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Tick Cooper
“I swear by everything I ever owned that my adventure will be the honest truth—even if I had to tell a few lies along the way to get to the meaning of that truth.” So promises Tick Cooper, a twelve year old Ohio boy who’s about to accompany his Uncle Ned down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans. It’s the autumn of 1860, right before the election that will send Abraham Lincoln to the White House. With his mother deceased and his father having deserted him for the chance of gold in California, Tick has been most fortunate to receive the care and love of his father’s older brother and his wife—Aunt Clara. Although she has recently passed away, she and Uncle Ned have educated the boy about living a good and proper life. But Tick hasn’t had much of a chance to put what he’s learned into practice—nor to face the moral challenges every young person will face as he or she grows up. But the river journey will provide plenty of those experiences and tests of character. Yet, reaching New Orleans does not conclude the lessons and challenges, for there Tick witnesses a slave auction, and on the block is a thirteen-year-old freed black girl named Clarissa, whom Tick had briefly met in Ohio. Now Tick faces his most significant challenge. Can he help get Clarissa back to Ohio all the way from New Orleans?
- GenresHistorical Fiction
247 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 9, 2020
8 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 4, 2018
A slow-paced coming of age journey well-worth the time it took for me to read! Adventurous, at times frightening, very similar to Huck Finn's adventures. I truly loved Tick, the main character and the morals he stood by. Great read! I loved it!
November 17, 2018
A Memorable Journey into the Soul of America
In Tick Cooper by John Vance, the reader takes an evocative and unforgettable journey down the Mississippi in November, 1860 – the time when America was at the cusp of Civil War. As told through plain-spoken eloquence of the wide-eyed, fast thinking, rash-acting Tick Cooper, this novel works on many levels: as a rousing adventure, a revealing historical novel, and an astute social commentary on the wild swings of good and evil so prevalent in the American sensibility.
Let me make clear that even with these layers, Tick Cooper is a fun, entertaining, and very accessible read. Like its great precursor The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tick Cooper captures the voice of Middle America with a simple honesty and intuitive insight that can come from the best of 12-year-olds, which our protagonist just happens to be. Tick responds viscerally and instinctively to injustice, fighting with both his words and his fists against myriads acts of wrongdoing. While some of the misbehaviors Tick encounters are the stuff of teenage boys testing their limits, particularly the mischief of the little gang of poorer boys on the riverboat, Vance deftly captures a period where the laws, most particularly the Fugitive Slave Act, lead to terrible acts of cruelty. Through Tick’s unadorned narrative, Vance unravels layers of his story – of sex, racism, violence, and hypocrisy – to which Tick is initially oblivious, but his perceptions expand exponentially in the two months-long journey that propels him to a precocious maturity and an awareness fast transforming into wisdom.
This novel is filled with surprises, including poignant tragedies, disarming scenes of humor, and one particularly famous figure at a moral crossroads. The story is so steeped in its time and its river, both of which possess their fair share of treacheries, that the narrative twists are not only believable, but seem inevitable. Late in the novel, the moral issues and the novel’s dramatic possibilities come to a head in Tick’s dilemma (shared with the troubled slave owner Robert Ewell) of what to do with Clarissa, a freed black girl who’d been enslaved again in the South. That final journey is stirring as are so many others during which we encounter our share of disturbing villains (Simpson is especially memorable), lively smart young women (particularly Jinny), and kinder figures (like Ewell, Ezekiel, and Uncle Ned) who serve to restore a reader’s faith in humanity.
All along the way, Tick does enough wrong to better understand the value of right. Early on Tick confesses, “Aunt Clara would always tell me I never looked before I leaped, but I couldn’t help it.” Well, when it comes to diving into Tick Cooper, I’d take the leap. It gave me many hours of reading pleasure, and, matching up its own divided times with ours, much to contemplate.
In Tick Cooper by John Vance, the reader takes an evocative and unforgettable journey down the Mississippi in November, 1860 – the time when America was at the cusp of Civil War. As told through plain-spoken eloquence of the wide-eyed, fast thinking, rash-acting Tick Cooper, this novel works on many levels: as a rousing adventure, a revealing historical novel, and an astute social commentary on the wild swings of good and evil so prevalent in the American sensibility.
Let me make clear that even with these layers, Tick Cooper is a fun, entertaining, and very accessible read. Like its great precursor The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tick Cooper captures the voice of Middle America with a simple honesty and intuitive insight that can come from the best of 12-year-olds, which our protagonist just happens to be. Tick responds viscerally and instinctively to injustice, fighting with both his words and his fists against myriads acts of wrongdoing. While some of the misbehaviors Tick encounters are the stuff of teenage boys testing their limits, particularly the mischief of the little gang of poorer boys on the riverboat, Vance deftly captures a period where the laws, most particularly the Fugitive Slave Act, lead to terrible acts of cruelty. Through Tick’s unadorned narrative, Vance unravels layers of his story – of sex, racism, violence, and hypocrisy – to which Tick is initially oblivious, but his perceptions expand exponentially in the two months-long journey that propels him to a precocious maturity and an awareness fast transforming into wisdom.
