Lindsay Galvin is quickly becoming one of those writers where I know that, whatever she writes, I’m going to enjoy it. Her meticulous mix of history, heart, and courageous creatures always hits the mark. Safe to say then that I had high hopes when I received a copy of ‘Call of the Titanic’ to review.
‘Young cabin steward, Sid, is proud to be working on the Titanic, the greatest stream liner ever built.
Clara dreams of adventure at sea, and discovers it the hard way as a stowaway on a much smaller ship, the Carpathia.
Here, she meets a giant bear of a dog: Rigel, who has a reputation for mischief.
What none of them can foresee is how they’ll need each other on the night Titanic collides with an iceberg.
Or that an even more extraordinary creature might also answer their call …’
One of the first things which caught my attention about this story was that it was told from two different perspectives: the headstrong, adventurous Clara, and the conscientious cabin steward Sid. It’s always interesting to see how and when two character’s stories will crossover – and boy is the crossover in ‘Call of the Titanic’ nail-biting! I was honestly on the edge of my seat as events came to their conclusion!
The clever mix of prose and courtroom-style witness statements which form this tale allows two very different moods to be captured as the Titanic’s fate unfolds. I know that the historical details in Sid’s statements were very carefully researched to ensure they were as accurate as possible, whilst presenting the tragic events that unfolded in a child-appropriate way.
As in all of Galvin’s stories so far, majestic and mythical creatures have played starring roles. Readers of this book will meet the brave and bold Rigel, alongside a rather more mysterious sea serpent – linking to historical accounts of sightings of such a beast.
This was an absolutely thrilling read – the fact that I knew a large part of what the ending would be did not at all detract from the thrilling tale, and did not prevent me from tearing up as Sid described the frantic scenes aboard the Titanic when it became clear it was going to sink. The flurry of telegrams incorporated into the text added to the chaos.
Highly recommended for anyone aged 9+
Jo.
*Many thanks to Chicken House Books for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour*
