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Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary “Jacky” Faber, Ship’s Boy Audiobook
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(4.00) - 9,491 listener ratings
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Publisher 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. .
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"Mary spent her first 13 years panhandling on the streets of London. Following the death of her parents, Mary's family was her gang of friends led by Charlie Rooster. The gang lived in fear of Muck who collected the bodies of dead orphans in order to sell them to a doctor; Mary also lived in fear of hanging. The day Mary found her beloved Charlie murdered in the street was to be the last day anyone called her Mary. Desiring a life on the sea, Mary took Charlie's clothes and followed the Thames to the sea. Now personifying a ten-year-old boy known as Jacky, the protagonist is chosen to serve on the HMS Dolphin for the British Navy. Her ability to read was the ticket in. As the ship embarked on its journey to fight pirates, Mary befriended the other ship boys with whom she entered a secret brotherhood. Mary became particularly close to and fond of Jamie. The exciting experiences on her journey range from fighting off attackers who are a part of the crew, battling with pirates, serving as look out, flying in a kite, being lost at sea, and surviving on an island inhabited by pirates. This journey also offers Mary important life lessons. As the main character pretends to be a young boy, the reader may recognize Mary learning what it means to be a mature young woman. Meyer's book is exciting and carried by an endearing protagonist. The novel is likely to appeal to 6th through 12th graders."
— Dan (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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"If you’ve never listened to a book performed by Katherine Kellgren, get ready for a tour de force. Not only does she capture the spirit of our orphan-girl-turned-ship’s-boy protagonist, Jackie Faber, but she fully embodies every wildly outrageous character that appears in this eighteenth-century high seas adventure. Remember, we’re dealing with some unsavory individuals here: it gets pretty sketchy. But the kids will love the bedlam and the adults will be equally entertained.”
— Audible.com -
“Katherine Kellgren’s coarse accents put us on eighteenth-century London streets…Kellgren brings out Mary’s feisty nature, showing us how she and her mate, Charley, negotiate begging and danger with self-confidence…Kellgren portrays the nonstop adventures of this animated character…Kellgren’s swift and passionate reading increases the story’s tension and immediacy.”
— AudioFile -
“Although many fictional heroines have sailed in disguise before Jacky Faber, her coarse, cheeky street voice and naïve but observant take on shipboard life set her apart.”
— Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review) -
“A rattling good read.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Marvelous…A first-rate read.”]
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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A 2008 ALA Odyssey Award Honor Audiobook
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A New York Public Library Book for Teens
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A Junior Library Guild Selection
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A Bulletin Blue Ribbon (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books) Top Selection
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A Booklist Editors' Choice
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An Audible Editors Top Pick for Best Road Trip Audiobooks
Bloody Jack Listener Reviews
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Ravi Purpuri, 1/6/2023
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" bloody jack is terrific. what a tale to tell. Katherine kellgren is amazing "
— craig, 5/21/2017 -
" Entertaining if a bit far-fetched, this is a rip-roaring young adult historical (1800's) adventure story of a British street urchin that disguises herself as a boy and gets a job aboard a pirate-hunting Royal Navy ship as a ship's boy. It's got some references to plague death, sex, and violent sea battles that make it inappropriate for younger children. It's very well read in audiobook format on Audible, and I may get the next couple of books in the series for light reading. "
— Holly, 2/17/2014 -
" I loved this audio book! It took a second to adjust to the language but I really recommend this! "
— Nikki, 2/8/2014 -
" This book cough my heart it is most definitely a must read a girl that passes for a boy just to survive what a story. "
— Danielle, 2/8/2014 -
" this book is good there is a whole series im just too lazy to find all of the books and put them on the list "
— Sarah, 1/29/2014 -
" This was surprisingly quite good and fun to read, considering that it is written in really 'bad' English and a Liang-Zhu type romance actually takes place on a ship. "
— mstan, 1/29/2014 -
" Its refreshing to read a book with such a strong and funny female protagonist. The action, romance, and bits of comedy make this book (and the whole series) a MUST read. "
— Dannette, 1/28/2014 -
