Powder Monkey by Paul Dowswell

DowswellBay of Biscay, 1800.  “I have seen boys and men right beside me, torn in two halves by chain shot, faces all around staring in wide-eyed horror.  I have seen broken ships swallowed by the sea, I have know the bile-sour taste of fear.  And all of these things I knew before I turned fourteen.”

“Stay with me and I will tell you a story you will never forget.”

Blurb from the 2008 edition published by Bloomsbury.

PLEASE ADD SHORT REVIEWS IN THE COMMENT BOX BELOW.

29 thoughts on “Powder Monkey by Paul Dowswell

  1. Powder Monkey Book Review
    ‘Powder Monkey’ is a thrilling concoction of adventure, action and emotion. This book features a young thirteen-year old boy named Sam Witchall. Sam has always wanted to escape his ordinary life in Norwich and become a sailor. Little did he know of the adventures and hardships that awaited him. Life as a sailor was not something he would expect.
    Sam Witchall lived in Norwich, Norfolk. He had always dreamed of becoming a sailor, but his father had envisioned him teaching at the village school and helping out at his uncle’s shop. Unfortunately for his father, Sam had bigger ambitions.
    Eventually, Sam’s father allowed Sam to be what he wanted to be. He joined a ship called the Franklyn with Captain Rushford and a bunch of other wannabe sailors like him. And from there his great adventures began.
    My favourite character is Silas. I favour him to the rest because he is loyal to his friends and sticks up for them even though knowing he would get a severe punishment. Also, he is an experienced sailor, having served aboard the Miranda. In addition to this, he is audacious but sometimes he can be a bit selfish and stubborn which makes him an interesting character.
    In my opinion, this book is inspirational. It is a tangle of awe-inspiring creativity mixed with emotional vines that can make you imagine you’re in Sam Witchall’s shoes yourself. It is a very deep story, sometimes dampening your mood or making you feel happy and relieved. What the author does incredibly well is tie in all these things and it makes you feel as though you are part of the book.
    I would recommend this book to all ages, but it will probably appeal more to young teens and older children. Also to people who enjoy action, adventure and dramatic books as this book houses it all.
    I would rate this book 5 out of 5.

    I hope you will enjoy the thrill of Powder Monkey as much as I have. Happy reading!

  2. Powder Monkey is an immersive and emotional first-person fiction about a young boy called Sam Witchall living in the 1800s, who chose an exciting and dangerous life at sea, but things soon take a turn for the worse as he is forced to join the navy, or pressed. His experiences of his darkest hours to his moment of triumph don’t fail to really connect with the reader. It uses simple language in a hard-hitting way, which really develops the personality of Sam. A deeply engaging read, I truly enjoyed Powder Monkey and would definitely recommend it.

    The dialogue scenes are devastatingly effective, leaving a really deep impression on the reader. He uses these irregularly, and I think he could use them a little more often, without making it repetitive. It’s strangely wonderful picturing two characters in conversation, and it really gives each character an individual personality. There’s something about the way he picks his words that fill in for the missing description, which makes it that much more powerful. Equally, the plain descriptive scenes paint emotionally charged scenes in the mind, from a happy, calm atmosphere to a desperate, chaotic feeling. Like the dialogue scenes, the aura of the scene somehow makes up for the lack of speech. The point of view of the different characters, shown through their speech, makes a very effective paradigm shift on many events. When I sometimes don’t agree with Sam’s perspective, it is very interesting to see his view. This effect is amplified by the first-person experience of Sam. Paul Dowswell, the author, controls his pace well, with slow speed in the dialogue scenes to allow emotion to sink in, but fast speed in the intense, chaotic scenes to shock the reader, which is usually followed by another slow pace for reflection. He has many very fast plot twists, which are all unexpected. The quick transition from calm to calamity can actually make the reader fear the upcoming events, like the tremors before an earthquake. As mentioned before, the language is simple, like how the young boy Sam Witchall would think. An advantage of having short, snappy words is that they are very punchy when they need to be, but sad when necessary. One of the aims of the writing is to teach the reader that a life at sea with the navy in the 1800s was not a particularly happy or comfortably life. I personally really enjoy books like this, with their own style. I think that most of the above work very well with the premise of the book.

