Sovay - Softcover

Rees, Celia

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0747592012 ISBN 13: 9780747592013

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2009

Synopsis

Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution and its impact on British politics, this action-driven novel shows once again that Celia Rees is one of our very best writers for teenage readers. Wild and beautiful, spoilt and wilful, Sovay finds that her cosseted upbringing in rural England has not prepared her for life as a highway robber, for defending the honour of her family or for trying to save herself from corruption and evil. As Sovay becomes more and more embroiled in adventures she could never have imagined, a story of dark intrigue, thwarted passions and sinister intentions is revealed to her. Will she be able to survive, and if she does so, at what cost?

About this title

About the Author

Celia Rees is the author of many books for young readers including the bestsellers Witch Child, Sorceress, and Pirates! Celia lives in Leamington Spa, England with her husband and teenage daughter.

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—It's 1794, and the revolution in France is threatening to spill across the channel into England, where Sovay, the beautiful 17-year-old daughter of a gentleman, turns to holding up carriages while in disguise to break her boredom. Then her father disappears and is charged with treason, and, with the persuasion of the notorious highwayman Captain Greenwood and the American Virgil Barrett, she becomes embroiled in the political issues of the day, eventually traveling to Paris during the final days of the Reign of Terror. Rees develops strong (and frequently mysterious) characters to carry this historical novel. The vivid sense of place, especially in France, will cause readers to experience the French Revolution on a personal level. Ultimately, the epitome of evil is not Robespierre or his underlings, but the crowds of ordinary citizens who accept the horrors without flinching. Unfortunately, these strengths are undermined by troubles with the plot. Reference to "The Highwayman" that opens the book serves no purpose in the overall story except to introduce Greenwood and display Sovay's courage. The historical events are not fully fleshed out, and readers unfamiliar with the Reign of Terror are offered no explanatory notes or afterword. Two possible love interests for Sovay are trumped in the last 100 pages by a third character, and readers may be frustrated with the neat ending.—Melissa Moore, Union University Library, Jackson, TN
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Edition details

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0747592012
• ISBN 13: 9780747592013
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432