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Maiden Voyage: A Titanic Story
Isabella is shocked when her parents book her passage on the incredible Titanic and inform her that she'll be sailing by herself. She is given an envelope and told the contents will explain everything, but she is forbidden from opening it until the boat reaches the U.S.
Lucille is worried over her mother's poor health, and her father is always distracted, never around. Left to her own devices, Lucille discovers some dangerous secrets that could tear her family apart.
Abby is desperate. She's all her little brother has in the world, and her only hope is start a new life in New York. But the only way to do that is to smuggle her little brother aboard the Titanic and hope they can last the week without him getting caught.
Three girls, three different classes on the ship, yet their pasts and futures are more intertwined than they know--and their lives are about to be forever changed over the course of the Titanic's maiden voyage. That is, if they don't all drown in secrets first.
Lucille is worried over her mother's poor health, and her father is always distracted, never around. Left to her own devices, Lucille discovers some dangerous secrets that could tear her family apart.
Abby is desperate. She's all her little brother has in the world, and her only hope is start a new life in New York. But the only way to do that is to smuggle her little brother aboard the Titanic and hope they can last the week without him getting caught.
Three girls, three different classes on the ship, yet their pasts and futures are more intertwined than they know--and their lives are about to be forever changed over the course of the Titanic's maiden voyage. That is, if they don't all drown in secrets first.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published July 31, 2018
53 people are currently reading
537 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
July 29, 2023
❝Where once there had been a massive ship, now there was nothing but ice and debris and people struggling to cling to anything that remained afloat.❞
August 31, 2018
Love love love this book! I actually have two reviews to post here, one from me (a 44-year-old lover of books) and one from my god-daughter (an 11-year-old lover of books)!
Since my god-daughter is the target audience, I'll start with her review:
"Enjoyable read! I liked how the authors wrote from each character's perspectives and gave them all very interesting, but a little bit sad, lives. I got to learn more than I already knew about the Titanic. I also realized how much of a different experience people from different classes, when on the same ship. I found that the authors did a good job in giving a suspenseful ending to each chapter. I especially loved the characters and their personalities. It's almost like you could hear them! In all, it was a great book!"
And here's my review:
What an enjoyable read from start to finish. I real page-turner! I loved the young women at the center of the book and how their lives intertwine together. It's got just the right amount of mystery, cliff-hangers, love (both romantic and familial), and a perfect dastardly villain. My heart was literally beating so fast in the final chapters. Sarah Jane has done a wonderful job of bringing to life the stories of the Titanic in a way that is not only entertaining but also informative without being pedantic.
A rare gem in that your child and you could both read and love this book! Highly recommend for the 11-14 set as well as adults!
Since my god-daughter is the target audience, I'll start with her review:
"Enjoyable read! I liked how the authors wrote from each character's perspectives and gave them all very interesting, but a little bit sad, lives. I got to learn more than I already knew about the Titanic. I also realized how much of a different experience people from different classes, when on the same ship. I found that the authors did a good job in giving a suspenseful ending to each chapter. I especially loved the characters and their personalities. It's almost like you could hear them! In all, it was a great book!"
And here's my review:
What an enjoyable read from start to finish. I real page-turner! I loved the young women at the center of the book and how their lives intertwine together. It's got just the right amount of mystery, cliff-hangers, love (both romantic and familial), and a perfect dastardly villain. My heart was literally beating so fast in the final chapters. Sarah Jane has done a wonderful job of bringing to life the stories of the Titanic in a way that is not only entertaining but also informative without being pedantic.
A rare gem in that your child and you could both read and love this book! Highly recommend for the 11-14 set as well as adults!
February 28, 2019
I wasn't horribly impressed with this one. I love all things Titanic but this book was a little all over the place. Jane's work bringing the three separate stories together was lovely but I didn't care for where it went from there - things just suddenly rushed ahead to the end (the boat didn't sink until the last handful of pages) and had no real conclusion. So, I enjoyed the first half but didn't care for the last third of the book at all.
September 3, 2021
This was a great book. I could not stop reading it I would definitely recommend for others to read!! I give it 4.5 stars. It was smooth and easy and very enjoyable!!
November 17, 2018
A possible theme is the people you love make up your family; they don't need to be related to you.
December 5, 2023
i got this book for the titanic museum in knoxville, tennessee! such a light read with a happy ending 🫶🏼
3.5/5
3.5/5
December 4, 2019
Makes you cry but not for the reason you'd expect a titanic book to.
July 23, 2020
This was an interesting read, historical fiction combined with a family mystery. Three girls' lives intersect as Titanic moves toward its end. My seventh-grade students love it!
May 21, 2022
Like so many other people, I am a total nerd for any story related to the heartbreaking loss of the Titanic and the people who died when the ship went down. I stumbled across this book when searching through my library's catalog for anything Titanic-related that I hadn't already read. I saw that it was for a younger audience, but I didn't let that stop me - I'd read several other books for children on the subject and they had turned out to be wonderful.