    Altogether, Powder Monkey is a wonderful book, best suited to young teenagers, but is still a great read for all ages. Even when not reading the book, certain events stick in the reader’s mind. A brilliant, hard to put down book, it is definitely well worth reading.

  3. I am writing my book review on Powder Monkey because I really enjoyed and it was the best book of the list of books available. It is by Paul Dowsell a bestselling author. I found the gruesome bits funny, I found the funny bits outrageously funny but sometimes it was quite depressing.
    It is set in the early nineteenth century quite an historical time for Britain and British people, it is about a boy named Sam Witchall who is finding life on a farm in sleepy Norfolk dull and wants to travel the seven seas, the town he lived in was made up.
    Main Characters (apart from Sam)
    • Richard: Sam’s friend that Sam meets when he is captured in the H.M.S Miranda. Richard is just like Sam because he too is young and isn’t paid quite that well. Richard is from America. He distracts Sam a bit as he is one of Sam’s friends.
    • Rosie: is Sam’s Girlfriend. She is the girl that Sam always thinks about. He writes to her a lot. She writes back and tells him not to get killed or to get lost.
    • Captain Mandeville: Mandeville is the captain of the H.M.S Miranda. Nobody on board likes him but they all respect him. He is quite strict with his men if they fool and muck around or step out of line then you will be flogged.
    • Ben: Ben is Sam’s sea daddy (the person who guides him on the ship after he gets pressed). Ben’s responsibility is to look after Sam and he makes sure that Sam is safe. Sam may not have survived sea life on the Miranda without him.
    What happened in the story?
    It all starts in a quiet town in Norwich in the town there is a farm and on the farm there is a boy called Sam, his parents and his brother who works as a grocer. Sam is fed up with a simple life as a farmer or a teacher, he asks his parents if he can live a life on the sea as on a trade vessel. They allow him because his cousin went on a voyage to India once and was ok. On the ship he meets a friend called George and when they are invaded by a French ship George is pierced by a massive splinter and Sam helps him. After they fight the French sip they are pressed by a Navy ship named The Miranda and Sam is betrayed by George. An estranged old sea man who had been on a navy ship before and had flog marks all down his back, his name is Silus and he was also pressed.
    My Thoughts
    I think this book was a page turner and was very exciting it could maybe have had a bit more happy moments as it was very depressing. I would definitely tell my friends to read it.
    My favourite part is when he is on the Spanish ship and is trying to overtake the ship.

  4. Powder Monkey is a sensational book based in the Victorian Era. The story is about the life of Sam Witchall. His ambition was to be in the navy, but little did he know the dangers of the Navy.
    His dad did not let him in the Navy but a lower ranked fighting ship. Unfortunately, while fighting the Spanish Armada the Navy came to press a few crew members including Sam.
    Sam was taken on a Navy Ship to the Miranda and was a Powder Boy. He would fetch the cartridge for the guns.
    He surpassed the most dangerous of battles. But the last thing he had to do was escape. That was his ambition. A few years ago he had bursted to be where he was now. Now he thinks the polar opposite. He does not like the conditions of life on the Miranda but the conditions of home. He faces a battle against the same Spanish ship as lat time but his side is forced to surrender, or so they thought. The crew plan to escape the ship and turn the hugest table Sam has ever seen, around. Somehow his obedient friends planned to escape and it worked. But that was not the end as it had just started. This was only the first book in the franchise.
    This book shared passion in my heart, it caused my heart to tingle and this book is never forgotten in my heart. Even if I never read the sequel.

