Bloody Jack: By L.A. Meyer Review

Title: Bloody Jack
Author: L.A. Meyer
Series: Bloody Jack #1
Pages: 320
Publisher: Harcourt
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: Bought

GoodReads Description:
Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas. There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she will have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret. This could be the adventure of her life--if only she doesn't get caught. . . .

My Review:
I first borrowed Bloody Jack from the library about…eight or nine years ago…wow I feel old…At the time, I was going through library books like a monster, checking out 15-20 every few weeks and drinking them down like water in the desert. I remember getting this book and thinking it was weird because of a cross-dressing girl, but figured you know...what the hell, I’ve read everything else in the teen section…cross dressing is all that is left...I even put it off until I had read all 18 other books that I had checked out before even looking at it again. Yet there was something that made me really want to try it. Maybe it was pirates, maybe it was the completely obscene (and AWESOME) opening scene full of corpses, whatever it was, I started reading and then after the first few pages I was completely and entirely hooked to the series.

Jacky’s voice is entrancing...She is so smart-mouthed and hilarious that I found myself laughing at something she said every other page. Her character is utterly original and her personality is one of the most developed I've seen in forever! Everything she cares about and wants is displayed via actions and beliefs as well as words. One of my least favorite things that authors can do is spell out the way their character thinks instead of showing it in how the character acts, and I am so glad to say that Jacky is her own person. She has such character depth, as do all of the other characters in the book, both major and minor. Everyone has their own motives, and directives. It's like each of the main characters need their own stories because they are so real they deserve it.

L.A. Meyer is a true bard. That sounds super corny, but I'm totally serious. He wins my award for best author...and I read A LOT of different books. Not only is his lyrical prose amazing, but he also has the ability to take secondary characters and have them come to life and create their own interweaving side stories. One of my favorite things in the book is the differing voices of the characters. Jacky is from cheapside and her Cockney colors her voice. She has had a hard upbringing and it shows in the different choices she makes and the vulgar things she says that keeps the other ship's boys on their toes. L.A. Meyer takes the time to craft an incredibly detailed and amazing story that uses a fantastic character. Other sailors from other parts of the world have different ways of speaking, and the higher ranking the officer, the more regal and educated their voices sound. Overall this makes a fantastic mental picture with depth that I have scarcely found in other works. The way that the story flows from his mind is eerie, it is literally like watching a movie in your head. All details are there and nothing is left out. The imagery is absolutely fantastic. I sound like I’m ranting, but for real, this book is amazing.

Historically, Bloody Jack is like taking a page out of the history of London. I’m not sure about historical accuracy, but it sure was believable to me. I literally felt like I was sailing around the world on a King’s Royal Navy ship with one foxy girl and a barrage of sailors both evil and benign. Meyer has obviously done his research for the book. Everything from history in the papers and lessons, to the sea lore, to simple things like directions on how to splice a line or trim the sails adds to the accuracy and feeling of the book. Some of my favorite things were the sailing songs that Jacky learns while she's on the ship. They really give an authentic flair to the story, as well as help give the characters depth because they share songs that are native to their homes.

I give this book 5 Keys. I would definitely give it 6 Keys if I could. I have said for a long time that it is one of my favorite Young Adult series, and it truly is wonderful. If you don't believe me, believe this. The Bloody Jack series is a strong competitor with HARRY POTTER for my favorite series of all time. And if you know me at all, you know how amazing that is. This series has depth, amazing characters, fantastic plot lines, and and incredibly strong main character. If you like Young Adult books of any kind, then I recommend this series.