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books_in_wales's review
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
amothersmusings1's review
4.0
Mary Read (also known as Mark Read) was an English pirate of the early 18th century who, with her crew mate Anne Bonny, became legendary as one of the few female pirates. Read's early life is largely unknown but author Ros Barber has written a story in “Nothing Becoming” imagining her as a young girl learning to become, look and act like a boy. Written in a style befitting the English language of the time period, this fictional recount story does Mary proud and sets the scenes for the start of her unusual life perfectly.
Narrated in the first person by Mary, as if talking to her missing brother, we hear and feel Mary’s first hand thoughts and emotions about being forced to dress as a boy from a young age and having to deal with puberty and all it entailed. Combined with the physiological female sensations she experienced, I truly felt for Mary and her predicament of concealing her sex from even her closest friends.
I liked how Mary was sometimes interpreted as being better than her male counterparts in various masculine expectations and this made for an interesting and addictive read.
Nice, short, concise chapters make it super easy to follow and if you enjoy unique, literary and poetic style writing and you have the time, patience and liking to afford the scholarly dedication this book respects, you’ll find it a phenomenal reading experience that leaves you thinking about the fictional and real life Mary Read for many days to come. “Nothing Becoming” is a fantastic fictional retelling of a cross dressing woman warrior and formidable pirate of the mighty oceans!
#NothingBecoming - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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