A stunning middle-grade debut--full of heart, humor, and nonstop action
It's tough to be thirteen, especially when somebody's trying to kill you.
Not that Egg's life was ever easy, growing up on sweaty, pirate-infested Deadweather Island with no company except an incompetent tutor and a pair of unusually violent siblings who hate his guts.
But when Egg's father hustles their family off on a mysterious errand to fabulously wealthy Sunrise Island, then disappears with the siblings in a freak accident, Egg finds himself a long-term guest at the mansion of the glamorous Pembroke family and their beautiful, sharp-tongued daughter Millicent. Finally, life seems perfect.
Until someone tries to throw him off a cliff.
Suddenly, Egg's running for his life in a bewildering world of cutthroat pirates, villainous businessmen, and strange Native legends. The only people who can help him sort out the mystery of why he's been marked for death are Millicent and a one-handed, possibly deranged cabin boy.
Come along for the ride. You'll be glad you did.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
i have been raving about this book for months
By xtine
I read children's books for a living and Deadweather & Sunrise was hands down the best book I read last year. This middle grade adventure has elements of classic children's literature, but with a humor and quirk all its own. It stands out for many reasons, but I think most of all for the voice -- the voice of Egg, the often beat up youngest child of a citrus fruit farmer on the Island of Deadweather, otherwise inhabited solely by pirates. It reminds me of THE 21 BALLOONS and even a little bit of a middle grade Kurt Vonnegut's CAT'S CRADLE, in that it has an exotic, ridiculous island setting with twinkles of oddity and mischief throughout. And the characters are so rich, especially the lively and disgusting and ever-surprising pirates. My favorite character, though, is Guts, a scrapping, one armed cabin boy who is supposed to fight Egg to the death but instead becomes his most loyal friend. This is a wonderfully fun adventure that is perfect for readers of Rick Riordan (who recommends it on his blog, by the way).
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.Delightful!
By James S. Rosen
I started reading this book to my kids at bedtime (six and four) but consuming it just a few pages at a time was getting frustrating ... so I absconded with it and have been skipping ahead and reading it just for myself. And loving it. It is smart, wonderfully told, hilariously funny, with charming characters and an inventive storyline. I suppose it's a book for kids judging from the cover but it's totally entertaining to me as an adult (perhaps that speaks more about me than the book). Think Princess Bride. I'm planning to give it as a gift to friends with kids (and some without kids) and can't wait for the rest of the series to come out. The most delightful book I've read in a long time.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.Deadweather and Sunrise
By Jennifer Hogan
This is a terrific book. I finished it in a day, and I can't wait for the next book to come out! I think that Geoff Rodkey's next book is going to be really interesting, especially because he let off at such a suspenseful point. I think that Egg is a really interesting character, not the least because he does miss his family, even if he never liked them much when they were around. It's a really good twist on the story, when Millicent's father (Mr. Pembroke) wants Egg dead (or at least in prison). This is a really fantastic book.
