Tagged: adventure
Seven Dead Pirates by Linda Bailey
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
A shy boy comes to life and finds his voice when the ghosts of seven dead pirates appear in his bedroom. A humorous, inspiring adventure with poignancy and depth, destined to become a middle-grade classic!
Lewis Dearborn is a lonely, anxious, “terminally shy” boy of eleven when his great-grandfather passes away and leaves Lewis’s family with his decaying seaside mansion. Lewis is initially delighted with his new bedroom, a secluded tower in a remote part of the house. Then he discovers that it’s already occupied — by the ghosts of seven dead pirates. Worse, the ghosts expect him to help them re-take their ship, now restored and on display in a local museum, so they can make their way to Libertalia, a legendary pirate utopia. The only problem is that this motley crew hasn’t left the house in almost two hundred years and is terrified of going outside. As Lewis warily sets out to assist his new roommates — a raucous, unruly bunch who exhibit a strange delight in thrift-store fashions and a thirst for storybooks — he begins to open himself to the possibilities of friendship, passion and joie de vivre and finds the courage to speak up.
[Full disclosure: I received a free paperback copy from the publisher at Book Expo America 2015 with no expectation of a review.]
Obviously middle grade novels aren’t my specialty but I think everyone can remember when they were in this target age group. With that said, Seven Dead Pirates is a book I would have loved when I was younger. Even as an adult I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Our protagonist is Lewis Dearborn, a perpetually shy boy of eleven who is helicoptered by his frantic mother and father, who seem to think he’s made of glass and will break at any second. They think he has all manner of health problems and so are completely obnoxious about it, stifling his social growth both at school (where they frequently come in and embarrass him) and at home. In the beginning of the novel this is particularly bad and you would expect Lewis to have almost no real personality but he does. When he’s alone you really get the feeling that he’s an intelligent, sensitive and curious young boy who wants to get out from under his parents’ stifling presence and explore a bit. Even if it’s just in the old house his great-grandfather bequeathed to them, stipulating in his will that they had to live in it for 6 months before they were able to sell it. Just before he dies, Lewis’ grandfather tells Lewis one thing: “Libertalia”. What is Libertalia? Well, when Lewis finds out he is in for quite the adventure.
What I really loved about Seven Dead Pirates is that although in the beginning all seven of the dead pirates in question are pretty stereotypical pirates but turn out to be three dimensional characters. They’re really not all they seem to be and their real personalities shine through their rough, gruff personas that are designed to impress Lewis and maintain their reputation. And really, all they want is to be able to go to their old ship, which is housed in a museum nearby. The only problem? They haven’t been out of the house in centuries and whenever they try to sneak out as invisible ghosts, cars and other strange things frighten them so they turn visible, thwarting the whole “stealth” aspect of the plan. It’s quite funny how Lewis figures out a workaround to this and at the same time it shows his cleverness. He even disobeys his parents in order to bring his plan to fruition, learning a lot about himself in the process.
The plot isn’t exactly fast-paced but it is funny and interesting. The story itself is not so overly complicated that an 8 or 9 year old couldn’t follow it but there are some scenes that I personally think would be nightmare-inducing at that age. (Or at least it would have been for 8 or 9 year old me.) Which of course firmly sets Seven Dead Pirates in the middle grade novel range. The really good thing about Linda Bailey’s book is that I think it can be enjoyed by anyone on very different levels. Younger readers can enjoy the adventure aspects while more mature readers can also enjoy the moving personal journey Lewis goes on as he discovers some of his independence. And adults can thoroughly enjoy the humour and creativity that Bailey incorporates into the novel. Basically, you can’t go wrong with this book. There’s truly something in it for everyone.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
(Cover picture courtesy of Tower Books.)
A year has passed, but not a day goes by without Meggie thinking of Inkheart, the book whose characters came to life. For the fire-eater Dustfinger, the need to return to the tale has become more desperate. When he finds a crooked storyteller to read him back, he abandons his apprentice Farid and plunges into the pages. Before long, Farid and Meggie are caught inside the book, too. But the story is much changed—and threatening to end tragically.
This may just be me, but I liked Inkspell more than I liked Inkheart. Meggie and Farid journey to the Inkworld, where the villain of the last novel, Capricorn, was originally from. The romance between the two develops at a natural pace as they try to navigate the quasi-Medieval world that has hidden dangers lurking around every corner. The plot is fairly fast-paced and Cornelia Funke’s character development is second only to her wonderful world-building.
Unlike a lot of fantasy writers, Cornelia Funke does not use creatures exclusively from Norse mythology. Fire elves, White women and brownies populate the Inkworld and enchant readers who are used to the normal fantasy clichés. Of course there are taverns, castles and farms (but what fantasy universe doesn’t have these?), but they do not seem out of place with the rest of the world because it is very well developed.
Cornelia Funke is really an excellent writer and Anthea Bell, who translated it from the original German, certainly deserves a lot of credit. Translating a book and still keeping the author’s original subtleties is incredibly hard to do. Most translations make the English version a choppy, poorly written book, yet the writing is still very consistent throughout the novel.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
(Cover picture courtesy of Michael Scott’s website.)
The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life.
The records show that he died in 1418.
But his tomb is empty.
The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It’s the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world.
That’s exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won’t know what’s happening until it’s too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.
Sometimes legends are true.
And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.
Do you love mythology? History? Fast-paced adventure? Then this is certainly the novel for you!
Michael Scott masterfully intertwines history and legend together to create an action-packed, magical thriller that will keep you reading until the early morning hours. This great start to a superb series combines elements of Greek, Roman, Norse and Egyptian mythology to create a believable, magical universe.
Up until the end of the novel, everyone’s intentions seem clear to Josh and Sophie Newman. But everything is not so clear by the end as they begin to realize nothing is in shades of black and white anymore. They discover powers they never knew they had, meet figures of legend and learn a lot about themselves. Filled with interesting points on life and plot twists, The Alchemyst is a highly recommended read.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
(Cover picture courtesy of Wikipedia.)
When eleven-year-old Gregor follows his little sister through a grate in the laundry room of their New York apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland beneath the city. There, humans live uneasily beside giant spiders, bats, cockroaches and rats—but the fragile peace is about to fall apart.
Gregor wants no part in the conflict between these creepy creatures. He just wants to find his way home. But when he discovers that a strange prophecy foretells a role for him in the Underland’s uncertain future, he realizes it might be the only way to solve the biggest mystery of his life. Little does he know his quest will change him—and the Underland—forever.
Many readers are familiar with Suzanne Collins’ second series, The Hunger Games trilogy, but few are familiar with her first series, the Underland Chronicles. Gregor the Overlander is a novel that would be great for younger readers who can’t get enough of The Hunger Games.
Gregor the Overlander is a story about Gregor, an eleven-year-old boy who lives in New York. His dad has been missing for over two years and no one knows where he went. But when Gregor and his little sister fall down a grate in their apartment’s laundry room, Gregor discovers the Underland, a world of darkness in which humans, rats, cockroaches and bats coexist in an uneasy peace. While he wants to get back home as soon as possible, a prophecy made by the founder of the human city will change his life forever.
Gregor is a strong protagonist like Katniss is, complete with flaws and shortcomings. But the one thing that keeps him going throughout the novel is hope, the hope that he will find his father alive and bring him back home. I was rooting for him to succeed from start to finish because he is such a believable protagonist.
Suzanne Collin’s first book is just as dark as The Hunger Games and she spares Gregor no pain. While this book is written for younger readers, there is quite a bit of death and sadness. I would recommend it for mature tweens and young teenagers.
I give this book 4/5 stars.