A review by hay_jude
A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I had read this book as a teenager and remembered it was a bit disturbing but couldn't remember why, although I knew it was about children and pirates. I think it was regarded by some people, or possibly remembered by people who read it as children, as an adventure story for children, but it is nothing of the kind  as becomes clear when you reread it as an adult. Its actually a novel about the world of children and adults and how they can interact in disturbing and sometimes nightmarish ways, especially when adults lack the capacity or will to provide adequate care and attention to the needs of children so in some ways its a cautionary tale. It's also quite a weird but very compelling read, brilliantly   imagined with incredibly vivid descriptions of scenes which stay with you long after you've finished the book. Very much recommended but prepare to be unsettled by it.