The Rebellion of Jane Clarke by Sally GunningMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Well, I have to admit that at the beginning of this book, I was not too impressed. I was rather bored. The only thing that kept me going was my love for history. I was not interested in what happened to the characters, and in general, it was just an okay story. I planned on giving it a 3-star rating.
More than halfway into it, I will admit that the author finally threw in some twists and turns that began to intrigue me. I began to see just how strong the protagonist was. I at least was inspired to keep reading. And the history was still fascinating.\
A few nights ago, the author threw in a very unexpected turn--I was more than 2/3 of the way done--and I was suddenly quite intrigued. The author actually had me on the edge of my seat. And the ending was quite simple yet powerful.
My complaint with the book is that I wish the author had written the entire book in the same gripping manner in which she wrote the last one third. This is the second historical fiction book I have read in a row that has taken at least halfway through to grab my attention. I wonder if that is a problem with historical fiction. Maybe the person reasearches it well but struggles to weave that into the story.
I appreciated most the different take that the author placed on colonial history. I had never thought of the propoganda that was used on both sides of the conflict. That caught my attention and really made me think about how the colonists were not the blameless, helpless place by which they are ofen categorized. They did not behave as they should to win independence. I am happy they did it, but both sides were rather underhanded.
I give the book four stars because of its historical accuracy (the author cites several well-known sources) and the excitement of the last third of the book. If you are looking for a read that will make you think about our history and the Boston Massacre in a new light, this is the book for you.
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