Monday, December 12, 2022

The Convicts by Iain Lawrence

 

Published by Delacorte Books on April 12, 2005
208 pages

This is an easy and fast read about a 14-year old boy called Tom Tin in the late 1800s London.  After Tom's father was hauled off to debtor's prison, he finds himself being accused of a crime that he didn't commit.  He was sentenced to serve seven years onboard a run down ship where other boys his age is also living.  He spends his time dreaming of escape and trying to survive day after day. 

I found this book boring.  Even though it was a short read, it took me a few weeks to finish it because I just couldn't get into it.  I would pick it up and read a chapter here or there just to get to the end.  There was so much packed into these 200 pages that it made it all seem unbelievable and I kept rolling my eyes with each new element was added.    

My favorite character was Midgely, one of the convicts on the ship.  However, I was not happy with what happened to him and how his story was written.  Without him, Tom's story wouldn't have went the way it did so I wanted to see Midgely have a happy ending.

I wouldn't recommend this for children to read as it has some touchy subjects but if you find this story for a good deal like I did ($2) then it's worth a read to pass the time.

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