The Wreckers (High Seas Trilogy) [Hardcover]

Iain Lawrence (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1999 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: High Seas Trilogy (Book 1)

A swashbuckling thriller, part one of THE HIGH SEAS ADVENTURES, set on the oceans of the eighteenth century -- drama, horror, adventure! It is 1799. John Spencer is fourteen when his father's ship, the ill-fated Isle of Skye, is shipwrecked on the coast of Cornwall as she makes for her home port. John survives the disaster, but soon learns to his horror that the villagers are not rescuers but wreckers -- pirates who lure ships ashore in order to plunder their cargo! When John discovers that his father is alive but being held prisoner, he must try and rescue him -- without knowing who can be trusted to help.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First-time novelist Lawrence gives a nod to Robert Louis Stevenson in a fast-paced, atmospheric yarn that will have adventure buffs glued to their seats. Author of two adult books on sailing, Lawrence paints a minutely observed picture of maritime life in 1799 Cornwall, where whole villages made a living by plundering ships they'd lured onto the jagged rocks of their storm-swept coastline. One such vessel is the Isle of Skye, owned by the father of 14-year-old narrator John Spencer, a Londoner who narrowly escapes drowning only to see a shipmate murdered by one of the wreckers. John goes in search of his missing father and stumbles across Stumps, a legless villain as terrifying as they come, who hints about a cache of gold and makes dark threats on his and his father's lives. Not knowing whom he can trust, John has to feel his way through a web of intrigue and treachery before time runs out for his fatherAand himself. From the evocative jacket painting of a moonlit shipwreck to the superb characterizations, hair-raising plot and authentic period details, Lawrence's fiction is first-rate. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9AIn this novel set in 1799, 14-year-old John Spencer of London falls in love with life at sea on his first voyage as a passenger on his father's merchant sailing ship. He can't bear to think about plans for his desk-bound future in the family business. The young man's dreams and disappointments must be set aside when a furious storm claims the vessel and its crew. Washed onto a Cornish beach, John at first seems incredibly lucky, but soon finds that the ocean has delivered him into danger. The nearby village of Pendennis supports itself communally through the practice of "wrecking": tricking vessels onto the lethal coastal rocks, then looting the remains. However, the goods cannot be claimed if there are any survivors. As John uses his wits and his few sympathizers to plan an escape, he learns that his father may also be alive. He must overcome ever more perilous challenges if he is to save the man from a dreadful captivity. Though most of the exciting, fast-paced action occurs on land, this is really a sea story in the grand tradition of sailors' yarns, full of cliffhanging moments and well-drawn, colorful characters. The author expertly weaves maritime lingo and details into the narrative, creating an entertaining and engrossing nautical adventure.AStarr E. Smith, Marymount University Library, Arlington, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 196 pages
• Publisher: Perfection Learning (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0780799879
• ISBN-13: 978-0780799875
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,783,114 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling adventure, February 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wreckers (High Seas Trilogy) (Paperback)

Seventh grade English teacher here. I was looking for some extra reading to follow up a class read of Treasure Island. Although some of my students would have difficulty with the language in The Wreckers, I know many of them would love it. I was intrigued with the way Lawrence cast suspicion on all the characters so I didn't know who was trustworthy and who intended evil. In fact, I almost sneaked a peak at the end of the book because I was ao anxious to find out how the story ended. I'm planning to add this title to my classroom library.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great story but...too much technical terminology, December 26, 1999

By 

Educator, Lifelong Learner (SF Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wreckers (High Seas Trilogy) (Paperback)

Fifth grade teacher here: I read this on recommendation from another adult and I admit that the plot is tense, exciting and makes you want to read more! HOWEVER, there are long passages where a person could be discouraged by amount of sailing and seafaring terms that are foreign to the rest of us. There are sections where I just checked out -- I couldn't pick up what exactly was going on because there was too much technical lexicon -- I don't know what jibs, mizzens and such are. Another curious aspect of the author's craft is how he gives juicy description to locations, but rushes through extraordinary plot events. The moors are given paragraphs of description, yet in a blink of an eye a person is murdered and the characters move on. It was unsettling and made me re-read sections again to be sure I'd gotten it. Try this book if you like sailing, pirates, old sea stories. Be prepared for the difficult vocabulary. Not a good read aloud for kids without a lot of words in their lexicon.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Has the feel of a classic., September 8, 2001

By 

MLPlayfair (Ravenna, OH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Wreckers (High Seas Trilogy) (Paperback)

"The Wreckers" is the first of a series of adventure books for "young people." I'm not a member of the "young people" set anymore, but I still found it an enjoyable read. The author sets the mood and sense of place very well. The locale and the action are easy to see in the reader's mind. In fact, the whole story provides excellent fodder for the imagination. But it's NOT pretty. This is some scary stuff. It could have been a little longer to explain things more thoroughly, but I can understand wanting to keep it clipped short to move things along. I suggest that if you buy it for your "young people" you sneak a peek at it yourself!