Tim Mettey

A pretty good debut YA novel from newcomer Tim Mettey. Tim's bio paints a picture of a family man, a man with a clear set of values and that is certainly reflected in his story, but it is in no way a distraction, in fact I found it somewhat refreshing..

Fifth grader Alexander Taylor is a bonafide hero. On 10-10, the day of the giant earthquake he becomes a hero and it turns his life upside down. Five years later, he's still on the run.

I don't want to go into a lot of detail on the story, show more learning the Secrets one by one is what makes the tale enjoyable. We do get a number of answers by the end of book one, but there are still plenty of mysteries remaining for the sequel(s).

One thing I really wanted explained, and never did learn, is the Tic Tac effect. You'll understand what I mean when you read the book, and I do recommend this one, especially for Young Adults. This book is certainly not in the Harry Potter league, but it does compare well to The Hunger Games and is somewhat better than the Twilight books.

Available now in both paperback and e-book formats. I know you can definitely find it at Amazon.com and may be available from other retailers, as well. show less

Secrets, the first installment in The Hero Chronicles series by Tim Mettey tells the story of Nicholas Keller, a teenager who moves to a new city with the only family he has left, his aunt Cora, and against all the rules starts making friends (an enemy too), playing football, a sport he doesn’t understand completely but in which he’s good at, and he even gets himself a lovely girlfriend.

This would have been normal for every other teenage boy but it certainly isn’t for Nicholas who has show more never been allowed to make connections with others or to call the slightest attention to himself before---why, you ask? Well, the title of this book is Secrets and Nicholas has a few of them, and as so, his aunt fears constantly for his safety and keeps coaching him on being “invisible”.

I can honestly say that the mysteries around Nicholas kept me hooked on the story, I wanted to unravel them all, to find out why he must keep a low profile at all times, what happened in his past, and of course, what was the real story behind his parent’s deaths. Another big mystery has to do with his special abilities—he can run super fast, he’s very strong, and he boils inside when someone makes him angry, to the point that I thought he was going to be some kind of Hulk.

Overall Nicholas was a good, decent, likable protagonist and I would befriend him in a minute if I could; aunt Cora reminded me of my own aunts, her sacrifice was touching; and Elle, the girlfriend, in one word: classy. Nicholas has great taste.

There was one thing that bothered me though, the amount of dialogue that starts with “So”, but that’s just a minor detail.

To sum up: an interesting, straightforward, easy to read first chapter of a teenage hero’s life.

(I received a copy of Secrets in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the Kenwood Publishing Group for the opportunity.) show less

There was one constant throughout this book and that was the mystery behind why Nicholas had to be kept in the background. Always hidden behind the scenes, could not invite friends over and seemed to be talented at any activity he put his mind into accomplishing. When he steps outside his aunt's comfort zone and tries out for football, it puts him in the immediate spotlight at his new school. (also one of her worst fears)

When it came down to really trying to get to know Nicholas, as I reader show more I became more conflicted as the story went on. By the time I finished the book there was a part of me that wished the secret wasn't left so far into the end of the book, instead brought forward into revelation earlier in the book. The shy, cowering character that Nicholas is in the majority of the book is not too attractive to me as a reader. I did like who he started to become in the end, and would have liked to see more of that.

As the story starts getting more detailed in to the mystery, the fact that Nicholas has a destiny that is beyond his control is appealing. There is a whole world out there that he has yet to discover and for me, some questions that have been left open,to be continued in the sequel I'm sure.

My favorite character was his aunt, Cora. Most likely because I am a female myself her perspective was more relatable for me. I was happy to see that she plays a major roll in the book and was a constant and developing character just as much as Nicholas is.

I do feel that this story has appeal for both boys and girls. A little sports, a little romance and most of all, the supernatural. show less

Review copy

Trust: The Hero Chronicles is the second entry in this YA series and is every bit as good as the first, Secrets: The Hero Chronicles.

It's been three months since Nicholas learned he was a part of the Thusians, an ancient group of secret guardians of mankind, destined to sacrifice their lives at any given time, to save those around them.

Book two, further develops the mythos of the Thusians, their mission and those that would stand in their way. At the same time it's about show more relationships, the importance of trust in those relationships and learning who to trust.

Tim Mettey does a very nice job of weaving life lesson's into his storyline. Without being heavy-handed, there are teaching moments which many YA readers can benefit from. The story itself is rather simple, with Nicholas meeting a number of challenges while dealing with the normal ups and downs of life as a teenager.

The climax of book two has several nice twists and some big surprises. One thing, I'm still trying to figure out is the Tic Tac effect. If you read the book 1 or 2, you'll understand what I mean.

If you're a younger reader, or know someone who is in middle school and up, I can strongly recommend Trust: The Hero Chronicles (volume 2), but I would consider reading book 1, Secrets: The Hero Chronicles first.

Trust: The Hero Chronicles (volume 2) is available now through Amazon.com. show less