Deadweather and Sunrise (The Chronicles of Egg, #1) by Geoff Rodkey

Apr 22, 2012 Monica Edinger rated it 4 of 5 stars

As reviewed on my blog:

So let's see. It is easy to see a certain kind of formula that came about over the last decade or so involving male Cinderellas. You've got Harry Potter with those nasty Dursleys making him live under the stairs. There's Percy Jackson with his dyslexia. Both, of course, have sidekicks with whom they banter and battle highly dangerous foe. The result of Harry and Percy's success among young readers has generated a whole lot of heroes of their ilk. Now there are plenty of yo...more As reviewed on my blog:

So let's see. It is easy to see a certain kind of formula that came about over the last decade or so involving male Cinderellas. You've got Harry Potter with those nasty Dursleys making him live under the stairs. There's Percy Jackson with his dyslexia. Both, of course, have sidekicks with whom they banter and battle highly dangerous foe. The result of Harry and Percy's success among young readers has generated a whole lot of heroes of their ilk. Now there are plenty of young guys treated badly who find out they are special and, of course, have sidekicks and some sort of maybe- first-love interest (who may or not be a sidekick). Most of these are entertaining and immediately after reading, forgettable. So my initial response when I received Geoff Rodkey's Deadweather and Sunrise , the first in The Chronicles of Egg, was a distinct lack of enthusiasm. Chronicles? Pirates? A boy and a girl on the cover? Yawn.

But, but, but then I began reading and was immediately and completely hooked. Rodkey has created a witty and intriguing alternate world, one that is filled with pirates and feels along the lines of 18th and 19th century British Empire or something of that ilk. His male Cinderella is one Egbert, who understandably prefers the nickname Egg. He lives on the putrid outlier island of Deadwater which is largely populated by pirates. "There were two kinds on Deadwater: the normal ones who hung around down in Port Scratch, drinking and getting into knife fights whenever they weren't off raiding Cartager gold ships; and the busted-down, broken ones,who'd lost too many limbs or eyes or organs to crew a ship, but not enough to kill them outright." It is the latter who work on his father's ugly fruit plantation, seemingly the only legal enterprise on Deadwater. Tormented by his miserable older siblings Adonis and Venus (both of whom are nothing like their namesakes) and ignored by his taciturn and always-working father, Egbert's life is that of the classic downtrodden male Cinderella. But suddenly everything changes. There's a map, a girl, her villainous father, gruff and good pirates, nasty dangerous pirates, and something more sinister lurking in the wings that may involve the original people of the area, termed Natives, who we only see far, far off, toiling on the nearby island Sunrise's silver mine.

Egg tells his own story with humor and a likable lack of self-pity. There is adventure galore as he goes from one cliffhanger (one is literally a cliffhanger) to the next and wit as well. For it is Rodkey's writing that made this rise for me above the others of its type --- a dry sense of humor, the sort of throw-away lines Dickens does so well, great pacing, and excellent world building. I can see that some might be worried about the mention of those mysterious Natives, but my sense and hope is that Rodkey is setting us readers up for something significant about them in future volumes. In this start to the series they are far-off figures Egg is only very vaguely informed about through hearsay and stories of the past related by various characters. That they are so barely known and then only as myth feels intentional on the author's part and something I am hopeful he will bust open in good ways in future volumes.

Of course there is much more that we readers will be waiting for as well --- what exactly did happen to Egg's family after they went off? What and where is he headed next? Geoff Rodkey has definitely got my attention and I'm eager to see where he is going to take this chronicle next. Oddly enough, when searching for a link for the book I came across a review by none other than Rick Riordan who describes it as "Lemony Snicket meets Pirates of the Caribbean,with a sprinkling of Tom Sawyer for good measure." Not too bad a description at all.(less)

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Apr 13, 2013 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mgfantasy2013, mghistorical2013, mg2013, yafantasy2013, yafiction2013, yahistorical2013, readin2013

What I enjoyed most in Geoff Rodkey's novel, Deadweather and Sunrise, (the first in the Chronicles of Egg series) was the writing or storytelling. For example, I loved how this pirate-adventure (set in an alternate--though at times familiar--world) began: "Nobody lived on Deadweather but us and the pirates. It wasn't hard to understand why. For one thing, the weather was atrocious. Eleven months out of twelve, it was brutally hot and humid, with no wind at all, so on a bad day the air felt like...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Kristi Bernard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Welcome to Deadweather Island. The most hot, humid, desolate and far away place you may ever know. Meet Egbert a young boy who hasn't been any place else. His small family consists of his dad and brother and sister Adonis and Venus who live on this small island. They own an ugly fruit plantation that they work along side with disabled pirates, the only other visitors they ever seem to get. Egbert, Egg for short, is often picked on by his family who seem to hate him a lot. His brother Adonis love...more Welcome to Deadweather Island. The most hot, humid, desolate and far away place you may ever know. Meet Egbert a young boy who hasn't been any place else. His small family consists of his dad and brother and sister Adonis and Venus who live on this small island. They own an ugly fruit plantation that they work along side with disabled pirates, the only other visitors they ever seem to get. Egbert, Egg for short, is often picked on by his family who seem to hate him a lot. His brother Adonis loves to punch and pick at him but Egg has gotten pretty good at ducking him. On Egg's thirteenth birthday his father takes them all to the next island over known as Sunrise Island. There they meet Mr. Pembrook, a wealthy man who treats them to good food and a hot air balloon ride. The result of that flight doesn't end pleasantly. An accident leaves Egg the only survivor of his family. Mr. Pembrook takes him in, Egg figures its to ease the guilt of the loss of his family. He is living a life he thought he would never had known. He eats well, reads lots of books and even has made a friend of Mr. Pembrooks daughter, Millicent. Egg basks in the weeks feeling happy for the first time in a long time. But, Egg soon finds out that Mr. Pembrook is not all he thought him to be. He discovers that Mr. Pembroke wants to take possession of the Deadweather Plantation, the place he has always called home. Mr. Pembrook, the wealthy and powerful man that he is, will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if that means taking Egg's life. Now, Egg must run for his life back to Deadweather. Against all possible odds he must escape from a man with means. How will Egg do this impossible task when he has nothing? Egg's impossible journey begins.

