Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales: The Brightest Star in the North: The Adventures of Carina Smyth

by Meredith Rusu, Walt Disney Company (Illustrator)

Based on the upcoming Walt Disney Studios' film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, this middle grade novel features the untold backstory of the breakout heroine, Carina Smyth. Follow Carina's adventures, as well as her passion for astronomy, as she uncovers one of the biggest mysteries of the Caribbean.

Genres: Pirates, Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Adventure, Historical Fiction

234 pages, Hardcover

First published April 11, 2017

About the author

Meredith Rusu lives in New Jersey with her husband and two young sons. She is the author of more than one hundred children’s books, notably There’s a Yeti in my Tummy (the first picture book in the Mighty Moods series), Anna, Elsa, and the Enchanting Holiday, Silenzio, Bruno!, and The DATA Set series under the name Ada Hopper. She has also written for many popular licenses including LEGO, Disney/Pixar, Peppa Pig, and Star Wars. When she isn’t writing, Meredith enjoys singing karaoke, spending time with family, and going on the occasional adventure or two.

Reviews

[Rob Chappell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished reading this book within 5 days of buying it at my local Barnes & Noble store. The narrative was fast-paced, action-packed, and very engrossing. Its portrayal of how women were locked out of the scientific enterprise in the 18th century (and before) is accurate and, at times, heart-wrenching. The tie-ins with the world of Pirates of the Caribbean were well-orchestrated, with just the right amount of background information given, and lengthy expositions were kept to a minimum. Readers can definitely appreciate this tale without any prior knowledge of the Disney pirates and their cinematic legendarium.

I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 because it contains some rather glaring astronomical inaccuracies. For example, there is no star named Carina in the northern hemisphere of the sky's dome; rather, Carina is the name of an entire constellation in the southern hemisphere of the sky's dome. Ouch! Also, the "blood moon" phenomenon was not adequately explained as being total eclipses of the Moon. Historical inaccuracies can be found here and there, and are to be expected in a fantasy novel, but the one inaccuracy that stands out for me is the fact that the execution of alleged witches did not take place in the British Empire after the early years of the 18th century. Finally, it would have been nice if the author had mentioned some female scientists in her narrative, by way of comparison with Carina, the young woman who became a self-educated astronomer during the course of the narrative. I'm thinking here of luminaries like Hypatia of Alexandria, Galileo's daughter (Sister Maria Celeste), and Caroline Herschel.

All in all, a ripping good yarn -- just beware of these inaccuracies, but don't let them detract from your enjoyment of an otherwise fascinating and well-plotted tale.

[Scot Eaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book's a bit of an odd duck. The first half is a prequel, and the last half is a novelization, but only from one character's point of view. At least they chose the right character though. Carina Smyth was a great character in both the movie and in this book.

Ultimately, I can't rate the book very accurately. It's a quick, engaging read, so that gives it points. It has plot consistency issues that drag it down, but it inherited those from the movie. I'm giving it a neutral 3-star rating. If you liked Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, you'll like this book. If you didn't, you won't.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

**SPOILERS**
I have to say I really love this book. When I saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, I liked Carinas character so I was really glad they made a book on her backstory. Even though she made me nervous a few times when she would sneak out or sneak around, but overall I found her adventurous and inspiring. I also liked that that we got to see her thoughts during the Dead Men Tell No Tales storyline.
The scene where Carina asks Barbossa what she is to him and he answers treasure. I swear I cried so much. I never liked Barbossa that much but that scene was just beautiful. We have never seen that side of Barbossa and it was nice to see that protective/loving father come out. I wish Carina and Barbossa got to know each other more.
One last thing I wanted to add is the relationship between Carina and Henry. When the preview first came out about Henry seeing her ankles, I immediately shipped them. Those two throughout the story were absolutely adorable. The little teasing and the blushing. So adorable. I hope we get a 6th Pirates movie. I want another adventure with Will and Jack, and Henry and Carina.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved being back in the POTC world, seeing things from Carina her point of view. It was a quick but fun read.

[dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ugh yes. All of the Pirates things always.

[Raymond Just · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable prequel/novelization of the latest film in the franchise.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first three parts of the story, when it was closed third person point of view with Carina's thoughts. This was all new material and helped explain the phrase of how she cataloged over two hundred stars, as stated in the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Dead Men Tell No Tales. She always was a spunky girl, though orphaned at birth; getting into trouble, but being able to turn the situation to her needs. Galileo Galilei's journal, her birthright, was left with her by her father and it's this artifact that she constantly looks to for guidance and a moral compass.

