Publisher: Penguin Teen Canada, May 4th, 2021

Format: ebook

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

From the critically acclaimed author of The Downstairs Girl comes the richly imagined story of Valora and Jamie Luck, twin British – Chinese acrobats traveling aboard the Titanic on its ill fated maiden voyage.

Southampton, 1912: Seventeen-year-old British-Chinese Valora Luck has quit her job and smuggled herself aboard the Titanic with two goals in mind: to reunite with her twin brother Jamie–her only family now that both their parents are dead–and to convince a part-owner of the Ringling Brothers Circus to take the twins on as acrobats. Quick-thinking Val talks her way into opulent firstclass accommodations and finds Jamie with a group of fellow Chinese laborers in third class. But in the rigidly stratified world of the luxury liner, Val’s ruse can only last so long, and after two long years apart, it’s unclear if Jamie even wants the life Val proposes. Then, one moonless night in the North Atlantic, the unthinkable happens–the supposedly unsinkable ship is dealt a fatal blow–and Val and her companions suddenly find themselves in a race to survive.

Stacey Lee, master of historical fiction, brings a fresh perspective to an infamous tragedy, loosely inspired by the recently uncovered account of six Titanic survivors of Chinese descent. 

My Review:

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for the copy of this book.
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Read if you like: untold historical stories, strong female characters.
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I absolutely loved this book! I was always intrigued by the story of the Titanic, but this book focuses on the Chinese who were working on the ship. Our main character, Valora, wants to reunite with her brother, and thinks that the Titanic will get them to New York and let them start a new life.
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Knowing what we know about the Titanic, this book was intense and made me want to keep reading to find out what happens to our characters. Valora was a fantastic protagonist; witty, brave, fun, and willing to take risks and fight for what she wants. I also thought the author did a great job of of describing life on board the Titanic. I felt like I was on the ship.
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CW: racism, violence, death, sexual assault.