Rodkey has created a wonderful tale of pirates along with a coming of age journey. If parents and teachers have trouble getting boys to read they will love this book. The characters are fun and the adventure is plentiful. But, this tale is not all doom and gloom there is subtle humor that can be found throughout the pages as well. The front of the book has a map so that readers can see just how isolated these islands are which makes for a much more fun and seemingly impossible journey for the character.
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Mar 12, 2013 Kaleena Melotti rated it 4 of 5 stars

Geoff Rodkey's novel is a fast-paced tale of pirates, bravery, danger, and love fit for the average middle grade child. It's targeted audience is ages 10 and up, but I think adventure lovers of any age will absolutely adore Rodkey's tale!

The main character, Egg, is instantly likable and even I (as an only child) related to his trials with his brother and sister, as well as other adversaries throughout the story. I found myself cheering for him immediately. The other primary characters feed direc...more Geoff Rodkey's novel is a fast-paced tale of pirates, bravery, danger, and love fit for the average middle grade child. It's targeted audience is ages 10 and up, but I think adventure lovers of any age will absolutely adore Rodkey's tale!

The main character, Egg, is instantly likable and even I (as an only child) related to his trials with his brother and sister, as well as other adversaries throughout the story. I found myself cheering for him immediately. The other primary characters feed directly into the story and all serve very important roles of either breaking him down or building him up. There is nobody in the story that feels unnecessary or forced. Whether small or large, they all serve a purpose and drive the story.

The story drops you right in the middle of a day in the life of Egg. The necessary back story is filled in as you go when it's pertinent rather than a huge chunk of explanation right at the beginning. It fed the story and kept it smooth. Personally, I find blocks of back story to be jarring in some books. The way this unfolded filled things as you went and tied the story together nicely. Many times, the back story was interjected into conversation between two characters.

Rodkey does an amazing job of carrying out their conversation in their slang so-to-speak, but it did present that small problem at first. Occasionally, when Egg's family or the pirates are speaking, it can take a time or two going over the same sentence to figure out what they're saying. By the end of the book though, I had gotten the hang of it and was breezing through. Kids will definitely love the story, but may need a little help getting a grasp of how the people are speaking at first.

The climax of the story did seem to be cut a little short, ending with little more than a conversation and a cliffhanger as Egg sets out to continue his adventure. However, this is Book One of, at the time of this review, a planned trilogy with Book Two due in May 2013 and Book 3 due in 2014, so I'm willing to bet that we'll be reading more of the problem/catalyst that drove Egg to his adventure in the first place, so that's enough for me to overlook it. And, I know that I'm definitely going to be reading about the rest of Egg's adventure!(less)

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Mar 11, 2013 Justin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Time to dive back into the world of Middle Grade literature. I love jumping into Middle Grade every once so often. It’s actually pretty surprising to see how enjoyable some of these books can be even for older readers like myself. I feel like it really takes a lot of talent to pull off a good Middle Grade book for that reason though. You want a book that will appeal to younger people, but to have that same book also have appeal to older readers is pretty awesome. Geoff really pulled this feat of...more Time to dive back into the world of Middle Grade literature. I love jumping into Middle Grade every once so often. It’s actually pretty surprising to see how enjoyable some of these books can be even for older readers like myself. I feel like it really takes a lot of talent to pull off a good Middle Grade book for that reason though. You want a book that will appeal to younger people, but to have that same book also have appeal to older readers is pretty awesome. Geoff really pulled this feat off in Deadweather and Sunrise.

There were a lot of things I loved about this book. One of the main things was the atmosphere of the book. It’s a really fun book, but you do have a dark undertone with the pirates and everything else going on. The story takes off as soon as you get into the book, and I was surprised to not see it let up much throughout the book. There was a little downtime but it was a fairly fast paced book overall. Middle Grade is just one of those things I have to take in small doses. While it is a lot of fun, it can get a little overbearing sometime if you’re use to mostly YA. But this book really does a great job of bridging that gap a little.