This novel is filled with surprises, including poignant tragedies, disarming scenes of humor, and one particularly famous figure at a moral crossroads. The story is so steeped in its time and its river, both of which possess their fair share of treacheries, that the narrative twists are not only believable, but seem inevitable. Late in the novel, the moral issues and the novel’s dramatic possibilities come to a head in Tick’s dilemma (shared with the troubled slave owner Robert Ewell) of what to do with Clarissa, a freed black girl who’d been enslaved again in the South. That final journey is stirring as are so many others during which we encounter our share of disturbing villains (Simpson is especially memorable), lively smart young women (particularly Jinny), and kinder figures (like Ewell, Ezekiel, and Uncle Ned) who serve to restore a reader’s faith in humanity.
All along the way, Tick does enough wrong to better understand the value of right. Early on Tick confesses, “Aunt Clara would always tell me I never looked before I leaped, but I couldn’t help it.” Well, when it comes to diving into Tick Cooper, I’d take the leap. It gave me many hours of reading pleasure, and, matching up its own divided times with ours, much to contemplate.
January 4, 2018
Set in the fall of 1860, John Vance's TICK COOPER may have a twelve year-old boy as its hero, but the book isn't just for younger readers. If you would like to mix a little historical fiction with your futuristic or dystopian readings, this is the book for you. Through his many adventures on riverboat and on land, Tick learns quite a bit about life and about himself. The many secondary characters are memorable and often hilarious. (Including the appearance of a very famous historical figure, who befriends Tick.) At the end, Tick faces his biggest challenge and overcomes it through his solid beliefs, his country-smarts, and his spirited determination. Highly recommended!
November 11, 2020
Franklin This is a neat story about a 12 year old boy who travels with his uncle from Cincinnati by boat to New Orleans. The description of people and life in 1860 makes for interesting reading. Tick Cooper is all boy who is fascinated by life on board a paddle wheel shirt and his curiosity almost gets him trouble but his honesty keeps him out of trouble. After reaching New Orleans and the death of his uncle he helps a friend smuggle a your black girl north to freedom. I really liked this book and the authors ability to describe life on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
February 1, 2021
Historical fiction, this story is told from the pov of a 12 year old boy sailing down the Mississippi . I can't imagine a more appropriate narrator for this story. Kids 5th grade on through adults will enjoy this story. Tick is a well rounded character, as are other characters in the story. There is plenty of humor for all ages to appreciate. It's sort of coming of age as the story goes along. Tick sort of grows up along with the country as it starts just before the Civil War. Great read.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
March 9, 2022
Excellent
I really enjoyed this character Tick Cooper! The book that was written in the person of Tick was very informative and an exciting book about the history of slave trade Ana told in a very engaging way. I will be recommending this wonderful book to my family and friends. Great job John Vance! To all of you out there , read and enjoy!
I really enjoyed this character Tick Cooper! The book that was written in the person of Tick was very informative and an exciting book about the history of slave trade Ana told in a very engaging way. I will be recommending this wonderful book to my family and friends. Great job John Vance! To all of you out there , read and enjoy!
April 8, 2019
Tick Cooper by John Vance was gifted to me and I wrote this review voluntarily. What a wild adventure Mr. Vance sent us on with Tick! This is a great book that is a must read. Enjoy.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 10, 2023
Absolutely a new voice in southern literature. A must read for those interested in the 1860s American history. Tick has many adventures and lessons to learn which can be applied to all of us today.
April 1, 2019
Tick Cooper
John Vance
“I swear by everything I ever owned that my adventure will be the honest truth—even if I had to tell a few lies along the way to get to the meaning of that truth.” So promises Tick Cooper, a twelve year old Ohio boy who’s about to accompany his Uncle Ned down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans.
On the edge of the civil war, John Vance’s Novel, Tick Copper is a memorable read . An exquisitely written ponderous look through the eyes of a 12 year olds protagonist.
A look at our morals and the conditions of America’s history during that time period. Great paced coming of age story. A creative journey down the Mississippi River. It features a well developed portrait of the social and political injustice of that crucial time period in our American history. Eloquently written with an even flowed storyline is absolutely magnificent.
A Literary Achievement for John Vance .
Thanks NetGalley for this complimentary copy for an honest review.
John Vance
“I swear by everything I ever owned that my adventure will be the honest truth—even if I had to tell a few lies along the way to get to the meaning of that truth.” So promises Tick Cooper, a twelve year old Ohio boy who’s about to accompany his Uncle Ned down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans.
On the edge of the civil war, John Vance’s Novel, Tick Copper is a memorable read . An exquisitely written ponderous look through the eyes of a 12 year olds protagonist.
A look at our morals and the conditions of America’s history during that time period. Great paced coming of age story. A creative journey down the Mississippi River. It features a well developed portrait of the social and political injustice of that crucial time period in our American history. Eloquently written with an even flowed storyline is absolutely magnificent.
A Literary Achievement for John Vance .
Thanks NetGalley for this complimentary copy for an honest review.
April 16, 2019
I found the story of Tick Cooper delightful! Written in what seems to be a first person, stream of consciousness style, it evoked memories of reading Mark Twain's wonderful boyhood classics. This story is about Tick's own boyhood adventure on the Mississippi River, which took place immediately prior to Lincoln's investiture and the Civil War during his presidency. Tick struggles to do what he knows is right while those in authority around him give conflicting messages. Appropriate for middle school and up.
In addition to obvious grammar issues that are appropriate for the setting, the edition I read had a number of typos, just enough to require re-reading lines at times. It did not substantially detract from the story.
In addition to obvious grammar issues that are appropriate for the setting, the edition I read had a number of typos, just enough to require re-reading lines at times. It did not substantially detract from the story.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews