The Keeper of the Dawn by J.B. Hickman Review

The Keeper of the Dawn by J.B. Hickman Review

When Jacob Hawthorne is sent to Wellington Academy it was absolutely not what he wanted. Jacob feels he was sent away so he could not spend as much time with his grandfather whom his parents blame for Jacob’s older brother leaving. Wellington started with the campus at Eastbridge but it is no longer there and instead they are stuck on Raker Island, apart from everyone and everything. The only access for most is by ferry, unless you happen to be Governor Forsythe who travels by helicopter.

On Jacob’s first day, disappointed yet again by his father, he wanders away from the opening day ceremonies. Wandering off to the clock tower, part of the original hotel that is now the academy, he comes across Governor Forsythe’s trouble making son Chris, and his buddy Roland Van Belle the third, disrupting all by ringing the bell 27 times. Although Jacob was only an onlooker to the bell ringing, he was punished as well.

Soon Jacob, Chris, Roland and Derek Mayhew, another young man sent to Wellington Academy by his parents, are known around the school as the Headliners. None of the boys feel they measure up to what their parents want and expect from them and all resent being sent away to boarding school.

As the school year progresses, the boys become involved in doing what they can to disrupt the smooth flow of the school. When a presidential debate involving Chris’ father is scheduled to take place at the school, the other boys know Chris is going to do something to disrupt the proceedings, they are just not sure what.

When Jacob suffers a crisis, his friends are the only ones who can help. They all understand that if they help, they will probably be sent off to other schools but they will not desert Jacob in his time of need.

I found this book at first difficult to get into. It seemed to move slowly and rather predictably. After a few chapters the story picked up and moved along at a much better pace. The characters were well formed and interesting, the setting  had history and style and the story was well written and had a few unexpected surprises. An interesting addition to the coming of age books available.