Sadly, this story does not join the ranks of those other books. The story was full of clichés - the Abandoned Child, the Evil British Guy (there was no mustache twirling, but you can still almost see it), Secret Siblings, the works. Apparently, Philip Miles, the father of Lucy and Isabella, wanted to get rid of Isabella when she was born. No reason is given at all for this (though the impression I got was that we were supposed to default to the cliché of Real Men Want Sons or something). Instead, the family maid takes the girl and gives her to a kind but poor couple who cannot have children of their own. Also, Miles hates that his wife is outspoken and in favor of the burgeoning suffragette movement, so he takes to drugging her to shut her up. By the time of our story, he plans to dump his wife in a sanatorium in the States (and make his brother-in-law pay for it!) and his daughter Lucy in boarding school (with no mention who will pay for that) while he runs back to London with whatever money he can scrounge up from his wife's family in the States (there are hints that he's already gambled away whatever wealth his wife brought to their marriage). So, basically, we have a total douchebag of a father who is mean to everyone, does extremely cruel things with little reason behind them. He's just your typical, irredeemable asshole.
So anyway, everyone converges on Titanic. Isabella ends up onboard because her adoptive parents are ill and no longer able to care for her and hope her wealthy birth family will reclaim her and give her a new home. While all of this is going on, Abby, the Miles family maid (and the daughter of the one who gave Isabella to her adoptive parents), is frantically trying to keep her little brother from being discovered, as she had snuck him onboard. But that's a bit of a wash, and within a few chapters, he's discovered but everyone is super chill about it and help keep the kid occupied while Abby works and also endures various rounds of verbal abuse from Philip Miles.
Ultimately, there is so much drama going on here that the Titanic's ultimate fate barely registers until the last few chapters. But then the real kicker comes in - everything gets wrapped up in a nice, neat bow. Philip Miles tries and fails to sneak onto a lifeboat using Abby's little brother as his meal ticket, and dies in the sinking. But the three girls, along with Elisabeth Miles and Abby's little brother, all make it onto lifeboats safely. What really gets me is that all of the minor characters involved in this story - Abby's roommate in second class and a steward who discovered her brother's presence and who also had romantic intentions toward Abby - also survived. When I saw that in the final pages, I literally said out loud, "WTF?" The sinking of the Titanic was a terrible tragedy where over 1,500 people lost their lives. I expected there to be losses in this story to really reflect that, even if this is a juvenile fiction book. Instead, literally everyone even remotely important to the story survived, with the exception of the story's villain.
I am assuming that the author wanted to sanitize this for their target audience, but I could only find it extremely patronizing. I would think that the kids reading this book would know at least the basics of Titanic's story and would know that people were going to die. They would expect that at least someone involved in the story wouldn't make it, beyond the terrible Philip Miles. So, yeah, this really ruined an already mediocre story for me.
Sadly, this story does not join the ranks of those other books. The story was full of clichés - the Abandoned Child, the Evil British Guy (there was no mustache twirling, but you can still almost see it), Secret Siblings, the works. Apparently, Philip Miles, the father of Lucy and Isabella, wanted to get rid of Isabella when she was born. No reason is given at all for this (though the impression I got was that we were supposed to default to the cliché of Real Men Want Sons or something). Instead, the family maid takes the girl and gives her to a kind but poor couple who cannot have children of their own. Also, Miles hates that his wife is outspoken and in favor of the burgeoning suffragette movement, so he takes to drugging her to shut her up. By the time of our story, he plans to dump his wife in a sanatorium in the States (and make his brother-in-law pay for it!) and his daughter Lucy in boarding school (with no mention who will pay for that) while he runs back to London with whatever money he can scrounge up from his wife's family in the States (there are hints that he's already gambled away whatever wealth his wife brought to their marriage). So, basically, we have a total douchebag of a father who is mean to everyone, does extremely cruel things with little reason behind them. He's just your typical, irredeemable asshole.
So anyway, everyone converges on Titanic. Isabella ends up onboard because her adoptive parents are ill and no longer able to care for her and hope her wealthy birth family will reclaim her and give her a new home. While all of this is going on, Abby, the Miles family maid (and the daughter of the one who gave Isabella to her adoptive parents), is frantically trying to keep her little brother from being discovered, as she had snuck him onboard. But that's a bit of a wash, and within a few chapters, he's discovered but everyone is super chill about it and help keep the kid occupied while Abby works and also endures various rounds of verbal abuse from Philip Miles.
