Sovay

by Celia Rees

Book Overview

In 1794 England, the beautiful Sovay dons a man's cloak and holds up stagecoaches in broad daylight. Posing as a highway robber began as a lark to test a suitor's devotion. But when she lifts the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1599902036
• ISBN13: 9781599902036
• Release Date: August 2008
• Publisher: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.8" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable

I enjoyed this book but maybe not as much as some others that I have read by the author. I think at first Sovay was rather all-about-herself but I think that by the end of the book she had grown to think more outside herself and about helping others. I didn't quite understand her reasons for being a highwayman - I guess some of the time I understood what she was trying to do but other times I wasn't sure what the purpose was. That was the only thing about the book that I didn't like so much. I enjoyed the French Revolution part of the book. I also enjoy that Sovay had developed many friendships along the way and helped many people out whenever she could. I like that Celia Rees doesn't just write about love sodden teenagers and their angst.

A Tale of Two Cities revisited

Young Sovay Middleton's privileged life has been disappointingly lacking of adventure of late, so she does what any bold girl would to--she dons a man's attire and poses as a highwayman. But what starts as a clever test of love soon turns deadly, especially after Sovay steals the wallet of one of the most powerful and dangerous men in all of England. But the information she also uncovers may be worth risking the law and her personal safety for--her father has been accused to treason. And now, with her family missing, it's up to Sovay to set things right, but the odds are stacked up against her everywhere she goes. She is but a powerless woman in a male-dominated society, unsude of who she can trust because with the revolutionary fever catching from nearby France, London's spy network reaches farther than ever. In this suspenseful and romantic historical novel comes an unforgettable tale of danger and love. Obviously well researched and well referenced, historical drama Sovay takes readers back to the romantic era of Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. The novel starts energetically and continues to pick up pace as mere adventure morphs into the real threat of death, keeping readers on the edge of their seat. I was so excited to be taken back to the turbulent times during the French Revolution, having enjoyed studying that period and reading one of the few classics I loved, A Tale of Two Cities; there was just so much mischief to be made during that time as Rees accurately portrayed. There is something so satisfying about reading a story in which all the pieces fit together so perfectly, as I felt happened in Sovay. Sovay's character is so bold and independent in a Robin Hood-esque kind of way that readers are drawn to her spunky attitude and determination. There were some conflicting times when Sovay let her fear show through, but otherwise, I felt the character development to be sufficient, even if I wished some of the characters played larger roles than they did. Sovay's tale of romance and suspense with a historical edge was a thrill to read. Readers who enjoy the historical fiction and action genres will want to check out Sovay. Fans of A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray and most especially, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens will also fall in love with this exciting tale.

It's really not too much of a stretch to imagine SOVAY playing out on the big screen

Sovay, Sovay all on a day She dressed herself in man's array With a brace of pistols all by her side To meet her true love, to meet her true love, away she'd ride. This is the first verse of a traditional ballad that served as Celia Rees's inspiration for her new novel. Set at the close of the 18th century, when revolutionary activities in America and France incited a similar fervor in England, SOVAY introduces another of Rees's captivating, independent, postmodern heroines, interacting with the events of history with a mind of her own. When we first meet 17-year-old Sovay Middleton, she seems more or less like a typical, slightly bored, wealthy 18th-century young woman. Growing restless while posing for a formal portrait, Sovay escapes into the garden to meet her betrothed. But when she begins to suspect that his intentions are not entirely honorable, she soon shows her fierce, brave, independent streak, one that her father fostered in the absence of her late mother and that will stand her in good stead during the events to come. Sovay's career as a highwayman (during which she disguises herself as a young man and gains the moniker Captain Blaze) begins on a whim, with designs of revenge on her former lover, but soon deepens into something much more dangerous when she intercepts a packet of letters and documents that possess vital information. Sovay suspects that these documents, some of which are in code, hold clues to the whereabouts and activities of her father and her older brother, Hugh, both of whom have disappeared --- perhaps to Revolutionary France --- amid accusations of sedition and treason. Sovay, who soon realizes she might be in over her head, attempts to set things rights while still pursuing her father and brother's whereabouts. Before long, however, news of her activities falls into dangerous hands indeed. Her liberty and perhaps her life are in desperate danger. It's really not too much of a stretch to imagine SOVAY playing out on the big screen, starring someone like Keira Knightley. Like Knightley, Rees has based her career on beautiful, smart, independent postmodern heroines from an earlier age. In the novel, the heroine's swashbuckling escapades play out in true cinematic style, complete with seemingly dozens of prospective suitors, countless spies and counterspies, a gritty (and sometimes distasteful) portrayal of London in 1794, and one of the most over-the-top Gothic villains in recent memory. Sovay even caps off her adventures with a climactic escape to France, the hotbed of the revolutionary fervor that has caused her so many problems at home. Some readers may feel that this ending seems rushed and even a bit frantic, with too many complications introduced and resolved too quickly, and a rather unexpected hero finally having what it takes to capture Sovay's rebellious heart. For others, however, this conclusion will merely feel like an extension of Sovay's remarkable story, which plays out --- like her highwayman

Good, But Could Be Much Better

Sovay, the new book by Celia Rees, is a bucket load full of good old-fashioned spunk. Sure the plot is predictable, and the protagonist way too perfect, yet this was an adventure that kept your wanting more, even at its bad parts. Sovay Middleton is your average rich girl. Well, not exactly. Although she has it all: beauty, rank, and class, she still hungers for more. Adventure, that is. To test her fiancée's love for her she dresses up as a highwayman and robs him, clear in the sight of the road. Soon Sovay becomes somewhat of a serial thief and won't hesitate to steal whatever she desires. This time, its letters, letters that call her missing father treasonous. Sovay, along with her new friends, must navigate the tumultuous world of politics in order to find her father and brother. One thing that annoyed me about the book was how many characters there were, and how they seemed to all love Sovay. Every chapter told us how beautiful and charming she was, and I didn't like her whole highwayman thing, which the author took great pains to enlarge. I also didn't like how the book began; it didn't really hook me. James and his father disappeared with no explanation, and so did Fitzwilliam. The writing was hurried at parts and not very well planned I think. One thing that I did appreciate was the possible allusion at the end of the book to A Tale of Two Cities, when Virgil took Leon's place. Very much like the classic novel. Overall, this book may satisfy you need for adventure, but the romance isn't very good since the apparent "right guy" comes in at the end and we don't know very much about him. This had great potential, but because it was so abstract it didn't really hit its mark.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

It's England, 1783. America has recently won independence and a revolution is going on in France. Anyone and everyone in England is suspect for treason, and spies are everywhere. Sovay Middleton donned a man's cloak and posed as a highway robber in order to prove her lover disloyal. But when she stumbles upon papers that belong to one of England's most powerful and dangerous men, she finds her family's life at stake. Her father and brother are being accused of treason, and Sovay is the only one who can save them. No one is who they seem and not everyone can be trusted. Danger, intrigue, deception, and secrets fill this richly historical novel. Author Celia Rees' newest historical novel is full of detail and lots of mystery. There are many twists are turns throughout the book. I did find the amount of characters to be confusing at times, but stick with it and you will be rewarded. If you enjoy historical fiction with strong female characters, you'll love SOVAY. Reviewed by: Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen