Alchemy

The summer of 1984 was a golden time in America. From California, where gymnast Mary Lou Retton was winning Olympic gold, to Cape Cod, where explorer Barry Clifford was discovering pirate gold, the nation seemed obsessed with the precious metal. But for 15-year old Al, that obsession hits a little too close to home when he finds a code-filled notebook belonging to his missing father that may contain the ancient formula for turning lead to gold. Convinced that his father's sudden disappearance is connected to his secret experiments in alchemy, Al sets out to find the truth. He enlists the help of Cammie, a beautiful girl staying for the summer while her marine biologist father tracks a wayward manatee, and together they begin unraveling the mystery. But the closer they get to an answer, the closer they grow to each other, and as the end of summer draws nearer, Al wonders if they can break the code without breaking his heart.

Genre
adventurehistorical fictionmysteryromance
Setting
2010s
Audience
young adult
Length
medium · 368 pages

Click a tag to see books like this one that share it.

Read it? Sign in to help tag it.

Liked Alchemy? Here’s where I’d start.

These suit anyone who liked Alchemy. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.

  1. yolo Shares young adult, adventure, fiction
  2. Charlie Shares young adult, fiction, indie
  3. Disruption Shares young adult, adventure, mystery
  4. We Interrupt This Date Shares fiction, mystery, romance

“People who read Alchemy tend to reach for these next.”

  1. Spectacle
  2. My Perfect Wedding
  3. The Butterfly Key
  4. The Little Known

“If you want more of the same (adventure), start with these.”

  1. Assassin
  2. Pirates of Savannah: The Hunt for Shamus's Booty
  3. Target
  4. Disciple (Part I)

“If it was the indie that hooked you, try one of these.”

  1. Sweet Friday Island
  2. The Sweet Life
  3. Between A Rock And A Hard Place
  4. Sykosa

“These start from a similar idea, even if they go somewhere else with it.”

  1. The Emerald Tablet: Alchemy of Personal Transformation
  2. The Battle Of The Sun
  3. Indiana Jones and the Philosopher's Stone
  4. Ten Thousand Islands