Ultimately, there is so much drama going on here that the Titanic's ultimate fate barely registers until the last few chapters. But then the real kicker comes in - everything gets wrapped up in a nice, neat bow. Philip Miles tries and fails to sneak onto a lifeboat using Abby's little brother as his meal ticket, and dies in the sinking. But the three girls, along with Elisabeth Miles and Abby's little brother, all make it onto lifeboats safely. What really gets me is that all of the minor characters involved in this story - Abby's roommate in second class and a steward who discovered her brother's presence and who also had romantic intentions toward Abby - also survived. When I saw that in the final pages, I literally said out loud, "WTF?" The sinking of the Titanic was a terrible tragedy where over 1,500 people lost their lives. I expected there to be losses in this story to really reflect that, even if this is a juvenile fiction book. Instead, literally everyone even remotely important to the story survived, with the exception of the story's villain.
I am assuming that the author wanted to sanitize this for their target audience, but I could only find it extremely patronizing. I would think that the kids reading this book would know at least the basics of Titanic's story and would know that people were going to die. They would expect that at least someone involved in the story wouldn't make it, beyond the terrible Philip Miles. So, yeah, this really ruined an already mediocre story for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2018
Reasoning for Rating:
The mystery in the book was relatively uncomplicated to figure out and also seems a little strange. Another reasoning for my rating is that the story felt like there wasn't enough information about the characters, setting, reasoning for actions making, and things just kind of seemed to happen on the fly without reasoning making the book feel rather lackluster. I think that the only thing I really enjoyed about the story was the fact that it was an easy read for summer that wasn't completely pointless. If I remember my history lesson from third grade correctly the boat was depicted accurately which was nice.
I recieved an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review
The mystery in the book was relatively uncomplicated to figure out and also seems a little strange. Another reasoning for my rating is that the story felt like there wasn't enough information about the characters, setting, reasoning for actions making, and things just kind of seemed to happen on the fly without reasoning making the book feel rather lackluster. I think that the only thing I really enjoyed about the story was the fact that it was an easy read for summer that wasn't completely pointless. If I remember my history lesson from third grade correctly the boat was depicted accurately which was nice.
I recieved an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review
December 6, 2018
I quite enjoyed this book, I like the characters and really liked the promise. I think the author did pretty well with it I would have liked a little more exploration of the different classes but enjoyed what was already in the book. The villain what the story is really vile but quite believable especially for the time even if I do wish the reason behind what he was doing had been made a little more clear. The only other complaint I have about it is that the ending wrapped up a little too nicely . I admit I have been a bit more lenient on this as it's a middle Reader book and I feel in my complaints would hold more weight if it were for older people but I can understand when writing for the age group why you would want to have a clean happy ending and such even if I do believe that they can handle something more complicated and nuanced.
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October 25, 2018I thought that this was a GREAT book! I am obsessed with the Titanic, and love learning about it, and reading this book just totally brought it to life! This book has tons of different moods all throughout❤️
November 1, 2019
its a great book. i fell in love with it.
June 7, 2025
I wouldn’t have expected to like this book as much. There are many parts of the book where I was shocked since there’s quite a lot of plot twists and things you wouldn’t have expected. One of the things that made me somewhat surprised was when it was announced Isabella and Lucy were found family. Another one is when Abby’s mother sent the letter of the birth certificate to Isabella’s family and was later killed by Philip Miles. This all shows how everyone in the story is connected since I was wondering what relevant part Abby had of the book.
I love how the book shows the background descriptions and classes of each character. Other than that, I like how the main characters have their own problem in the story they need to fulfill while the author still following the main storyline. This book shows how despite everyone is different through backgrounds and classes, everyone is facing their own hardships and troubles—showing how in the end everyone is human.
There’s many themes in this book including empathy and sympathy.
Some parts of the book you sympathize for the characters and other parts where you can relate to them. I love the bond and relationships with each character as it really compliments the overall theme of the book.
My favourite character was Abby since she was kind, determined, and strong. She had to deal with Philip miles constantly disrespecting her, the death of her mother, and her brother being ALL over the place. I really liked her connection with Jasper—
I also wouldn’t have expected them to kiss which I thought was really cute.
Moreover, the pace and the flow of the book was done very nicely. I was somewhat wondering how the author would progress with the rest of the story with only 47 pages left since the historical moment had only began on page 200. I also like how it didn’t feel rushed for all the characters to unite. I know that Abby and Lucy had connections but I was wondering how Isabella would be a part of their story. The plot twist and the progression of this event was very good!
I think this book deserves a movie. It would really show the bond of sisterhood, the encouragement to not give up and be strong, etc.
There’s a lotttt I could say for this book. I feel a four is a good rating since there were some parts I didn’t really like. As I said, I liked how there were descriptions of who the characters are and why they’re on the titanic. They have their own quest they all need to fulfill. Although, I disliked how there is no physical description. There may have been some descriptions hidden the book I did not comprehend. It was difficult for me to read the story since I couldn’t imagine what each character physical appearance. Since I said I would love if the book had a movie, I wouldn’t even know what the characters would look like. The author also mentioned that they were young girls but not their actual age which was also off putting. There were some parts I thought were corny like when Elisabeth, Lucy, Isabella, and Abby all stood in-front of Philip miles to show they were not afraid. I can’t really comment on that since this book is made for children-preteens.
