Review of Starboard Eight

[Anna Allen]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Starboard Eight" by Brian Casey.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Starboard Eight is a text of historical fiction written by Brian Casey and set in the year 1976 during America’s Bicentennial year. From the very beginning of the book, the reader is thrown into Jesse’s world of adventure. Jesse is a young boy who loves his family, storms, flying planes, and football. However, most of all he loves his dog! Unfortunately, Jesse also has some anger issues and a temper like none other, especially when it comes to defending his family and friends! After getting into serious trouble a few too many times, Jesse’s parents decide it’s best for him to leave town and attend Blue Water School aboard a ship in the Caribbean for his senior year. On board, he meets several other kids from around the country in his same predicament. Besides studying, Jesse must also keep up with the jobs of the ship. How will Jesse acclimate to this new environment? Will this experience help him control his anger? Who and what changes his life forever?

This book was a great read! I loved following all of the characters through the everyday ups and downs of Blue Water School. The camaraderie between the boys is admirable and the experiences and challenges they endure together entice you to keep reading. Some of these challenges include a life-threatening hurricane, a bully, and a plane crash. As a reader, you feel like one of the ship mates too as you follow Jesse transform from an immature, reckless young boy into a well-respected, confident young man. You want to cheer Jesse on as he shows tenacity and perseverance to overcome all the obstacles that come his way!

Another enjoyable part of the book was when Jesse has a romantic interest with one of the ship’s students, Rachel. In addition, the author does a great job of painting the picture of the Bicentennial celebration in New York City at the end of the story. The book is very well-written and edited, as I found no errors while reading.

The book does, however, have a lot of nautical jargon in it so be prepared to look up a few terms if sailing is not your hobby. Overall, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars and would highly recommend it for grades fourth grade and beyond, all the way into adulthood.

This book would be especially appealing to middle school age boys, in my opinion. People who are overcoming or have overcome a tough childhood might also be interested.

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Starboard Eight
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