Books With Bean ~ The Jekyll Island Chronicles

Title: The Jekyll Island Chronicles: A Machine Age War

Author: Steve Nedvidek, Ed Crowell, Jack Lowe

Published: 2016

Genre: Alt-History, Graphic Novel, Steampunk 

Summary: WWI has just ended but President Wilson is certain that there are still unknown persons hiding in the shadows waiting for the world to finish celebrating peace. Not knowing what exactly to do, President Wilson takes a trip to Jekyll Island off of the coast of Georgia where approximately 1/6 of the world’s wealth lies in the hands of some very smart and very inventive people. People with names like Carnegie, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Morgan and more. Most of the men think the president is finally loosing it but Andrew Carnegie isn’t so sure. He decides to look into things and while he finds the threat is indeed real he also finds several extraordinary people willing to help him stop the evil and stand up for what is right. 

What I liked about it: I loved this book! The graphics are amazing, the plot is well thought out, and the characters  -both the real people and the made up ones are entertaining, interesting and fun. As someone who is always looking for good steam/diesel punk (and hardly ever finding any) it is cool to not just have a good story but having amazing pictures to go with it. The graphics add to the story and fully immerse you into the world that they represent. 

Language: None 

Romance: None

Violence: There is a bit of fighting that while just reading normally I wouldn’t consider very bad, but I do note it here since it is pictured due to the fact that this is a graphic novel and not just a book.

Magic: None, just lots of cool science.

Recommended Age: Because of certain elements in this book (like the violence mentioned above) I would say wait until at least 13 or 14, if not 15. I also say this because while this does take place in our world, it is alternate history and I don’t think it would be a good idea to have a younger kid who might not realize it is not historical fact read it while they are still learning their real history and think the events in the book really happened.