I love how the book shows the background descriptions and classes of each character. Other than that, I like how the main characters have their own problem in the story they need to fulfill while the author still following the main storyline. This book shows how despite everyone is different through backgrounds and classes, everyone is facing their own hardships and troubles—showing how in the end everyone is human.
There’s many themes in this book including empathy and sympathy.
Some parts of the book you sympathize for the characters and other parts where you can relate to them. I love the bond and relationships with each character as it really compliments the overall theme of the book.
My favourite character was Abby since she was kind, determined, and strong. She had to deal with Philip miles constantly disrespecting her, the death of her mother, and her brother being ALL over the place. I really liked her connection with Jasper—
I also wouldn’t have expected them to kiss which I thought was really cute.
Moreover, the pace and the flow of the book was done very nicely. I was somewhat wondering how the author would progress with the rest of the story with only 47 pages left since the historical moment had only began on page 200. I also like how it didn’t feel rushed for all the characters to unite. I know that Abby and Lucy had connections but I was wondering how Isabella would be a part of their story. The plot twist and the progression of this event was very good!
I think this book deserves a movie. It would really show the bond of sisterhood, the encouragement to not give up and be strong, etc.
There’s a lotttt I could say for this book. I feel a four is a good rating since there were some parts I didn’t really like. As I said, I liked how there were descriptions of who the characters are and why they’re on the titanic. They have their own quest they all need to fulfill. Although, I disliked how there is no physical description. There may have been some descriptions hidden the book I did not comprehend. It was difficult for me to read the story since I couldn’t imagine what each character physical appearance. Since I said I would love if the book had a movie, I wouldn’t even know what the characters would look like. The author also mentioned that they were young girls but not their actual age which was also off putting. There were some parts I thought were corny like when Elisabeth, Lucy, Isabella, and Abby all stood in-front of Philip miles to show they were not afraid. I can’t really comment on that since this book is made for children-preteens.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2018
Ready for a book that will leave you wondering..., ready to join Isabella, Lucy, and Abby on their voyage aboard the Titanic? All three girls don’t know what’s ahead of them and have never known about their past lives. Each girl has experienced emense hardships in their life and areEach girl has experienced emense hardships in their life and they are ready to move on and start a new life in New York. While trying to leave all the troubles behind Isabella will have to say goodbye to her parents. Later, while Isabella is on the Titanic she opens a letter from her parents that helps her find her tragic past and helps her move on to her future. With many adventures and mysteries along the way they are able to redefine something very important. What will happen along the way? What happened in Isabella’s past life? Read the book Maiden Voyage by Sarah Jane to find out.
The problem and struggle in this book is that the main characters do not know what their future and past lives are,...Lucy has a mother who is not doing very well and has a father who barley takes care of her and all she wants to do is get away from them. Abby also has struggles with her family relationships because her parents are dead and she hopes she can continue life with just her and her little brother. Overall, all of them hope a better life waits for them in New York. In order to hopefully make their futures better they might have to go through even more struggles. While trying to solve this problem they know that this could or could not be the right decision.
If you are someone who is in upper elementary who enjoys reading mysteries and you like reading about different people’s experiences on the Titanic I would recommend the book Maiden Voyage by Sarah Jane.This book is great for kids who like reading historical fictionhistorical fiction. They can easily find the stories of other’s experiences during the time the Titanic took its first and only sail to New York. This book would also be recommended to kids who have family struggles because it teaches an important message about being proud of your family and the team players that make it a family. Overall, this story is filled with adventure and many different types of mysteries that will leave you wondering what could happen next. If this sounds like a great fit for you, you should definitely check it out.
The problem and struggle in this book is that the main characters do not know what their future and past lives are,...Lucy has a mother who is not doing very well and has a father who barley takes care of her and all she wants to do is get away from them. Abby also has struggles with her family relationships because her parents are dead and she hopes she can continue life with just her and her little brother. Overall, all of them hope a better life waits for them in New York. In order to hopefully make their futures better they might have to go through even more struggles. While trying to solve this problem they know that this could or could not be the right decision.
If you are someone who is in upper elementary who enjoys reading mysteries and you like reading about different people’s experiences on the Titanic I would recommend the book Maiden Voyage by Sarah Jane.This book is great for kids who like reading historical fictionhistorical fiction. They can easily find the stories of other’s experiences during the time the Titanic took its first and only sail to New York. This book would also be recommended to kids who have family struggles because it teaches an important message about being proud of your family and the team players that make it a family. Overall, this story is filled with adventure and many different types of mysteries that will leave you wondering what could happen next. If this sounds like a great fit for you, you should definitely check it out.
January 25, 2019
“The ship’s been fitted out with every luxury imaginable and they say she’s absolutely unsinkable!” Many people who were lead to believe this drowned as the Titanic sunk. There were more dead men found than women and children. This was because the Titanic’s crew boarded women and children first into the lifeboats.
