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Charlotte Doyle has finished up her year of school in England and is about to embark across the ocean to rejoin her family in the Americas, but even before she sets off, strange things start happening. The two families who were supposed to join her as passengers on the ship have canceled their trip, and the sailors themselves seem to be trying to push her away, but Charlotte has nowhere else to go and no other path to take. It will be fine, she tells herself. She’ll just stay burrowed away in her cabin throughout the journey. There’s no cause for alarm. Her father picked this ship and this captain for a reason. She’ll be safe.
But there are tensions between the captain and the crew, and Charlotte finds herself trapped in the middle of it all, uncertain of loyalties or whom to trust. In the end, this ocean voyage could hold unimaginable consequences, even for a girl of 13.
I was looking for a fun, quick read when I picked up The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and was thoroughly surprised when I found a poignant story full of action, adventure, intrigue, and a touch of mystery. There was never a dull moment, and the more I read, the faster I read.
Along the journey, Charlotte makes a complete transition from the etiquette-obsessed, well-bred, wealthy and somewhat snobbish Victorian girl we were first introduced to, and while this isn’t completely a bad thing, it does bring up some questions about her final choices that parents may want to discuss with younger readers after closing the book.
Rated: Mild, for two uses of mild language. A man receives different treatment because of his skin color. Middle-grade readers may want to read it with the lights on as there are some pretty intense scenes featuring a couple of deaths, lashings, attempted mutiny, and a fight for survival against nature.
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