Egg and Millicent.. What can you say about these two? They are adorable together. Okay, maybe adorable isn’t the right word. Although I guess you could say whatever you wanted about them. These two were incredible. You really don’t think of them being so young when you’re actually reading the book. They are two really tough characters that go through a lot of hardships on their journey. You really can’t help but love Millicent though, she is pretty feisty. There are a lot of other marvelous characters in this book too especially when you look at all the pirates. They were a pretty diverse bunch and they had a lot of really humorous dialogue.

Overall I was really impressed by how good this book turned out to be. I was a little skeptical even though it sounded really good. I just really have to see a lot of great things fall into place for me to really be able to enjoy a Middle Grade novel and I really saw everything fall into place with Deadweather and Sunrise. Great story, likeable characters and a quick read. I really do think this book is geared a little more towards those that enjoy adventures and such. But I do think you could find a little bit of everything throughout the book.

If this book sounds interesting to you, I really can’t think of any reason why you shouldn’t check it out. Don’t decide not to read it just because you see that it is Middle Grade, I don’t think that is very fair. It has a lot of potential to be liked by older readers too, so I think if you gave it a shot you might actually really end up enjoying it. Geoff did a really good job writing it to make it appealing to a lot of different readers.

I can’t wait to jump into the second book in the series. I have it waiting for me, and plan to get to it fairly soon. I got a feeling it will be just as awesome as the first book, if not better. With the way this first book ended, I feel as though it will be a fairly smooth transition into book two which is a major plus. So I am really looking forward to it, and I hope all of you will check out this book so you can follow along in the series with me.

Thank you to Media Masters Publicity for providing me with a copy of this book for review.
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Mar 11, 2013 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, middle-grade, fiction

Deadweather and Sunrise is a great pirate adventure that I think will appeal to its target audience - middle grade boys. The hero has some familiar qualities - a dead mother and a father and siblings who don't treat him that well. I haven't seen a pirate adventure recently though - I think it will be a nice change for boys who have already read all the wizard and dragon books out there. This is the first book of a trilogy so I think some of the characters will be fleshed out more in the next two...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Charlotte rated it 5 of 5 stars

Well dagnabit – now I have one more YA fiction series to add to my list. One more series that I have to keep up with and wait impatiently between release dates for. Why? Because this is an awesome new series.
Rodkey has created a fascinating world. There are elements of fantasy mixed with allusions to our actual history. It is a complex world that took a couple of chapters to begin to fully grasp, but was well worth it.
The story begins with Egbert narrating his own tale. From the start it is made...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Barb Middleton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, pirates

As a kid, I used to fantasize about running away and becoming a trapeze artist in the circus. I practiced my act in the tops of trees, on the roof of the house, onswing-sets banisters... basically anything high. Mom, wanting me to survive adolescence, put my hyperactive limbs in gymnastics. I made my best friend spot me as I learned to do flips. I stood on the edge of the chair and instructed her to grasp the waistband of my shorts and make sure I didn't land on my head. I should have worried ab...more As a kid, I used to fantasize about running away and becoming a trapeze artist in the circus. I practiced my act in the tops of trees, on the roof of the house, on swing-sets banisters... basically anything high. Mom, wanting me to survive adolescence, put my hyperactive limbs in gymnastics. I made my best friend spot me as I learned to do flips. I stood on the edge of the chair and instructed her to grasp the waistband of my shorts and make sure I didn't land on my head. I should have worried about her head. When my legs rocketed through the rotation she leaned forward too much and I caught her under the chin. I landed on my feet and found her on the floor knocked out cold. Yes, she is still my best friend, but she never helped me with another acrobatic move. Today I just dream (literally) of flipping as a flexible 13-year-old. Egbert Masterson is 13, and he too, likes to fantasize. He fantasizes about traveling to exotic places found in the books he's read, or eating delicious jelly bread, or rescuing Millicent (the girl he has a crush on) from pirates. Not only do his fantasies come true they careen out-of-control in this non-stop action adventure involving murder, cutthroat pirates, assassins, and treasure.

Egbert lives on Deadweather on a fruit farm with his father, Hok, brother, Adonis, and sister, Venus. His mother died giving birth to him and he is hated, beat, and verbally abused by the trio. Hok hires tutors for the children because his wife wanted them educated and while the first tutor did teach Egbert how to read, the second tutor didn't teach him anything. But that was okay because he brought books and Egbert continued his education by teaching himself. When Hok discovers something on the farm, the group heads to Sunrise Island, except Daddo doesn't tell his kiddos exactly why they are going there. When Egbert loses his family, is almost tossed off a cliff, and then captured by pirates, you would think things couldn't get worse, but they do. Egg is forced to try and figure out what his dad found that was so important that people are trying to kill him to get it.