This book is about the maiden voyage of the Titanic. The Titanic departed from England on Wednesday, April 10, 1912. In the book, three passengers on the ill-fated boat were girls named, Isabella James, Lucy Miles, and Abby O’Rourke. Isabella is traveling in third class as she is one of the poorer people on the boat. She only had a ticket for herself. Her family couldn’t afford more than one. They gave her a letter to open the day before the Titanic stopped in New York City. Abby is Lucy’s maid and is traveling in second class. Abby snuck her little brother on board in a suitcase. Lucy is traveling is first class with her sick mother and her wicked father. Abby and Lucy realize there’s something going on when a girl walks by in Lucy’s coat. Meanwhile Isabella is searching for her real parents who are apparently onboard the titanic.
Over the course of the journey the three girls find each other and, against the odds, become friends. They find out what connects them all too late into the journey on the day before the Titanic sunk. When the Titanic sunk, Lucy’s father kidnaps Abby’s little brother so that the Titanic’s staff would allow him on a lifeboat. The people on the lifeboats hear screams of people falling into the water as the float away from the boat. One of the girls insists they go back and try to find survivors. The other people on the lifeboat do not. Finally, they reach another boat which slowly brings each of the up one by one. After a count of the survivors there was only 705 survivors which is less than 33% of the original passengers.
I recommend this book for 11+. The book was a little hard to get through and it was a very dull at some points in it. The book was fairly predictable and at times, the switching between characters was a little confusing. In all this book really sunk my boat.
Giovanna P. Age 12, Connecticut/Western Massachusetts
This book is about the maiden voyage of the Titanic. The Titanic departed from England on Wednesday, April 10, 1912. In the book, three passengers on the ill-fated boat were girls named, Isabella James, Lucy Miles, and Abby O’Rourke. Isabella is traveling in third class as she is one of the poorer people on the boat. She only had a ticket for herself. Her family couldn’t afford more than one. They gave her a letter to open the day before the Titanic stopped in New York City. Abby is Lucy’s maid and is traveling in second class. Abby snuck her little brother on board in a suitcase. Lucy is traveling is first class with her sick mother and her wicked father. Abby and Lucy realize there’s something going on when a girl walks by in Lucy’s coat. Meanwhile Isabella is searching for her real parents who are apparently onboard the titanic.
Over the course of the journey the three girls find each other and, against the odds, become friends. They find out what connects them all too late into the journey on the day before the Titanic sunk. When the Titanic sunk, Lucy’s father kidnaps Abby’s little brother so that the Titanic’s staff would allow him on a lifeboat. The people on the lifeboats hear screams of people falling into the water as the float away from the boat. One of the girls insists they go back and try to find survivors. The other people on the lifeboat do not. Finally, they reach another boat which slowly brings each of the up one by one. After a count of the survivors there was only 705 survivors which is less than 33% of the original passengers.
I recommend this book for 11+. The book was a little hard to get through and it was a very dull at some points in it. The book was fairly predictable and at times, the switching between characters was a little confusing. In all this book really sunk my boat.
Giovanna P. Age 12, Connecticut/Western Massachusetts
May 17, 2019
"With the groan of yielding metal, the enormous forward funnel collapsed and splashed down into the water, instantly sending many passengers who'd fled overboard to an icy, watery grave... The screams and cries for help could not be blocked out." Maiden Voyage is a historical fiction story that follows Isabella, Abby, and Lucy on the Titanic. I think this book is a good read and it taught me more about the Titanic.
First and foremost, the book linked different characters together in surprising ways. Certain characters ended up being related closer to each other than I thought. For example, on page one hundred sixty-four," Lucy locked eyes with the girl and the world slowed. She had the same feeling of recognition she'd had the first time she'd set eyes on her, and it sent a shiver up her spine." This shows how two different characters from seemingly different backgrounds seem to be related. Another example is on page one hundred eighty-two,"'My mother gave her life,'Abby said in a whisper. Lucy leaned in close and spoke so softly that Abby could barely hear. "And my father took it.'" This shows how two different girls already have a history together when neither of them knew it.
Last but not least, Sarah Jane did a great job incorporating fiction with the Titanic. While the characters were fictional, many parts their stories were similar to what people on the Titanic went through. For instance, on page two hundred twenty-one," She could only see two boats from where she was standing-one being lowered on ropes, though it was only half-full-and another just being loaded. But how could that be? There were still hundreds upon hundreds of passengers on board!" This shows the struggle of the passengers attempting to get on a lifeboat to get to safety. Another example is on page two hundred forty," Many passengers wandered the decks, calling out the names of their loved ones. Some found one another and clung together, weeping. Abby had to turn away." This means that many of the passengers on the Carpathia had lost family members but some were lucky.
Overall, Maiden Voyage was a good historical fiction book that taught me a little bit more about the Titanic. I would recommend this book to a friend.
