Brilliant, original, and thrillingly believable

books:


	• Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy (Bloody Jack ... L. A. Meyer Harcourt Paperbacks, 2004 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 53 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

My Favorite Series

This series is on a level with the Harry Potter series for overall readability. I fell in love with the character of Jacky Faber because she is rough, ready, thoughful, caring, intelligent, practical, and charismatic. And that is just the begining of this wonderful character that a man created. May L.A. Meyer keep writing because I can't wait for the next book. I read the whole series very quickly because once started there really isn't any good place to stop. I wish I'd read them slowly because now I've got too much time on my hands to wonder what happens next. Bless you Mr. Meyer for creating a woman with a spine. There are so few of them in fiction that the great ones really stand out. And Jacky is in a league of her own.

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Brilliant, original, and thrillingly believable

What an excellent read! The writing is superb, the characters are dynamic, and the story as perfectly balanced, detailed, and deft as the ship on which it's set! I couldn't have enjoyed Jacky's story or its telling more. This writer is truly an adept artist. Were I 15 years younger (i.e. 9 yrs old), I've no doubt I'd be arguing with the librarian that the book belongs in the nonfiction shelves. Such a true-to-life adventure.

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Bloody Jack

Excellent! Adventure, great characters, great writing, a little romance. I am looking forward to reading the whole series. Recommended for 13yrs plus

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7 new books

I recently ordered 7 books-2 from Amazon and 5 from Smokey Mountain Books and all promptly arrived in great condition. They are exactly what I wanted.

Delightful

Wow. It's been a long time since I've read a YA book I liked so much. Bloody Jack is historical fiction set in the Age of Sail and obviously draws heavily upon the influence of Patrick O'Brian's books (our heroes even cross paths with a ship called The Surprise), yet it is also thoroughly original. The tale follows the adventures of an 8 year old girl whose parents die of infectious disease. She is turned out on the streets of London, where she must battle hunger and dodge the anatomist's collectors. Things finally get so bad that she dresses up as a boy and signs onto a king's ship to fight pirates.

Everything about this story is spot on - from the pacing, to the gritty realism (the author takes an unflinching view of life on the street and on the ship), to the delightful gutter snipe voice, to the absolutely believable and utterly loveable protagonist. The emotion reaction of the little girl to the death and danger all around her is perfect. Her internal voice has exactly the right amount of trauma balanced against a child's resilience - her ability to forget and her drive to survive. Her development through puberty is handled seamlessly. Even the narrator for the audio version is a perfect match for the story. I listened to the book, and I highly recommend the audio.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas.
There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she will have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret. This could be the adventure of her life--if only she doesn't get caught. . . .

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