“Star-Crossed is an historical adventure, coming-of-age novel. It's classified by Knopf as Young Adult Literature, because of the teenaged protagonist who narrates the story in first person. Because I am the author, I'm posting a professional review from VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates Magazine) which gave it a 5Q - their highest rating - for quality. The New York Public Library has chosen it to be among their BOOKS FOR THE TEEN AGE -- 2007.
"First-person narrator/protagonist Patricia Kelley at sixteen disguises herself to journey aboard a military ship from England to the Caribbean in the 1760's. Plucky, self-reflective, and committed to independence, Patricia morphs gender several times to save herself and to save others. Whether serving as surgeon's mate on a hospital ship, searching for her father's farm in Barbados, or setting up a field hospital during the siege of Havana, Patricia encounters challenge and adventure, experiences that make her stronger, increase her self-respect, and enhance her humanity. Young love and young marriage add romance to this compelling adventure. Collison, a former nurse and experienced seafarer, pens her first novel with an ear for wonderfully dynamic dialogue, an insistence on thorough research, and the heart of one who cares about issues timelessly important to women, from birth control to self-reliance. Not for the faint of heart, this historical novel provides honest but not gratuitious imagery of below-deck ship conditions; rudimentary amputations; body fluids of yellow fever victims; consequences of opressive, pervasive heat; and medicinal bleedings... Too few historical adventure books center of thoughtfully daring young women who meet danger and tragedy with the resolve and initiative of Patricia Kelley. -- Patti Sylvester Spencer, VOYA, 2007-02-01”
starcrossed wrote this review Thursday, August 23 2007.
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