Review by Booklist Review
Hazel Rothbury stows aboard the Titanic and finds friendships in unexpected quarters before tragedy strikes in Nielsen's latest. When British 12-year-old Hazel, uneducated but resourceful, sneaks aboard the famous ship, it's with a promise that she'll repay her ticket upon publishing an article that "tell[s] the great story of this ship." Hazel befriends a companion in first class and, under the tutelage of an older passenger, is dogged in her pursuit of information about the ship's design and vulnerabilities, offering readers insights to many factors that contributed to the seafaring tragedy. During her journalistic research, Hazel stumbles upon a mystery involving the finances and identities of fellow passengers, and makes questionable if well-meaning efforts to unravel the truth. Some readers may find Hazel's timely eavesdropping and immediate mastery of Morse code a bit convenient, but this story of perseverance and survival should please readers who enjoy historical fiction with heroism and a heavy sense of foreboding. Includes images throughout, most being documents recreated by the author, and a note parsing facts from the story's fiction.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A British 12-year-old stowed away aboard the Titanic becomes swept up into intrigue in this increasingly tense historical novel set on the ill-fated 1912 voyage. Having left her rural life behind and finding that she lacks sufficient means to pay her fare after arriving in Southampton, Hazel Rothbury sneaks aboard the Titanic in a steam trunk. Aboard the ship, porter Charlie Blight finds her a place to sleep, and Sylvia Thorngood, a first-class passenger Hazel's age, and her governess, invite Hazel into a world of finery and opulence. Though the factory work that awaits Hazel in New York promises to help her support her widowed mother and siblings, the quick-witted tween dreams of life as a journalist, and her inquisitive nature quickly finds her embroiled in mysteries aboard the ship. Nielsen (Lines of Courage) attentively sketches the Titanic's allure ("as powerful as the Titans of mythology, and as elegant as... a floating castle") and details its social hierarchy, seeding anticipation as the winning young heroine learns more about the ship's inner workings, notices warnings about icebergs and the ship's wake, and looks into two con artists targeting her newfound friends. It all makes for an engrossing portrait of an infamous maiden journey. Protagonists read as white; an author's note separates fact from fiction. Ages 8--12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. (Mar.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5 Up--Nielsen weaves mystery and action in her newest historical fiction novel. Readers join Hazel as she boards the Titanic, heading to America for the opportunity to obtain a job with her aunt in a factory. Her journey is not by choice, but of necessity, as the income will help support her family who recently lost their father. From the beginning of the story, Hazel faces numerous difficulties because of her gender, age, and poverty. Yet Hazel's inquisitiveness introduces her to new friends, a few foes, and lands her in the middle of a big mystery that involves both. Layer on top the impending problems awaiting the Titanic, and readers will find themselves unable to stop turning pages to find out what happens to Hazel, her friends, and everyone aboard the doomed ship. Nielsen creates engaging, authentic characters who pull readers in, making the plot both compelling and believable. VERDICT Fans of historical fiction and Nielsen's other novels will be riveted by Hazel and her friends' plight across the Atlantic aboard the Titanic.--Jennifer Seebauer
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Review by Horn Book Review
Ever since Hazelâe(tm)s fatherâe(tm)s death, it has been hard for the family to make ends meet. When her aunt, who lives in America and works in a garment factory, invites her to live and work with her, Hazel accepts the opportunity to help support the family. Preparing to leave England, she decides to seek passage on the Titanic but is forced to stow away when she doesnâe(tm)t have enough money to cover the fare. Once aboard, she befriends Charlie, a porter; Sylvia, a first-class passenger; and Mrs. ÂAbelman, a teacher who nurtures her dream of becoming a Âjournalist. The inquisitive Hazel investigates her surroundings quite thoroughly, from the shipâe(tm)s physical construction to the passengers and their secrets. This exploration allows Nielsen (The Shadow Throne, rev. 3/14) to weave historical research into her first-person narrative. If the foreshadowing of the impending tragedy is a bit clumsy, that can be forgiven: everybody knows how the Titanicâe(tm)s story unfolds. An authorâe(tm)s note separates fact from fiction, while primary source documents (newspaper articles, photographs, and transcripts) are occasionally interspersed between chapters. ÂJonathan HuntMarch/April 2023 p.76 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young girl stows away on the Titanic. Twelve-year-old narrator Hazel Rothbury arrives in Southampton on April 10, 1912, only to discover she doesn't have enough money for a ticket. Hazel is bound for factory work in America, leaving behind the family farm. She sneaks aboard inside another passenger's trunk, and a young crewman finds her an empty cabin to stow away in. Sylvia, a first-class passenger Hazel's age, and Mrs. Abelman, a former governess, befriend her. Hazel dreads the thought of the factory and wishes to be a journalist--an aspiration that reflects her questioning, curious personality. Hazel's determined and occasionally inopportune questions allow Nielsen to deftly deliver myriad details that point to the looming disaster. These include the nature of icebergs, the refraction of light on calm seas, and the construction of the Titanic and its preparedness for emergencies. Hazel herself has an opportunity to observe human nature at close range, as she realizes both of her friends may be the targets of thieves and tries to intervene. When Hazel and Sylvia are locked in a cargo hold, the stakes seem very high. The astonishing acts of heroism, and a few of cowardice, that accompanied the sinking of the ship and the rescue of a fraction of its passengers become part of Hazel's story. Most characters read White; there is passing mention of four Chinese passengers, but other non-Europeans do not appear. Page-turning historical drama. (photo credit, author's note) (Historical fiction. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