The funny pirate talk makes for some good ole fun - it might be 'ard fer sum young-ins ta understand, but ye will have ta decide fer yerself. The part where the pirate goes after Millicent with intentions that aren't honorable might be confusing also, but I can see young readers not understanding how the whole situation transpired. The characters are so extreme they are funny - almost cartoonish - and while there is violence it is on the slapstick side for the most part. The deaths occur willy-nilly and there is no remorse or much thinking about them. Egg doesn't feel sorry for himself and his decency and humor balance out the other kooky characters, as well as, lighten the violent parts. Egg explains why he likes Millicent's cocky, confident attitude which adds a nice touch to the character development. She's a strong female character with a mind of her own and take-charge attitude. The plot has many unpredictable twists because of her and her actions at the end make sense in light of her personality traits.

The loose ends are not tied up and it seems obvious that there will be a sequel. We do not learn the details of what happened to Egg's family. We also don't know why the most fearsome pirate of the seas went out of his way to help Egg. Maybe they are related? Maybe he's Egg's uncle? Other unresolved issues at the end of the story are the two men hell-bent on killing Egg walk away with no intention of not going after him another time and the treasure has not been found. The end screams, to be continued... The only resolution happens for Millicent. I also wanted to know Guts history and how he ended up with the pirates. The world-building is excellent and characters engaging. I look forward to book 2. Let the treasure hunt begin. Oy!

Reading Level 5.2(less)

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Nov 20, 2012 Leslie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, a-boy-s-shelf, action-adventure, book-one, chapter-book-8-11, fantasy, middle-school-11-14, juvenile, natalyas-shelf, part-of-a-series

When you read “debut author” you are ready to make some allowances, you needn’t with Geoff Rodkey. He has spun this juvenile fiction adventure story like a pro. He’s funny and earnest and has the pacing, villains, and gore well in hand. He is also able to throw in plenty of keep-you-on-your-toes plot twists that do not, wonderfully enough, feel like they come out of nowhere. He is convincing and consistent if you are willing to slow down long enough to admire the job; which is harder than it sou...more When you read “debut author” you are ready to make some allowances, you needn’t with Geoff Rodkey. He has spun this juvenile fiction adventure story like a pro. He’s funny and earnest and has the pacing, villains, and gore well in hand. He is also able to throw in plenty of keep-you-on-your-toes plot twists that do not, wonderfully enough, feel like they come out of nowhere. He is convincing and consistent if you are willing to slow down long enough to admire the job; which is harder than it sounds.

Rodkey does take time with the beginning establishing Egbert’s unfortunate circumstances and giving the reader a feel for this fantasy culture. His wit is high energy, which works for this kind of adventure, and I see Rodkey eventually catching up with the likes of N.D. Wilson and Eoin Colfer. In the meantime, the pages sail by, even if one cringes to think ‘how is Egg going to get out of that one?’ Rodkey draws out some pretty good action sequences.

Melissa at The Book Nut captures the feel of the characters perfectly when she writes: “Think of it as Pirates of the Caribbean with a 13-year-old Will Turner. There’s a Jack Sparrow character in Egg’s friend Guts, and Millicent could be Elizabeth Swan.” Yeah, they are younger, blonder versions… It wasn’t something I hadn’t thought about while reading, having forgotten it since reading Melissa’s review, but they are very reminiscent. There are other characters, of course, some a bit more caricature-ish, but Rodkey uses it wisely, I think; illustrating where he needed so as to not bog down his read unnecessarily, certainly not at the expense of the pace. He maintains a successful balance of Egg’s inner dialog with the action, and not just balance in how Rodkey spends his time, but how he uses one to affect the other (and vice versa). Who Egg is affects his choices which affects the outcome, but he is also made to react or is placed due to the actions of another.

As Book One Deadweather and Sunrise could stand alone, but I can’t think why one would want it to. While Rodkey wraps up a few things, he’s laid out quite a bit more to entice the reader. The reader is going to like at least one character and are bound to be intrigued by at least one lure Rodkey has set for the next adventure. I am happy to say I am interested in the outcomes of more than a few characters and plot trajectories.

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recommendations: ages 10 & up. boys or girls, avid reader or no, those who love adventure stories, pirates (maimed or otherwise), and/or first crushes. fans of N.D. Wilson and/or Rick Riordan.

of note: Rodkey writes boys and boats really well. and Guts is my favorite. I adore his rough language, blood-thirst, and the way he tells Millicent to shut-up…yeah, the bickering was great.

L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...(less)

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Nov 18, 2012 Charlyn Trussell rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Grades 4 and up

Shelves: adventure, fiction, friendship, fantasy, magic, mystery, pirates, romance, series, strong-female-character, strong-male-character

There is that sort of reader who loves the book so much she is sorry to see it end and then there is that sort of reader who comes to the end and realizes that not only is she sorry to see the book end, but she's also a little put out that she must wait months for the sequel and then there will be another year before another one comes. And the second realization that she's going to have to explain that to her patrons because they, too, will be ready for the next one as soon as they finish this o...more There is that sort of reader who loves the book so much she is sorry to see it end and then there is that sort of reader who comes to the end and realizes that not only is she sorry to see the book end, but she's also a little put out that she must wait months for the sequel and then there will be another year before another one comes. And the second realization that she's going to have to explain that to her patrons because they, too, will be ready for the next one as soon as they finish this one.