  5. In my opinion, Powder Monkey is a great page turner which never left my hand. It’s like Paul Doswell is really on the adventure as he writes with lots of knowledge and honesty. He captures the emotion and feelings of Sam perfectly and can write them as if they are his own feelings.
    The story is about Sam Witchall and his life which goes from him battling on the Lady Franklyn merchant ship, fighting aboard the HMS Miranda and escaping but choosing to not go home. He was inspired by his cousin to become a sailor but as he joins the prospect of being pressed becomes apparent.
    He joins a Navy ship named the H.M.S Miranda and he is petrified after hearing Silas Warandel (a sooner to be made friend and shipmate of his) tell stories that would scare even a fully grown adult. The thought of being flogged nearly drives Sam to braking point however Ben, who is his sea-daddy, advises and teaches him how to stay out of trouble. Ben is a good character in the book as Sam needs guidance and advice and Ben takes the role of a normal mum and dad very well.
    On his journey he faces many tough battles from French and Spanish ships yet his ability to stay calm and fight well is noticed as he keeps getting promoted. He becomes a boarder which means he gets on the enemies ship once the battle begins.
    He always wanted to be a sailor yet the harsh and tough lifestyle makes him at times want to leave and go home where he is loved and cared for.
    However at the end he has the choice of leaving for home but instead he chooses to carry on for a new adventure with his friends Richard and Robert. Choices like this appear quite often in the book and actually start at the beginning when Sam chooses to pursue his dream of sailing.
    The sequels are on the top of my list to read as Paul Doswell in Powder Monkey has written a gripping novel so I have full confidence the rest will be just as good.

  6. Powder Monkey is filled with action and has a bit of mystery when people suspect that Sam was the one that stole all of the Lucky Charms that people keep but then they find out that it was not him when the person that did steal them got flogged.
    The book is sad as Ben dies in front of Sam right as Ben saved him. I enjoy how right after Ben dies Sam shoots the man that used an axe to kill Ben. I think this shows how Ben and Sam were close friends even though they had not known each other for too long. I also enjoy how in the book Sam is not kept safe from being hit with a rope and it shows this when Sam is given a book by one of his friends that could have potentially got him flogged as a navy marine comes up to him and asks him what he was reading right after he was hit with a rope by another marine and has to completely lie about what he was reading and say he was reading about one of the navy captains.
    The book is all about a boy called Sam Witchall and he was pressed on to the navy from a merchant ship called the Lady Franklyn. He is pressed right after an enemy ship comes to attack the Franklyn. The Royal Navy sort of save his life but then they board and press Sam on to the navy. The only reason they managed to press Sam on was because the person that Sam had helped recover from his arm injury betrayed him and told the navy where he was hiding. Silas was also pressed on to the navy and he was the more mysterious one of the Franklyn. Silas had been on the Royal Navy of England before and when he was pressed for the first time he did not accept the money that the navy offered him as he came on. Sam did the same. Silas had not been pressed the first time he went to the navy.
    My favourite character in this story was Ben as he was kind and cared for Sam until he was killed as I stated earlier after saving Sam whilst they were being raided by a Spanish Frigate. He kept letters from his wife hidden away inside of his chest (not part of the human body). All that Ben had done for Sam drove Sam so that when the boats cat had to float to shore Sam put it in Ben’s chest and hoped that it would make its way back to shore safely.
    I enjoy the action of this book mostly when they are being attacked by the Spanish frigate as that is the one battle in the whole book where the Royal Navy of England actually loose and the Miranda which was the ship Sam and Silas were on sinks but Sam, Silas, and one of the Navy Lieutenants that Sam actually saved survive.
    After all of this Sam makes the stupid decision to go back to the Navy even though the Lieutenant had said that he would tell the Navy that Sam had drowned and Sam could just live safely with his family.

