Review: The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones by Will Mabbitt, Ross Collins (Illustrations)

Hardcover, 304 pages
Published June 2nd 2015 by Viking Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher

The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones is about Mabel Jones who is kidnapped by pirates and forced to help the captain regain pieces of a key that he can use to unlock a treasure beyond imagining. The reason it is Mabel Jones who is kidnapped and not say the kid in the next house is because Mabel Jones commits a foul act that earns her a place among the ranks of the other pirates. I won’t tell you what this deed is but just know that it is appropriately gross and will delight younger kids who take pleasure in being socially incorrect.

The book is amusing and has a lot of action that is sure to keep children entertained. The reading level is appropriate for, I’d say, kids in grades 3-6. The book is reminiscent of Treasure Island and my biggest complaint is that there are no other female characters present in the entire novel apart from an absent mother. I do realize that the rampant inequality in gender representation is somewhat explained but still I cannot countenance the fact that even though half (nearly or almost) of the population is female, they still do not warrant more mention in books set in worlds where females are not mythical entities. This needs to be said.

The story itself is amusing and as I have said before will entertain children. It moves quite briskly as it is more plot-driven than character-driven. The illustrations by Ross Collins infuse life into the book and the varying typography used in the book as a device to showcase tense moments or moments of surprise and suspense work splendidly.

The story itself might be a bit too high concept for younger kids but I don’t know. I’m pretty certain they can grasp it but discussion about the book would probably not be a bad idea. All in all, this is a pirate-y story with a supposedly feisty (though strangely subdued) protagonist who managed to make me smile even while grossing me out.

Would I recommend this? Hmm. I don’t know. It was entertaining but it lacked the depth that I usually associate with good books. But reading is subjective so use your own discretion.