stranger. He meets the woman in the window.
Within hours, Mary Beth and Mark share their secret with her sister and his brother and begin a journey that takes them from the present day to the age of sock hops, drive-ins, and jukeboxes. In CLASS OF ’59, the fourth book in the American Journey series, four young adults find love, danger, and adventure as they navigate the corridors of time and experience Southern California in its storied prime.

Review

The Class of ’59 by John A. Heldt is a great romance book, the perfect company for a rainy Sunday afternoon. It combines love story and time traveling with details of ’59 and just a little bit of suspense, crime, and danger.

The book is easy to read and made me curious from the start. When I read about the death of Mary Beth’s boyfriend in the first pages of the book, I didn’t imagine that it will be some time traveling involved.

The characters were so simple, no drama, just enjoying life. I almost envied them. All the problems were so easily solved. So it made me think of a fairytale. A ’59 fairytale.

The descriptions parts, nice and simple, gave me the impression of watching a movie. But still,  I would have loved more of the ’59, something that I can not find on google.

I also liked the unpredictable.I had no idea of what would happen next and how it would end.  Every time I thought the book was leading me somewhere, another event changed the direction.  I really enjoyed the simple optimistic end. It is not the type of book that makes me think but the type of book that makes me smile.


Goodreads and Amazon

I love reading your comments, so please go ahead…

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

I’m Heena

Welcome to The Reading Bud, my cosy corner of the internet dedicated to all things books and authors. Here, I invite you to join me on a journey of discovering under-represented books, independent and small press authors, and all things book with a touch of love and loud purrs. Let’s get Reading!

Book of the Month

Read this captivating story on the adventures and hardships of Frank Knightlite, a man who strives to illuminate darkness with his lantern in search of answers to life’s questions.
You can get it here.
January 2017
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  

Reading is like breathing to me.

Recent Posts

  • Book Review: Stowe Away by Mark Leslie

    Mark Leslie combines urban fantasy, suspense and humour in a character-led journey that explores what it truly means to protect another person.

  • Book Review: The Mobius Nexus by Mark W.L. Dennison

    Book Details: Author: Mark W.L. DennisonRelease Date: December 31, 2025Series:Genre: Science fiction / AI-consciousness thrillerFormat: E-bookPages: 219Publisher: Nexus Uplink PressBlurb:They are not getting better. They are being copied.Lila is three doors into the black site before…

  • Book Review: Zarya: Cydnus Final Hope by Jackiem Joyner

    Book Details: Author: Jackiem JoynerRelease Date: July 29, 2026Series: Book 1 of 2: Zarya: Guardians of Cydnus SeriesGenre: Young-Adult, Science-Fiction, AdventureFormat: E-bookPages: 352Publisher: Big Treble MediaBlurb:Zarya is only fifteen, but her planet’s fate lies in her…

  • Book Review: The City of Factories by Naomi Eselojor

    Book Details: Author: Naomi EselojorRelease Date: October 13, 2026Series:Genre: Science-Fiction, African SteampunkFormat: E-bookPages: 186Publisher: Ruadán BooksBlurb:Set in an alternative steampunk Nigeria, Naomi Eselojor’s Africanfuturist novella is a tale of community sheltering, resistance, and technological responsibility, for…

  • Author Spotlight: Mark W.L. Dennison

    Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author Mark W.L. Dennison for his latest release, The Mobius Nexus. About The Author Mark W.L. Dennison Mark W.L. Dennison is an Ottawa-born Canadian author of science…