  7. The book that I have chosen to review is Powder Monkey by Paul Dowswell. This book is a great, action packed and is filled with adventure.
    This book is set in the 19th century when many more people travelled on boats. It is about a boy named Sam Witchall, who had always wanted to go on a boat and ride the waves, but his parents did not ever like the idea. They made sure that he joined a merchant ship and not a Navy ship. He agreed as he did not actually want to join a Navy boat, although he eventually ended up being forced to! He had many battles with Spanish and French ships, which are filled with a thrilling burst of action. I really liked the fact that he got to look after Bouncer the cat, and that he was still with Bouncer until the end.
    He got pressed, imprisoned, and saw his friends die, as well as coming close to death a few times himself! But throughout the entire book, he never gave up and was always kind.
    I think that this book would appeal to both girls and boys, although I think that it may appeal just a bit more to boys, as it has a bit of death. It would be more attractive to children, as it is a little bit short and is only really about a child’s life.
    This is an amazing book, and my favourite part was when Sam had one of his thrilling battles with a French ship. Unfortunately they lost as they had already suffered damage. My least favourite part was when Sam first joined the Navy ship, as there was not much going on at the time, but it soon got good again and was very enjoyable.
    I quite like this book and would rate it 3.8 stars out of 5 stars, as it is really good, but there is not always a huge amount of action happening so sometimes I got a little board. But when there was more action, it would be really great.
    If you also really liked this book, then there are still two more book following on from it! These books are Prison Ship, and Battle Fleet. I have not read these books yet, but I’m sure that they will be just as good as Powder Monkey.

  8. Powder monkey is a great read which I enjoyed from beginning to end. It tells the adventures of Sam, a thirteen year old boy who goes off to sea in 1800. At the beginning of the story, a life on the ocean seems exciting and full of adventure, but after he is pressed onto a Royal Navy ship, Sam soon realises how dangerous it can be. Sam may only be thirteen but he talks and acts like he is much older and it is easy to forget that he is only a boy.

    My favourite part of the book is when Sam is forced to join the Navy. He has heard so many scary stories of life on board a Naval ship, that he is very angry and confused. He knows that there is no point in resisting and at least he has his friend Silas, an old sea dog, with him to look out for him. This part of the story changes his life for ever.

    Although the book teaches you a lot about life at sea, it is also a story about friendship. It is great the way that Sam makes close friends with some other sailors even though many of them were much older than him. The friends go through many difficult times together but they always look out for each other. There are moments in the book which are funny, like when Silas spent the morning up in the crow’s nest to escape the Captain’s rage. There are also some very sad moments, particularly when his good friend Ben dies.

    The story is easy to follow but I found that I had to get used to some of the strange accents and language used by the characters. Also there are a lot of sailing terms that I did not always know the meaning of. However, this did not stop me from understanding the plot.

    Paul Dowswell is a brilliant author because he makes you feel that you are part of the adventure with Sam, like you are one of his friends. You feel that Sam is explaining his adventure straight to you, which makes the book much more interesting for the reader.

    I would recommend this book to children over the age of 10 as there are some gory and violent descriptions. I also think that this book would appeal more to boys as there aren’t really any female characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would like to read more books by this author.

  9. Powder Monkey is an adventure story set during the Napoleonic Wars. The main character is called Sam Witchall. He is about twelve years old and has a lifelong dream of becoming a sailor. In this book his dream comes true.
    Sam is pressganged into the Royal Navy. He becomes a powder monkey on the HMS Miranda. A powder monkey has one of the most dangerous and exciting jobs on board. He loads the cannons during battle.
    In the book Sam goes through a series of heart stopping adventures. Despite the barbaric conditions in the Navy, he still manages to form long lasting friendships. The most important friend he makes is Ben Lovett who becomes his ‘Sea Daddy’. Ben is much older than Sam and he is more experienced than him. He takes Sam under his wing and teaches him the way of life on a navy ship.
    Sam makes other friends such as Silias and Mr Neville but he also makes an enemy, Lewis Tuck. Bosun’s Mate Tuck is more senior to Sam and exploits his position to make Sam’s life a misery.
    He bullies Sam and is violent towards him.

    The book is graphic in describing the brutality of life aboard a British warship during this time. The ships are infested with vermin. Everything is soaking wet and the sailors live in cramped filthy conditions. They work really long hours doing really hard work. The food is disgusting and often crawling with maggots.

    The book describes several battles with the French and Spanish navies. The final battle sees the both Captain killed and the ship captured. More tragically Ben is also killed in front of Sam. Sam helps in the retaking of the ship and helps sail it back to England.

