Deadweather And Sunrise by Geoff Rodkey
May. 6th, 2012 12:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
The Blurb On The Back:
It’s tough to be thirteen, especially when somebody’s trying to kill you.
Not that Egg’s life was ever easy, growing up on sweaty, pirate-infested Deadweather Island with no company except an incompetent tutor and a pair of unusually violent siblings who hate his guts.
But when Egg’s father hustles their family off on a mysterious errand to fabulously wealthy Sunrise Island, then disappears with the siblings in a freak accident, Egg finds himself a long-term guest at the mansion of the glamorous Pembroke family and their beautiful, sharp-tongued daughter Millicent. Finally, life seems perfect.
Until someone tries to throw him off a cliff.
Suddenly, Egg’s running for his life in a bewildering world of cutthroat pirates, villainous businessmen, and strange Native legends. The only people who can help him sort out the mystery of why he’s been marked for death are Millicent and a one-handed, possibly deranged cabin boy.
Come along for the ride. You’ll be glad you did.
13-year-old Egg lives with his brother, sister and dad on a plantation on Deadweather Island, a small pirate-infested island on the far edge of the known world. Life is hard. Beaten up by his siblings and (occasionally) his dad his only company is an ignorant, greedy tutor called Percy and Quint, their cook. His only fun comes from the small number of books that get brought to the island.
When Egg’s dad decides that they all have to make an urgent trip to nearby Sunrise Island, Egg’s delighted. Sunrise Island is a paradise compared to Deadweather and there they meet the rich and powerful Roger Pembroke and his beautiful, stubborn daughter Millicent. But a freak balloon accident sees Egg’s family disappear over the ocean and although he’s offered a home by the Pembrokes, he soon finds his life threatened for reasons that he doesn’t understand. Forced to go on the run, he must navigate a world of piracy, treachery and murder where his only allies are Millicent and a one-handed boy called Guts with profound psychological issues who might just kill Egg himself ...
Geoff Rodkey’s middle grade novel (the first in a trilogy) is filled with enough pirates and bloodthirsty adventure to keep both boy and girl readers happy.
Egg is a remarkably resilient character, less bothered by the frequent beatings he suffers than the reader may be. My main criticism of the book is that the violence he suffers is so casually delivered and his reaction so matter-of-fact that I thought it underplayed the seriousness of the abuse. However, I believed his relief at his family’s disappearance and could well understand why he was so keen to stay with the Pembroke’s in their idyllic home. I enjoyed his growing sense of resolve about wanting to take control of his life.
Millicent is an interesting character and I liked the dilemma she faces as Egg makes her see things that she doesn’t want to believe. Unfortunately the romance between her and Egg was a little icky, mainly because they’re too young to be thinking about marriage. I loved Guts, a psychopathic one-handed cabin boy who’s known nothing but cruelty and who’s been damaged as a result. Pragmatic, bloodthirsty and with modest aims, I look forward to seeing what happens to him next.
Ultimately this is a fun, fast-paced read that should satisfy any young reader looking for pirate adventure.
The Verdict:
Geoff Rodkey’s middle grade novel (the first in a trilogy) is filled with enough pirates and bloodthirsty adventure to keep both boy and girl readers happy. Although I was a little perturbed by the portrayal of the physical abuse that Egg suffers and the romance between him and Millicent was a little icky given that they’re both 13. That said, it’s fast-paced and has plenty of adventure in it and pirate fans will really enjoy it.
DEADWEATHER AND SUNRISE will be released in the US on 29th May 2012. Thanks to Penguin for the ARC of this book.
It’s tough to be thirteen, especially when somebody’s trying to kill you.
Not that Egg’s life was ever easy, growing up on sweaty, pirate-infested Deadweather Island with no company except an incompetent tutor and a pair of unusually violent siblings who hate his guts.
But when Egg’s father hustles their family off on a mysterious errand to fabulously wealthy Sunrise Island, then disappears with the siblings in a freak accident, Egg finds himself a long-term guest at the mansion of the glamorous Pembroke family and their beautiful, sharp-tongued daughter Millicent. Finally, life seems perfect.
Until someone tries to throw him off a cliff.
Suddenly, Egg’s running for his life in a bewildering world of cutthroat pirates, villainous businessmen, and strange Native legends. The only people who can help him sort out the mystery of why he’s been marked for death are Millicent and a one-handed, possibly deranged cabin boy.
Come along for the ride. You’ll be glad you did.
13-year-old Egg lives with his brother, sister and dad on a plantation on Deadweather Island, a small pirate-infested island on the far edge of the known world. Life is hard. Beaten up by his siblings and (occasionally) his dad his only company is an ignorant, greedy tutor called Percy and Quint, their cook. His only fun comes from the small number of books that get brought to the island.
When Egg’s dad decides that they all have to make an urgent trip to nearby Sunrise Island, Egg’s delighted. Sunrise Island is a paradise compared to Deadweather and there they meet the rich and powerful Roger Pembroke and his beautiful, stubborn daughter Millicent. But a freak balloon accident sees Egg’s family disappear over the ocean and although he’s offered a home by the Pembrokes, he soon finds his life threatened for reasons that he doesn’t understand. Forced to go on the run, he must navigate a world of piracy, treachery and murder where his only allies are Millicent and a one-handed boy called Guts with profound psychological issues who might just kill Egg himself ...
Geoff Rodkey’s middle grade novel (the first in a trilogy) is filled with enough pirates and bloodthirsty adventure to keep both boy and girl readers happy.
Egg is a remarkably resilient character, less bothered by the frequent beatings he suffers than the reader may be. My main criticism of the book is that the violence he suffers is so casually delivered and his reaction so matter-of-fact that I thought it underplayed the seriousness of the abuse. However, I believed his relief at his family’s disappearance and could well understand why he was so keen to stay with the Pembroke’s in their idyllic home. I enjoyed his growing sense of resolve about wanting to take control of his life.
Millicent is an interesting character and I liked the dilemma she faces as Egg makes her see things that she doesn’t want to believe. Unfortunately the romance between her and Egg was a little icky, mainly because they’re too young to be thinking about marriage. I loved Guts, a psychopathic one-handed cabin boy who’s known nothing but cruelty and who’s been damaged as a result. Pragmatic, bloodthirsty and with modest aims, I look forward to seeing what happens to him next.
Ultimately this is a fun, fast-paced read that should satisfy any young reader looking for pirate adventure.
The Verdict:
Geoff Rodkey’s middle grade novel (the first in a trilogy) is filled with enough pirates and bloodthirsty adventure to keep both boy and girl readers happy. Although I was a little perturbed by the portrayal of the physical abuse that Egg suffers and the romance between him and Millicent was a little icky given that they’re both 13. That said, it’s fast-paced and has plenty of adventure in it and pirate fans will really enjoy it.
DEADWEATHER AND SUNRISE will be released in the US on 29th May 2012. Thanks to Penguin for the ARC of this book.