McCracken and the Lost Island by Mark Adderley

McCracken #1

by Mark Adderley

Seeking adventure? Look no further! The year is 1913: the place, Europe. McCracken, inventor, engineer, big-game hunter and faithful Catholic, tells the stories of his adventures in a series of novels made for everyone who loves adventure--but especially for boys.McCracken and the Lost Island is an adventure beneath the waves and atop a hidden land. The team Ariadne Bell, communications expert; Nicola Jaubert, deep sea diver; Vasili Sikorsky, airship pilot; and "Mac," McCracken, inventor and engineer. Together they find the lost island--but will its secrets prove too dangerous for a world at the edge of war?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

Paperback

First published March 24, 2013

About the author

Mark Adderley was born in the railway town of Crewe, England. Like many of his contemporaries, he grew up devouring the novels of C. S. Lewis and, later, Ian Fleming and J. R. R. Tolkien. It wasn’t until he was studying at Cartrefle College in Wales, however, that he discovered the passion for the Arthurian legend that has now lasted almost a quarter of a century.

During his studies in Wales, Mark also met an American woman, Adrianne, whom he married. Moving to America, he got, in not very rapid succession, four children and a PhD in medieval literature from the University of South Florida. He has lived in Florida, Georgia, Montana, Missouri, Wyoming and South Dakota. He now teaches in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been writing for most of his life, but The Hawk and the Wolf is his first published novel.

"I've been writing since I was about eight years old. In fourth grade, however, Mrs. Parker (who had started the years as Miss Waterson, and changed her name much to the chagrin of every male pupil in her class) wrote on my report card, 'He should go in for being an author.' Later on—it would be about sixth grade—I asked my parents for a typewriter for Christmas. In school, of course, we were asked to tell the class about our Christmas presents. When I revealed to my class that I had got a typewriter, they laughed, though they were rapidly stilled by another fine teacher, Mr. Brown. Later still, Mr. Beach (poor, suffering soul) read my manuscripts, and didn't tell me what rubbish I had written, but was very patient in his comments.

"It seems that a plethora of teachers have inspired me to write, among them Mrs. Parker, Mr. Brown, Mr. Morley, Mr. Beach, and Mrs. Roberts. I'd like to propose a toast to the lot of them, wherever they are."

Reviews

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure - I've known Dr. Mark Adderley for over a decade. I understand that might appear to color this review, but I've approached this review as impartially as possible.

Being a non-Catholic thirty-something, I'm not exactly the target demographic for McCracken and The Lost Island. I've also been blatantly vocal about my disdain of adults reading YA literature of the last ten or so years. These books often either hold little to no value for adult readers, or even worse, push a moral agenda upon impressionable young readers, a reprehensible act that has made me very literally throw books across a room. When Dr. Adderley informed me his McCracken novels would be a YA series aimed at young Catholics, I was intrigued enough to set aside my own biases against YA novels to order and rip through McCracken and The Lost Island. I'm really glad I did.

Let's get possibly the most uncomfortable item for anyone non-Catholic out of the way first. In no way whatsoever does this book force any sort of greater agenda upon its readers. There are a few moments in the book when the protagonists offer up prayers, attend Mass, and contemplate the afterlife when death seems at hand, but I found that these moments actually seemed to add to the flavor of the characters. At no point did it feel preachy or pushy. At its absolute worst, it only led to one moment of disbelief, when our protagonists put off the exploration of a lost island (bet you didn't see that one coming) that they'd just discovered to go to Mass in a neighboring area. And frankly, I like that thsi novel chooses to showcase religion as a positive rather than a negative. Religion and faith have become easy targets for writers of late, and it's nice to see something so well-written on the other side of the fence.

Now, on to the other ninety-nine percent of the novel. Dr. Adderley has done a terrific job here of blending a classic adventure scenario with a lot of terrific information. It would be easy for a novel of this kind to devolve into some kind of yawn-inducing lesson, but Dr. Adderley has stuck to the "show, don't tell" philosophy that is the hallmark of great writing. The characters find natural ways to interact and inform each other (as well as the reader) of pertinent bits of information in their particular fields. For example, McCracken, an engineer, informs the others of how the various functions of the lost island possibly work, but it's made clear throughout the novel he himself doesn't quite understand the incredible technology at work beneath his feet, and so as he makes discoveries or figures something out, it's just as much fun for him as it is the reader. None of the protagonists come across as those irritating archetypes who know absolutely everything - sometimes, they're scratching and improvising with educated guesses. It's a sneaky, effective way of giving the reader a lot of neat information.

