Matthias: The Ghost of Salvation Point by Jodi Auborn
Ten-year-old Dylan is excited when his father inherits an old lighthouse and cottage in Maine. Dylan and his family get to live there all summer! He goes sailing on the bay, explores the small town down the road, and searches for a legendary pirate treasure that was said to be buried nearby.
After mysterious things start happening at the cottage, Dylan meets Matthias, a gruff lighthouse keeper who had died in a storm one hundred years before. A ghost! Dylan is startled to find Matthias living in his bedroom, but he is glad when they become friends. It’s the best summer ever! Things change when they learn that the lighthouse is threatened by a greedy treasure hunter who also knows about the pirate legend. He will do whatever it takes to find the treasure…even kidnapping! As Dylan and Matthias team up to protect their home, they begin an adventure that changes Dylan’s life forever.
Karen Meyer’s Review: 5-Stars
What a fun book! Thank you, Jodi, for my few hours of entertainment. What kid (or adult) wouldn’t enjoy this delightful ghost story and the hero ghost named Matthias. I was so involved I forgot to check for grammar, but nothing slapped me in the face. I found no misspelled words or major grammatical fiascos. But then when I read a book as well written and exciting as this one, grammar is the last thing I think about. If I had anything I would change about it, I would not have the parents so divided on their parenting skills. I don’t like that the dad favors the son, Dylan, over his wife. But I do know there are lots of families like this.
Your Prologue sets the tone for your story well and makes the reader want to read further. Matthias is a very likable young man and was perfect for the part of Hero Ghost Extraordinaire. Dylan was a typical 4th grader and his feeling that his 15-year-old sister, Alondra was “the most boring person” he knew was a good description. She was a very exhausting teenager who like most teenagers these days, needs to be entertained. She did come around in the last chapter to show her love and concern for her little brother.
The protagonists Quint and Sleeter (I probably would have called him Skeeter) were portrayed as meaner than I expected. I didn’t think they would stoop to murder, but you did a good job on them.
I loved the friendship between Dylan and Matthias. The fact that Matthias would decide his friend’s life was more important than any reprimand he might get from his superiors.
I loved how Matthias was “set free” as the family decided to live in at Salvation Point and man the lighthouse. It also seemed like his whole reason for staying was to save Dylan’s life. Good storyline, good ending, I will give this 5 stars.
Sherry Terry’s Review: 5-Stars
Matthias: The Ghost of Salvation Point by Jodi Auborn is a great read! I absolutely love the cover. It’s filled with great color and has everything you need for a good young middle-grade ghost story.
This story is told from a 10-year-old boy, Dylan’s point of view and Jodi Auborn has done a splendid job with the character. My favorite character of the story is Matthias himself. He’s a great ghost and Jodi did a wonderful job of putting him in the story. I don’t want to give anything away, but Dylan and Matthias go on a dangerous adventure that you won’t want to miss.
Jodi is one of the best authors I’ve read with setting descriptions and characterization. I now want to visit a lighthouse in Maine. All of the characters are well-rounded, individual, and feel like they are real. The only thing my editor’s brain found distracting was the all caps for shouting and loud noises.
I highly recommend this book for children and adults. I loved reading Matthias: The Ghost of Salvation Point by Jodi Auborn.
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