The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons

September 15, 2013
The adventure continues for Lucy as she searches for family members, a family fortune and a family curse. When The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons (2012) concluded, Lucy's seaside home in Maine had been transformed into a sailing vessel. Now, with the mysterious Marni, housekeeper Addie and three children fleeing an abusive father, she sets sail for Australia. Hopefully, she can locate a long-lost aunt and learn why the family has been cursed. Marni arranges for a crew which consists of a typical assortment of characters, including two from the Caribbean who practice voodoo. Magic was an important player in the first volume, but it takes center stage here in the second. Storms brew and dissolve by way of magic as a spectral ship appears and disappears. A deck of cards magically provides clues to Lucy's family history and a surprise relative. A flute magically plays notes that help Lucy work out the combination to her father's safe. Mariconda still provides highly visual settings, but she relies on magic too heavily, letting supernatural forces control the voyage in place of character development or actual navigation. A breathless run of events concludes the tale, which could be tied up in a final installment. Lucy's fans and fans of magic will enjoy the trip. (glossary) (Historical fantasy. 8-12)

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January 1, 2014

Gr 4-6-Lucy's story began in The Voyage of Lucy P. Simmons (HarperCollins, 2012), when she was newly orphaned. The pluck (and a bit of magic) that she demonstrated allowed her to escape from her callous, potentially lethal, uncle. That same grit, and a great deal more magic, help Lucy now as she sets out to find a relative who has researched the curse that ails her family-the same one that caused the death of her parents. Lucy and a motley crew set sail from Maine and travel to Australia in seach of her long-lost aunt. Magic figures prominently throughout the entire voyage, not only propelling the ship along at a fantastic speed, conveniently saving the characters from several disasters, but also allowing Lucy to find clues (through a very special deck of playing cards) to locate her aunt. Sailing on a 19th-century ship is effectively described using nautical terms. An adept sailor herself, Lucy interacts regularly with everyone onboard. The international crew spouts accents that are almost cliches (a native of the Caribbean reveals that ."..back on my island, me, I be da shaman. I feels dings of the spirit world..." while an Italian warns of an iceberg, saying, "Bergy-bit, this-a big...Ice-a-berg....") The characterization is a bit thin but the tale unwinds at breakneck speed to a generally satisfying ending that leads in to the next installment.-Maria B. Salvadore, formerly at District of Columbia Public Library

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