Customer Reviews
The Never War 
2007-12-12
The book that I read for my report was called The Never War by D.J. MacHale. The Never War is a fantasy book. It was very, very good.
My book is about a boy named Bobby Pendragon who is called a Traveler. Travelers can go to distant universes to fight off a very evil Traveler named Saint Dane. So, Bobby warps to New York 1937, where he is chased down by gangsters and has to deal with, of course, Saint Dane. As he explores this new, or old (to him), New York, he comes along the First Earth Traveler, Gunny.
Bobby also comes along a man named Max Rose, who was a rich gangster and was working with the Nazis in Germany. He finds out Rose has an enemy, Winn Farrow, a very dangerous gangster. But one thing that really makes Bobby mad is that Winn is planning on destroying a blimp called the Hindenburg. But, this blimp is from Germany and is sending Rose his payments for working with them. Should Bobby stop Winn from blowing it up? Or should he let him destroy it so history can play out the way it was supposed to?
You should really read this book. It is filled with excitement and adventure. I would recommend this book to people who like adventure and action. This was a very, very good book. It was probably one of my favorite books because the book flows and never leaves you hanging. The book is also suitable for people who like history. It is going on in 1937 and that's when World War II started.
Best Time Travel Story Ever Written! 
2007-09-20
In the Never War, Bobby Pendragon time travels to Earth's past through the mysterious flumes. He had a clear mission. He was to prevent a well-known historical disaster before it starts. The idea of changing the course of human history was as exciting as it gets. But he learns that by tinkering with the past, he was about to make the most deadly mistake of all! Not just for him and his friends, but for the future of the entire human race as well! Which was exactly what Saint Dane wanted. He laid a trap for Bobby to fall into, which will mean the destruction of Earth's past, present and future. One that the human race may never recover from. Will Bobby realize Saint Dane's evil plans in time? Can he do the right thing even when the right thing is very hard to do? Well, hobey-ho, let's go!
An all-too-American mentality 
2007-07-19
If you agree with these three premises:
- During WW II, the Americans were indisputably the good guys
- Sometimes a bunch of innocent people have to die for the greater good
- The perfect urban landscape of the future is some kind of suburbanite mega-Atlanta
Then you will probably like this book.
I didn't.
Well-written and thought provoking for adults and kids. 2007-07-07
I've read books 1-5 in the "Pendragon" series. I thought that 1 and 5 were good. I felt that 2 and 4 were really good, but this book, to me, is the standout of the series (so far).
What MacHale has done in "The Never War" - and kids may not realize this -is take a mysterious piece of American history and use it as a backdrop for Bobby Pendragon's third Halla-based adventure. The story is set in a place both familiar and different to the reader. It takes place on Earth...in the past and in the future.
I don't want to go into the plot too much. I'd much rather you learn about that from the book than from me. Suffice it to say this, though - MacHale weaves a plot-web of gang warfare, genocide, and really tough choices to explain the destruction of the airship Hindenburg.
What I said about 'really tough choices' is unquestionably the most compelling part of the story. Bobby learns firsthand what it means to choose the lesser of two evils...and you feel for him.
I recommend this book whole-heartedly. If you're a parent reading this review, and your son or daughter reads the "Pendragon" series, you should check this one out. It's thought-provoking, and it would be a good springboard from which to discuss some tough issues with your child.
Don't Miss It! 2007-04-13
Pendragon The Never War, by D.J. Machale
is a exciting fantasy book that I would not recommend to anyone who is dull and boring.
The story starts as Bobby Pendragon and his friend, Spadder, fell from a flume then found themselves surrounded by old fashion gangsters. After they are taken by the gangsters Pendragon had to give them the ring that ties him to 1st, 2nd and, 3rd earth. Now Bobby is in the bosses office waiting for a chance to escape. After he gets out he received news that his uncle is dead. In dread he runs into someone who his dad saved in the past.
Bobby pendragon is a very smart young man who is a pretty brave guy. He usually finds himself saving people while he is in the middle of trying to focus on something with his friend, Spadder, by his side. One way that Bobby gets himself out of trouble is by distracting the bad guys by talking. Spadder is a very light headed guy who acts before he thinks. He often runs of when he is mad but he normally follows Pendragon. He doesn't call Bobby Pendragon Bobby, He calls him Pendragon.
I think you should read this book because it always leaves you hanging.
Excellent time travel series 2008-06-05
The Never War (Pendragon Series #3) This book came as part of a box set containing the first 3 books in the series. They are quality paper backs. They will probably stand up to a lot of re-reads. I had been in search of a series to fill in the void left from the conclusion of the Harry Potter series. I have found that D. J. MacHale's series about time travel by a teenager and his friends to be an excellent transition from Harry Potter. I am currently finishing up book 8 in the series. I have purchased 7 of the books from Amazon and will buy books 8 and 9 when they come out in paper back. I would highly recommend this series to fans of Harry Potter. Trust me, you won't be disappointed and you will love the adventure.
