Customer Reviews

The Cave

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This is a great book. I enjoyed it very much. Although it was written for a younger crowd, I found it very intriguing. Just enough characters to make it interesting but not so many I couldn't keep up. It has a great story line. It's a great book for a child to have read to them, or a younster to read themselves. I would recommend it highly regardless of your age.

The Cave by Steve McGill is a little treasure. Combining the love of an extended family, history, overcoming one's fears and a few ghosts, the story is thoughtful and compelling. I loved Ian and the courage he finds (after an other-worldly visit) to once and for all, enter the cave he has feared for so long. What happens to him is a mystery, one that he cannot explain to himself, let alone his family and friends. The relationship between Ian and his great-grandfather is lovingly described as he helps grandpa down to the cellar to share, for the gazillionth time, a trip back through time while going through grandpa's WWI scrapbook. Ian is mesmerized by the stories and photos of allies lost and never brought home. Perhaps this knowledge, compassion and interest are why ghostly apparitions are visiting Ian? Perhaps this is why Ian is drawn to the cave like never before? It will take every ounce of bravery for Ian to complete the task set before him.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Cave. Mr. McGill skillfully blends the main story of Ian with snippets of the last moments of some of the veterans in his great-grandfather's scrapbook. The characters are honest and, in a very short time, I found myself rooting for Ian! The book will especially be loved by young boys. It has adventure, intrigue, caves, sneaking out, a great friend and best of all, ghosts!!!! I will be holding onto this one to give to my nephew!The Cave

The main character of Ian Pratt has a wonderful relationship with his grandfather, and his "Gramps" teaches him through phtotographs and stories about Ian's great-great-grandfather who went missing in World War I. Ian also learns lessons in bravery as he sets out on his mission to discover the secrets of the cave. Because of my own interest in genealogy, I enjoyed Ian's intense curiosity in his ancestry and the encouragement of his family in that interest.

The Cave is a wonderful, well-written story that combines horror and history to create a tale that is magical. The book is classified as Young Adult, but the story itself will hold the attention of anyone that has an interest in history or just enjoys a scary quick read.

Don't think for a minute that because this is written for young people that it is a lightweight horror story! I thought it was pretty scary. Because of that and because the book deals with war and death, I would even show care in choosing this book for sensitive children under 12. I would definitely recommend The Cave for adventurous children and teens, and I think adults looking for a quick read will also enjoy this well-composed story.

This book is a combination horror story, historical recapitulation and adolescent male adventure. Ian Pratt grew up hearing stories of the brave exploits of his great-great-grandfather in World War I. This has generated a great desire to express the same bravery exhibited by his ancestor. Since participating in war does not appear to be realistic, his options are restricted to visiting the local haunted house and a mysterious cave.
Given his paternal line, Ian has a great interest in the history of the First World War and he is in the process of co-authoring a school paper on the war with his friend Nate. To prove his bravery, Ian goes alone at night to the haunted house and there he meets a disembodied head that is identical to one that appeared in a "dream." With his courage now strong, Ian also enters the cave and as he moves deeper into it, the entrance disappears and he once again encounters spectral forces. He eventually manages to leave the cave but tells only Nate about his experience, as he doubts that anyone else would believe him.
After some prodding and daring, Nate agrees to accompany Ian back into the cave and when they encounter the spectral forces, Nate gets frightened and is unable to continue. Ian then learns what valuable role he is to play. Throughout the book, there were flashbacks to incidents of soldiers on the battlefields of World War I, but they seemed out of context. The incidents were minor, where the deaths of the soldiers were senseless and trivial, especially when considered in the context of the size of the conflict. For example, there is an incident where on Christmas a spontaneous truce arises between the English and German forces. The opposing soldiers come out of their trenches and exchange gifts and information about their families. As the truce is winding down and the soldiers are moving back to their trenches, one English soldier turns to give one last wave at his German "comrades", only to take a bullet in the forehead.
Ian's role is to meet with the spirits of dead English soldiers that have not passed on due to their thoughts and fears for their loved ones. For each of them, Ian assumes the role of the loved one, which allows the soldiers to express their feelings and then move on to their ultimate peace.
The most appealing aspect of the anti-war features of this book is the sheer pointlessness of the deaths of the soldiers. They do not die in grand battles, but in generally extraneous incidents that serve no real purpose in furthering the goals of the war. Using the horror aspects to provide a link between a boy and his warrior ancestor is a new twist that is to be commended, it is an original approach that the author carries out well.

If you're a history buff, historical fiction fan, or just someone who enjoys quality storytelling (and don't we all!), I recommend buying The Cave immediately. In fact, buy a couple extra copies while you're at it. You'll want to give them to friends and family after you've read this gripping tale. This book is full of adventure and wonder. The last half of the book in particular is a page turner- you'll finish it in less than a couple of hours. The Cave also deals with several serious issues, such as the brutality of war, loyalty, friendship and family without becoming preachy. Grab a box of tissues to prepare for the last couple of chapters. Out of the hundreds of books I have read, I have cried at the end of only three. The Cave was one of those three.
Buy this book. You won't regret it.

It's nice to see a well-written book for young people. Without using so much of the baseless nonsense found in much of today's prose for, Mcgill has found a unique brand of writing that leaves the reader feeling inspired and anything but bamboozled! This book is really good. I only wish that the author had written more! 188 pages of quality storytelling isn't enough.

Why I read this: The author asked me a while back to review his novel and it sounded like a great mix of history with paranormal elements. Definitely a book right up my alley.

