I recommend this book. It was full of clues to solve the mystery of an abandoned ship, and several twists in the plot.
4Q, 4P; Cover Art: Awesome!
This book is best suited for middle and highschoolers.
It was selected due to the summary on the back.
Grade (of reviewer): 9th
SA-AHS-NC

Reviewed by Grandma Bev for TeensReadToo.com

THE CASTAWAYS is the third book of the trilogy including THE CONVICTS and THE CANNIBALS, and starts off with Tom Tin and his companions adrift at sea. They have escaped the punishment of being sent to Australia as convicts only to find themselves aboard a steamship that is running dangerously low on fuel and with no idea of where they are. They find a ship that is apparently deserted. Fearing that it may be the ghost ship Flying Dutchman, they clamber aboard anyway, perhaps on a course toward certain doom.

Then they locate two men stranded on an iceberg, and take them on board, but when Tom hears them plotting to get rid of him, he is just sure that they are castaways from the very ship they are on, and probably have killed all of the previous crew members.

In a riotous episode, the castaways take Tom and his companions prisoner and prepare to sell them as slaves. Tom and the kids manage to escape that fate and sail to England, where they meet with more adversity and imprisonment.

My only complaint with THE CASTAWAYS is that there are a number of references to episodes that happened in the previous two books, and if you haven't read them, you must use your imagination to get you up to speed on the story line.

A rollicking, fast-moving adventure that melds neatly with the facts of early shipping, pirates, the slave trade, and transporting convicts to Australia. There are characters you will love and a story that keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next, complete with a very satisfying, surprise ending. ( )

Part 3 in an adventure saga on the ocean, as Fin and his friends escape from cannibal island only to drift southward toward the Antarctic ocean, where the find sanctuary on a mysterious, abandoned ship. Great story with a hero worth believing in. ( )

This is the final book in the Jolly Stone Trilogy (sniff).

I thought this was an excellent way to finish off an exciting trilogy. "The Convicts" is still my favourite, but I was glad to see that Mr. Lawrence finished the story in a very satisfying way. I've read a lot of series that slowly get duller and duller towards the end. . .

As with "The Cannibals", it's better to read the first books first. Still, this is an excellent read, especially for the summer : ) ( )

This book was fast-paced and riveting. The action kept the reader turning the page in suspense. The plight and trials of the characters caused the reader to empathize with their situation and root for their success. The book really brings to light the historical apsects of pirates, the slave trade, and convict islands. I think this would be a great book for young adult boys who like action and adventure novels or historical settings. ( )