First and foremost, the book linked different characters together in surprising ways. Certain characters ended up being related closer to each other than I thought. For example, on page one hundred sixty-four," Lucy locked eyes with the girl and the world slowed. She had the same feeling of recognition she'd had the first time she'd set eyes on her, and it sent a shiver up her spine." This shows how two different characters from seemingly different backgrounds seem to be related. Another example is on page one hundred eighty-two,"'My mother gave her life,'Abby said in a whisper. Lucy leaned in close and spoke so softly that Abby could barely hear. "And my father took it.'" This shows how two different girls already have a history together when neither of them knew it.
Last but not least, Sarah Jane did a great job incorporating fiction with the Titanic. While the characters were fictional, many parts their stories were similar to what people on the Titanic went through. For instance, on page two hundred twenty-one," She could only see two boats from where she was standing-one being lowered on ropes, though it was only half-full-and another just being loaded. But how could that be? There were still hundreds upon hundreds of passengers on board!" This shows the struggle of the passengers attempting to get on a lifeboat to get to safety. Another example is on page two hundred forty," Many passengers wandered the decks, calling out the names of their loved ones. Some found one another and clung together, weeping. Abby had to turn away." This means that many of the passengers on the Carpathia had lost family members but some were lucky.
Overall, Maiden Voyage was a good historical fiction book that taught me a little bit more about the Titanic. I would recommend this book to a friend.
August 20, 2019
Although this story is about the sinking of the Titanic, that historical event takes a back seat to the real drama. The reading level makes it attainable to children as young as fourth grade, but the twists and turns of the plot will hold the interest of older YA readers, as well. The story shifts perspective between a few characters that seem to have nothing in common, until the latter part. The reader is often left anticipating something that is inevitably going to happen to a character, based on what we know from a different character. It's a story where the reader often knows more then the characters.
Isabella's parents unexpectedly boo her passage on the Titanic. She knows her dad is sick, but she doesn't understand their actions at all. They are a close family and she is a principal wage earner in the family. Her mother hands her a letter and tells her not to read it until they dock in NYC. Of course, the anguished Isabella reads it almost immediately, in her search for answers. She learns a brutal truth.
Abby has taken over as the maid for Lucy and her mother, after Mother died suddenly and she must support her brother. She sneaks her brother onto the ship and has a plan to stay in NYC. Lucy's mother has fragile health (although Lucy is suspicious about her condition) and Lucy sticks close to her, constantly worried. Lucy's father is also on the ship, but he seems to totally disassociate from his family.
Abby, Lucy and Isabella circle around each other, in an ever-tightening spiral. Although we know they are heading toward a horrible crisis, they also ending up in a satisfying ending place.
Isabella's parents unexpectedly boo her passage on the Titanic. She knows her dad is sick, but she doesn't understand their actions at all. They are a close family and she is a principal wage earner in the family. Her mother hands her a letter and tells her not to read it until they dock in NYC. Of course, the anguished Isabella reads it almost immediately, in her search for answers. She learns a brutal truth.
Abby has taken over as the maid for Lucy and her mother, after Mother died suddenly and she must support her brother. She sneaks her brother onto the ship and has a plan to stay in NYC. Lucy's mother has fragile health (although Lucy is suspicious about her condition) and Lucy sticks close to her, constantly worried. Lucy's father is also on the ship, but he seems to totally disassociate from his family.
Abby, Lucy and Isabella circle around each other, in an ever-tightening spiral. Although we know they are heading toward a horrible crisis, they also ending up in a satisfying ending place.
September 4, 2019
Even though this book was for a much younger audience than I realized when I picked it up at the library, it was okay. The story of the three girls whose lives intertwine in a surprising way was fun to read about, but it could have taken place anywhere in the world and felt like it was just tacked on to the Titanic to sell more books. There were also a lot of “coincidences” that stretched believability, and it was hard to swallow that these characters seemingly had the run of the ship, with third class passengers making their way to the first class boat deck time after time with no issues.
And then that ending hit, and it lost all credibility with me. I’m all for happy endings, but this is a book about the TITANIC. A happy ending is the exception here not the norm, and after all those events that lead up to the last lifeboat being launched I could not suspend my belief that those particular characters would have made it. I was just going to chalk it up to being a forced happy ending and let it go, but then a certain character showed up alive on the Carpathia and it was so utterly ridiculous that they would have survived the sinking that I actually said out loud, “Are you kidding me?”
Maybe the author was told that it had to be a sunshine and roses happy ending because it’s a book for a younger crowd, but I think it’s doing a disservice to both the readers and the people who perished on the Titanic by sugarcoating the disaster. This isn’t a happy ending kind of event, and making it be one (despite all the implausibilities of it being possible) just really annoyed me.
