The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

My eyes swept to the right. No one. To the left. Again, nothing. There was but one other place to look, behind. Just the thought brought a prickle to the back of my neck until, with sudden panic, I whirled impulsively around.
There, jutting up from the hole through which the hold might be reached, was a grinning head, its eyes fixed right on me.
I shrieked. The next moment the candle went out and I was plunged into utter darkness.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi is a good book with a bad theme. While I loved aspects of the story, I’m wary of the message. I’ll explain why in this review.

Plot

Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty. But I was just such a girl, and my story is worth relating even if it did happen years ago. Be warned, however: If strong ideas and action offend you, read no more. Find another companion to share your idle hours. For my part I intend to tell the truth as I lived it.

from Goodreads

The plot contains good twists and turns that kept me engaged the entire time. During the first half, as Charlotte unwittingly discovers more and more clues about a deadly mystery, I was hooked.

All but the first and last chapters take place on board the merchant ship Seahawk. I found this to be an intriguing plot device, and the narrow quarters in which the plot unfolds make the danger that much more real.

Characters

Charlotte Doyle is the picture of high society. She wears the fanciest dresses and snow-white gloves and takes perfect care of her long hair. So when she’s dropped onto a grimy ship full of coarse sailors, she’s understandably distressed. Such a place, she thinks, is not becoming of a civilized lady like herself.

Charlotte is, necessarily, an air-headed snob when first introduced. She looks down on the sailors, preferring to spend her time with the more mannered captain. However, halfway through the book, she undergoes a major transformation of character that stretches the bounds of believability. It’s the book’s biggest flaw, by far, though I still liked the story despite it.

While most of the ship’s crew is forgettable, Avi gives a couple defining traits and develops them more.

Captain Jaggery is an intriguing character. He’s the antagonist, representing order and tradition. His views, in my opinion, aren’t necessarily wrong, but they’re taken to a cruel extent. He works his crew too hard and punishes them severely for the smallest offenses. The author may not have intended this, but I found myself wondering if the captain was right in his ideals. But I’m getting ahead of myself. That’s a topic to cover in the next section.

Theme & Content Warnings

This book carries a strong message of rebelling against oppressive authority. The book’s definition of oppressive authority is where I might disagree. The captain stands for order, precision, and the old ways. The crew stands for liberty and justice. Charlotte is caught in the crossfire—with whom will she side?

[Note: The next couple of paragraphs contain mild spoilers for the book.]

The beliefs at odds are both right, in theory. Order and freedom, punishment and mercy, are Biblical ideas. But both parties take these virtues to the extreme. Jaggery uses fear and cruelty to run his ship smoothly. The sailors resort to revenge, hoping to receive the justice they think they deserve. This leads to a messy theme with truths on both sides.

In the end, Avi supports the crew’s ideals by showing Charlotte completely accept them. She rebels against order (and more directly, her parents) and forges her own path in life. This ending was, to me, unsatisfying.

[Spoilers over]

God’s name is used in vain a handful of times and twice characters use mild profanity. Another two times they use a British profanity.

After a man is shot, the author includes an unnecessarily gruesome description. Blood flows from his mouth and when his body is dragged across the ship it leaves behind a trail of red.

There are multiple positive references to Christianity and the Bible. Charlotte reads Scripture and other “moral books” to the sailors and speaks to at least one about the state of his soul.

A black sailor befriends Charlotte, starting some comments about him being mistreated because of his ethnicity. The book portrays racism as a sin through scattered conversations.

Overall

Avi writes in vivid prose, bringing the ship to life and fully immersing me in the experiences. One scene in particular, when Charlotte is climbing the mast during a hurricane, was incredibly descriptive. I could see and feel the whole thing. It was simply spectacular.

The pages ooze research, and after reading I know more about 19th-century ships and what life on the sea might be like. Detailed diagrams of the ship in the back give an exhaustive list of ship terminology that I may reference for my own writing.

All things considered, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is a mixed bag. As far as artistry is concerned, it’s admirable. Mystery, suspense, and lively prose make for a gripping story. But the theme is questionable, at best, and while I support parts of it, the deeper implications are concerning.

Thanks for reading!