Tom Bradman

Anyone who's read more than a few of my reviews knows that I've conceded that YA is not for me. I usually get really impatient with the emphasis on the I-wonder phase of boy/girl relationships: "I wonder if he likes me." "I wonder if she'll let me hold her hand." "I wonder if it's too soon to ask for a kiss." Or ... eek ... "I wonder if he wants to have sex with me."

Don't get me wrong; I'm not particularly prudish. It's just that, at almost-51, I feel that I've fully explored that level of psycho-social development.

That said, I keep picking up YA books without realizing that's what I've gotten. This is one such. Unlike most others, I actually really liked it, which means it's probably doomed for a real teen audience.

Things I liked:

* While a fictional account, it hews closely to actual events. It is, after all, associated with the British National Archives.
* It focuses on the Titanic, not girls on the Titanic, or what the boys were wearning. Sheesh.
* It feels true, somehow. As if this is something that could happen.

So, yeah, if you want to give a kid a book that might encourage him or her to look into a historical event, this would be a good one. If you're looking for the next Harry Potter or Hunger Games, this is almost certainly not it.… (mer)