And then that ending hit, and it lost all credibility with me. I’m all for happy endings, but this is a book about the TITANIC. A happy ending is the exception here not the norm, and after all those events that lead up to the last lifeboat being launched I could not suspend my belief that those particular characters would have made it. I was just going to chalk it up to being a forced happy ending and let it go, but then a certain character showed up alive on the Carpathia and it was so utterly ridiculous that they would have survived the sinking that I actually said out loud, “Are you kidding me?”
Maybe the author was told that it had to be a sunshine and roses happy ending because it’s a book for a younger crowd, but I think it’s doing a disservice to both the readers and the people who perished on the Titanic by sugarcoating the disaster. This isn’t a happy ending kind of event, and making it be one (despite all the implausibilities of it being possible) just really annoyed me.
September 26, 2023
!SPOILERS!
I would rate this book 4.5 out of 5 because on the positive side I believe that it did a good job on portraying the voyage of the Titanic as well as playing a story side by side. On the negative side, I believe that this book could’ve been written in a longer, more heavily plotted way that could extend it to maybe 350 pages. There was a bit of romance and many plot twists, which I found exciting. It blended fine with the Titanic’s story, and some would’ve even be able to picture Jack and Rose having their own story within this. The changes between the girls’ views gives us a better understanding of how they all will come together in the end. The ending was surprising for me, I didn’t think all the girls would stay together, but they did. There were many main characters, but the author managed to put them all together without making it seem cluttered. I do wish there were more scenes of Jasper and Abby in this story, but their ending scene was worth it, even if it was brief. Again about the changing of views, the author did an amazing job on portraying the points of views of three different girls all in three different classes whose stories are made to overlap in the end. Sometimes in the middle of the book, here and there, the girls would end up seeing each other, but they don’t know of it, only the reader knows. I enjoyed this book, and I know for a fact that I’ll be picking this up again one day to re-read it.
I would rate this book 4.5 out of 5 because on the positive side I believe that it did a good job on portraying the voyage of the Titanic as well as playing a story side by side. On the negative side, I believe that this book could’ve been written in a longer, more heavily plotted way that could extend it to maybe 350 pages. There was a bit of romance and many plot twists, which I found exciting. It blended fine with the Titanic’s story, and some would’ve even be able to picture Jack and Rose having their own story within this. The changes between the girls’ views gives us a better understanding of how they all will come together in the end. The ending was surprising for me, I didn’t think all the girls would stay together, but they did. There were many main characters, but the author managed to put them all together without making it seem cluttered. I do wish there were more scenes of Jasper and Abby in this story, but their ending scene was worth it, even if it was brief. Again about the changing of views, the author did an amazing job on portraying the points of views of three different girls all in three different classes whose stories are made to overlap in the end. Sometimes in the middle of the book, here and there, the girls would end up seeing each other, but they don’t know of it, only the reader knows. I enjoyed this book, and I know for a fact that I’ll be picking this up again one day to re-read it.
April 30, 2025
(2.5 stars rounded up)
I've read better. Not a lot of historical figures cameos, which isn't necessarily indicative of bad choices on the part of the author, but is disappointing to me personally. Pretty historically accurate (except, obviously, for the fictional main characters' story)- only little detail that bugged me was that one of the very last lifeboats launched was described as "half-full." While it's true that many of the lifeboats were partially (or even mostly) empty, the last few lifeboats were definitely full. All that said, I had a fine time reading this. There were definitely moments I enjoyed. I've read better, and I've read worse.
I've read better. Not a lot of historical figures cameos, which isn't necessarily indicative of bad choices on the part of the author, but is disappointing to me personally. Pretty historically accurate (except, obviously, for the fictional main characters' story)- only little detail that bugged me was that one of the very last lifeboats launched was described as "half-full." While it's true that many of the lifeboats were partially (or even mostly) empty, the last few lifeboats were definitely full. All that said, I had a fine time reading this. There were definitely moments I enjoyed. I've read better, and I've read worse.
May 29, 2019
Maiden Voyage by Sarah Jane was a quick, and easy to read kinda book. It contained multiple twists, and kept you going. I wouldn’t say this book is “oh my gosh I want to read this book 5 more times wowie I loved it” material, but it did keep you on for awhile.
It is a titanic story, and also fiction. Meaning that, of course, the boat does sink. But I won’t say what happens to the characters.
Speaking of characters, they are all pretty much very well written. All three main characters have their own chapters, which is cool because then we can know their story through their eyes.
I started this book around the beginning of May, so the reading start for this isn’t quite on point, and I did end it yesterday, the 28th. I recommend this book, for those who like mystery or suspense, or really just books with plOt twiSts. It’s a quick read, once again.
Happy reading!
It is a titanic story, and also fiction. Meaning that, of course, the boat does sink. But I won’t say what happens to the characters.
Speaking of characters, they are all pretty much very well written. All three main characters have their own chapters, which is cool because then we can know their story through their eyes.