And so that's just the kind of book this is--a somewhat beefy one that I started late yesterday and had to complete today, full of adventure and suspense with a dash of romance and a bit of gore. And, though I marked "magic" in those shelves I chose, the magic has only been discussed so far. It hasn't appeared yet, but the reader suspects that sooner or later it will.

Egbert lives with his father, his brother and sister, and a number of pirates on an island. Their fruit plantation is set apart from the rest of the island and from the neighboring islands, so Egbert is not so familiar with wealth, prestige and a normal education. Of the three siblings, he is the only one who has taken advantage of the books tutors have brought to the plantation. And of the three siblings, he is somewhat the outcast, bullied by his brother and sister and more severely admonished by his father.

One day, his father announces they are all going down the mountain and over to Sunrise Island. The sudden trip seems strange to Egbert since they only go there on holiday. This trip is very different, however, and the family finds themselves the guests of the Pembrokes, the wealthiest family on the island, until a freak accident carries away Egbert's father, sister and brother. Millicent, the attractive daughter of the landowner, befriends Egbert, changing his name to Egg. And Egg is smitten with her.

Because the landowner says he feels responsible for the accident, he befriends Egg and eventually offers him the chance to be adopted into the family. Egg's refusal sets off a chain of events that causes Egg to become a fugitive and quickly learn to fend for himself and to discern whom he can trust.

What was the secret his father held that caused his death? Why does Pembroke want Egg dead, too? Will Millicent be able to pull herself away from her father and be able to see him for the evil, power-hungry culprit he is? Will Egg be able to solve the mystery his father discovered? How long do I have to wait for the next book? (less)

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Oct 28, 2012 Booka Uhu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 9-12-reads

As treasure stories go, this is one of the better ones. It reminded me a lot of Percy Jackson in terms of style if not in tone (Eg is nowhere near as street-wise as Percy is) and the characters were all very strong. Millicent in particular was a favourite of mine. She’s smart, she’s brilliant but she is, without wanting to admit it, very naive and protected. She’s no cardboard cut-out character, I’m looking forward to the next one in the series to see how she gets on.

I also loved the part where...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Catherine rated it 1 of 5 stars

This is quite a difficult book to review, as I didn't really like the story, but am not quite sure why. I think it was because I found it really difficult to empathise with the main character Egg (real name Egburt).
He was a very pathetic character; his mother died giving birth to him, his older brother & sister beat him up every chance they got and none of his family were pleasant to him, he lived on an island of pirates and even the 'tutor' employed to teach them was a horrid toad. Then, w...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Deadweather Island is miserable; hot and humid, desolate and dull. It sits to the west of Sunrise, totally cut off from the rest of the world by the pirate-infested waters of the Blue Sea. Egg is acutely aware of the oppressive weather and landscape. He knows nothing but the dreary life on the island, the endless work on the ugly fruit plantation and the constant fear of attack by his brother, sister, tutor or pirates who work the plantation too. On the day of his thirteenth birthday Egg’s fathe...more Deadweather Island is miserable; hot and humid, desolate and dull. It sits to the west of Sunrise, totally cut off from the rest of the world by the pirate-infested waters of the Blue Sea. Egg is acutely aware of the oppressive weather and landscape. He knows nothing but the dreary life on the island, the endless work on the ugly fruit plantation and the constant fear of attack by his brother, sister, tutor or pirates who work the plantation too. On the day of his thirteenth birthday Egg’s father mysteriously decides to sail the whole family to Sunrise Island on errand. Egg’s father meets with his lawyer and then heading into the fancy island inn for lunch, meets the wealthy and powerful, Mr. Pembroke. Mr. Pembroke feigns interest in the plantation and brings the family to his hilltop home full luxurious comforts and delights. As a highlight to the trip he treats them to a hot air balloon ride that unfortunately ends in terrible accident leaving Egg alone in the world.

With the loss of his family the Pembrokes take Egg in. They treat him to the best weeks of his life. He is never hungry. He has all the books he could wish to read. He becomes friends with Millicent, the Pembroke daughter. It seems as though his life might be turning around and then Egg discovers Mr. Pembroke is not all he claims to be. His generosity is not because he feels responsibility for the loss of his family, but because Egg has something he wants – the Deadweather plantation. Egg knows that Pembroke will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Egg must run for his life. He must get back to Deadweather and that seems impossible. How can a boy who has nothing escape from a man who has everything – wealth, power, and authority.

Read The Chronicles of Egg – Deadweather and Sunrise to discover how the first leg to the journey unfolds as one disaster leads to the next adventure that leads to the next challenge only to begin again. Egg is caught in the race of his life, or rather the race for his life. It is uncertain whether he can survive.
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Aug 10, 2012 Diayll rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

Originally Reviewed At:Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Publisher for Honest Review
Reviewer: AimeeKay

Just finished reading this awesome book! So much fun! The descriptions were exceptional and while the book had its action and adventure, it was also really humorous. Almost every page had me giggling.

