Viva Jacquelina!: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Over the Hills and Far Away

From the Publisher

"A solid adventure tale."—Kirkus

"A colorful addition to Jacky's wildly improbably but wonderfully entertaining adventures."—Booklist

Children's Literature - Mary Thompson

In this tenth volume of the "Bloody Jack" series, Jacky Faber is on assignment for the British Intelligence. Her mission is simple: proceed to Spain and spy on Napoleon and the French for the crown. However nothing is ever simple when it comes to Jacky, adventurer and mischief maker extraordinaire. After she becomes separated from her travel companions and arrives in Spain alone, she makes her way to the Iberian Peninsula where she is to translate for the commander of the British Forces. The Peninsular War against Napoleon leaves Jacky alone again and far from Madrid. Armed with her trusty shiv, fiddle, seabag and her wits, Jacky finally comes to Madrid and secures a job as an assistant and model for the famous painter, Fransisco Goya. Jacky's usual spunky charm and jaunty flair places all the male students at studio Goya under her spell. The one female student, Carmelita is not convinced and in a jealous rage betrays Jacky to the now underground Spanish Inquisition. The nonstop adventure and hijinks do not let up even at the end. Will Jacky ever make it to China to reunite with her true love, Jaimy? In the immortal words of the famous Jacky Faber, "...I didn't have much money left, but, hey, I had my fiddle and my wits. What more did I need?" Readers will delight in this fantastic, historical romp filled with songs, love, battles, disguises, betrayal and will greatly anticipate the subsequent volume. Reviewer: Mary Thompson

VOYA - Jeanine Fox

Seventeen-year-old Mary "Jacky" Faber returns in this tenth installment of Meyer's Bloody Jack adventures series. Feet planted on terra firma, Jacky and ever-faithful Higgins are assigned to aid General Arthur Wellesley in the fight against the French at the Battle of Vimeiro. At battle's end, Wellesley orders Jacky to Madrid, Spain, to spy on the French occupation. En route, she and her traveling companeros are attacked. Jacky, ever resourceful, manages to escape and completes the arduous journey. Lacking money and food, she soon finds employment with the great Spanish artist, Francisco Goya. A rival's jealousy of her feminine wiles lands Jacky in front of the Spanish Inquisition. All this and more is going on as her true love, Jaimy Fletcher, is in Burma studying Zen Buddhism. Meyer again treats readers to his own special recipe of historical fiction. Teens interested in art will enjoy Jacky's stay with Goya, learning more about the artist and his studio. Students of Spanish will find simple phrases interspersed and easy to translate. History buffs will recognize names and moments from history well-researched and accurate. While it can be read as a stand-alone novel, the author uses letters, written to and from other characters, to connect readers to storylines from previous installments. Readers will find Jacky to be a strong and tenacious heroine, but they may be dismayed at the author's portrayal of the character as a flirt, constantly drawing the sexual attention of males older than she. Language, sexual innuendo, and drug (hallucinogenic mushrooms) use make this title a more suitable read for older teens. Reviewer: Jeanine Fox

Kirkus Reviews

While her beloved Jaimy Fletcher recuperates in Burma from his recent madness, irrepressible Jacky Faber leaves the high seas and goes to war once more. Dispatched to Portugal by British Intelligence to aid (and spy on) General Arthur Wellesley in his campaign against the French, Jacky finds her loyalties and background questioned. As Wellesley points out, Jacky has both accumulated an unbelievable number of military medals and consorted with the enemy, specifically Napoleon but also thieves, rogues, rebels and pirates. Jacky is not modest, but she seems to stumble into fame rather than seek it out, making her an admirable instead of an insufferably arrogant protagonist. As usual, her plans go awry, and Jacky strikes out alone for Madrid, where she finds lodging with Goya, the painter, and experiences a slew of stereotypical Spanish activities. Plot matters less than personal development; action is intermittent and the ending abrupt, but Jacky adds to her impressive repertoire of skills and amorous encounters. Jacky seems amused by her sexual allure--which indeed strains credulity--and toes the line of impropriety but technically remains faithful to Jaimy. Meyer makes many references to previous books and seems to be biding time until the next novel; this installment is entertaining but not exceptional. Teenage rogue trades Spanish Main for the Spanish plains in a solid adventure tale. (Historical fiction. 14 & up)