I thoroughly enjoyed both storylines in this book. Susan Cooper is writing from a place of knowledge, which is truly a great asset. It's evident that she has conducted in-depth research on the Victory at Trafalgar, and the character of Molly seems to have some autobiographical elements. The story is not only interesting but also highly compelling, especially for someone like me with a keen interest in my English ancestors, some of whom were seamen.

Although she admittedly takes some poetic liberties with Sam, she manages to paint a vivid and realistic picture of life both at home and at sea during the Napoleonic wars, and skillfully compares it to modern Molly's life.

However, the "haunting" connection between the two main characters felt rather unnecessary. It derailed Molly's character development and diminished the impact of the more genuine layers of their connection. Simply focusing on her understandable fixation on Sam, which stemmed from her longing for the England she had been mocked for, would have been far more believable than awkwardly inserting elements of the supernatural here and there. I also find myself puzzling over the use of the first person past tense for Sam and the third person present tense for Molly. A well-told story, which this otherwise is, doesn't require the distraction of trendy style choices.

Despite my nerdy nitpicks, it offers an interesting and ultimately optimistic perspective on how the two children and others confront death, loss, loneliness, change, and disappointment.

Susan Cooper is indeed an excellent writer.

However, I must admit that this particular work didn't quite measure up to her usual high standards. The time-link between the boy in the past and the girl in the present felt a little tenuous. There wasn't a truly surprising twist that would have made the connection more worthwhile.

Nevertheless, it's still a fine book if you have a hankering for more stories of a young boy sailing the high seas on a British warship. (This comment is especially for those who love the Jacky Faber books: you'll get to experience sailing on the Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship!). The historical details are abundant, such as tapping the maggots out of the biscuits and learning the routine of firing cannons. But perhaps the most terrifying aspect was the British version of the "draft". Men and boys (our hero was only eleven) were actually kidnapped off the streets of England and pressed into service!

Despite its flaws, this book offers an engaging look into a bygone era of naval warfare and the lives of those who served on the ships.

I read this book several years ago.

Just this past week, I recalled it when I saw that a blogger friend had reviewed it on her site.

It is the only book by Susan Cooper that I have read.

At that time, I definitely liked it.

As I was reading "Victory", I couldn't help but wonder if it was a book specifically for history geeks like myself.

Those of us who have either had our own experiences connecting with figures from the past or who desperately long for such an experience.

This book seems to hold a special charm for us.

It makes us think about our relationship with history and how we can find meaning and connection in the stories of the past.

Maybe it's the way the author weaves the narrative or the vivid descriptions of the historical events and characters.

Whatever it is, "Victory" has left a lasting impression on me, and I'm glad I was reminded of it by my friend's review.

Excerpt from Original Content.

Moving back and forth between a child living in the present and a child living in 1800, you can truly sense the connection. There is a drawing and a thirst for knowledge that emerges. Cooper offers numerous details about life on a ship, encompassing the feelings, sights, and sounds. The research spills over into the writing, creating a vivid scene that enables the reader to experience it firsthand.

My boys expressed the wish that I could skip the story of the current day child and instead focus solely on the adventure of another era. However, they were pleasantly rewarded when they saw the connection between the two. This connection added depth and meaning to their understanding of different times and lives. It showed them that although the world has changed significantly, there are still commonalities and lessons to be learned from the past.

Victory by Susan Cooper was an incredibly fast-paced and interesting read. I had previously read The Dark is Rising, so Cooper's writing style already felt somewhat familiar to me. One of the notable aspects of this book was the way Cooper changed the point of view. She shifted from first person to third person and from past tense to present tense. At first, I found this change a bit distracting as it took me a moment to adjust to the new style of narration. However, as I continued reading, I was able to roll with it and it actually added an interesting dimension to the story. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good read that kept me engaged from start to finish.

This is a really cute story that has a somewhat surprising ending. I'm usually quite good at guessing the ending from a long way off, but this one managed to catch me by surprise.

It provides a great snapshot of life in the British Navy in the early 1800s, which is nicely interwoven with the story of a modern girl. The novel is filled with a lot of British pride, but it's not overly sweet or saccharine.

There is one allusion to sex, although it's well-disguised. There's also one use of the word "piss". Additionally, there are some graphic descriptions of the discipline and cruelty on board the Victory. And there's one somewhat jarring description of a fatality during the Battle of Trafalgar. These are the only mild moments that might require a bit of caution when sharing this with younger audiences. Overall, it's an engaging and interesting read.

This was a quick read.

It had an interesting back and forth style between the characters, which really added to the charm of the story.

I truly enjoyed the idea of the story, as it was very unique and different from the Dark is Rising series that I had read years ago.

However, the trauma that the young girl character has to go through to resolve her questions was a little too much for me to swallow.

It was quite intense and perhaps a bit overwhelming at times.

But despite that, overall I did like the book.

The writing was engaging, and the plot kept me hooked from start to finish.

It was a refreshing read that offered a different perspective and a new set of characters to explore.

Although the trauma aspect was a bit hard to take, it also added depth and complexity to the story, making it more than just a simple read.

I would recommend this book to others who are looking for something different and interesting to read.

This is a very detailed book that I truly loved. The story line was engaging and had me hooked from the start.

