LitPick Review
Jillian Dangerous and the Extraordinary Secret follows protagonist Jillian Cassidy in this adventurous story. She and her roommates—Sadie, Meg, and Sam—travel back in time to 1965 through a time warp, finding themselves in Vietnam at Crest Academy, the school Jillian’s mother attended as a child. Jillian and her friends are endlessly searching to find a way to get back to 2015. However, a series of events interfere with their ability to do so.
When Jillian has a horrible toothache amid the turmoil, she must travel to the Vietnamese dentist. This trip prompts an important meeting between Jillian and her grandparents—unbeknownst to them, Jillian is their granddaughter. Both Jillian and her teacher, Miss Bell, lodge with the grandparents as travel is difficult. Jillian knows what the future holds for her grandfather, so she must warn him that he will be captured by the Viet Cong. He will not be found if he is not alerted to the outcome ahead of time. Jillian is convinced God sent her and her roommates for a reason: to warn Grandpa about getting captured. Will Jillian succeed and save Grandpa? Will Jillian and her friends ever make it back to 2015, or will they be stuck in 1965 forever?
Opinion:
Jillian Dangerous and the Extraordinary Secret is an adventurous book with attention-grabbing events. This story has a very similar story line as the book that comes before it—Jillian Dangerous and the Peculiar Adventure. I assumed the events in this book would come far after the events in the first, but the characters are in the same place and time—Crest Academy in 1965—after being there for six weeks. I was a little confused at first, because I thought this story would take place after the main characters returned to 2015. Because the story is so similar, I did not feel as engaged as I thought I might be. Many details in this story are different from the first, but so many parts are so alike that it made it hard for me to get through.
I love this story, but I would have liked to see more new details. I notice that God is mentioned multiple times, and Jillian is portrayed as a Christian. Since I am a Christian, I really appreciate that Jillian shows God to her friends and that she is invested in the Bible. Another thing I enjoy is the sweet relationships between friends who are supportive and kind to one another. I love reading about their struggles in 1965 and how they overcome them. Also, the concept of traveling in time is very interesting to me so I love how Sadie, Sam, Jillian, and Meg adapt to a time very different from theirs.
