Sea Cutter by Timothy Davis

Title: Sea Cutter
Author: Timothy Davis
Format: Paperback, 138 pages
Pub. Date: October 23rd 2012
Source: Sher A. Hart blog

★★★★

4 Stars.

Nathaniel Childe's father was long ago lost to the sea in a shipwreck that he did not swim away from. Or so Nathaniel's been told. But deep in his heart, he's never believed that his father was dead, even when everyone else lost hope. But four years later, in 1771, he gets a mysterious letter from his father. He knows instantly that the "mythical" island of Perlas Grandes cannot be only a myth, and that his father is alive. Nathaniel must go and find him, facing giant whales, smelly murderers, and a ship full of lies along the ways.

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I am very pleasantly surprised by this book. I didn't realize that it was a children's/young young adult book when I got it, but even so I couldn't put this book down.

+The ocean is so very vividly described in this book, that I have to admit, I kind of got the urge to go sailing (of course, without criminals trying to kill me would be preferred). For a time I lived in Massachusetts, and this story telling brought me back there. It felt like the author truly does love the sea, and it reflected in the writing.

+No love but family. That made me exceedingly happy. There was no damsel in distress, no mermaid-type maiden who suddenly captures the young boy's attention. This book is romance free, and after the long string of books I've read lately, it was a very nice reprieve.

+This book, in my opinion, sounds more like an oral story then one on paper. It sounds like a story my father or grandfather would have told me before bed to pacify my whining need for a bedtime story. I think it's for that reason that this book felt so cozy to me. Maybe I'm just weird that way.

-The only real fault I have with this story is that it was a bit choppy at parts, and sometimes the time lapsing was weird, jumping quite a bit ahead at times. It didn't take away from the reading much, but it happened enough for me to pay it attention.

All in all, I feel like this is a clean, wholesome book geared for the younger end of the "young adult" spectrum. Though lads and ladies alike can appreciate this story, I would recommend it more for the boys. I also recommend that if you are a parent or an older brother or babysitter or what have you, read this aloud to your child. This is an adventure that the whole family can share.

If you listen to music while you read, I recommend listening to Voltaire's album entitled "To the Bottom of the Sea". A few of the songs from that album (such as This Ship's Going Down and This Sea) instantly came to my mind while reading.

Thank you to the Sher A. Hart blog for my copy of this book!