Customer Reviews

The Diamond of Drury Lane (Cat Royal Adventure)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Adolescent orphan Catherine Royal lives backstage the Royal Theatre in old 18th century London. One night she hears of a diamond hidden inside the theatre, and from there the whole story unravels. She befriends an African boy and two kids of higher class than herself whilst she still hang around trying to become member of one of Londons many gangs.

I can't give this book any fair review as English is not my first language and I'm not good reviewing. However, this book had me from start to finish, a truly engaging and fantastic book which should be read if you like similar books.

Oh well, just read it and write a better review. :-)

Oh holy happiness! I picked up this one on interlibrary loan for an upcoming presentation of current popular children's books (yes, I know this came out in 2006, but the recent one just came out) and could hardly put it down!

If you've been reading my reviews for long, you'll notice a pattern of me falling in love with girls who are smart, strong, and smart-alecky with a twist. Catherine Royal is all of the above and more! This is the second book in a row I've read that involves the main character living in a theater, which I found to be really interesting as I rarely have some of the same characteristics in books by two different authors - hope that made sense. (The other is Eyes Like Stars).

Cat is an orphan who doesn't know who her parents were, but Mr. Sheridan has been her guardian of sorts since she was left on the steps of the theater. She's grown up around the raucous gangs of Covent Garden, knows which areas of London she should avoid at all costs, knows everyone and everything that goes on in the theater, and has a heart of gold that gets her into some serious hot water.

Her troubles start when she overhears Mr. Sheridan talking about the diamond that is hidden in the theater. She promises to keep the secret, and she does so quite well until Pedro shows up. Accidentally divulging the secret to him, she wonders if she can trust him when she finds him looking for the diamond. Add in the new stage prompter who is more than he seems, a bully with ethics and a bully that would be better off in Newgate (prison for those of you that don't know), and you've got yourself one rip-roaring story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

I also absolutely adore how this novel was designed. You have a lovely listing of the cast of characters at the beginning of the story, as well as a map of London and a word of warning from Cat herself (as she is the narrator telling us the story) saying that, "This is not the world of the drawing room and country estate...If you want to survive in my neighborhood, you have to be prepared to use coarse language that packs a verbal punch." Now, before you get upset about the language, it's the common language of London in the 1790s. It's very different from today's brand of bad language. There is also a list of the slang used in the book at the back which can be quite helpful. Generally speaking the reader will get the gist of what is being said, but sometimes a quick check confirming your thoughts will make you laugh a little louder.

Can you stand one more glowing bit about the design of the book? It's divided up as a play, with 5 acts, each having 3 - 4 scenes. The beginning of each act has a map of a more detailed location in London, and a quip from Cat about what is going to be happening. Theater lovers take heart! This has enough drama that you'll want to stage this one as a play yourselves!

Notes on the Cover:
Cat peeking out of the curtains at the theater. The girl on the cover is pretty close to how I imagine her, and I like the theater curtains and the feel that she is lurking. Cat does do her fair share of hiding, but it's generally just because she's in the wrong place at the wrong time. She really never intends to go looking for trouble - it is somehow attracted to her.

Anyone looking for a good historical fiction read will enjoy this fast-paced and witty tale about Cat Royal, an orphan living in one of England's theaters in the late 1700s. The story moves along quickly, with each chapter laid out in Acts and Cat narrating. Golding has done a fantastic job creating a character that the reader can easily fall in love with. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.
The 2 page glossary at the back gives young readers insight into the slang of England without being intimidating. A great read aloud for 5th or 6th graders that gives you the opportunity to branch off into historical events from the 1700s.

The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding
Roaring Book Press, 2006
419 pages
YA; Historical
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for YA Book Battle and also because the sequels looked really intriguing.

Cat Royal is an orphan living in the Theater Royal in 1790 London. She has been unofficially adopted by the theater folk and has lived there as long as she can remember. Living among the actors, writers, and designers as well as the gangs that control the seedier sections of town is a not too bad existence. Then one night she hears about a diamond hidden in the theater, which sends her off on vivid imaginings and kick-starts this story.

The next day she meets a new friend, Pedro Hawkins, a former slave (not sure how as slavery wasn't abolished in the UK until 1833) with a remarkable agility and incredible talent with the violin. His skill attracts the interest of Lord Francis and Lady Elizabeth and a mystery around the treasonous cartoons of "Captain Sparkler" springs up.

Cat is a great heroine. She's a colorful heroine with the plentiful sprinkling of the slang of the times and she speaks her mind. In general, she's up for any adventure and she's very loyal. Cat also begins writing, something I bet becomes more prominent in later books as she ages.

Besides being a fun adventure, this book also treats themes of gender, race, and class. Cat would love to be part of her friend Syd's gang but he will only let boys join, even if he's only known them for a few hours. She protests the unfairness of this and hopes that Syd doesn't harbor deeper feelings for her. Pedro is easily accepted but some of the meaner characters do mock him based on the color of his skin and claim their own superiority over him because of that. Class is another element; lords have the final say while penniless orphans can only hope for some protection.

My main quibble is that it was a little long and the mystery is a bit simplistic (my rationale is that I figured it out and I hardly ever do that). There's a lot of promise for future books.

Overall: Great historical mystery with an engaging main character-definitely excited about the sequels.

This book was fenominal! Spunky Cat Royal takes you on a fantastic adventure, introducing you to London's backstreet gangs, mysterious "jewel thieves", and also the high sociey lords and ladies of the posh London nieghborhoods. Full of suspense and at a break-neck speed you'll not be able to put this book down1

I enjoyed the setting of this novel and liked the characters, but I often questioned whether what was happening could really have happened in the time period of the novel. Things just seemed so modern. As I read on, the book began to feel long: I wish it had been rewritten or edited so as to not drag. And I found the mystery very, very simple: too simple for this age level, I think. Despite these negatives, I must repeat that I like the setting and I like the characters, and I like that there are many hints in this book about how the characters will grow and the conflicts that will face them -- making for a series.