As for the characters themselves, my two favorites were Egg and Guts. Egg was an excellent main character. He was funny and determined. And Guts, well Guts was absolute...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Yuko rated it 5 of 5 stars

read this with my 10-year-old daughter. At bedtime we read a chapter each night, which is why it took us longer than usual to finish the book. Egg is a wonderful character: sensible, intelligent, resourceful and plucky; but what I particularly liked about him was that he was also unsure of himself and very human. All of the characters were well-drawn, and although many of them were pretty abhorrent personalities, they were complex - not all good, and not all bad, and sometimes appearing to be o...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: abusive-relationships, bullies, fantasy, families, friendship, ncbla2013, romance, travel

I didn't expect to like this title as much as I ended up enjoying it. At first, the cover led me to believe that this would be some sort of pirate adventure with a boy and a girl, and while it is that, it is so much more. Even some of the pirates have unexpected layers and surprising motivations. Thirteen-year-old Egg lives on Deadweather Island with his father, abusive siblings, and a useless tutor. The entire family except for Egg disappears in a hot air balloon while doing business on Sunrise...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Robin Carter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Review:
I have for many years steered away from reading and reviewing YA books, My son is grown, as are most of my nephews and nieces. But then I became a granddad, and suddenly I rediscovered a need to become part of that world, knowing what's good out there so I can make sure I provide the right books and good books for my granddaughter to read, to help give her a love for reading.

Does The Chronicles of the Egg "Deadweather and Sunrise" live up to the exciting cover art? Yes I was very happy to...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Nathaniel rated it 4 of 5 stars

"The Chronicles of Egg: Deadweather and Sunrise" is the first in a new young adult series by Geoff Rodkey. Egbert is a thirteen year old boy who lives with his secretive father and abusive siblings of the pirate infested Deadweather island. However he is eventually swept into a world filled with plotting business men, murderous pirates and an ancient treasure that could change Egg's destiny. With an insane cabin boy named Guts and the beautiful Millicent, Egg is thrown into a world of corruption...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Kim McGee rated it 4 of 5 stars

There is nothing better than a good pirate book and that is what The Chronicles of Egg series promises to be- pirates, villains and a beautiful damsel not in distress. Egg lives on the awful island of Deadweather next to a tropical paradise where his family owns an ugly fruit plantation managed by disabled ex-pirates. Egg is the youngest of three and does his best to keep out of the way of his older brother's fists, sister's whining and dad's anger. The family goes on a trip to the neighboring i...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

I have come across so many unimaginative books lately, that I was a bit skeptical when I started reading this book. The synopsis sounded wonderful, but I have been fooled quite a bit lately by those, so I was crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. I got what I was hoping for. This was an original storyline, full of fun characters, action-filled story lines, suspense, humor, fun, excitement, and mystery.

Egbert grew up in a family that never really seemed to care for him much, you see, his...more

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May 29, 2012 Valentina rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a wonderfully inventive book for middle graders, although, really, I enjoyed it enough to recommend it to everyone.
The premise is original enough to have the reader sigh with relief. No wizards or vampires to be found. Instead, we have pirates! What I loved was that although some of them are the normal kind of pirates, the majority we see in the book are what the author calls “field pirates”. They work the fields as mercenaries. This, to me, is a fun twist on what a pirate really is. Bu...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Aidan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Egg, a boy from an island named Deadweather, has always had a horrible life. His father hates him, along with his brother and sister. He has had to work endlessly each day his entire life. One day, his father mysteriously takes Egg and his siblings to the island Sunrise. Their first day there, and his family disappears in a horrible accident. He is taken in by Roger Pembroke for weeks with his beautiful daughter, Millicent. For once in his life, everything seemed perfect. Suddenly, he's framed f...more

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Jul 25, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, mystery, favorites

Egg’s Cinderella-like (the servant part, not the princess part) life is changed overnight when his family disappears and he is taken in by the wealthy Mr. Pembroke. Egg thinks life in the Pembroke mansion is pretty sweet. Does he miss his family? Kinda. He doesn’t miss being the family servant at all. Doesn’t miss doing extra chores. Doesn’t miss getting spit on.

But when he discovers that Mr. Pembroke is up to something involving a map of his family’s plantation, Egg starts to suspect that there...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Xander rated it 5 of 5 stars

Egbert is 13 years old, and lives on Deadweather Island, where the weather is always bad on his family's ugly fruit plantation. When his father puts together a crew on short notice, they are off to Sunrise, where the weather is perfect. Then they meet a man named Roger Pembroke, who invites them over to have dinner. Egbert, who's new nickname is Egg, falls in love with Pembroke's daughter; Millicent, and after Pembroke puts Egg's family on a hot-air balloon, they never return. Egg lives with the...more

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May 15, 2012 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, middle-grade, arcs-read, full-of-wonderful, owned-arc, arc-via-publisher-or-author

'I knew the world was out there. I just didn't see a place for myself in it. And even if there might be, I had no idea how to go about finding it.
It never occurred to me that the world might come find me - and that without me lifting a finger to make it happen, one day my life would change, completely and forever.
But it did. And this is the story of it.'

Growing up in Deadweather, Egbert (although he prefers 'Egg') always thought that life outside of Deadweather would be more civilized and more...more 'I knew the world was out there. I just didn't see a place for myself in it. And even if there might be, I had no idea how to go about finding it.
It never occurred to me that the world might come find me - and that without me lifting a finger to make it happen, one day my life would change, completely and forever.
But it did. And this is the story of it.'

