Bloody Jack Review
Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer ★★★★★ (4.5/5 stars)
Recently, I read Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer. It tells the story of Mary “Jacky” Faber, a poor orphan from London Cheapside in the early 1800s. When her friend is murdered, Jacky disguises herself as a boy and goes on the HMS Dolphin as a ship’s boy. Aboard, Jacky and her friends form a dread brotherhood and have wild adventures chasing after pirates and traveling the world, and Jacky gets the nickname “Bloody Jack.”
I really liked this book. One of my favorite parts was the way it was written. Here’s an excerpt from the beginning of the novel:
“My name is Jacky Faber and in London I was born, but, no, I wasn’t born with that name. Well, the Faber part, yes, the Jacky part, no, but they call me Jacky now and it’s fine with me. They also call me Jack-o and Jock and the Jackeroe, too, and, aye, it’s true I’ve been called Bloody Jack a few times, but that wasn’t all my fault. Mostly, though, they just call me Jacky.”
The book is told from Jacky’s perspective, the way an actual person from her location and time period would think and talk, and the voice is unique and interesting. It can be a little hard to understand at first, but I think it really helps you get immersed in the story and understand Jacky’s character better. I also read it as an audiobook while travelling and the narrator is absolutely perfect. She reads extremely expressively and I would definitely recommend checking out the audiobook.
I also enjoyed the plot, which was exciting and (mostly) believable. This book is the first in a series and I’ve only read the first 2 and a half books, but I’ve enjoyed the rest of it so far. Jacky’s reputation grows in a really satisfying way and I enjoy seeing her grow and become even more awesome.
There’s also romance between her and Jaimy Fletcher, a member of the dread brotherhood. It wasn’t as well developed as I would’ve liked, but Jacky and Jaimy make a really cute couple when they finally get together.
Overall, Bloody Jack is a fun historical novel. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a funny book that’s not too heavy.
-Edie
This sounds really interesting! I haven't had too much time to get into a book these days and I think that as a light read, this would be fun to check out. I love how you gave us an example of the writing style--after all, that's what got me to request the book just now. Thanks for the recommendation. Can't wait to hear more from you!
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