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The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Avi

3.83 · Rating details · 80,739 ratings · 3,345 reviews

An ocean voyage of unimaginable consequences... Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty. But I was just such a girl, and my story is worth relating even if it did happen years ago. Be warned, however: If strong ideas and action offend you, read no more. Find another companion to share your idle hours. For my part I intend t ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 278 pages

Published September 2nd 2003 by Avon Books (first published September 1st 1990)

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Dec 08, 2008 trivialchemy rated it it was amazing

This book just flashed into my mind this evening unbidden. I can't believe how completely I had forgotten it. But for several years after I just started to read YA novels, I thought this book was the epic shit. And it has a heroine! And she's good for something besides good manners! Either this is way out of character for me, or perhaps as a ten year old I wasn't a cranky misogynist (unlikely).

I also read some of the other reviews here for this book, and I have to say, on behalf of ten year-old ...more

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Jul 05, 2007 Audrey rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-fiction

Middle school girls who know nothing whatsoever of history will undoubtedly find this book utterly enthralling. I won't deny that the story is paced well and the prose is well constructed. The problem is, it has no internal integrity. Books with talking animals and intergalactic travel require less suspension of disbelief. Charlotte makes a completely implausible personality shift. An etiquette-obsessed, "well-bred," snobbish, wealthy Victorian girl, in a fit of remorse, suddenly rejects her soc ...more

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Jul 26, 2007 Margaret Chind rated it it was amazing

Shelves: harpertrophy, ages-8-to-12, ages-13-and-up, favorites, award-winners, lexile-740l, ar-8, mp-sixth-grade

When I was about 12 or 13 years old I read this book. Before this book, I had read all other required material but was not a passionate or avid reader. After this book I have a passion for reading and literature that is very strong. I love the adventure and the imaginative dreams that follow such an adventure. There are so many books that my mind is open up to now, and I really cannot imagine the idea of not loving to read.

If you have a pre-teen girl, that does not like to read currently... I st ...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Erin rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: adventure lovers of any age

Shelves: books-i-own

A sailor chooses the wind that takes the ship from a safe port.Ah, yes, but once you're abroad, as you have seen, winds have a mind of their own. Be careful, Charlotte, careful of the wind you choose.

One of my all time favorite books from my childhood. Imagine that paperbacks like this one used to cost Canadians only 4.99! Awww... the 90's! I was a huge fan of Avi when I was in grades 4-6 and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle was my #1 favorite. I decided to read it to my secondary 1-2 ...more

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Aug 29, 2019 Kate Quinn rated it it was amazing

I adored this book as a teen. Maybe it stretches credulity now. But it fired my imagination and made me want to find more books about girls who went adventuring in historical times, and for that I love it.

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Jun 17, 2007 RachelAnne rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Adventure-hungry middle school girls.

Shelves: historical, youngadult, novels

Avi is an incredibly accomplished author, and this smoothly written work is well-constructed with a good dose of adventure. However, I disliked the heroine intensely and found it extremely implausible that a young lady of her disposition and upbringing should so utterly and permanently reject nearly all societal mores and roles she was taught to revere in such a short time period. Moreover, it was absolutely unbelievable that the crew would accept her offer to work as a sailor. I thought Charlot ...more

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Dec 03, 2007 Sandi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Ages 10 & up

Shelves: historical-fiction

Set in England in the 1830’s, this high suspense historical fiction story takes place on a ship carrying thirteen year-old Charlotte Doyle, a young lady of proper upbringing, home to her family in Providence, Rhode Island. There is high suspense as the tale unfolds and Charlotte is accused of murder. Charlotte learns a valuable lesson about not judging people based on first impressions or positions of authority. The book has won many awards including the Boston Globe – Horn Book Award, Newberry ...more

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Feb 15, 2020 Bren rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Fans of Historical Fiction.

Shelves: social-issues, feminism, friendship, historical, read-and-reviewed, suspense, adventure, better-or-worse-than-expected, the-ocean-and-sea-lakes-beaches-etc

“A sailor chooses the wind that takes the ship from a safe port. Ah, yes, but once you're abroad, as you have seen, winds have a mind of their own. Be careful, Charlotte, careful of the wind you choose.”
― Avi, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Honestly? I am in love..with this book.

So we all read and read and as each new year starts I know for me, I look forward to finding, not just books I like but maybe a few that I c an adore...you know what I mean don't you? It's why we read..always lo “A sailor chooses the wind that takes the ship from a safe port. Ah, yes, but once you're abroad, as you have seen, winds have a mind of their own. Be careful, Charlotte, careful of the wind you choose.”
― Avi, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Honestly? I am in love..with this book.

