Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer

Nearly as riveting the second time I read it, Bloody Jack took my breath away again. A quick but sophisticated read, this historical fiction action thriller is perfect for most audiences. Mary Jacky Faber is a orphaned teenage girl in the early to mid 1700's wishing for a better life. When the leader of her gang of orphans if murdered by the evil Muck, Jacky reaches her boiling point of being a beggar and decides to leave the gang. After a few days of traveling and disguising herself as a boy, Jacky works her way onto the HMS Dolphin as a ships boy using her rare ability to read. Once there, she must learn the ways of the sea, different then anything she's ever done before. ***Important note. The first few chapters of this book are rather dreadful because of the old english and solumness. Do not let it scare you! It's really a great book!