The fourth part of the novel is a retelling of the movie, changing to omniscient third person point of view, so we get all the action. There's very little of Carina's inner thoughts mixed in. We don't get her reasoning for why she likes Henry Turner, other than they both are looking for their fathers. For being strictly a woman of science, it's also not explained how she comes to terms with the magical world she now finds herself in; she's seen Ghost Pirates and witnessed the transformation of a ship in a bottle becoming a real life ship. Also, we did not get any hints or clues that she started to figure out who her father might be. As I said, it was a play by play of the movie, so we got surface details, nothing going too deep.

Reading this definitely makes me want to watch POTC Dead Men Tell No Tales!

[Cathie Maud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carina Smyth's backstory was fast-paced and intriguing, although plot-wise, very conveniently lucky every single time. However, it was on the whole, engagingly told. As soon as her story caught up with the movie though, the narration became stilted and forced, trying excessively hard to stick to the movie story-line (which is understandable) and yet not adding in any of the previous writing flair and style that the author exhibited (a great shame).

Good to read this once, if only for the little history tidbit that women were once forbidden to study/learn in the field of science.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read through in one sitting. Definitely a good story because I knew I liked a lot of the characters

[Gloria Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't think this could be possible, but this book made me appreciate Carina even more. Great character, if there will be more movies I hope we'll see more of her.

[Charlene Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in 24 hours. This is a very good book that keeps your attention for the entire book.

[Sylvie Nierop · Rating 2 out of 5]

I generally liked it.

It was cool to find out about Carina's story since her character didn't have much of a history in the movies like the other characters(Elizabeth, Will, Henry, even Jack)

However, I rated it 2 stars because the story is overall not that good. The last part was a not very good summary of the movie and very childishly written. I was excited to see it from Carina's perspective but there was not much perspective.

The other parts take place before the movie. First her youth in the orphanage which had a few side characters because they were necessary to the plot and they never return. Also a few people that were "bad guys" and they were after the diary, who existed and acted in a way because it was necessary to the plot and disappeared and served no other purpose. Secondly when she was 14 and send to work for someone who existed and her character was entirely made because it was necessary for the plot to happen. I think you get my point. Everything outside of Carina's character happened for the sake of the plot and no other reason.
But its a small book centered about one character so I didn't expect any character development for the rest.

But it was very nice to see what happened in her life before the movie. I liked that a lot. I just don't think it aligns with the movie very well.

Carina is one of my favorite characters and if you're a fan this book might be a good read. If you're not a fan I wouldn't recommend it.

I liked it overall. The story has its flaws and we should forget the last few chapters exist, but I don't regret reading it.

[Lexi Bollino · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. It has been sitting on my shelf forever but I don’t know why now. I thought it was very entertaining and I read it in one day, which I don’t normally do. I think this book is perfect if you want a magical type of book, but not really gruesome like the movies can be. I really enjoyed the first 3 parts of the book so much. Then the 4th part was the downfall for me. I just feel like it was very unoriginal I mean every pirate movie and or book always has them running from the dead people ships, which I didn’t like. But I really liked the very last chapter, I thought it was very cute and ended the book well. I really enjoyed this book and loved the cover and illustrations throughout the book. You should definitely try this book out if you see it while book shopping. This was a 4.5 since I didn’t love one part of it I can’t give it a 5 star but I remember really loving this book and almost all of it. I thought it was well written and you should definitely pick it up if you like the pirates of the Caribbean movies.

This is how I rate books:
5 ⭐️: literally read this right now
4 ⭐️: really good
3 ⭐️: okay, I still liked it but not a must read
2 ⭐️: I wouldn’t read it but I can see how you would like it
1 ⭐️: I don’t understand how you can like it. Horrible never read.
NONE: It wasn’t really bad I just couldn’t rate it either because it was about someone’s life or just too sad that I can’t recommend but want to.

[Dee Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I'm still wondering how did the woman and men in the festival know about Carina's diary and what's the reason why her father brought her to an orphanage and left with her the diary, I still love this book! There was never a dull moment reading this book and just like that it became my favorite! I especially love the adventure! I'm just glad I watched the movie because the second half of this book is just similar to the movie. It's good as I was recollecting memories from the movie reliving it once more as I was reading this. Carina is truly a favorite character in this book no question. She is persistent, very cunning and does not back down easily despite the outcome of her quest to find the truth. When I was watching the movie I was very curious of this woman and so when I saw this book at the book sale I did not hesitate to buy it. I thought this is going to be good and I was not wrong at all. I want more of her she is insatiable.

The author's writing is one thing also I love about this book. It is precise and well written at least for my liking.

I will re read this for sure...