    The book ends with Sam in an Inn trying to make up his mind whether to go back to sea or return home to his sweetheart Rosie.

    I found this book to be a very good read. It was a gripping story that had me turning the pages. It was also quiet sad especially when
    ‘Sea Daddy’ Ben dies. The book was also very informative about life on a British Naval ship in the 1800’s. I would really recommend reading this book if you are aged 10 plus. I would also not recommend joining the Navy if you are aged 10 plus in Eighteenth Century England!

  10. Powder monkey is one of Paul Dowswell’s three novels in his excellent adventurous and thrilling series. Powder monkey is the first one in the series and the other two books, Prison ship and Battle fleet. Here is a taste of what the book is like and a summary. The story takes place when the Spanish, British and French were at war in the 1800s. In Wroxam (Norfolk) there lived a young boy called Sam Witchall. He was thirteen years old and when he grows up he has a dream of being a sailor.

    This is because his older brother was a merchantman who had travelled to all sorts of exotic and foreign countries such as India, Africa and many more. When he came back he had many new things that Sam and his family had never seen before like tattoos, different fruits and foods. His brother looked up to him and wanted to go on all of the adventures his brother had been on.

    So on his thirteenth birthday his loving and caring parents gave him the opportunity to fulfil his dreams. For a few months he worked on a ship called the lady Franklyn. He got one of the dirtiest jobs which was cleaning the crews clothing and he had to do it in urine! He missed his family but he still enjoyed the time while it lasted. All was going well and he was just having a chat with some of his mates when out of the blue he was captured by a Spanish navy ship called the Gerona. They didn’t take his life though, they gave him a place to work! At his new ‘job’ they made him the powder monkey. The powder monkey carries the barrels of gunpowder to the men firing at the stations.

  11. “An excellent example of how a book should be written”

    Powder Monkey is a fictitious book written by Paul Dowswell. It was originally published in 2005. Paul Dowswell is well-known for his children’s books. In the last few years, he has written a number of books such as Auslander, Sektion 20 and Red Shadow.
    The book, set in the 1800s, is the first in a tri-series. The other two being Battle Fleet and Prison Ship published in 2008 and 2012 respectively.
    The main characters in the book are Sam Witchall, Richard Mansell and Ben Lovett. Sam is a thirteen year old boy who lives life as a farmer but dreams of becoming a sailor. He joins the British Navy to fulfil his ambition.
    Sam doesn’t realise how brutal life is at sea until he witnesses the war that the English Navy were fighting against the Spanish and the French. He meets Richard on his first ship, “The Franklyn” and works with him through to the end. After a close encounter with a Spanish ship, “The Isabelle”, he is taken aboard another ship called the HMS Miranda. There, Sam is pressed into service and becomes a part of the Navy. Aboard the ship, he is introduced to his Sea Daddy, Ben who would look after him for the rest of his life at sea. Both of them become lifelong friends.
    I like the action because Paul has made it extremely exciting as he has given a brilliant description of what happened. He has also created a lot of tension between exciting events by slowing down to a minute by minute description. Paul could have described Sam as a Captain, cook or a gun handler on a ship but he carefully chose the role of a Powder Monkey for him. A Powder Monkey is responsible for carrying gunpowder from the magazine to the cannon. Not many readers would have realised the importance of such small role until they have read the book. Paul also describes the ships very well and how wars were fought in those times.
    I think Paul described the killings in too much detail which made it a bit too gruesome for my liking. At times, the lack of pace made it a bit boring. Also, I would have liked to see some description of life in the 1800s as many readers may want to get a taste of what life was like in those times.
    The style of writing conveyed to me that the story was set in the 1800s as Paul Dowswell has used words like “grog” and also referred to a warship as a “man-o’-war”. I think the author has done very well to adapt to the time that the story has been set in and been able to convey that message not only in the content but also through his style of writing.
    Paul Dowswell has described the emotions of Sam (Powder Monkey) quite well but it didn’t really go through the whole book as in some parts the emotions aren’t described enough.
    I recommend this book for people who are 10+ years old and like action and adventure because some of the language used to describe and tell the story may not be comprehensible to younger readers. Also, there is an element of violence which may be deemed unsuitable for younger people.

