Wednesday, July 15, 2009

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Author: Avi

First line: Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty.

Why you should read this book: Since her hard-nosed father won't let her leave school in the middle of the semester to travel to America with the rest of the family, proper young lady Charlotte Doyle must sail unaccompanied across the Atlantic on one of her father's ship, the Seahawk, under the care of Captain Jaggery. But Jaggery is a twisted and perhaps insane sadist who has cut off a sailor's arm, and Charlotte finds herself the only passenger on a ship manned by an angry, beaten-down, and mutinous crew, torn between her upbringing as an obedient child subservient to authority and a courageous young woman with a stake in equality. A glorious page-turner, this award-winning novel submerges the reader in a nineteenth-century world of murder, hurricanes, lies, and redemption.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You have a very rigid definition of natural behavior for girls.

1 comment:

Author Tony Peters said...

I love Avi. Such a good author! I will definitely read this book!

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/