So we all read and read and as each new year starts I know for me, I look forward to finding, not just books I like but maybe a few that I c an adore...you know what I mean don't you? It's why we read..always looking for that next hidden treasure.

And so far this year I have read some good ones but nothing I'd say just leaps into unforgettable territory. Until this book.

So I read across all genres. But I do so love Historical Fiction. Specifically, the type where a certain time period or location can come alive..that really just does it for me.

One of my all time favorite Historical reads is 'The Witch of Blackbird Pond", which I first read as a kid and I reread it every so often. This reminded me so much of that book.

This has been on my TBR list forever. No in depth plot recount on this one as it is a pretty well known book with hundreds of reviews. But I will talk about why I liked it so much.

Like, the other book I mentioned, this book, True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle has the theme of an unusual young female struggling to find her identity in a world that wants to keep her down and mold her to the wishes of other people. And like with Kit, in Blackbird Pond, Charlotte is, at heart, a warm, sassy and strong female, forced to fight for her life and identity under life threatening circumstances.

I also adored the homage to the sea. I loved the camaraderie of the sailors and the slow and easy pace of the book. I loved that I felt right there on the ship, as the wind whipped about and Seafoam sprayed everywhere.

I loved Charlotte's gutsiness and her authenticity. I loved everything about this book and found the writing sweeping and magnificent. Read it in one sitting. Those are the types of books to savor.

Also agree with the author..no sequel! Ending was perfect.

Highly recommended to all fans of Historical Fiction and adventure stories. A wonderful, sea drenched five stars for this story. ...more

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Jul 14, 2010 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: award-winners, all-timefavorites

Is it possible that I have never reviewed this book?! Or maybe I've just reviewed another edition? Whatever the case, this book is fantastic! A young, respectable girl returning from her English boarding school to her home in Massachusetts ends up caught in the middle of a mutiny, and pressed into service as a sailor. Wonderfully descriptive, with meticulous detail about life on board a ship, readers of all ages and sexes can enjoy this book. ...more

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Dec 31, 2015 Faith M ✨ rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical, 2-stars, get-thee-behind-me-satan, backpack, middle-grade, soulless, mc-gurl, 1st-person

I was forced to read this in the 6th grade and I couldn't stand Charlotte Doyle and the sheer unbelievability that this loser 12 year old participated in a mutiny and became the captain of a ship. ...more

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Aug 18, 2009 Amy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, juvenile-fiction, books-i-have-re-read-time-and-time, re-read-in-2018

This book represents so much of my middle school years, and so many day-dreams, that I hardly know where to begin with it. I love this story. In my imagination, I've written countless sequels. Charlotte is my friend and playfellow and her fellow sailors remain some of my favorite people. This book will always be near and dear to my heart. ...more

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Sep 27, 2007 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourite, historical-fiction, ya

It is 1832 and thirteen year old Charlotte Doyle is making her way to her family’s home in Rhode Island from England, having finished her schooling. The voyage does not have an auspicious beginning – the two families who were meant to travel with her do not appear, so she is left without a guardian or supervision on board a merchant vessel whose captain everyone seems to want to avoid.

The environment of the ship is new and scary but, although frightened, Charlotte keeps her wits and her manners It is 1832 and thirteen year old Charlotte Doyle is making her way to her family’s home in Rhode Island from England, having finished her schooling. The voyage does not have an auspicious beginning – the two families who were meant to travel with her do not appear, so she is left without a guardian or supervision on board a merchant vessel whose captain everyone seems to want to avoid.

The environment of the ship is new and scary but, although frightened, Charlotte keeps her wits and her manners and slowly warms to the offered friendship of an old black man, Zachariah.

The captain is cruel and contemptuous of his crew, but Charlotte is offended by the stories Zachariah tells her, her understanding of hierarchy is so ingrained. Then the ship hits the doldrums and Charlotte inadvertently discovers evidence of a mutiny in the planning; telling the Captain brings his wrath down on the crew, and when Zachariah is unfairly whipped Charlotte tries to stop in but only makes matters worse. In an effort to make up for destroying the mutiny and seeing one man die and her friend Zachariah badly beaten, she changes her clothes and joins the crew as a sailor. She learns the trade but is accused of murdering the first mate and must stand trial before the vindictive Captain, who decides to have her hanged.

I first read this book in grade 7, and fell in love with it. Charlotte was my absolute hero, my role model for independence, resourcefulness, courage and unladylike behaviour. I borrowed it several times from my school library, and never forgot it, though I couldn’t remember what it was called. Then last year I asked the amazing people at http://community.livejournal.com/what... who gave me the title and author, and I easily found it at the bookshop. I have to admit, I was very surprised at how slim the book is. I remember it as being quite thick! Funny how unreliable our memories are isn’t it.