Growing up in Deadweather, Egbert (although he prefers 'Egg') always thought that life outside of Deadweather would be more civilized and more respectful. Growing up with his brother Adonis and sister Venus who treated him like an unwanted brother and his father who he couldn't even be sure really loved him, Egbert didn't have the easiest of lives. But when Egbert gets a taste of what other people are truly like, even on the illustrious island Sunrise, he realizes that his family may not be as bad as he originally made them out to be. When his family goes missing after his father makes a mysterious discovery, Egg begins to suspect that he had actually found evidence of the Fire King's treasure (which was a supposed myth) and that it's somewhere back on his home in Deadweather.

This book was an immense amount of fun and I had trouble putting it down because I was so enthralled in the story. The story was told from the point-of-view of Egg which was different as it seems most books I've read are from the point-of-view of a female so it was an interesting but fun perspective shift for me. Guts was my favorite character though, he cracked me up. Guts mopped the decks of a pirate ship but was not a pirate himself. He refused to wear shoes, his hair hung in his eyes so much you couldn't be positive he could actually see, and he was quite a wild little animal.

"He'd never use that knife."
"He would, actually. He's quite violent. And not well in the head."
"What kind of 'not well'?"
"The kind that stabs people! Look at this." I opened two buttons on my shirt and pulled it far enough off my shoulder to give her a good look at the blood-crusted bite mark on ym shoulder.
"Oh, that's awful! Does he have a dog?"
"No, that was him."
Millicent's eyebrows jumped. "Right, then. Good to know. Thanks for the tip."

One of my kids asked me what the story was about so I told her the basis. Her immediate response was 'How long until you finish so I can read it?' She snagged it just as soon as I was done. I found it to be a bit violent but was satisfied that it was kept to a minimum. This is a series/trilogy that I will definitely be keeping an eye out for in the future. The ending sets up Egg and Guts' next adventure perfectly. Funny and definitely entertaining, this one is a true 'middle-grade' gem.(less)

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May 07, 2012 Rachael Stein rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mock-newbery-2013

In the latest issue of The Horn Book, Roger Sutton poses the question, "What Hath Harry Wrought?" His essay focuses on positive changes in our assumptions about children's reading habits, but Rowling's success hath wrought more insidious changes in the publishing industry as well. Pre-Harry, when I saw the word "chronicles" on the cover of a book, it brought me warm, fuzzy memories of Narnia and Prydain. Post-Harry, "chronicles" translates to "a series consisting of at least three volumes of at...more In the latest issue of The Horn Book, Roger Sutton poses the question, "What Hath Harry Wrought?" His essay focuses on positive changes in our assumptions about children's reading habits, but Rowling's success hath wrought more insidious changes in the publishing industry as well. Pre-Harry, when I saw the word "chronicles" on the cover of a book, it brought me warm, fuzzy memories of Narnia and Prydain. Post-Harry, "chronicles" translates to "a series consisting of at least three volumes of at least 300 pages apiece, with derivative plots, stock characters, and probably some boring magic."

Enter the Chronicles of Egg.

In the first volume, Deadweather and Sunrise, we meet thirteen-year-old Egbert (Egg). He and his family run an ugly fruit plantation on a fetid island - Deadweather - inhabited solely by pirates and his own small household. Deadweather exists in the shadow of the much more attractive Sunrise Island, where tropical breezes cool the white sand beaches and proto-tourists roam the glittering streets. When Egbert's taciturn father finds something intriguing on their property, he sails the family to Sunrise, setting in motion a swashbuckling plot that manages to sustain suspense and momentum throughout its 288 pages.

I have to stop here and thank Monica Edinger, because I never would have picked up this book without her endorsement. Seriously. The ARC was sitting on my "Eh, probably won't bother reading" shelf, looking like a boring rehash of a million tired old tropes, and waiting to be used as a giveaway. I'm so glad I reclaimed it.

Deadweather and Sunrise is much better than it has any right to be. The elements of the plot are not particularly original, but the author arranges them in some startling and delightful ways. There are maimed pirates working an ugly fruit plantation, the world's first passenger cruise through pirate-infested waters, and a particularly malodorous stowaway attempt. Where the book really shines, though, is in its characters.

Egg himself is an appealing hero, making lots of brave and dumb choices for believably noble reasons. The standout character, however, is his friend Millicent (who also happens to be the daughter of the villain). As well-drawn strong female fantasy characters go, it doesn't get much better than this. For once, the author has not chosen from between the two Strong Girl stock characters: Strong Like a Boy or Stunningly Brainy. Millicent is very intelligent, yes, and also brave and strong, but it's her diplomacy skills that save the day at the crucial moment. Applied knowledge FTW! (This made me realize how much female "intelligence" in fantasy novels amounts to "I read all the time and am able to regurgitate information at will.") Millicent is also bossy, spoiled, and headstrong, calling to mind another classic Strong Girl: Princess Eilonwy of Llyr.

