Having to eat starry gazey pie with all of the fish heads looking up is just one of many trials for fourteen year old John Spencer when his ship wreaks on the rocks of Cornwall in the novel The Wreckers by Iain Lawrence. He also has to avoid being killed by the villagers who put out the false beacons in the storm. Deciding whom to befriend is critical.The Wreckers is a mixture of mystery and suspense, set in wooden ship days when a lad could go out to see with his father. It reminded me a bit of Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson. The hero meets a colorful group of villagers, one without legs and another without a tongue, some of whom are rightfully frightening. None of them, including the pretty girl, seems trustworthy. John scurries about down dark alleys and over the moors in the moonlight, trying to find his father and save ships from being drawn to the rocks.
Though The Wreckers is aimed at teen readers and I am a bit older than the target group, I enjoyed it. It reminded me of all the sea adventures that I read long ago.
Lawrence, Iain. The Wreckers. New York : Delacorte Press, 1998. ISBN 0385325355
1 comment:
I'd like to second this recommendation. The Wreckers is a compelling thriller and an interesting look at a largely forgotten way of life.
It's been interesting to see the YA market age lately. A growing number of adults are reading YA books.
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