  12. This book is about a boy called Sam Witchall who wants to join the navy. Onboard a merchant ship. England are at war with France and Spain, and Sam is caught in the middle of it as a dangerous job as a Powder Monkey, the people who carry cartridges of gunpowder to the cannon.

    I would recommend this book to anyone who is over ten (there are some rather gruesome bits in it) and anyone who likes a bit of the navy life. The book captures every tiny detail of navy life and is obviously researched extremely well. The battles are amazing and you really don’t know what is going to happen next.

    However, there is an emotional side to this amazing novel as countless people die or get taken away. You do, however, get really attached to the ships cat Bouncer as he livens up the story. The best part is when they save themselves from the Spanish.

    The only downside is when there isn’t much going on in the middle of the book. You almost feel inclined to just put the book down and walk away but you don’t, as you know that something amazing is going to happen at the end.

    I would also recommend the rest of the series as they have some really unexpected turns in them. This is possibly the best novel about Sam Witchall and his adventures.

    The way Paul Dowsell rolls Sams R’s and uses the language of a typical sailor makes it really effective and it submerges you into that era of time. This is one of the rare novels that is well worth the read.

    This amazing story really wants to make you want to read on and findout what happens on the next page as there are so many cliffhangers you can’t rely on your instinct like you can in most books.

    I would recommend this amazing novel to people aged ten and over as there is a few bits of bad language and gruesome fighting scenes. Overall this book is incredible and I would strongly recommend that you read this moving and thrilling novel. I would also highly recommend his other adventures as they link on brilliantly with Powder Monkey and they are just as good as this one.

  13. A very good book by Paul Dowswell. He wrote a book that was extremely exciting about a boy called Sam Witchall going to sea. He joins the navy at a very young age and from that moment, the book just kick starts into life. The action is perfectly described by him and it is very easy to imagine. A very good book. A five star recommendation.

  14. Normally I don’t read pirate books; they never appealed to me, so when I heard there was one on the Trinity booklist I didn’t react that well. But once I was past the first chapter, things began to get interesting, I found myself immersed in Sam Witchall’s incredible tale- from press gangs to pirates. The unique language and feeling of tension it produced, the plot’s intricate course and eventual cliffhanger mean my view of sea-set books has taken a more positive turn for good.

  15. ‘Powder monkey’ is a book that I read a few months ago. The first few pages were very boring, however it got much better as you went along through the chapters. Overall, I liked the book quite a lot. This is because the author, Paul Dowswell, knows really well how to turn unrealistic situations to realistic ones, and he does so by phrasing his sentences in a particular order that can catch the reader’s eye very well.
    There are some disadvantages about the book, however. For starters, some certain situations in the book are very hard to understand and it is quite frustrating to try and get an idea of what is going on. Also, I don’t like the ending that much because I think that the main character made the wrong decision. Apart from that though I liked the book quite a lot, despite the criticisms.
    I would recommend this book to children that are around 9-10 years old because I think that kids their age would understand most of it. I also think that they would like it a lot because I get that feeling that if I had read it a couple of years before I actually did I would like it a lot more.

  16. This book starts off well when Sam Witchall achieves his dream of going out to sea but when he is pressed into the Navy, things start to go wrong. I thought this book was well written and kept me wanting to read on and find out what happens next. As you get towards the end it can be a bit sad but I still liked the ending and would rate it 5/5.

  17. Paul Dowswell’s thrilling novel Powder Monkey easily captures the imagination as a journey into the minds of those who have come before us. It brings the past horror of naval warfare terrifyingly close, and throws you into a world like no other, the dog-eat-dog world of a powder monkey. It follows the story of a young boy named Sam Witchall’s life on a merchant vessel. However, in times of hardship, war is everyone’s game, and Sam is about to be thrown into the heart of it all… A truly moving book. Top marks from me!