I'm trying my best to avoid spoilers here, but I'd be doing this review a disservice by not pointing out the terrific time period for this adventure. By setting it just before the onset of World War I, Dr. Adderley has allowed for a couple of truly great character moments, particularly when a character by the name of Jaubert is talking about his fears of the onset of war. The national tensions play a larger part later on, but it's those small moments that really make the characters shine. McCracken and Ariadne's rocky relationship is playful and fun - and thankfully, there's nary a stupid love triangle in sight, a definite boon for those of us who love to roll our eyes at that sort of thing. I'd have liked to have read more about Jaubert and Sikorsky, though their roles were definitely appropriate given the fast-paced nature of the plot.

So there you have it - McCracken and The Lost Island is a terrific start to what I hope will be a long and fruitful series by Dr. Adderley. If you have kids interested in adventures, I cannot recommend this enough.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I became interested in this book because it was mentioned on a list of Catholic books for tween and teens. It was described as a Catholic Indiana Jones, and it lived up to that description. The tag line for the series is: “If Catholic Adventure Has A Name, It Must Be McCracken” and this first story lives up to that. The description of the series is:

“The McCracken Adventures take place in the early years of the twentieth century, when many of the philosophies that formed the modern imagination were taking shape. Consequently, McCracken’s adversaries are representatives of the Culture of Death. What is the Catholic response to nihilism, communism, eugenics and many others? McCracken provides young readers with a guide through the minefield of twentieth-century thought.”

And the description of this volume is:

“Seeking adventure? Look no further! The year is 1913: the place, Europe. McCracken, inventor, engineer, big-game hunter and faithful Catholic, tells the stories of his adventures in a series of novels made for everyone who loves adventure--but especially for boys. McCracken and the Lost Island is an adventure beneath the waves and atop a hidden land. The team assembles: Ariadne Bell, communications expert; Nicola Jaubert, deep sea diver; Vasili Sikorsky, airship pilot; and "Mac," McCracken, inventor and engineer. Together they find the lost island--but will its secrets prove too dangerous for a world at the edge of war?”

This story is an interesting combination of action, adventure, historical fiction and faith. This was an excellent read. McCracken is just finishing up a journey to the Dark Continent when he is approached about a new adventure. A partnership that includes leaders in their field, and an old flame. A deep sea diver, an airship pilot and McCracken. McCracken is an adventurer, an inventor, an engineer and a hunter. But he is also a man of faith. He peppers Hail Mary’s while at risk. And there is more than a little risk and danger on this adventure. Sometimes when at great risk or in danger we realize what matters most to us. And For McCracken that happens during this tale.

Adderley does an amazing job creating the historic setting come to life. And his characters both heroes and villains are masterfully written. Almost all readers will appreciate McCracken, Ariadne is strong, poised and determined. Even Fritz will pull at your heartstrings a bit. And as a bonus at the end of the book are two recipies from Fritz’s kitchen, they are Königsberger Klopsch and Rotkohl. I already have plans to try both soon.

I had never heard of the series or the author prior to reading this book. But I already have plans to read the rest of this series and his other series, The Matter of Britain Series. This is indeed a great read for tweens teens and also for us older folks. If you read and enjoyed the 39 Clues books this is one for you. If you like the Indiana Jones movies I am certain this book will entertain. If you are looking for a great historical fiction adventure novel give this a try. A fantastic read that I highly recommend.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2021 Catholic Reading Plan!

