“Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary “Jacky” Faber, Ship’s Boy.” By: L.A. Meyer
Book 13 of 2023
A summary
Mary Faber lives in eighteenth-century London. Like many other children in the gangs she is an orphan left to fend for herself and her crew out on the streets of the city. After another loss in her world Mary decides that this is not the life for her and begins an unlikely story of being a ship’s boy on the HMS Dolphin. With her determined spirit, courage, and quick thinking Mary finds herself a respected and important member of the Dolphin’s crew. As Mary grows up over time new challenges arise and with each one a possibility of being caught on board. Will she successfully pull off the deception or will she be disembarked at the next port?
Thoughts and Review
I ran out of library books and my daughter had this one out. We decided I would read it first then we could discuss it when she finishes it. I haven’t read a young adult book in years. It was a really fun read going back in time to when I would read them. I am so excited to get to share this book with her in addition to the ones I recommend from my own youth. It was a whole new world to explore in the mind of a young girl. To see how Jacky ages while finding her own feet in a world completely unknown to her (or ever where she never thought she would ever be) was a wonderful experience. Instead of being this heroic enigma Jacky is a girl who is so much more than even she or I think she really is. There is no one like her. In the future I can’t wait to see where she finds herself next or how she surprises even herself.
Recommendation
I would recommend this novel to anyone looking to go on a sea faring adventure. For a minute forget that this is a Young Adult book. It is such a wild imaginative adventure set on the sea with such a motley crew of characters to get to know. There is sadness, drama, humour, excitement, and battles to be found within the pages. This book gives such an interesting perspective of the ship culture when filtered through the eyes of a young girl. This is a fantastic read. Happy Reading!