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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
LGBTQIA rep
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Slow to start, but worth sticking with. A great adaptation.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
good and wholesome, but a bit forgettable. (guessed the twist again :/)
3.75 stars***
LESBIAN PIRATES. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
Ooo I loved how this book was rooted in true histories and myths about pirates. I like that it challenges the readers expectations and perceptions of the Treasure Island/Pirates of the Caribbean stories, and gives it beautiful, non-exoticized Asian AND LGBTQ+ flavour.
I also loved the way C.B. Lee provides notes on how they carefully chose the way Chinese and Vietnamese language and names are represented in this book. The names are intentionally not Anglicized and there is a wonderful pronunciation guide in the back. She also provides a lot of historical context about the process of writing different languages in the Roman alphabet. I found this all very insightful.
She also gives us a bit of a historical account of the real Zheng Yi Sao, a pirate queen born in 1775 and arguably the most successful pirate of all time - whom this story is largely based upon.
In terms of the plot itself - lots of lovable and love-hateable characters. This book allows its reader to breathe the salt air and gaze on the horizon through the eyes of two gay pirate girls who dream of seeing/learning/having MORE in life. We get to be part of the camaraderie of a pirate ship crew that becomes more than family. We feel the rush of adventure and seeking treasure and the lightness of starting again on your own terms. We also experience the heartache and grief of loved ones and expectations of those around us being ripped out from under our feet.
Come for the treasure, stay for the precious budding sapphic romance that's not at all spicy but very very sweet (and SURPRISE! The love story is the greatest treasure found in this story anyway!)
This book solidly plants itself in the YA genre, but more and more I appreciate the ease of access to such stories in YA, especially like this, that that remind us WHO WE SEE/LEARN ABOUT IN HISTORICAL AND CLASSICAL WRITINGS INTENTIONALLY EXCLUDE SPECIFIC GROUPS AND IDENTITIES BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY DIDN'T EXIST AND THEY WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN.
LESBIAN PIRATES. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
Ooo I loved how this book was rooted in true histories and myths about pirates. I like that it challenges the readers expectations and perceptions of the Treasure Island/Pirates of the Caribbean stories, and gives it beautiful, non-exoticized Asian AND LGBTQ+ flavour.
I also loved the way C.B. Lee provides notes on how they carefully chose the way Chinese and Vietnamese language and names are represented in this book. The names are intentionally not Anglicized and there is a wonderful pronunciation guide in the back. She also provides a lot of historical context about the process of writing different languages in the Roman alphabet. I found this all very insightful.
She also gives us a bit of a historical account of the real Zheng Yi Sao, a pirate queen born in 1775 and arguably the most successful pirate of all time - whom this story is largely based upon.
In terms of the plot itself - lots of lovable and love-hateable characters. This book allows its reader to breathe the salt air and gaze on the horizon through the eyes of two gay pirate girls who dream of seeing/learning/having MORE in life. We get to be part of the camaraderie of a pirate ship crew that becomes more than family. We feel the rush of adventure and seeking treasure and the lightness of starting again on your own terms. We also experience the heartache and grief of loved ones and expectations of those around us being ripped out from under our feet.
Come for the treasure, stay for the precious budding sapphic romance that's not at all spicy but very very sweet (and SURPRISE! The love story is the greatest treasure found in this story anyway!)
This book solidly plants itself in the YA genre, but more and more I appreciate the ease of access to such stories in YA, especially like this, that that remind us WHO WE SEE/LEARN ABOUT IN HISTORICAL AND CLASSICAL WRITINGS INTENTIONALLY EXCLUDE SPECIFIC GROUPS AND IDENTITIES BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY DIDN'T EXIST AND THEY WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN.
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A