" I enjoyed listening to Bloody Jack which was a 2008 audio award winner, I found it enthralling to hear the tale from the charming cockney accent of Katherine Kellgren. This is the story of adventure on the high seas with the main character, a young girl, disguised as a boy. She was born of educated parents but due to unfortunate events, was orphaned at a young age. So, she was fighting for survival in the streets of London in the 1700's. She took the clothes of a chum who met his demise and decided that life might be better on a pirate ship. Life on the ship was full of risk and she experienced alot of loss there, too. One of her gifts which she learned from her Mum was reading. That set her aside from the others but she was not treated much better. My favorite part of the book was when she was cast off and landed on a island. As she looked back on life on the ship she mused about folly, deception, and sheer stupidity. Her resoucefulness was admirable--she taught herself to swim, hunt and to be gentle and accepting of herself. It was on this island that the reader sang a song " The water is wide....." Eventually, Jack is found on the island, discovered to be Jackie, a girl, and her love for her ship mate is scorned by the captain. She is destined to be sent to boarding school in Boston but the book leaves the reader somewhat in doubt which leads one on to another in the series. "
— Patience, 1/22/2014 -
" Read almost all the books (: interesting and captivating and hilarious. The writing and genre is different than what I usually read but I liked it anyways. She has spunk and I can really relate with her! "
— Lystra, 1/19/2014 -
" LOVED this book and I'm so glad it's a series. Certain parts were a little mature for kids too young, but I loved Mary's character and the story line. "
— Kelsey, 1/10/2014 -
" I just couldn't get into this book at all. This is very unusual for me because I love historical fiction. Maybe it wasn't rooted enough in a history I was interested in...? "
— Letitia, 10/10/2013 -
" I absolutly LOVE this series!!! "
— Kristy, 10/5/2013 -
" My daughter asked me to read this book to see if it was appropriated for a 12 yrs old. The story was cute, very well told. It was little unbelievable but it worked. "
— Claudia, 9/25/2013 -
" The start of a great series. Love how Jacky always manage to come out on top, and with a new talent. "
— Beaureader, 9/25/2013 -
" I listened to it on CD and I cannot sing it praises enough! The narrator is simply fantastic!! The character of Jacky Faber is so compelling that I miss her after I finish one book and before I can get to listen to the next. Some of the scenes were so gripping I've almost wrecked my car!!!! "
— Lisa, 8/5/2013 -
" i love how she turns from cheapside to normal talking a great way to start the series, i love how she meets jaimy . "
— Devora, 3/10/2013 -
" Outlandish but fun young adult book series! This was a book on my Book Club list and since we had the series at school, I pulled a few to read on my trip. I really enjoyed the first one and the second was OK. "
— Jan, 2/25/2013 -
" Listened to the audio of this book - WOW. The reader is great. Not since Harry Potter audio have I enjoyed a reader so much "
— Christina, 12/31/2012 -
" I could not put these books down!! "
— Melissa, 11/2/2012 -
" I enjoyed this story about a young orphan girl who dresses like a boy to become a sailor. I listened to the book on CD and the reader was great so I enjoyed it more than I would have if I had been reading it. The ending was too tidy or perhaps I would have given it 4 stars. "
— Sally, 5/14/2012 -
" I liked that it was very different from you average teen/YA book. It left me curious about where the series will go next. "
— Ann, 2/19/2012 -
" This is my alltime favorite book! I've read it at least 5 times. It touches in all my favorite places! I love Historical Fiction, then there's all the action, then there are the touches of romance! I would give this book 6 stars, but you can't go that high. "
— Emily, 11/30/2011 -
" my all-time favorite young adult series! in my humble opinion, bad cover art has kept many away from it "
— Francie, 11/29/2011 -
" I've read every book in this series thus far. The first one is my favorite by far, but I love following the adventures of Mary "Bloody Jack" Faber!! "
— Michelle, 7/19/2011 -
" It has a lot of adveture "
— Morgan, 6/23/2011 -
" AWESOME BOOK!!!!! MY FAVE SERIES EVER!!! =D "
— Western, 5/23/2011 -
" The Murray Librarians recommended this adventure and I have to agree it is entertaining and rollicking! It is brutal at times. "
— Lois, 5/19/2011 -
" Great as an audio book! "
— Sarah, 5/13/2011 -
" It started out a bit slow, but it picked up in the middle. I liked it a lot, but I'm not sure if I would continue with the series. "
— Christine, 5/5/2011 -
" I love Jackie Faber--Famous in legend and song! Will now listen my way through the whole series. Can't wait to read these with my daughter someday. "
— Molly, 5/3/2011 -
" the book was totally awesome.! "
— Cherry, 5/1/2011 -
" Wow! A thrilling story of pirates, London Orphandom, and passing as a girl among the British Navy on the high seas. The main character, Mary Jackie Faber (or Bloody Jack, if you will), is one of the pluckiest, likeable, and real heroines ever. I can't wait to read the next one in the series. "
— Lindsay, 4/27/2011 -
" This was a fun and adventurous book to read. "
— Tristin, 4/26/2011
About L. A. Meyer
L. A. Meyer (1942–2014) was a painter and an author of children’s books, best known for his young adult historical novels in the Jacky Faber Adventure series, also known as the Bloody Jack series. He was born in Pennsylvania, and his father was a US Army office, so he spent much of his childhood moving around with his family. He enlisted in the US Navy and served for four years. He invented the idea for the character of Jacky Faber while listening to British and Celtic folk music on a local community radio station in his workshop.
About Katherine Kellgren
Katherine Kellgren (1969–2018), narrator and actress, appeared onstage in London, New York, and Frankfurt, including in the role of Laura in a regional production of The Glass Menagerie and appearances on Comedy Central. In recognition of her mastery of audiobook narration, she received many honors, including the prestigious Audie Awards, with four for best female narrator; the Odyssey Award; Publishers Weekly Listen Up Award; dozens of AudioFile magazine Earphones Awards; an AudioFile Golden Voice Award; Booklist Voice of Choice award; and acclaim from press and listener reviews.