[Ava Donley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been looking for a decent, Indiana-Jones-style story for a long time now and had just given up hope of ever finding one when I learned about the McCracken books. After reading a description or two, I knew I wanted to read them and Mr. Adderley did not disappoint.
I read a sneak-peek for free online and was hooked. A few weeks later I received a copy for my birthday and read it in a day- if Catholic adventure has a name it must be McCracken!
The story is a great adventure with a convincing storyline, intriguing treasures and exotic locations, fascinating temples, eerie monsters, and characters that are interesting and likable. I found the story to be slow at times, but it is oriented more towards boys, so I expect what I found to be less interesting would be intriguing for others.
McCracken’s undisguised Catholicism was refreshing and the moral conversation between him and the Baron in chapter 14 most excellent.
McCracken’s passion for engineering -to the point of waxing ecstatic on terminology Ari could not understand and he in turn unable to comprehend how she did not find it completely absorbing- was very entertaining. The chemistry between McCracken and Ari is well-done and there are several extremely witty passages, particularly between the two of them. I especially appreciated the jests concerning the goddess Ariadne and what McCracken’s Greek counterpart would be.
McCracken and the Lost Island was overall an excellent story. Mr. Adderley is a literary genius and has joined the guarded ranks of my favorite authors. The last line was a special, unexpected finishing touch that had me beaming for a long time after. If you are on the fence about meeting McCracken, let this be the sign to open the cover and dive in. To paraphrase the hero himself: “You are never going to believe this.”

[Leslea Wahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the McCracken series by Mark Adderley. I’ve heard this series described as “Indiana Jones with a rosary” and that is a great description. This delightful book is perfect for middle school and high school boys who love adventurous novels. It is set in the 1930’s with an interesting group of international characters including the English engineer/inventor McCracken, the lovely Ariadne - a communications expert with an interesting past relationship with McCracken, a French deep sea diver, a Russian pilot and a rich German Baron who gathers them all for an adventure to find a lost island. I thoroughly enjoyed the exciting plot which reminded me of the movie version of “Journey to the Center of the Earth”. McCracken’s strong faith and engineering genius makes this character a fantastic role model for teens.

[TrevorF._8Rdg Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Book McCracken and the Lost Island was a book about a group of people who go on several adventures. On many of the journeys they encounter all different sorts of problems. The main characters are McCracken, the baron, Ariadne, Fritz, and Sikorsky. The setting takes place on a weird Island in the middle of no where. Many of there problems involve undiscovered animals.

I would rate this book a 5. I would recommend this book because it takes you to a whole level of new things. The author did good explaining the beginning of the book. I learned not to trust some people in life. I could relate to Fritz the most because it kinda includes my last name in his first name. :)

[CaedenE_8Rdg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book McCracken and the Lost Island by Mark Adderly. I would rate the 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to others who are interested in adventure novels because the adventure that McCracken goes on is a unique adventure. The author did a good job at adding a twist to the plot at the end. I learned that you can't trust everyone and that people may not be who they seem. I could relate to McCracken the most because I would want to figure out the engineering behind all of the different machines in Thera.

[JoshuaS_8Rdg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the book McCracken and the Lost Island. I would recommend it to others because it is a very enjoyable and action packed book to read and it might teach them something about history or engineering that they didn't know before. The other did a good job making things understandable (sometimes things were hard to picture but for the most part they were well explained). I learned about how advanced people could be with ancient materials(although they weren't actually that advanced in real life). I could relate to McCracken the most because I like adventure.

[ChristianB._8Rdg Budig · Rating 4 out of 5]

McCracken and the Lost Island was a good book. I got to read it for literacy groups at my school. This book was a fun book to read, it had a lot of action and adventure. It is about these group of people looking for a lost Island. They look for it on a blimp called the LS3 which they eventually find it with. Without giving too much away, the had diverse characters that anyone can relate to. Overall this book was good to read and I would rate it 4 stars.

[AndrewB_8Rdg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure and problem-solving. I liked the way that Mark Adderly made the book very interesting and suspenseful. I learned how to escape from quicksand the easiest by reading this book just in case. I could relate to McCracken the most because he seemed like he was on of the most important, yet least liked person on the crew.

[TannerB_8Rdg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this to 5th to 8th graders and any person that likes adventure, because this is a adventure and mystery book. Mark Adderley did good on creating suspense and intrigue readers. I learned a little about other languages and how some simple machines work. I would relate most to Sikorsky, because he is an explorer and knows how to work with machines and navigation.

[JohnnyK._8RDG]

Mcracken was a adventurous male. He lived in England and was looking for an adventure. so he went off into the blue and stoubled apon a lost island. there he was looking for the the fire stones and someone wanted them also. who do you think got them.
I rate this book a 3 stars because little readers would have a hard time reading this graphic novel. I would recommend you reading this boom if you are up for an adventure. Mark did well because he new how to put their emo shins. I learned that if you want something you are going to have to look for it. I relate to juabert the most.