Monday, June 9

Bloody Jack

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary “Jacky” Faber, Ship’s Boy
L. A. Meyer
(Bloody Jack Adventures #1)

My rating: ★★★

ISBN: 9780152167318
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Date of publication: September 1, 2002
Age: Grades 6 and up
Genre: Historical Fiction

Themes: Pirates, gender, British Royal Navy, coming of age

Mary Faber is not enjoying life as an orphan fighting for her life on the streets of London. She dreams of adventure and discovers, with a change of clothing and some quick wit, she can get much further as a boy. And so she enlists as a ship’s boy on the HMS Dolphin. With a strong dose of courage, “Jacky” sets out to become a respected sailor amidst cutthroat pirates and dangerous shipmen.

To be perfectly honest, I did enjoy this book. The story was exciting and Jacky is a most spirited, witty, and spunky character to read. Parts were a tad farfetched…but hey, why not? Why not be flown on a giant kite behind the ship? But I’m getting ahead of myself. Overall, yes, it is recommended. Will I read the rest of the books in the (very extensive) series? We’ll see.

Now, just so you all know, this is an orphan girl living on a ship as she reaches that certain age of maturity (puberty!) and so your 11-year-old boy might not enjoy it so much. The girls, however, will probably find it as hilarious as I did. (Spoiler! She thinks she’s dying, haha).

Warning: Explicit Content
Some sexuality

Find it at your library or on Amazon

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