Bloody Jack by L. A. Meyer – Rating 5
Title: Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary “Jacky” Faber, Ship’s Boy
Author: Meyer, Louis A.
Grade Level: 7th-9th Grade /Lexile 1120 /Reading Level 8th Grade
Plot/Summary: Mary “Jacky” Faber’s adventures began in London in 1797. She was eight years old and belonged to a loving family. But they died of the pestilence and were taken away by Muck, the gravedigger. Lost and with nowhere else to go, she joins a gang of street children and spends the next five years living on the streets with them. But after the teenage leader is murdered, Mary — disguised as a boy — leaves the gang and heads for the docks, hoping to get a berth on a ship.
Because she can read, she is one of six boys taken aboard the HMS Dolphin, a 44-gun frigate and man-of-war. Jacky learns the ropes quickly and becomes “Bloody Jack” after she shoots a pirate and stabs a predatory sailor. Her time at sea was full of adventure, until the inevitable discovery that she is a girl changes everything.
Librarian’s Review: I LOVED this character! Jacky has such a plucky personality. The cockney accent may throw readers a little. It’s hilarious as she tries to maintain what she calls “The Deception”, which is the fact that she’s a she. L.A. Meyer never makes the mistake of making her superhuman. She makes mistakes, she runs afoul of bad circumstances, she feels fear. The dangers that threaten are very real, and the tone of the book sometimes is very dark. But through it all, she remains a plucky, cheerful girl, bouncing quickly back from misfortune, who loves to eat, dance and feel the wind in her face. Her coming of age, a budding romance, and a near-rape by a seaman mark this one for older readers, who will find the salty tale a rattling good read.
Series Information:
- Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary Jacky Faber, Ship’s Boy (2002)
- The Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady (2004)
- Under the Jolly Roger: Being an Account of the Further Nautical Adventures of Jacky Faber (2005)
- In the Belly of the Bloodhound : Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber (2006)
- Mississippi Jack : Being an Account of the Further Waterborne Adventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman, Fine Lady, and the Lily of the West (2007)
- My Bonny Light Horseman : Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, in Love and War (2008)
- Rapture of the Deep: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Soldier, Sailor, Mermaid, Spy (September 2009)
- The Wake of the Lorelei Lee: Being an Account of the Adventures of Jacky Faber, on her Way to Botany Bay (Coming Soon!)
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THIS BOOK RRRROOOOOCCCCKKKSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I started reading these books in sixth grade, and have been obsessed with them since then. I can relate to Jacky so well, and I love how she is so normal. She makes mistakes along the way of trying to be with Jaimy(her first love she finds on the Dolphin). She never loses who she is, her love for Jaimy, and her love for the sea. Even though her mistakes take her from an american school, to the pacific ocean, back to america and on a slave ship, to the wild west she remains who she is, a spunky, wity, hilarious girl and it is so good to read a book that actually has substance and I can relate to incredibly well.
I love this book!
Jacky encounters so many adventures and so many people!
Meyer writes Jacky’s view so well that now I feel like I am her.
Her life has been so fascinating and thrilling, and I’d hate for the book to end!
The series continues on, but I don’t have other books to read.
I need some books like Jacky’s! Help!
these are the best series!!!!
i wanna no if there is a movie comin out cos there should be!!!
i’m up to the 7th book and lovin it
The Bloody Jack series are a wondeful series. i recomend them to pretty much everyone, although, i think they are definatley for older, more mature readers. Jacky is such a fun-loving adventureous girl who gets in one mishap to another. love them~
They definitely are the BEST books ever, no question! They are too fast-paced to be real, but they are soooooo good you can’t help but believe it! They are my favorite books in the universe, and trust me, I’ve read A LOT of books!
that’s right, be excited! Wake of the Lorelei Lee comes out next year!
By the way, the complete list of sequels is:
Bloody Jack
Curse of the Blue Tattoo
Under the Jolly Roger
In the Belly of the Bloodhound
Mississippi Jack
My Bonnie Light Horseman
Rapture of the Deep
Wake of the Lorelei Lee (yet to be released)
(The final book of the series will probably be She Will Play the Wild Rover No More, but hopefully we won’t have to worry about that for a long time…)
Thanks so much for the update! It prompted me to update the post!