Assessment:
Plot/Idea: In this well-researched story taking place during the Revolutionary War, Becijos creates a suspenseful adventure of a young man who runs away to become a patriot. Based on a true life memoir of a fourth great grandfather, the author has expanded the story and clearly depicted the lifestyle of the crew on a captured ship.
Prose: Well-written, readers of all ages will find this easy to read and well-plotted. Becijos nicely establishes a sense of time and place, vividly evoking the experience of life on the rough seas and creating historical verisimilitude.
Originality: Fans of war novels depicting young patriots will gravitate toward this novel. It will mostly be appreciated by young readers but adults won’t want to miss out.
Character/Execution: Strong and determined characters are the strength of this novel, and readers will root for their success. The rough captures on the boat come to life with their snarly replies.
Date Submitted: August 12, 2023
Hawkins finagles his way onto a ship and learns the ways of sailing, but it’s not always the adventure he hoped for, especially when the cautious captain refuses potential plunder and winds up getting his ship captured. Hawkins is then conscripted into service on a British vessel, where he is treated fairly but still yearns for freedom—and, of course, he’ll do what he must to secure it. This novelization is at turns harrowing and funny as its cycles of capture-and-escape get twistier and ever-more surprising. Still, for all the sea-dog thrills, Hawkins never romanticizes or diminishes the tedium and horror of war.
Becjios adds depth and flavor by fleshing out side characters and giving Hawkins a great sense of the stakes of what it means to fight. When Hawkins eventually returns home at last, his desire for the sea having dimmed, he still yearns to fight for independence, though having faced real loss his understanding of the price is now much more realistic. Readers interested in first-person accounts of wartime in the era will be fascinated by young Hawkins’s encounters.
Takeaway: Escape and adventure in the age of sail, drawn from personal history.
Comparable Titles: Jay Worrall’s Sails on the Horizon, Joseph O'Loughlin’s Gallagher’s Prize.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
