Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy (Bloody Jack #1)

Reader reviewed by KJ

"Adventure And Deception On The High Seas" - Bloody Jack

Mary Faber was very young when she was orphaned on the streets of London. Taking place during the eighteenth-century, Bloody Jack follows young Mary as she searches for food and struggles for survival with her gang of friends. When Mary looses a close friend she realizes she wants to change her life. Cutting her hair and disguising herself as a boy, Mary "Jacky" becomes a ships boy on the HMS Dolphin. She has tricked her fellow ship boys and the rest of the crew thus far, but when Jacky starts becoming growing up, she faces quite a few problems...

This is one of my all time favorite series. Jacky is a lovable and overall great main character. The novel is filled with excitement and I would recommend this book to anyone.

Reader reviewed by KitKat

Love it! Jacky is smart and cool, a really amazing main character. She's got flaws, too, though, and really comes to life! Normally I /hate/ historical fiction, but in this case I loved the book, even though it's set in the early eighteen hundreds. I'm reading the rest of the series pronto!

Reader reviewed by Sarah D

Mary Jacky Faber is an orphaned street girl in London in the early 1800s. She wants more for her life and grabs an opportunity to become a ships boy on the HMS Dolphin. Here the adventure begins! Disguised as a boy Jacky has some roaring adventures aboard the ship, out at sea, and on land. This action-packed, non-stop book will leave a smile plastered on your face as you become Jacky and experience her in all her English-Cockney glory. I couldnt put the book down, but when I finally had too, I was all too happy to pick up the second in the series (it is almost better than the first!)

Reader reviewed by Abi

I love this book and all the books following this one. The fasinating story of Mary "Jacky" Faber begins on the streets of Cheapside London. Orphaned at a young age, Mary lives beneeth a bridge with her gang of ruffians. But her childhood friend Charlie is murdered she joins the British Navy diguised as a ships boy in hopes of a new life. But keeping her Gender secret on a ship made up of all men is difficult, expectially when she falls in love with another ships boy nicknamed Jaimy. Faced with the dangers of a life at sea, the capturing of a pirate ship proves deadly when Jaimy is nearly killed my a pirate when Mary saves his life. Mary, now christened Bloody Jack, is seen as a hero. But rumors of her unlucky nature rise suspisions among the crew and friendships become strained between her and her shipmates. It is then that she reveals her real identity to Jaimy and finds that the feeling is mutual.

Jacky is on top of the world when the persuing of a pirate turns sour and the ship is forced to land on an island off the coase of south america. As the smallest member of the crew Jacky is chosen to take part in an exploration to see if there is any land surrounding the island. But the rope holding Jacky to the ground uproots a tree and she is blown from the island landing on the lush rainforests of south america. The crew scrambles to make repairs to the ship and follow the smoke signals Jacky sends them from the mainland. But will the band of pirates they are tracking get there first? Will Jacky's diguise be discovered? Will she and Jaimy ever be able to fulfill there dreams of living together without the danger of Jacky's secret?

Reader reviewed by Jenna

This series is my personal favorite. But I would definitely recommend reading them in order!

Mary Faber is an orphan. In fact, she is one of the only orphans in Cheapside London who can read! One day after a tragic incident she decides begging on street corners isn't exactly her thing, so she heads off to the harbor, where she pretends to be a boy to get onto a ship. Her view on ship life is hilarious, especially because she calls everything as she sees it, down to the tiniest detail.

But her time on the ship is in danger because, wonder of wonders, she starts growing up. And along with growing up comes (you guessed it) her first love. Can you imagine how difficult it would be to pretend you are a boy while you're in love with another guy?

But anyways, the story is wonderful, the climax is great, amd the ending tugs at your heartstrings. All in all, a truly enchanting book.

Reader reviewed by Erin

This book is one of the best books that has ever walk across the earth. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book so much. It is the best. It is about an homeless girl that is named Mary. She turns her self into a boy to get a better life. Everyone on the crew thinks she is a boy. This is the first book in the Bloody Jack Anventures. The best books ever.

Reader reviewed by Ireland

This book was one of my favourites ever since fifth grade, I loved the flow of this story and how many things you could find to relate to.
Starting out on the cold dirt- ridden streets there lives a orphaned girl with the rest of her gang of poor orphaned children. The adventure begins when Mary, the main character in this book, discovers a newfound wanting for adventure inside herself which leads to where she boards a ship as a crewmember.
I found this book to be page-turning and suspenseful when she decided to disguise herself as a boy (for girls were not allowed to be a crewmember)and board the ship to join the other lives of the boys around her.
From there on her journey leads through the waves and storms of the seas where she seeks for her true purpose and trys to keep hidden her biggest secret, that she is a girl!
I strongly reccomend this book to anyone for it was an amzing story and I think anyone would enjoy it!