Your Desert Adventure Is Here!
Get the book fans are calling "an intense, realistic read."
Last week, twelve year old Oliver Stanton lost parents, friends, and his home in Boston. Now he finds himself in the middle of the Arizona desert, his idea of hell on earth, helping an uncle he just met locate a legendary lost gold mine.
Hank Reynolds has spent years searching for the Josephine, but he's not the only one. He must get ahead of the competition in a race with no rules. His past sins catch up to him when he discovers his opponents aren't only after the mine, they're after him.
Oliver faces his greatest fears while Hank walks the line between risk and reward, obsession and control. As a wild-west war ensues, Oliver learns first hand that all things come at a price. He must decide just how far he's willing to go to protect his new family and win the prize.
"My daughter and son loved the adventure!" - J. Aston
This is a book written for kids and parents to enjoy.
"Strong YA Adventure Story" - Carrie Bylina
"...a harrowing adventure that intensifies by the chapter." - J.D. Tucker
"The ending was just the best thing ever. I loved John, Ollie and Joseph at the last action scene, and the reunion brought tears to my eyes. I have to give this book 5 out of 5 stars. I loved it!" - Delilah's Teen Fiction Reviews
As a teenager B. T. Clifford lived in the suburbs of Boston. After graduating high school, he worked as a missionary in the Philippines. When he returned to the U. S. he continued his education at the University of Oregon graduating with BSc. degrees in Psychology and Geology. He then moved to Arizona to pursue a career in exploration geology and ended up a Land Surveyor. Since then he has lived and worked in Arizona's Mohave Desert, raising two boys along the way. One of them has autism and he draws heavily on this experience with the character of John in The Josephine Key. Future plans include a series of Oliver Stanton books, and other work that will bring the feel of classic science fiction back to a modern audience
Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
By JAston
We read Josephine Key as a family. My daughter and son loved the adventure! The characters are so well written that days and even weeks after reading the book we where still talking about them. The way I know that this is an excellent story is that I have wondered about the characters like they are really people. Also I have shared parts of the story with others in regular conversation and lastly, I can't wait to see what B.T. Clifford has next!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
By Hayley Guertin
Oliver Stanton and The Josephine Key was a really good adventure story. Oliver Stanton moves with his uncle when his parents pass away, much to his demise. Only he doesn't know what he is getting into when he agrees to go on an adventure with his uncle Hank and his family.
I could tell that B.T. Clifford did a lot of research on this book. There are a lot of legends and places in this book, as well as dates and names. He did a good job at having everything at the right place, and make sense.
I really enjoyed the storyline, and how it was written. I enjoyed meeting the characters and learning more about them as I read along. They were pleasant and absolutely loved getting to know their quirks.
The ending was just the best thing ever. I loved John, Ollie and Joseph at the last action scene, and the reunion brought tears to my eyes.
I have to give this book 5 out of 5 stars. I loved it! :)
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
By Carrie J. Bylina
B.T. Clifford's debut novel, "Oliver Stanton and the Josephine Key" is a good adventure story. B.T. has hit the right notes for that age group. Oliver has lost his parents and now must grow up with family he never knew he had, and they don't give him any time to adjust to doing so in the fast paced, short novel.
While somewhat light on the emotional recovery of Oliver's life-changing events, the adventure story holds enough thrills and chills (and creepy bugs--I hate scorpions) to keep the younger set engaged with the story and wanting more. The road trip for the Josephine Key provides Oliver with ample opportunities to act or not act on his internalizations with regard to establishing himself with his new family. The adult's actions are at times as reckless as what one would expect of teenagers, but that is the essence of adventure--barreling forward without caution--putting Oliver in good company.
I don't read much YA literature, so some of my expectations probably exceed those of the younger set; however, I hope that the next adventure, and I'm sure there will be one, digs into the overall story aspects a bit deeper than this one to give some subtext that might be appreciated on another level. For me it is a top-notch 3. For the targeted YA audience (boys in particular), expect a solid 4-star read.
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