The Tripods Attack! (The Young Chesterton Chronicles) [Paperback]

John McNichol (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 27, 2008 | Series: Young Chesterton Chronicles (Book 1)

They are coming Sixteen-year-old Gilbert Chesterton is orphaned and friendless, stuck working a menial job in grimy turn-of-the-century London. Then one night strange lights fill the sky, and a hail of giant meteors crashes into a field outside the city. The next day Gilbert is amazed to find himself hired by a newspaper and rushed out to investigate the scene. Is it a harmless natural phenomenon, or the first wave of a Martian invasion? Gilbert soon learns he s not the only one asking that question, and he's joined by three strangers with their own interest in the fantastic events: Herb Wells, journalist for a rival paper. Affable, streetwise, and selfconfident, Herb s only too happy to teach young Gilbert the ways of the world. But when it comes to getting the story (and the fame) he warns it s every man for himself. An enigmatic bearded man known only as the Doctor. He s suave, cultured, and friendly maybe too friendly. And he knows things about the cosmic visitors. . .things no ordinary man should know. How much he s hiding is anybody s guess. Father Brown, a short, mild, middle-aged priest with an extraordinary talent for solving mysteries. Gilbert doesn t know much about Christ or the Church, but Father Brown will teach him lessons of faith, love, and courage. The companions fly frantically from danger to danger, battling street thugs from London s underworld and mechanical creatures from another world. As Gilbert is drawn deeper into the threat of the mysterious tripods, he unveils a sinister conspiracy that may hold the key not only to the fate of mankind, but to the accident that took his parents life. And so with only his friends, his wits, and a tattered holy card to help him, Gilbert must race to save the world all the while struggling to reconcile his troubling past with his budding faith in God. The Tripods Attack! is the first volume of the Young Chesterton Chronicles, a delightfully inventive fiction series for teens to adults that re-imagines the famous Catholic author as a young man living in an alternative Edwardian age of steam-driven wonders.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John McNichol was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1970 and spent the first eighteen years of his life there before attending Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he met his wife, Jeanna. Today they live with their six children in Vancouver, Washington, Where John earned Master's degrees in English Literature and Education, and teaches middle school.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Sophia Institute Press (March 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933184264
• ISBN-13: 978-1933184265
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John McNichol was born in Toronto, Canada at the dawn of the swinging 70s...which likely explains why he is such a fan of the Big 80s. He lived the first eighteen years of his life in Toronto, leaving to attend college at Franciscan University in Ohio. There he met his American wife, and has remained a resident of the United States since his graduation and wedding in 1992.

John now lives in Vancouver, Washington, where he and his wife Jeanna live with their seven children and The Dumbest Dog In The State Of Washington. John is a Middle School teacher by trade, and continues to pursue excellence in his vocation while writing steampunk-themed science fiction about his favorite authors and literary characters.

John's first book, "The Tripods Attack," was published by Sophia Press in March 2008. Part of a trilogy titled "The Young Chesterton Chronicles," the second volume, "The Emperor of North America," is now available from Bezalel Books. He is currently at work on the final volume, "Where the Red Sands Fly."

John loves loaded pizzas, meaty lasagnas, killing 3-5 hours at a stretch at his local Barnes & Noble on the weekend and seeing fan art based on his works. He hates broccoli. Hates it. Still.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Tripods Attack!, don't miss it!, April 30, 2008

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Tripods Attack! (The Young Chesterton Chronicles) (Paperback)

The book, The Tripods Attack!, by John McNichol, is definitely a book worth reading. Very discriptive, so you know exactly what's going on, laugh-out-loud funny for relief from the dark and eerie plot line, and above all, Catholic! The idea of putting a well-known author, G.K. Chesterton, in the shoes of a teenage boy with no parents, yearning for a better life is amazingly clever and I have no words to describe it further. Mr. McNichol has further enhanced the book's quality by placing our world in a different history than what actually happened, so be prepared for some early confusion. He also makes the characters reflect other real people, such as H.G. Wells. A fascinating book, I couldn't put it down for three days(I finished it in that time, thick as it was)! The series will be a trilogy, and I can't wait for the next one!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Credible and literate, July 10, 2008

By 

J. E. Marcucci "Horatius" (Omaha, NE USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tripods Attack! (The Young Chesterton Chronicles) (Paperback)

I read this book, then gave it to my 12 year old son, who is homeschooled. He was thoroughly entranced, and devoured it in 3 days. This book combines real life people from history with fictional characters in an alternate universe. Imagine Father Brown and Professor Moriarty schlepping around Victorian England with H.G. Wells and G.K. Chesterton during a Martian invasion! While dodging heat rays and black smoke, they engage in some well-crafted philosophical sparring. Although the moral religious aspect is pointed, this is not a tract or polemic. Primarily, it is a work of fiction that is read for pure enjoyment. The author doesn't lack for creativity, thats for certain. His writing is solid, although he could benefit from better proofreading and fact checking. Abe Lincoln's running mate in 1860 was Hannibal Hamlin, not Andrew Jackson. But these are minor defects. Put this book next to the crapola that passes for juvenille fiction these days, and it stands out as a work of high quality that will, I think, withstand the test of time. I anxiously await the next installment.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Tripods Attack, the Readers Win, June 3, 2008

By 

Paul Leone (Orchard Park, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tripods Attack! (The Young Chesterton Chronicles) (Paperback)

Steampunk *and* GK Chesterton as the protagonist? What's not to like? While The Tripods Attack is definitely geared towards the YA audience, I thoroughly enjoyed it without any guilt or hesitation. Father Brown and (perhaps) Professor Moriarity as the adults and competing moral pulls on Chesterton and Wells were inspired choices. The characterization of all four, and the mysterious Red-Headed Girl, were engaging and the style of the book as a whole should make it a fun read for anybody who picks it up. I also enjoyed the references to Elwin Ransom and Malacandra from C.S. Lewis' sci-fi trilogy (which I also recommend - those who liked it will like this, and vice versa).

The conspiracy and eugenics-flavored metaplot that bubbles up here and there, especially in the epilogue, definitely has me hooked. I can't wait to see where the series goes.