I don’t want to give the impression that this is a “girly” book in any way – it’s not. It’s an adventure on the Pacific, a historical portrayal of a particular time, place and class(es), and shares a wealth of information about ships and how they work – including an appendix with sketches of the Seahawk, explanations of ship lingo and so on.

What always caught my notice was how truly alone Charlotte is in this story. She manages to make a few friends of the crew – or get their respect, anyway – but in the end no one can help her but herself. She’s put in a frightening situation from the moment of boarding the ship and it only gets worse and worse, but she’s a sweet girl who learns a thing or two about class, about authority and justice, and about survival. In the end, a life on land with her family makes her restless and she returns to the life of a sailor. The fact that such experiences changes us is very clear in this story.

...more

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Jan 31, 2012 amandalee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I have now read this novel, well, 13 times. Wait! Thirteen times? How can that be? And why? This novel is okay, but it is definitely not of a "read thirteen times" caliber.

The first reading was when I was a sixth grade student; it was a class novel. Inspired by the novel, my classmates and I signed a round robin in an attempt to overthrow our teacher. We knew that the crew was on to something, and like them, we were dissatisfied with our "captain". And, like the crew, we failed. After scribblin ...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Julie rated it really liked it

When 13-year-old Charlotte Doyle embarks on a voyage across the Atlantic, little does she know that she is about to have the adventure of her life. The ship on which she sails is led by a ruthless captain and a disgruntled crew who would like nothing better than to mutiny. As unrest and danger begin to grow onboard, Charlotte must let go of her prim and proper upbringing and take sides before she herself becomes a victim of the sea.

This book is one of my top 5 favorite MG books of all time. The ...more

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Mar 24, 2020 Janssen rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020, children, reread, read-aloud

I remembered very little of this book from my childhood and it was so fun to revisit it with my girls!

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Jul 16, 2008 X rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to X by: Honey

This isn't something I would have read if the librarian hadn't handed it to me, but I'm glad she did. Charlotte's struggle to decide who to trust was intriguing, and the description of the ship, complete with an appendix and drawings was excellent. It was an exciting and also thoughtful book.
...more

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Jul 14, 2019 chloe ♡ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

loved avi's city of orphans! hope i'll like this as much :D

super-short review

loved charlotte's character development! also zachariah's my new favorite character - he's such a kind and gentle man. :D ...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Tracy rated it it was ok

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 09, 2008 Lisa rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: children who will grow up to read Harlequin romances

Shelves: childrensbooksforadults

This book is also part of my Newbery quest. To be honest, I don't know how this book won. It reminded me of nothing so much as a sanitized Moll Flanders for children (no prostitution). It has that antiquated-pulp feel, implausible and sensationalistic. No child of her age in that era would have been sent to travel alone without a chaperone, there would have been a backup plan if anything went wrong, neither the story nor Charlotte's physical and personal changes could have occurred in the less t ...more

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Oct 17, 2019 Abby added it

This book is Great! There is a lot of suprises throughout the book and if you like mystery then this is the book for you.

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Nov 10, 2018 Lexie rated it it was ok

I think I regret rereading this. I read this originally at 13, so Charlotte's age, and chaffing for something other then Fear Street, Sweet Valley, Poirot and Anne McCaffrey.

This felt like a breathe of fresh air and I am indebted to it for the simple fact it gave me a reason to broaden my reading horizons to historical fiction (mostly of the romance kind).

But n this reread - the first time in 21 years I've picked the book up again - I was so uttetly bored I worried I had read a different book as ...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Jen rated it liked it

Shelves: buddy-reads

So so SO should have left this as a fond memory rather than attempt to re-read this.

I didn’t realize how important Avi and his books were to me as a young girl until I met him at an ALA conference one year and I just BURST into tears and I couldn’t speak, at all, let alone coherently. I scared the poor man. Which surprised me, because don’t all women of my age cry all over him, gasping about how important his books were to them when they were little girls?

So imagine my absolute dread and horro ...more

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Aug 04, 2019 Jeanette rated it liked it

Shelves: newbery, top-100-childrens-novels-read, young-adult, 1990s-publication, historical-fiction

For the twelve year old girl who first read this it is still a thrilling 5 star read.
For the almost 40 year old re-reading it, it is far fetched with a highly unbelievable plot and flat characterization.

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Mar 04, 2018 Mimi 'Pans' Herondale rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, middle-grade

At first, the main character, Charlotte, really made me annoyed. But in the end...I really liked her.