Plot: I really like what was going on in this novel. The main character finds himself drawn to this creepy old house and a cave and what he finds there is both scary and interesting. Ghosts from WWI who grew up in the area haunt the cave and need closure before they can move on from the real world. What a fantastic blend of historical and paranormal elements.

Characters: Definitely can relate to the two boys who feel a draw to adventure and have the kindness to figure out how to help the ghosts of their ancestors passed. I would have definitely ran away though and never went anywhere near that cave again if the same thing had happened to me.

Relatability: Can't say I've encountered any ghosts, but I definitely have a love of history and the tales told were very realistic to the horrors of WWI and what it did to the men who were in it. A quick read and an interesting one.

Cover commentary: Very creepy feel to it.

Ian Pratt is a typical 11-year-old boy. Ian is generally a good boy and loves his family, especially his grandfather. Perhaps the only challenge Ian needs to face is a local cave. Though Ian knows it is likely that the cave is just a dark, dank place filled with a few bugs and spiders, something about the cave scares Ian. Perhaps it is just a fear of the unknown.

Another place that seems somewhat scary to Ian is the Butterfield Ranch. It seems even scarier after Ian meets a disembodied head at the house on the Butterfield Ranch. However, the disembodied head on the Butterfield Ranch might be less scary than the one Ian saw in his bedroom.

Though the cave and the Butterfield Ranch are challenges for Ian, Ian loves history, especially the history of the Great War, or World War I as we call it. Ian talks with his great grandfather about the Great War often, enjoying and absorbing all the details he can. One thing his great grandfather talks about frequently is how his father never returned from the Great War. His great grandfather has kept his memory alive through the decades.

Though Ian and his friend Nate are working on a project for school relating to the events of the Great War, Ian's thoughts keep returning to the spirit he thought he encountered at the Butterfield Ranch. The spirit seemed to be asking for his help. Ian decided he had to return to the cave to face his fears and to redeem himself. What happens in the cave will be beyond anything Ian ever imagined.

This novel is a quick read. Indeed, I read this book too quickly the first time and decided I had missed the point, so I read it again. The second time through I put the pieces together better and finally understood the story. I did not think the story was very scary even though disembodied heads should be frightening. Other than the presence of the head, McGill did not indicate the head was threatening, so I figured something else must have been happening. I just needed to wait for events to unfold. I will not give away any of the details in favor of giving readers that enjoyment, but author McGill does answer all the questions posed during the story by the end of the book.

I will note that both times I read this book I felt that the book had an anti-war message. I think the message is quite strong. Of course, considering the number of books that seem to glorify war, which is not very glorious at all, perhaps a bit of reality about war is a good thing.

I do not know how to classify this book. It is not a horror novel, even though there are ghosts. It is a bit of a thriller, since there are places where Ian and Nate's lives were in danger. There are smatterings of history and some contemporary drama. Author McGill makes all these disparate elements fit together seamlessly and enjoyably. This book is well worth wording, especially if you like the gritty reality of World War I mixed with ghosts in a contemporary setting.

Enjoy!

Ian Pratt is fascinated by the tales of his great-great-grandfather and his World War I exploits as his great-grandfather tells him the story while they look at old photos. It seems that he was impatient with the U.S. delay in becoming involved with the war, and traveled to England to join the British army, but never came home again. He was listed as missing in action.

Ian and his dad set off to explore the old abandoned Butterfield ranch, and Ian's dad tells the story of old Mrs. Malloy, who may still inhabit the place as a ghost.

Ian and his friend, Nate, have chosen World War I as the subject for their school report, but when Ian bicycles to Nate's house to work on the report, he must pass by a cave that has been beckoning to him for some time, and can't resist stepping through the opening. Strange, unexplainable things happen to Ian inside the cave, and the next thing he knows, he is inside the house at the old Butterfield place...without his bicycle.

Later, he talks Nate into going into the cave with him, where World War I comes alive again.

Ian, Nate, and "Gramps" are compelling characters in a ghost story with a difference that will keep reluctant readers on the edge of their seats with excitement...and yes, maybe fear...with an ending that I didn't see coming.

Reviewed by: Grandma Bev

Young Ian Pratt is a studious child. He'd rather be doing nothing more than going through old albums with his grandfather, learning about WW1. Ian has been trying for awhile now to summon up the courage to go into a scary cave near where he lives. Once he finally forces himself to walk inside, a new world that Ian never knew existed opens up to him. Bring along his best friend, Nate, Ian ends up taking a trip through history and humanity that most people only dream of.

As a parent, this is one of those books that I want my child to read. There is so much knowledge literally packed in here, but it's done so in such a way that you don't even realize you're learning until it's over. I think I learned more from reading this one book about WW1 than I did in all my years of structured learning. Some of the horrors of war are depicted in the book, but they were presented in such a way that they weren't too graphic. McGill gives you just enough to make it scary and sad, without pushing it to the limits and making it unreadable for children.

From a child's perspective, The Cave was an adventurous ride. The child I had reading it loved that the main character is just a normal kid who doesn't seem to excel at anything, but ends up having a wild time full of mystery and intrigue. His favorite part of the book was the way that the ghosts are depicted.

This book would be great for any child or adult who wants a solid mystery. It had both of us guessing until the very last few pages. I found myself nearing the end of the story and wondering how on earth it could possibly be wrapped up in those last few pages. I was expecting a dropoff, but everything was neatly tied with a bow. This is an educational, fun read.