[Megan Cheang · Rating 3 out of 5]

This whole tale is definitely entirely from Carina's pov.
The story is officially divided into 4 parts, the last part being the movie from Carina's pov. However, I personally think of it as 3 parts since the 2nd and 3rd parts are in the same location.
Carina is adventurous and definitely is the daughter of a pirate if she thinks of marbles as treasure. She definitely confuses pursuing the trident with finding her father. I don’t think she can ever settle with an adopted family if she is so set on finding the trident. But she is also quite selfish if she continues to risk Lady’s reputation and so on after all she did for her.
After seeing her leave behind the manor, it is hard to believe she is in love with Henry after he is kidnapped by Salazar. At best I can only believe her seeing him as an ally. The time frame really is too small for her to fall in love with someone she disregarded for believing in fairy tales. But I can believe her staying with Henry after the adventure. It reminds of Harry Potter's golden trio was formed, after defeating a troll. Some relationships are solidified after adventure.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked Carina in the film, so I was excited to see that she has her book. I enjoyed reading about her life prior to meeting Jack and Henry, especially her friendships and how she broke barriers to become an astronomer.

She goes through a lot of struggle, which I liked seeing because it made her actions even greater. She is too curious for her own good, but that’s what makes her an amazing character.

That said, it could have focused more on her life before Jack and Henry. Too much of it was straight from the film, which is fine because we do get more of her perspective during such scenes and the Barbossa reveal is amazing, but I’ve watched the movie. It didn’t feel different or groundbreaking.

Still a fun read about a wonderful female character.

[Книжни Криле · Rating 5 out of 5]

Докато страховитите (и в някои случаи чаровни) карибски пирати се готвят отново да вземат на абордаж кино салоните, вълните изхвърлиха на брега едно ново четиво с логото на една от най-обичаните и успешни поредици на „Дисни”. От „Егмонт България” до нас достига „Карибски пирати: Най-ярката звезда на Севера”, нов младежки роман, който да ви подгрее за премиерата на „Отмъщението на Салазар”. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":

https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...

[Amanda Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

As many reviews state, this book starts as a prequel to the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie. It focuses on Carina Smyth's back story from birth until 19, and then the last quarter of the book is a very well written version of the movie from her perspective. It transitions seamlessly and kept me turning pages the whole time. I love all things pirates and this book didn't disappoint! If you enjoy pirates in general or specifically the movie series, you need to give this story a go. Definite recommend.

[Stephanie Melchiore · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this book. I love the movies so much so reading about my favorite characters is always a nice thing. It had a lot of lead up story that was honestly a bit dragging. Some of what happens is really ‘convenient’ and unlikely. But once the story got going it went too fast and was jumbled into a few chapters. I would’ve liked a slower ending and a faster beginning. All in all it was a fun read.

[Chloe Morphis · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 star rating for me. I would have rated this a 5 star if we got to see more of James, Sarah, Lady Devonshire, Mr. Conway, Mrs. Altwood, Celia, ect. I know this book is supposed to be fast paced ( since it's only 234 pages long and the text isn't really THAT small) but I feel like those characters appeared important for about 5 chapters before disappearing off of the face of the Earth. Otherwise, this was a great book!

[Alandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly enjoyed this book more than the movie; they toned down the questionable comments that demean women (it is targeted for MG, after all), and several of the nuances were clearer to me in print than in film.

Overall, adventurous and fun! (If you can get past the four titles.) It's not intended to be historically accurate so I didn't take it to be. :)

Enjoy!

[Hathaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is one of my favorites, Carina Smyth, a girl left by a man and became a orphan. She have a book with her. She tried so hard to learn the book (it is in Italian) so she can find her home. The stars leaded and guided her to find home. She met a lot of troubles, doubts, and dangers, but she beated them, finally became the brightest star

[Tabitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is fun and very fast paced. I do wonder if someone who hasn't seen the movies would understand the second half, though. But if you like the movie(s) and you like Carina Smythe as a character, it's a fun book that you can read in a few hours.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Carina Smyth. Not much else to say really. Well-written and entertaining. Though the detail is very light throughout the movie portion.

[Ryleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book I also love pirates of the Caribbean I reccomend this book

[Hettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of this book was enjoyable, the second half was literally just trying to write out the film in the clumsiest way possible

[Anna Stokes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my 11 year old step son. He and I both loved it!

[Shayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved every bit of this adventure from start to finish!

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I read the part where Carina realized that Barbossa is the father she's been searching for, I always end up in tears up to this date. It's a pirate's life for Hector, Indeed.

[Denise Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

i had a reading slump early this year and i was looking for the right piece to draw me into reading again. thank god i found this treasure. i really enjoyed every bit of this book.