Author: Avi
Title: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Rating: 4
Reviewer: alms Grade: 6
Review:
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is just that. Charlotte Doyle is a prim and proper 13 year old girl. She is coming home from finishing school in England and bound for her true home in Rhode Island. Her father is a rich merchant and because of that she is used to having everything being done for her. As she boards the Seahawk she expects that everything will be fine. But she gets a warning as soon as she boards the ship, that she should not be there. The families that were supposed to accompany her did not show up. But that is only the beginning. That day Zachariah, a black man who is the cook, doctor, surgeon, and sailor, gives her a dagger as protection. She is so offended by his forwardness, she decides to go to Captain Jaggery. He tells her to keep the dagger and asks her to spy on the crew. He specifically tells her to look for a “Round Robin”, a sailors pact to mutiny. She befriends the crew and reports to Captain Jaggery. Later Zachariah tells her the gruesome story of Cranick, a Seahawk crewman was beaten so badly that his arm had to be amputated. He says the crew came back for revenge. Later she discovers a round robin and alerts Captain Jaggery. Cranick reappears suddenly to lead the mutiny, having stowed away. He is killed , thanks to Charlotte’s tip off and Zachariah is scapegoated by the Captain and beaten. Charlotte is so outraged at his treatment that she seizes the whip and accidentally strikes Captain Jaggery across the face with it. From then on she is hated by both Jaggery for defying him and the crew for betraying them. She tries to apologize, but it doesn’t work. Finally, she proves herself to the crew by climbing to the top of the mainmast. From then on, she becomes part of the crew. During a hurricane she is sent up to the top of the mast to cut the sail free and save the main mast. While she is up there, the first mate is murdered with her dagger! The Captain accuses her and she is brought to trial on the ship. What will happen next? Will she be hanged or will she survive? Read it to find out. It’s really good.
9/1/03
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