The Ocean and the Hourglass – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish


“What kind of book is this, Mr. Thompson?” his voice cracking as he asked. “Open the cover, Nicholas.” Nicholas met the librarian’s gaze and the old man’s trustful not restored his confidence. Opening the cover, the thick black hand cover gave way to cream-colored sheets that did not smell of musk or salt. They were blank. “The book is empty?” Nicholas was now thoroughly confused. The librarian, however, seemed utterly amused by the situation. “That is why there are rules, Nicholas. The book alone cannot work without the hourglass. And of course, it will not function with the imagination of one as special as you are.” “I don’t understand.” “Let me explain,” offered Mr. Thompson as he rose from his chair. Clasping his hands behind his back, he resembled a lecturer preparing to give a speech. “There are five rules to using the Book. They must be followed as I lay them down…


“The first rule is that you must always read the book alone. Never tell anyone that you have the book nor let anyone read it.”


“The second rule is that you must always read the book with the hourglass. Never are you to activate one without the other. Disaster lies in that course.”


“The third rule is that when reading the book you must never lose track of either item. If you were to be reading and the hourglass was lost, then you too would be lost. Keep both together.”


“The fourth rule is to always read the book as you wish it to be read. Never lose hope in the story, for you will be lost if you do.”


“The fifth and final rule is as important as the others, even more so if you believe as you should. You must never stop believing in heroes, Nicholas. You must believe with all your heart that good will prevail, that heroes will triumph no matter the odds.”


Nicholas Miles was from what has become such a common state of being for so many young boys and girls. He is being raised by a single mother who works hard but enjoys the bottle a bit more than she should. He has also become the punching bag for the bullies within his school. One morning, after his usual confrontation with these boys, Nicholas just couldn’t bring himself to go inside the school. This time the boys had torn his favorite comic book in half tossing it on the wet ground. Nicholas’ hero was the Mariner and the destruction of this book was the destruction of his comic book friend. With no money to replace the book, the next best place was the library where he could read until his heart was content as he enveloped himself with those who cared… the heroes of the oceans of a world far, far away. What he never dreamed of was Mr. Thompson introducing him to the very old, very special book and the hourglass which he had stored deep within the library waiting for that special person to come along. This book allowed Nicholas to write his own story and live it as it happened. Only he could create the beginning and the end and only he could decide the effect his decisions would have upon everyone involved in his story.







The Ocean and the Hourglass is one of the deepest books I’ve ever read. It awakens the reader to right and wrong in says that I personally have never give thought to. You may ask the question “what is right and what is wrong?” Easy answer? Maybe but “who interprets what is right and wrong?” We all know the 10 commandments, which are cut and dry in definition – aren’t they? What about the gray areas? Can we tell black lies, white lies and gray lies? Or are they all lies? Can we kill people to benefit the masses and it be ok? Are there black killings, white killings and gray killings or again are they just all killings? Are the killing wrong if they will save more then they kill? Are we in our current position by choice or by events and chance? Do events really play a role in the choices we make? As I said, The Ocean and the Hourglass is a deep book of thought. It started out as what I expected to be a children’s book but boy was I wrong as I got deeper and deeper into the thoughts it evoked within me.

Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com ( )

The Mariner could be the next great superhero, or could it possibly be the Prodigy? My mind travels to far off lands and oceans where the characters jump to life with every page I turn. I want to reach inside of the book and take care of the main character, Nicholas Miles. He is only a teenager, but one who has been delivered a hard life! With no father to guide him, and a mother who can only find peace through the bottle, Nicholas attaches himself to the only thing he finds real, The Mariner! A comic book about a man who is one with the ocean and has remarkable superpowers. Nicholas finds himself in the only reality he finds comforting, his comic books.

As he gets to school, he is confronted by the school bully. Mark and his gang of high school thugs are always on the hunt for easy prey to pick on and Nicholas is usually the target! With his favorite comic book torn to shreds, and tears running down his face he finds the strength to stand up, gather his thoughts, walk out school to the place he knew he could order another Mariner Comic, the Library! Finding his way to the library in the freezing cold is no ordinary feat! He has challenges along the way and once he gets there, he finds Mr. Thompson, the librarian, asking questions why Nicholas is not in school again. Of course, Mr. Thompson knows better and has been one of the few friends Nicholas has! Nicholas dodging explanations quickly asks if he can order another comic book, but the librarian has a better idea! As he leads Nicholas to private section where special and rare books are held, he tells Nicholas of a book that is so special that it has rules attached. Seeing the hourglass next to the book Nicholas asks what it is for and Mr. Thompson explains the 5 rules of the book. Nicholas promises to follow the rules and starts reading once the librarian has left the room. What adventures await him as he quickly finds himself immersed within its pages.

The rest you will have to find out for yourself as I would not want to spoil the adventure! I found this book extremely exciting, exhilarating, and action packed with adventures at every turn of the page! Dan O'Brien has a great writing style that does not confuse the reader with overly difficult character development, but with a grace that engulfs you into believing every character in the book picturing in your mind what each one looks like. I loved this book and would definitely recommend not only to young adults, but to reading audiences from children, school systems, science fiction, to adult readers as well.

I received The Ocean and The Hourglass compliments of Dan O'Brien for my honest review and I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars! Would definitely recommend to my children and others to read! Thank you Dan for coming up with an original book that I can only somewhat compare to The Never-Ending Story, written by Michael Ende. The Ocean and The Hourglass, a wonderful Book with twists and turns abound within its pages for all to read! ( )

Life has been hard on Nicholas Miles. His father left him and his mother when he was younger and his mother uses alcohol to deny that reality. Added to that, he’s bullied at school because he loves to get lost in his reading adventures. One morning when three bullies confront him and tear up one of his favorite comic book, Nicholas runs away to the library. The librarian immediately realizes what happened and shares something special with him; a book and an hourglass. Together they transport Nicholas to the land of his comic book hero and the adventure begins.

If you loved the movie The Neverending Story you will love The Ocean and the Hourglass. Nicholas goes on an epic adventure with the book guiding his way. The world and characters that O’Brien brings to life is amazing and vivid. The only reason I didn’t give the book five stars was because of the ending. The fantasy portion of the story was wrapped up nicely and the reality portion of the story had the beginnings of a wrap up but I wish I knew more of what happened to Nicholas once he got back. Other than that this is a perfect adventure for YA readers or anyone who loves a great fantasy read. ( )