There was a particular moment that shocked me quite a bit. It was when I discovered that Molly's great great great etc. grandfather was part of the battle of Trafalgar. What made it even more astonishing was the significance he held in that battle.

Looking back, it's amazing how the smallest details at the beginning of the book all led up to this revelation. It shows the author's skill in weaving a complex and interconnected story.

I don't want to give away any more spoilers, so I'll stop here. I highly recommend that you read the book yourself to discover all the surprises and enjoy the story for yourself.

-Derry (sirscribble)

This book was truly the most tedious thing I've ever had the misfortune to read! It was even worse than delving into an autobiography penned by William Shatner. Molly was hands down the most whiny, constantly complaining, and ungrateful character I've ever had to endure in the pages of a book. And don't even get me started on her blatant bias against Americans! It was simply unacceptable that every American she interacted with was portrayed as fat. There should be no place for such stereotypes in multi-cultural books. It's extremely offensive and disrespectful.

I did like Sam to some extent, but I have to say that he got what was coming to him on Victory. The same goes for his father with the head injury and Charlie. And what was the deal with Lord Nelson? Do you really think that he would be excited by battle? That's a literal comparison of an important historical figure to a Klingon! It just doesn't make sense.

My least favorite part of the book was when Molly recovered from her panic attack. I truly felt that she deserved to go insane as compensation for driving readers insane with her irritating personality. On the other hand, my favorite part was when Molly was drowning. It brought a smile to my face, and when she realized she was drowning and started flailing in the water, I actually shouted for joy. It was a moment of pure satisfaction.

The bit of the book that really confused me was the end. No, not the glossary, because that was completely unnecessary and I chose not to read it. But the part where stupid, stupid Molly dragged the million-dollar bit of cloth through the seawater until it dissolved. Come on! She could have done so much more with it. If she had sold it, it would have been her money, and she could have bribed Carl's company to ship him to Britain so they could live out their lives together. Or she could have given the money to her family to help pay off debts or to cover the mortgage or taxes or something along those lines. If she didn't want to sell it, she could have donated it to a museum and visited it every day. But no. Stupid Molly had to drag that precious bit of cloth through the freaking ocean in the middle of nowhere. I just don't understand her reasoning.

I would not recommend this book to anyone I know. It was truly horrible. In fact, I would only recommend it as a means of torture to extract information because it was absolutely ghastly and so bad that I wanted to die while reading it. I'm sure Susan is a nice lady, but maybe a job behind a desk or something where she's not trying to be creative might be more suitable for her. As an aspiring author myself, albeit in the sci-fi and fantasy genres, I now know exactly what characters to avoid creating unless they are secondary and meet a quick end. And in that case, I'd probably base them off of Molly or Sam's father.

I do have one question for her, though. On the cover of my book, it said that she wrote an award-winning series. Given that I've suffered through her writing style, how is that even possible? It's called 'Dark is Rising,' I believe, and I will avoid it like the plague, I can assure you. I suggest she finds a better style of writing because the flip-flopping between times is both really dumb and sometimes confusing as to why the current bits were necessary. It might have been a slightly better book if it were just about Sam and his sister back at home, or even just Sam. Can she tell me honestly that Molly wasn't just filler in the book?

To be perfectly honest, this book was one of the worst things I've ever endured, aside from 'Manos: The Hands of Fate' and 'Brazil.' And those are truly appalling! This book should be wiped from the memories of everyone who has ever read it. But if you're looking for a good author, I suggest you look up 'Dean Koontz' or perhaps even 'Jeffrey Lybarger.' And hey, look me up in a couple of years. When I finish my book, I'm definitely getting it published, so you can expect to find my name somewhere within the depths of a Google search. Just like yours, Cooper.

I truly have a great enjoyment for Susan Cooper's unique blend of reality and the mystical.

The book skillfully weaves together the modern day with events that took place two hundred years ago. It leads the reader on an exciting journey through the battle of Trafalgar, but from the perspective of a thirteen-year-old boy.

This makes for a very engaging and fast read. I would highly recommend this book for ages 10 and above, as well as for adults who have a penchant for stepping outside of the boundaries of today's world and delving into a world filled with history, mystery, and adventure.

It offers a refreshing escape and a chance to experience a different time and place through the eyes of a young protagonist.

The combination of the real and the fantastical creates a captivating narrative that will keep readers hooked from start to finish.

Pretty good so far.

I'm about a quarter of the way into the book, and it has really captured my attention. The story is unfolding in an interesting way, with well-developed characters and a captivating plot.

The author's writing style is engaging, making it easy for me to get lost in the pages. I can't wait to see what happens next as I continue to read.

Each chapter brings new surprises and keeps me on the edge of my seat. It's one of those books that you just don't want to put down.

I'm looking forward to delving deeper into the story and seeing how it all concludes. So far, it's been a great reading experience.

I truly relished this book. Before delving into it, I was completely ignorant about Lord Admiral Nelson. However, as I read on, I found that it was a captivating and well-narrated story. The author did an excellent job of presenting the life and adventures of Lord Admiral Nelson in a way that was engaging and easy to understand.

This book has been extremely popular among the 5th to 8th graders in my library. They seem to be drawn to the exciting tales of Nelson's naval battles and his heroic deeds. It not only provides valuable historical information but also inspires the students to learn more about the past.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in history or enjoys a good adventure story. It is a great read that will keep you entertained from start to finish.