Paul Dowswell.  Powder Monkey
Bloomsbury  $14.95  ISBN 978-0-74757-721-8  276 pg.
Reviewed by Keegan, Age 14

Powder Monkey is a cool book about a young boy who loves the sea. That is, until he’s recruited into the Navy. There on board a horrible ship, he witnesses death, pain, suffering and cruelty. Will he make it home alive? Or will his last sight on this Earth be the end of a loaded pistol?

Powder Monkey is filled with action, suspense, and thrills. If there’s a sequel, I’ll definitely read it because I loved the book. Powder Monkey is a great piece of real fiction. I think that anyone who reads it will love it, because it is exciting and keeps you on your toes from beginning to end!

I would recommend this adventure novel to kids twelve and up who like the open seas and fights on water because that’s what Powder Monkey is all about. It’s not suitable for younger readers because it can be violent at times, especially during the fight scenes.

This reviewer gives Dowswell’s high seas adventure, Powder Monkey, five stars.