Right from the start the book has an air of intrigue and foreboding. Charlotte states in a foreword that she has been accused of murder and found guilty. When we begin the book, well before the time of her statement, we can see her journey is ill-fated from the start. The families she had planned to travel with are not on the ship. But far worse is the reaction everyone seems to have when they learn she is planning to sail on the Seahawk with Captain Jaggery.
Caught in the middle between the Captain, who in his dress and affect seems a gentleman, and a crew who loathes him, Charlotte’s innocence and naiveté put her in an untenable position. No matter who she tries to please, she is in the wrong. No matter what she does, she will never fully have the trust of the others. In this voyage, her life will change forever and the world she knew will become as unnatural to her as this life at sea once was.
I don’t want to say too much for fear of giving everything away, but this was a pretty terrific book, but very much with a hard edge. Don’t expect things to be tied up neatly and resolve with a happily ever after, at least not in the typical predictable way. It’s absolute the kind of book you keep thinking about even after you’ve finished.
Great for: Although not nearly so lighthearted as the Jacky Faber series, this will appeal to those who liked the idea of a girl working hard on the high seas. This is also a book that despite its female main character, should have reasonable appeal to boys. Due to the content and vocabulary, I would recommend this for Grades 4 and up.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – There are pictures of a scandalous nature in the sailor’s quarters.
Profanity – “Hell,” a sailor “swore”, “damned,” “damn,”
Death, Violence and Gore –The book begins with Charlotte stating that she has been accused of murder and found guilty. Charlotte is offered a knife for her own protection. A man has cut off another man’s arm. The ship has muskets aboard. For disobeying or not acting swiftly enough men are pushed, slapped, keelhauled (dragged alongside the ship under water), whipped or hit with large wooden dowels. There are pistols, swords, knives and cutlasses. There’s a mention of letting men rot and the crows pecking out their eyes. A man is shot and blood gushes from his body and mouth. Pink bubbles form at his mouth. His dead body is dragged across the deck leaving a trail of blood. A man is whipped to death. A man is found dead, stabbed in the back. Charlotte is sentenced to hanging. A man falls overboard and is not rescued.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – Sailors are given rum.
Frightening or Intense Things – The ship’s cook is the subject of some abuse from the crew because he is black. Charlotte slips and is dragged in the water. The ship goes through a hurricane. Charlotte sees a man who is supposed to be dead.
