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508 reviews for:
Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy
L.A. Meyer
4.03 AVERAGE
508 reviews for:
Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy
L.A. Meyer
4.03 AVERAGE
This was a favorite book of mine in high school and it was fun rereading it!
The thing I love most about the book is Jacky (or Mary). She has such a fun personality to read. She is flawed, but also capable (and learns new skills throughout the book). She feels like such a real person to me and I'm always rooting for her.
Some thoughts on the series as a whole (having now read all 12 books):
-Jacky is such a fun character. She is able to charm people in such a fun way and is capable and always learning new skills. She is loyal to her friends and her impulsivity is usually charming rather than annoying (to read, I have a lot of sympathy for Amy).
-I really liked Jaimy at the beginning of the series, but by halfway through series, I no longer wanted him and Jacky to get together in the end. It was tiresome that the star-crossed lovers trope continued through all 12 books and that neither of them could stay faithful to each other (and it was most irritating when Jaimy would get mad at Jacky for her male friends when he was no better). I personally liked Richard for Jacky, but I do think he and Clarissa are great together.
-For me, the series peaked at The Belly of the Bloodhound (my personal favorite book in the series). There were a couple later books that I really liked, but the longer the series went on, the more I was reading simply to finish the series and less because I loved the series.
-There were always questionable morals in the book when it came to sex, but the books get worse the longer the series goes on. There are some things in the later books that made me very uncomfortable and I wouldn't want my teenagers to read some of the later books because of it. It was frustrating for me, because it felt like the series started off better and then got worse, but it never crossed the line for me and I was already committed.
The thing I love most about the book is Jacky (or Mary). She has such a fun personality to read. She is flawed, but also capable (and learns new skills throughout the book). She feels like such a real person to me and I'm always rooting for her.
Some thoughts on the series as a whole (having now read all 12 books):
-Jacky is such a fun character. She is able to charm people in such a fun way and is capable and always learning new skills. She is loyal to her friends and her impulsivity is usually charming rather than annoying (to read, I have a lot of sympathy for Amy).
-I really liked Jaimy at the beginning of the series, but by halfway through series, I no longer wanted him and Jacky to get together in the end. It was tiresome that the star-crossed lovers trope continued through all 12 books and that neither of them could stay faithful to each other (and it was most irritating when Jaimy would get mad at Jacky for her male friends when he was no better). I personally liked Richard for Jacky, but I do think he and Clarissa are great together.
-For me, the series peaked at The Belly of the Bloodhound (my personal favorite book in the series). There were a couple later books that I really liked, but the longer the series went on, the more I was reading simply to finish the series and less because I loved the series.
-There were always questionable morals in the book when it came to sex, but the books get worse the longer the series goes on. There are some things in the later books that made me very uncomfortable and I wouldn't want my teenagers to read some of the later books because of it. It was frustrating for me, because it felt like the series started off better and then got worse, but it never crossed the line for me and I was already committed.
My plan to listen to all of the ALA Odyssey Award winners seems to be working. This was excellent on audio.
This story reminded me of a cross between True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Celia Rees' Pirates!
Mary Faber finds herself homeless and begging on the London streets when her family dies from illness. She eventually disguises herself as a boy and signs up as a ship's boy on the HMS Dolphin. Fighting pirates, dodging the ship's bullies, and forming friendships with the other ship's boys, Mary (renamed Jacky) discovers a love for the sea and a freedom no girls in her time enjoy.
Frank discussions about Jacky's developing sexuality and the harsh conditions of life at sea definitely mark this book as YA. The first in a series, I look forward to more of Jacky's adventures.
This story reminded me of a cross between True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Celia Rees' Pirates!
Mary Faber finds herself homeless and begging on the London streets when her family dies from illness. She eventually disguises herself as a boy and signs up as a ship's boy on the HMS Dolphin. Fighting pirates, dodging the ship's bullies, and forming friendships with the other ship's boys, Mary (renamed Jacky) discovers a love for the sea and a freedom no girls in her time enjoy.
Frank discussions about Jacky's developing sexuality and the harsh conditions of life at sea definitely mark this book as YA. The first in a series, I look forward to more of Jacky's adventures.
Just couldn’t get into the style of the story.
A bit long winded so far but I do like it. This series is constantly mentioned as a school library favorite.
So much fun! I particularly recommend the audio version of this one.
Recommended as a good story for my family to read together, I tried this one on audio for my sons. While it had some interest for them initially and certainly was well-performed on audio and well-written, my boys quickly lost interest as some of the themes (young girl coming of age and discovering boys, terror on the seas) were a little intense for them. So it was one of those stories targeted for youth that probably had more appeal for me than my children. I guess I'd give it a B+ but because it was intended for my kids, I'm lowering my grade one level.
And while I have some interest in continuing the series (Meyer has written 10 books in this historical fiction series thus far) as he certainly has better writing skills than many of the authors out there writing currently for tweens, I'm not sure if it's a series I'd give another shot. Ultimately, the book moved too slowly and I do think some of the ways in which he described the encounters was too vivid for its targeted audience. It's almost as if he would have been happier writing a book for adults in which the main characters happened to be 13-year-olds.
And while I have some interest in continuing the series (Meyer has written 10 books in this historical fiction series thus far) as he certainly has better writing skills than many of the authors out there writing currently for tweens, I'm not sure if it's a series I'd give another shot. Ultimately, the book moved too slowly and I do think some of the ways in which he described the encounters was too vivid for its targeted audience. It's almost as if he would have been happier writing a book for adults in which the main characters happened to be 13-year-olds.
I'm so sad I missed out on reading this as a child, because this was right up my alley in my middle school days. Jacky is a wayfarer's dream come true, and it certainly felt like all of the fantastical exploits I imagined for myself and my friends when we were kids had a place in this book. While this was much more about the fun side of being a cross-dressing shipmate, it was still balanced by very real consequences and sobering realizations that not all adventures are as happy-go-lucky as they might seem in your mind. But overall, this was delightful from start to finish, and I am holding onto it to pass along to other kids with big imaginations for the whole wide world out there just waiting to be explored.
fabulous. when you read them in a row, they can get repetitive. great way to put history together.
Where have I been. This is an exciting YA swashbuckler about Mary "Jacky" Faber, an orphan who escapes the streets of London by disguising herself as a boy and joining the crew of HMS Dolphin. She must keep up "The Deception" while finding her sea legs, battling pirates, and falling in love with a fellow ships boy. (Note: There is a creepy pedophile on board who tries to assault our heroine. He gets what's coming to him, but some readers might not be up for that.) (Also noted: The audiobook version is fantastic.)