I started this book around the beginning of May, so the reading start for this isn’t quite on point, and I did end it yesterday, the 28th. I recommend this book, for those who like mystery or suspense, or really just books with plOt twiSts. It’s a quick read, once again.
Happy reading!
February 14, 2020
I feel that Maiden Voyage is a good read, however, it does not reach the level adults like myself would expect it to. It may be a perfect read for the age group 11-14, but adults may find it a bit monotonous in the concluding chapters. "We have survived so much darkness...The past will only drown us...Now we can move forward, and begin anew," does not seem like something an ordinary person like Elisabeth Miles would say.
The fact that the stories of the three main characters are "intertwined" is somewhat interesting, however, there was not enough development for the main story at all. It seemed too rushed out in the last chapters, and thus the reader could not understand the situation at the time the Titanic was sinking.
I appreciate the effort that the author has taken to write this particular novel, with all its events and scenarios.
The fact that the stories of the three main characters are "intertwined" is somewhat interesting, however, there was not enough development for the main story at all. It seemed too rushed out in the last chapters, and thus the reader could not understand the situation at the time the Titanic was sinking.
I appreciate the effort that the author has taken to write this particular novel, with all its events and scenarios.
January 7, 2021
In this story, there three protagonists are Isabelle Lucille and Abby. They all have one thing in common, they will be going on a ship together and have no clue what the ship has to hold for them. While all three of these girls are on the boat together Lucciele is slowly finding out about family secrets, Abby has no family, and Isabelle is shocked her parents sent her on a trip this big by herself, with just some clothes and a letter she can't open till she gets to the US. When Isabelle opens this letter she is shocked. But what the girls don't know is that they are all connected to each other. But then, the three girls find out they could possibly be dying in the Titanic?!
There are many loves and romances going on in this book. I really like this book because of the captivating cliffhangers.
There are many loves and romances going on in this book. I really like this book because of the captivating cliffhangers.
August 7, 2021
3.5 stars
Simple story with a simple plot and an even simpler villain.
The story is quite enjoyable, but it could have been better if there's more depth in the characters. Also, I think a lot of things could have been explored or explained more such as the gambling addiction of Mr. Miles and the extent of his debts, the life of Isabella before departing in the Titanic, the reason why Mr. Miles hired Abigail, Mrs. Miles' family fortune and her inheritance, and Abigail and Felix's life situation before and after their mother's death. But considering this is a middle-grade book with a simple storyline, I don't think it's entirely necessary to explore these. However, I think they would have added more depth to the story by proving more information to the reader which would also help understand the events within the story better.
August 18, 2018
Maiden Voyage: A Titanic Story was a quick read. I read it in one day and enjoyed the plot twists and how everyone tied into the puzzle at the end. My only critizism is that it seemed too good to be true. Every character made it out in the end of the story that was a good person which seemed a little too good. When Felix gets taken by Master Miles and brought down from the deck against the crowd, it just doesn't seem possible that they could push against the crowd, get Felix, push back up towards the deck, and get in a lifeboat while stopping Master Miles from doing so and getting past a huge group of people who are fighting for their own lives. All in all, I enjoyed the book but it seemed like too perfect of an ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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June 2, 2022Out of the three characters in this book, my favorite was Lucy. Even though she was small and her dad abused her mom, she stuck up for her mom and didn't show any fear to him. I loved the writing style in this book, because for every main character, it showed their point of view which was three perspectives. It was a little hard to get at first, because the setting and perspective was jumping around, but I caught on soon. I thought that this was very realistic to the real titanic story. THe author wrote it to make it sound like it was a true story. My favorite quote was, "The Titanic submerged under the murky water, and left with unsettling quietness." I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the history of the Titanic and who likes mystery.
October 22, 2018
This was a really fast, easy and interesting novel. It is clearly written for the YA reader in mind. Not a ton of character development. As a matter of fact, each chapter is told from a different Character perspective (3 young girls Lucy, Abby and Isabella) and at times it was hard to follow who was who. There was such little development that I wasn't invested in anyone. I was intrigued by the story of the Titanic and how the story of the 3 girls would play out. The author did tie up most of the loose ends and the ending was nice. I think the kids in my middle school will enjoy the story and it will be a fairly easy read for them.
February 5, 2019
I picked up the advanced reader copy of this book at the Texas Teen Book Festival in 2017. I love reading stories about the Titanic and this one was a good, quick read on it. I enjoyed the characters and the story line. I wish the author had gone deeper into the character development but it was good for young adult. I would like to read some others by Sarah Jane.
This is the story of three women who find out that their lives were made and broken by the same man and will find out how their lives intertwine as they face their demise on the most famous ship disaster in history.
If you enjoy stories about the Titanic, self discovery, and adventure, this book is for you!
This is the story of three women who find out that their lives were made and broken by the same man and will find out how their lives intertwine as they face their demise on the most famous ship disaster in history.
If you enjoy stories about the Titanic, self discovery, and adventure, this book is for you!
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