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icanreadish's review
fast-paced
4.0
Just as fun as I remember! One of my favorite childhood novels, and I was pleased to read how it held up now that I'm an adult.
thereader222's review
5.0
Like many other reviewers, I read this as a kid and picked it up again recently to see if it still holds up. It totally did for me! Usually I'm quite sad and down when I finish a good book, sad I'm disconnected from the world. But when I finished this book, I was so light and happy, excited even, imagining her future adventures and knowing she was there at the beginning waiting to be read again. There is only one other book where I felt like this and it's one of my favorites.
Its such a good read, well paced and filled with action and suspense (particularly in part 2), I had a hard time putting it down.
The biggest criticism I've seen is how unbelievable her change is, specifically how it happens in such a short time frame. I understand where this is coming from, but for me I saw it as an act of desperation. At this point she is entirely alone, no one trusts her, so in great desperation she changes (literally and figuratively) to show she didn't mean any harm and knows who the real enemy is. And this more tomboyish side of her is hinted at previously with her trying on sailor garb and showing interest in the ship and how it runs. This was kind of analytical but I feel like a teenage girl could change greatly if she was desperate enough, anyone would. The other criticism is they don't like Charlotte, which is valid, everyone has different opinions.
In terms of historical accuracy, I have no clue.
Overall, it was just a fun quick read that was just as good as I remembered, and that ending made me so happy! And honestly I would probably react and act very similar to Charlotte having been a teenage girl myself. So in short I want to be Charlotte Doyle sailing on the Seahwak with my found family.
Its such a good read, well paced and filled with action and suspense (particularly in part 2), I had a hard time putting it down.
The biggest criticism I've seen is how unbelievable her change is, specifically how it happens in such a short time frame. I understand where this is coming from, but for me I saw it as an act of desperation. At this point she is entirely alone, no one trusts her, so in great desperation she changes (literally and figuratively) to show she didn't mean any harm and knows who the real enemy is. And this more tomboyish side of her is hinted at previously with her trying on sailor garb and showing interest in the ship and how it runs. This was kind of analytical but I feel like a teenage girl could change greatly if she was desperate enough, anyone would. The other criticism is they don't like Charlotte, which is valid, everyone has different opinions.
In terms of historical accuracy, I have no clue.
Overall, it was just a fun quick read that was just as good as I remembered, and that ending made me so happy! And honestly I would probably react and act very similar to Charlotte having been a teenage girl myself. So in short I want to be Charlotte Doyle sailing on the Seahwak with my found family.
megpancoast's review
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
trin's review
5.0
One of my absolute favorites as a kid -- nothing else I ever read by Avi could ever come close to living up to it. It's a rip-roaring adventure -- mutiny! murder! boats! -- with a badass female protagonist for whom badassery doesn't come easily, and therefore is even more satisfying when won.
Gosh, so weird that after this formidable reading experience I'd come to really love books about tall ships and women masquerading as men!
Gosh, so weird that after this formidable reading experience I'd come to really love books about tall ships and women masquerading as men!
lizzardwilliams's review
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
fast-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? Yes
5.0
I read this book in middle school and it really stuck with me, I really loved it and still think of it often.
bondo's review
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
moviekiss5's review
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
bookph1le's review
4.0
For a book that's so fast-paced and action oriented that I wanted to just keep turning pages, this is also a very meaty novel with one of the absolute best book endings I've read in a long time. More complete review to come.