Bloody Jack

By: L. A. Meyer

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of 18th-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas. There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she will have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret. This could be the adventure of her life...if only she doesn't get caught.

Listen to the sequel, Curse of the Blue Tattoo.

©2003 L.A. Meyer (P)2007 Listen and Live Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Children's Titles - Ages 12+, 2008

Superb story with fresh angle

Where does Bloody Jack rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Not quite Aubrey Maturin, but maybe on par with Hornblower or Bolitho. The tone is teen-friendly, with a dark undertone and a few a bit grizzly scenes. Like one friend getting murdered and the murderer walking away free.

What did you like best about this story?

Life aboard a frigate, from viewpoint of a girl pretending to be a ships boy, and done well and believably.

Any additional comments?

Katherine Kellgren is probably the best narrator I've come across yet.

Just Wonderful

By far one of my favorite series. The performance especially by Katherine Kellgren is fantastic, every character has it's own voice, and she even signs the songs! I decided to buy the whole series because it's one I intend to enjoy over and over again!

amazing

I have loved this book for years and wanted to reread it but don't usually have the time to sit down with a paper book any more so I found it here. I was a little worried about the reader after listening to the sample but the reviews raved about her and after I accidentally started it, they were right! she's amazing! the perfect Jackie! and now I'm on to the next book!

good

love this book. read it as a kid enjoyed relistening to it as an adult. one of my favorite books.

Stunning.

This is my favorite book ever written. And Katherine Kellgren is the perfect Jacky Faber. I recommend this audiobook (and the print version) to everyone. It’s fantastic.

Magic! Pure magic!

Why is the world not clamoring for more Bloody Jack books, as it did for books about a wizard some years ago? I LOVE this series!

Mary Faber is an orphan on the streets of London when the story begins. By the last page, she is Bloody Jack, and her die is cast - she's in for a life of adventures, and the reader can't wait to read more.

I've purchased this audiobook as gifts for two very grown up friends, and each is hooked, as I am. Two of us are over 50, one is just over 30, two are men, one is a woman. Jack can smooth the harshest commute, and even help me forgive the idiot doing 45 ahead of me on the interstate. Not to worry! Jackie Faber is in a fix, and I'll just poke along behind you on the highway until she gets out of it.

**PARENT WARNING** If you are buying this for a child, do listen to the book first. It's probably not suitable for the very young, and some pre-teens could find the series difficult to hear. Face it, this is a story about a young girl on an English war ship, filled with men. Throughout the series (including in the first book) there are men trying to take advantage of what we'll politely call her "innocence," mostly without her consent.

Narrator is incredible. Every character has his or her own voice, and each international or regional accent is spot on. I was transported, from the first words of the book.

A MUST read!

Marvelous Mary-Jack

An extraordinary tale about a young girl who has everything and everyone taken from her and still unbelievably rises out of the ashes like a Phoenix to survive in a time of death and hopelessness. A great, captivating story with a completely original cast of characters that show great bravery and wildly cunning wit throughout. Mary/Jack/Jackie is a wonderfully imaginative and resourceful individual who I found to be extremely entertaining and couldn't wait to see what crazy thing she would do next. It is a coming of age book with a twist that is listed as a YA, but for me it was just an exciting adventure that I did not want to end.

Katherine Kellgren has outstanding timing and is a perfect fit for Jackie's personality. Her distinct character voices and consistent pace always bring a little something extra to the listen. I highly recommend this to everyone who would like to take an exhilarating ride on the high seas.

Rollicking Good Time

What made the experience of listening to Bloody Jack the most enjoyable?

Without a doubt it is the performance by Ms. Kellgren. She does not just read the story but gives a one woman performance that is out-of-this-world great.

What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The many accents, emotions and even songs bring the story to life. I am pretty sure I would not be enjoying Book 3 right now if I had just read Book 1. The story is good but this is definitely a time where the audio performance makes a good book irresistibly great.

The series gets better

This series came highly recommended to me from more than one of my relatives. I started it with great anticipation. Thus, I was rather unhappy after a few hours into this first episode. This first episode sets the scene for additional later episodes/antics. After a couple hours of it, to be honest, I almost quit listening. I found the narrator's voice annoying when depicting the main character and some of the others. However, I persevered through it and I found the second and third books MUCH better as the character matures and has various other adventures. Now on the 5th book, I REALLY look forward to hearing all of the continuing adventures of Bloody Jack!!

SO MUCH FUN!!!

This will be my second time listening to the series and I just love it! the narrator does a phenomenal job and the storyline is just so whimsical and ridiculous and strangely dark at times, I cackle all the time listening to these books, I get so many strange looks. i live for it. can't wait to read it to my children!