The Adventure Continues...YESTERDAY! 2008-02-08
D. J. MacHale wrote for television for years before turning his attention to novels. He created ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?, a long-running series on Nickelodeon in the United States, but it also showed in Canada on YTV and Cinar.
For the last few years, he's been writing the adventures of Bobby Pendragon, a boy who's destined - hopefully - to save the world. Several worlds, actually. Bobby is a Traveler, one of those who have the power to "flume" from world to world. He's brought into the adventure by his Uncle Press. As Bobby was growing up, Uncle Press also took Bobby scuba diving, mountain climbing, to martial arts, driving, and several other things that gave him skills he needs to survive against enemies he encounters. All during that time, Uncle Press was training Bobby to be a Traveler.
Bobby's greatest foe is a villain called Saint Dane. Saint Dane has the ability to change his appearance at will and constantly hides in different worlds while working his nefarious plans.
THE NEVER WAR is the third book in this exciting series. In it, Bobby travels to First Earth, which takes place in the year 1937. The gangster era isn't new by any means, and I was slightly let down when I discovered I wasn't being taken to a new world. I especially loved Cloral, the world Bobby went to in the second book, THE LOST CITY OF FAAR, and I look forward to returning there hopefully in one of the later books.
Still, I'm older than the average Pendragon reader. The 1930s and the Hindenburg are familiar to me through several other books I've read as well as history I've researched.
For all the familiarity with the time period, though, MacHale tells a fascinating and fast-paced tale. Bobby and his new best friend Spader land in the 1930s while pursuing Saint Dane. They're immediately met by machine-gun toting thugs that try to kill them. Bobby figures out how to escape and gets Spader out as well. Spader is way out of his depth because he's never seen anything as "technologically advanced" as the 1930s.
One of the best things about the Pendragon books is that Bobby usually gets to save the day in a down-to-earth manner. He doesn't have any really special skills or powers that help him. At this point, he's fourteen years old and can do what most kids that age can. This makes the series more believable in some ways, and I think it draws the Pendragon audience in a little closer.
MacHale's sense of timing and pacing is excellent. The story moves quickly, and I got a real sense of urgency throughout the book as Bobby tries to figure out what Saint Dane is really doing. Many of the chapters end up on cliffhangers that will draw you rapidly into the next chapter. The dialogue is fantastic and sounds real.
One of the other facets of the series that I really enjoy is Bobby's friendship with Mark Dimond and Courtney Chetwynde. The closeness they share, even through Bobby's journals, feels real.
MacHale also mixes in adult heroes with his young champion. Vincent "Gunny" Van Dyke was an excellent grown Traveler in this novel. He was kind and gentle, and guided Bobby and Spader throughout the adventure.
I did miss the world-building in this novel, but I know MacHale gets back to it in later volumes of the series. But for kids who haven't researched the 1930s much, this should be a fun book and on equal footing with fans of Artemis Fowl and Alex Rider.
The Never War 2008-01-10
The Never War is the third book in the Pendragon series. I thought this book was amazing this book I think was the best of all of the pendragons. This book brings back the characters Mark, Courtney, Spader, and Bobby and a new traveler Gunny. This book brings you back into 1937 on first earth. At the start of world war two and ends with a big ending that may shock you.
I would totally recommend this book because it envolve your own world and it makes you brush up on your history. This book is definitely the greatest sci-fi I have read. The Never War is a book that you never want to stop reading it keeps you on the edge of your seat through out the whole story and this book always has you thinking of what could happen next.
Really interesting historical fiction 2007-12-12
This is a really interesting book for probably one reason: the historical fiction.
This book takes you to First Earth, where life is eternally 40 yeaers behind our Second Earth. The plot of this story is where Saint Dane is trying to alter things that have already happened to cause chaos throughout Halla. This is about the Hindenburg. Saint Dane offers Bobby a chance to save the Hindenburg from crashing but what will happen if he doesn't?
This is book is chalk full of good historical fiction. I liked it, A LOT!
The Never War 2007-12-12
For this book review I read Pendragon: The Never War. The author of this fantasy book is D.J Machale.
This book is mostly about Bobby Pendragon who is a traveler and Gunny and Vo Spader, another two travelers who go through the flume that killed Uncle Press. Vo Spader and Bobby Pendragon come out and see two gangsters who have machine guns pointing right at them. The gangsters take them but they both escape and that's where they meet Gunny. Gunny takes them back to his hotel because he is a hotel bellboy. He lets them stay on the sixth floor. They meet a gangster named Max Rose but Max Rose makes them go see Winn Farrow. Winn Farrow catches them and ties them up and he burns the place down, but they escape. A big blimp called the Hindenburg comes in with Max Rose's money in it, but Winn Farrow fires a rocket at it and blows it up and Max runs into the blimp and he dies. They all go back to Second Earth and see their friends.
I think this book is a really good book because it didn't get boring or anything. It was a really exciting book. This book would be best for people who like good adventure books and exciting books.
