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Cooper and the Enchanted Metal Detector was a surprising read. I chose to read it based on the title alone, a personal connection with the name Cooper. It wasn't necessarily the best reason to pick a book, but I'm glad I did.
Cooper is a young boy that lives with his mother. They run an antique shop. They used to go to garage sales together to find items to sell in their shop. Now, Cooper does most of the work. He basically runs their home and business. Unfortunately, it is obvious pretty early on that Cooper wishes his mother would be more of a mom and less of a child. They are barely squeaking by. Cooper has to decide which bills to pay each month and see if there is any money left over for food. Thankfully he is able to work his way into garage sales early and get the best picks. One day, he meets a woman that gives him a metal detector. He decides to use it at home, and he uncovers some amazing things. Mr. Shepherd from the historical museum wants those items in the museum, but he also wants to help Cooper. Add in someone else coming and trying to take their land, and you have one nervous adventure of growth.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the fact that Cooper talks to things. He talks to his bicycle, his mop, his stuffed animal, Earth, and ghosts. Yes, this is a surprising ghost story. It absolutely works in this book though. It isn't a scary story with tons of ghosts walking around. It is actually very tastefully done. There is also a lot of history in this book. Cooper is discovering items from a battlefield from the Revolutionary War. I love historical fiction, but only if it is written in a way to keep my attention. Many historical fictions can get very wordy. I will admit there were a few times where the history seemed a bit longer than necessary, but most of the time I was completely captivated.
Cooper has a lot of obvious psychological issues, just like his mother. There are many demons in their past that are revealed the further you get into the story. What starts as a somewhat confusing story is weaved into a very perfectly detailed story of growth. I had a hard time putting this book down because I genuinely cared about Cooper. While the other characters didn't have as much as an impact on me, I wouldn't go so far as to say they were underdeveloped. I feel like I have so much more I could say about this book, but I have already said so much. I also don't want to ruin any of the surprises this book holds. So, definitely pick this one up, and be prepared to want to pick up a metal detector as well.
