Rapture of the Deep: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Soldier, Sailor, Mermaid, Spy (Bloody Jack Adventures)
Grade 7–9—High-spirited Jacky Faber is back. It's 1806 and she is finally set to marry her true love, Jaimy Fletcher. However, on the very day of the wedding she is taken into the custody of the British Royal Navy and forced to help find a lost treasure onboard a Spanish ship that sank off the coast of the Florida Keys. This involves exploring the shipwreck in a diving bell. Pirates and various other shady characters get wind of the plan and are determined to claim the treasure for themselves. Jacky and her crew also take time to explore the exotic port of Havana, where she performs in a nightclub and engages in cock fighting. As with other entries in this series, this one has plenty of action and adventure. Jacky is 16 going on 36 and possesses astounding and varied skills. She can captain a ship and crew, swim and dive expertly, and perform surgery. She taunts and teases every man she meets and seems not to care about running around naked or half-naked in front of them. There is much sexual innuendo and an attempted rape scene. The secondary characters seem to be little more than cardboard cutouts, especially the pirates. Fans of the series will eat this title up, but for a better-drawn heroine in a historical adventure, try Jennifer Holm's excellent "Boston Jane" series (HarperCollins).—Kristen Oravec, Flint Hill Middle School, Oakton, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.