  18. I think that Powder Monkey is a thrilling book and that Paul Dowswell has done an amazing job. The detail is just mind-blowing from the description of the battles to the deaths that are seen by young Sam Witchall. The story in which a young boy is forced to join the navy as a powder monkey. Sam has the job of collecting gun-powder so that his team can fire their cannon. This book is the type of book that you can read over and over and each time you are transported to the navy. The book is written in so much detail that you can almost smell the smoke clogging your lungs, you can almost feel your back aching at have to stoop for so long. You can almost hear the screams of the dying. I would say that this book is for action lovers who don’t mind a little bit of fact being snuck into their story. Overall, I think that this book is fantastic and I would rate it 5/5

  19. I think that Powder Monkey is a very thrilling book and that Paul Dowswell has done an amazing job. The detail is just mind-blowing. From the description of the battles to the deaths that are seen by young Sam Witchall. The story in which a young boy is forced to join the navy as a powder monkey. Sam has the job of collecting gun-powder so that his team can fire their cannon. This book is the type of book that you can read over and over and each time you are transported to the navy. The book is written in so much detail that you can almost smell the smoke clogging your lungs, you can almost feel your back aching at have to stoop for so long. You can almost hear the screams of the dying.
    I would say that this book is for action lovers who don’t mind a little bit of fact being snuck into their story. Overall, I think that this book is fantastic and I would rate it 5/5

  20. Powder Monkey is about a boy named Sam who is forced to join the royal navy. He faces battle and danger on board the ship Miranda. Will he survive…
    I really loved this book as it had action, emotion and facts all at the same time. It was quite a moving book and showed you how awful life really was on board a naval ship. I would highly recommend this book to people who love action packed books.

  21. Sam
    powder monkey is an amazing book that really describes how dangerous
    it is to be on a ship out at sea. I really enjoyed the thrilling tale of
    Sam witchell time at sea. I really enjoyed this action packed story.

  22. I thought this book was incredibly close to the heart and soul, for me it was very moving and emotional. The author makes it as if you are Sam, and I can feel his emotions throughout the book.

  23. Powder Monkey is a striking book of brilliance. it has heaps of suspense and describes everything with great detail. the author really captures you with heart warming chapters and treacherous chapters. it strikes you with fear and makes you have a chill run down your spine. a great novel and a definite must read.

  24. Powder monkey is a good book as it shows you how many people wanted to join the Navy. The book immediately hooks you in by an action packed start and then carries on with a excellent story. It’s one of those books I would want to read over and over again. 5 out of 5 from me!

  25. Powder Monkey is a very thrilling book that is full of action and adventure. It is extremely well written and I would love to read it again and again.
    This book made me change the way that I look at things and I now am hooked on the series of Sam Witchall books. Powder Monkey is very graphic and it describes everything in its finest detail – from the

    ‘Elegant sails’ to the gruesome deaths and that is what really gave it to me.

  26. This book is a time captual of brilliance from the contence to the blurb. this book got me in a trace of amazement every breath from then on were filled with thoughts on one and one only book… POWDER MONKEY!!!!!!! luke.t.

  27. The powder monkey was an excellent read jam packed action and brilliants and great ideas. The book was over full with outstanding descriptions and vibrant words. I especially liked the begin of the book because it had lots of great descriptions and words.

  28. Tom says:

    Powder monkey is a very moving book as it shows you how many people wanted to join the Navy but then when they did join up they look back at why they joined. The book immediately hooks you in by a amazing start and then carries on with a excellent novel. I believe everyone should read this book as it is very motivating. Great book!

  29. Powder Monkey is a very thrilling book that is full of action and adventure. It is extremely well written and I would love to read it again and again.
    This book made me change the way that I look at things and I now am hooked on the series of Sam Witchall books. Powder Monkey is very graphic and it describes everything in its finest detail – from the
    ‘Elegant sails’ to the gruesome deaths and that is what really gave it to me.

Comments are closed.