Book Review of The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray
The Children’s Book Review
The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray
Written by Christine Calella
Ages: 14+ | 384 Pages
Publisher: Page Street Publishing (2024) | ISBN: 978-1645678724
What to Expect: Pirates, illegitimacy, sisterhood, mother-daughter relationship, adventure.
On the surface, this is a story about defying fate and nature to find one’s own path in life; however, it is also a poignant exploration of the love that can endure between sisters, even in the face of betrayals, conflict, and adversity.
Ophelia Young and her sister Betsy are as different as two sisters can be—perhaps because their mothers are so different. Betsy is her father’s legitimate daughter, quiet and shy and content to stay at home in the bosom of her family. Ophelia, on the other hand, is the illegitimate result of a fling with the notorious and hated pirate queen, Ophelia Cray. Despised and tormented her whole life by the townspeople who hated her mother, Ophelia dreams of only one thing—escaping the narrow life she’s been cursed with by joining the royal navy.
The only problem is that no recruitment officer is willing to sign up the pirate queen’s daughter. Desperate and angry, Ophelia signs up under her sister’s name—but when her father falls ill, Betsy has no choice but to leave the safety of home to bring her sister back. Braving the wrath of both the sea, the naval authorities, and the shipmates who would kill Ophelia if they knew who she really was, the sisters will find themselves adrift on the sea in a journey that might well kill them before they can find each other again. And if they do find each other, can they ever forgive each other’s differences?
Ophelia is the perfect heroine for a pirate adventure—she’s bold, determined, and smart, and determined to fulfill her dreams no matter what anyone else thinks. However, Betsy is, if possible, an even more satisfying heroine, growing from a timid, spoilt, and anxiety-ridden girl into a confident and brave young woman, driven by her love of family to face her deepest fears. Some readers may want to be aware that the story contains mature references to sex and violence. For readers who can handle these elements, this story is fast-paced, elegant, and moving, perfect for every reader who’s ever fallen in love with Pirates of the Caribbean, Treasure Island, or stories about Bonnie and Clyde.
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About the Author
Christine Calella lives in a place she refers to as “New York City–adjacent.” She spends her spare time singing show tunes in the shower, drinking more chai lattes than is strictly necessary, and either over- or under-watering an unfortunate string of houseplants named after sitcom characters. The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray is her debut novel.