I look forward to reading the rest of this trilogy. There are all kinds of intriguing loose ends, and I want to know more about the endearingly unstable cabin boy, Guts.
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Mar 19, 2013 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books-blogged, 2012-favorites, 2012-middle-grade, 2013-favorites-read-this-year, middle-grade-adventure, great-teaching-books, middle-grade-favorites, read-in-2013

I'll keep it simple, I LOVED IT! I enjoyed the characters, Egg is definitely a sympathetic character what with the abuse he suffers from his family but his good nature despite it. Then when he finally does seem to find a good situation, it turns out to be an illusion and he ends up on the run having to fight for what it rightfully his. But through it all, Egg proves to have more brains and courage than he or anyone else would have thought. Millicent was quite an interesting character as well, sp...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Matthew L rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a great book. Read it now.......... Now that you've read it, let me tell you about it. This book has the distinction of being the first book written by Rodkey. Being a friend of Geoff I was really looking forward to its release (my family ordered 4 copies) but it was worth all the money. Deadweather and Sunrise follows the story of Egg a Thirteen year old who feels ignored by his single father and abused by his siblings when they suddenly vanish and Egg is left with a rich family the car...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Aeicha rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5/5 Stars

Deadweather and Sunrise by Geoff Rodkey is what I would call a “boy book”…not that girls of all ages won’t enjoy this MG read (I did). But it has all the elements that younger male readers really seem to enjoy: thrills, chills, pirates, pirate language, a bit of gore and violence and a very relatable young hero. And I’m not complaining! There definitely needs to be more “boy books” like this one for the fickle male MG audience.

Egbert’s first thirteen years have been less than pleasan...more

3.5/5 Stars

Deadweather and Sunrise by Geoff Rodkey is what I would call a “boy book”…not that girls of all ages won’t enjoy this MG read (I did). But it has all the elements that younger male readers really seem to enjoy: thrills, chills, pirates, pirate language, a bit of gore and violence and a very relatable young hero. And I’m not complaining! There definitely needs to be more “boy books” like this one for the fickle male MG audience.

Egbert’s first thirteen years have been less than pleasant: he’s grown up on his father’s ugly fruit plantation on the ugly Deadweather Island surrounded by ugly tempered pirates; his older brother, Adonis, and older sister, Venus, are unusually cruel and unintelligent; his father pays little attention to him and his mother died giving birth to him…very unpleasant indeed. And when Egbert’s father mysteriously takes the family on a sudden trip to the fancy and beautiful Sunrise Island, things get even worse. After his family disappears in a strange balloon accident, Egbert spends three glorious weeks with the wealthy Pembrokes, including the clever and pretty young Millicent Pembroke, who dubs him Egg. But when Mr. Pembroke tries to murder Egg, the young hero must set out to save his own life and find the long buried Native treasure that Mr. Pembroke is after.

Fast-paced and not lacking in thrills and humor, Rodkey’s Deadweather and Sunrise offers readers an exciting read. Imaginative and inventive, Egg’s journey is full of scallywags, bloody battles, possibly insane best friends and even a little romance.

This is a quick read and the story moves quite fast, jumping from one event to the next in rapid procession. I liked this action-packed pace and I think it will easily hold the attention of younger readers. The exact time period and world that the story takes place in is never given, but there’s a very Victorian feel to the setting. The world-building is good, but it could have been more vivid and descriptive; especially when Deadweather and Sunrise Islands are explored and laid out for readers.

Egg is a genuinely likable hero. He’s smart and resourceful, but at times he’s a bit submissive for my liking. His family, especially his siblings, are just unbearable! They’re nasty, cruel, greedy and quite ignorant and I couldn’t bring myself to care about their mysterious “disappearance”. Millicent is a plucky, saucy little thing with a wit and tongue that is razor sharp. Sometimes her cleverness and biting wit are too much, but other times they’re irresistibly funny (such as when she ends up steering a boat in the wrong direction for hours and claims the sun must have simply risen in the wrong direction!). Egg’s new friend Gus is unpredictable and a bit unstable; honestly, he unnerved me some.

The pirates, and there are many of them, are very awesome! Rodkey definitely captures the enthralling dangerous quality of these men, drunken escapades, bloody battles and all.

Egg’s journey is exciting, although a bit over the top at times. There are definitely enough thrills and twists to keep readers captivated, but the ending was less suspenseful than I would have liked and felt contrived.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: An exciting and rousing read, Deadweather and Sunrise will appeal to the middle grade audience, especially those looking for a lot of action and adventure. This fast-paced book definitely kept me entertained from beginning to end.
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May 30, 2012 Cupcake Girl rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't usually do very many reveiws but i was sent this to reveiw for a magazine and as there aren't many reveiws of this book yet i thought I might as well.

First of all I loved this book. Absolutly love it. It's awsomness.
The storyline:

Egg Lives on a stinky island called Deadweather with his dad, older sister Venus and Older brother ( I can't remember his name...) He's bullied by his syblings. One day they go to another island called sunrise where they stay with the pembrokes and their beauti...more

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Deadweather and Sunrise (The Chronicles of Egg #1)

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