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Oct 20, 2020 Jennifer rated it liked it

Shelves: stuck-in-the-middle, october-reads

Thirteen year old, Charlotte Doyle, finds herself unchaperoned on her ocean voyage home to Rhode Island from England. As if that wasn't dangerous enough, the ship is ripe with mutinous intentions and Charlotte is caught between the opposing forces. True justice is what she seeks, but she will have to shed the expectations of her upbringing and gender to find it.

My 7th grade daughter was asked to join a book club. This was the first book chosen and we read it together. I can see why it has won a Thirteen year old, Charlotte Doyle, finds herself unchaperoned on her ocean voyage home to Rhode Island from England. As if that wasn't dangerous enough, the ship is ripe with mutinous intentions and Charlotte is caught between the opposing forces. True justice is what she seeks, but she will have to shed the expectations of her upbringing and gender to find it.

My 7th grade daughter was asked to join a book club. This was the first book chosen and we read it together. I can see why it has won a bunch of awards; it has all the right elements - a well-researched setting, nice vocabulary, and a character navigating a moral dilemma in which she must transform herself to favor a more modern viewpoint.

When we discussed the book as a group, the vocabulary actually proved to be a stumbling block for many of the girls in the group. Some words were more advanced than they were used to and the book used a lot of sailing jargon. The jargon in particular frustrated several kids.

The action in the plot was similar to a boat in moderate seas - up and down, up and down. Things would just start happening, only to lead to a boring section that lasted for a while until another crest came into view. I empathized with the kids during these boring parts and could see how easy it would be to just put the book down and not continue. However, when finished there were plenty of exciting parts to discuss, you just had to slog through the boring bits.

It was most interesting to hear everyone's thoughts on the expectations of gender for the time period. Charlotte's actions in the book and the Captain's questioning of those actions really brought out the feminist in all of us. It was kind of fun to see the girls get all riled up.

So here it is, why the average rating? Well, quite simply, there is an equal number of good and bad things about the book. I don't think any of the girls would have picked this book up on their own. The main complaint while reading it was that it was "boring". It was only by encouraging them to finish it and discussing the book afterward that their opinions changed. However, I wonder if the excitement of arguing points about the book was what actually they liked, not the book itself. My thoughts: Charlotte was put in an unbelievable position (a 13 year old girl, alone, on a ship with a bunch of men) and asked to do several unbelievable tasks all to conform to a modern moral ideal. It was too contrived for me. ...more

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Feb 01, 2019 Elsa rated it liked it

This book definitely had a good plot, it was not my style of book! Also, the book kind of got off to a very slow start.

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Dec 10, 2019 Hopie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This book was fantastic to read! If you like ships and sailors you have to read this!

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Feb 01, 2019 Margot rated it did not like it

This was an ok book, it was well written but it wasn't really my favorite genre. ...more

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May 26, 2013 Amy Gonzalez rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: middle schoolers into adventure books

Shelves: ya-books, middle-school, historical-fiction

Mutiny! A hurricane at sea! A 13 year old girl in a tall ship surrounded by seasoned and brutish sailors! This book definitely has some exciting elements going for it. Yet, it all falls sort of flat.

A big reason for this is because the protagonist, Charlotte Doyle, is a weak character. Ironically, the book is structured according to her character development. In Part One, she is a snobby girl concerned with manners and status who looks down upon the crew. In Part Two, she is wearing a sailor's ...more

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May 29, 2007 Chelsea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: teens, lovers of piratesque books

Shelves: ya, favorites

I have read this book so many times. Once I start it, I absolutely can't put it down. I started out borrowing it from my library all the time, until finally I found my own copy. It's my favorite book by Avi, who is truly a very gifted storyteller.

The book focuses on 13-year-old Charlotte Doyle, making the passage (alone) from England to Providence, Rhode Island, to be reunited with her family. They've taken care of all the arrangements, booking her passage aboard the Seahawk. But from the momen ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Childrens/YA novel. Girl becomes a pirate. Serious and dramatic. Female author with one-word name. Read around 1996. [s]	6	38	Nov 10, 2020 12:36AM
Patricia Bergmen - Review 7	1	3	Nov 08, 2019 08:41PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Girl runs away with pirates. [s]	6	28	Feb 01, 2018 05:40PM
Great Middle Grad...: * BOTM for September is True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle	20	50	Oct 08, 2017 06:26AM

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About Avi

Avi

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Avi is a pen name for Edward Irving Wortis, but he says, "The fact is, Avi is the only name I use." Born in 1937, Avi has created many fictional favorites such as The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Nothing but the Truth, and the Crispin series. His work is popular among readers young and old. ...more