Katherine Kellgren does an unbelievable job of bringing BLOODY JACK: BEING AN ACCOUNT OF THE CURIOUS ADVENTURES OF MARY “JACKY” FABER, SHIP’S BOY by L. A. Meyer to life! This single narrator, using innumerable voices, tells the story of an orphan, Mary Faber. When the gang leader that takes her in is murdered, Mary takes his clothes, cuts her hair, and becomes Jacky. “He” finds a job on a military ship as a ship’s boy with other orphans or boys that have been sold or given to the captain. With her encounters and subsequent killings of some unsavory characters, “he” earns the nickname “Bloody Jacky” but the killings are not intentional. After time, Mary falls in love with one of the other ship boys, Jaimie, and reveals herself to him. After being shipwrecked and blown to another island by a kite, Mary is revealed as a girl to the crew as she saves the captain from pirates.
It is amazing how this single narrator makes you feel as if you are hearing multiple other actors read. Katherine Kellgren’s theatrical background definitely helps her to make this book engaging. She is able to match each character with just the right “voice” in her narrations. The pace is maintained expertly throughout the audiobook. There is music at the beginning and end but not throughout, although she does sing some songs in some chapters that Mary or another character were thinking or singing. At the end, this audiobook includes an advertisement for subsequent audiobooks by this company. Otherwise, there are no other extras. Since I have not seen the print version, I cannot compare the two. But the cover of this audiobook and its packaging are well done.
I LOVED this audiobook! It was like sitting through a movie in my mind. I struggled with distractions but not as badly when I got deeply into the book. I dreaded listening for 8 hours, but the author has created a wonderful book that was marvelously narrated by a gifted actress.
It is amazing how this single narrator makes you feel as if you are hearing multiple other actors read. Katherine Kellgren’s theatrical background definitely helps her to make this book engaging. She is able to match each character with just the right “voice” in her narrations. The pace is maintained expertly throughout the audiobook. There is music at the beginning and end but not throughout, although she does sing some songs in some chapters that Mary or another character were thinking or singing. At the end, this audiobook includes an advertisement for subsequent audiobooks by this company. Otherwise, there are no other extras. Since I have not seen the print version, I cannot compare the two. But the cover of this audiobook and its packaging are well done.
I LOVED this audiobook! It was like sitting through a movie in my mind. I struggled with distractions but not as badly when I got deeply into the book. I dreaded listening for 8 hours, but the author has created a wonderful book that was marvelously narrated by a gifted actress.
