The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Avi has always been such a mysterious author to me. The first book I ever read by him was a book about how books are made, and I loved it. Of course, it was from the 1980s and had a lot about floppy disks and such, but for a four year old dreaming of publication, it was a magical thought.

For the longest time, I didn't want to google him because I didn't want to loose that dream-like feeling his books had for me, but eventually I had to to look for a list of books by him. Poof. Magic gone. But still, it's there, like the state after a dream where you're awake, but still in the dream world. That's where I'll be, Peter... Sorry, random Hook reference. Okay... the official review.

Title: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Author: Avi

Genre: Adventure

Rating: 9

Charlotte Doyle is excited to return to the States after her time at a school in England. She plans to take a boat back along with two other families. But, they have to cancel their plans. So, Charlotte is left on a ship with a mean, cruel captain that nobody likes, and a crew that wants to get rid of the captain and plans for mutiny.

As the trip progresses, the fight between captain and crew grows worse. After certain circumstances arrive, Charlotte becomes part of the crew and earns respect. But as more and more people die and, and the mysteries surrounding the voyage and history of the captain and his crew continues to grow murkier, Charlotte is brought closer to her death than anyone would like to be.

***

So, this book is amazing. I love a good adventure at sea, especially with a strong-minded girl that isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. It's so rare to find a female main character without a love interest. Girls are watered down. They are either so romantic and scatter-brained that men rule and they are just a nuisance, or they are so hard and unreachable that they aren't plausible and they just don't add function to the story.

Girls can be dynamic, too, people!

Examples of strong girls with either little love/romantic stuff going on or at least dynamic and strong:
-Èowyn from Lord of the Rings (especially in the movies)
-Charlotte (from this)
-Princess Leia
-Ella from Just Ella
 A lot of others I don't have time to list. I may have to do a special post on Books' Best Heroines...

Pros:
-Fascinating story
-Beautiful writing
-Unpredictable
-Mystery finely woven throughout the story
-No romance
-a GREAT antagonist
-A very strong heroine
-Well-developed characters
-page-turnign events
-very few boring parts

Cons:
-some redundancies in writing
-a few stereotypical characters

Read this book if you are able to read this review!!!

Rating - 9: Yes yes yes!

I could go on about this book forever, and I could go on about Charlotte forever, but I can't, so I won't. The cover is so intriguing, with Charlotte looking out over the sea, not with some ridiculously tight or revealing dress, but a sailor's clothing, and an awesome ship.... yes!

And the small details in the writing that catch on later in the story just make it so much richer! I shouldn't say anymore, because I will end up spoiling, but please please please read it!

Read it.

-Sarah