Books For Keeps
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Articles
  • Past Issues
  • Latest Issue
  • Authors and Artists
  • Latest News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
January 1, 2012/in Fiction 10-14 Middle/Secondary /by Angie Hill
BfK Rating:
BfK 192 January 2012
Reviewer: Melissa Hyder
ISBN: 978-0340997321
Price: £10.82
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Genre: Fiction
Age Range: 10-14 Middle/Secondary
Length: 432pp
Buy the Book

Far Rockaway

Author: Charlie Fletcher

Far Rockaway is the last stop on the NYC metro line, a place Cat Manno and her grandfather Victor have always meant to travel to, just for the sake of it. On the day they do, Cat is crossing a street (her hood up, headphones in and staring at her smartphone) when she’s hit by a truck (teenagers – beware!). Victor dives in front of her, saving Cat from instant death, but both end up in hospital and in a coma.

While their family wait anxiously for an outcome to their condition in the real world, Cat and Victor wake up in a place they have never been before, which yet feels incredibly familiar. It’s a world vividly created from the best classic books Victor has read to Cat over the years: The Last of the Mohicans, Treasure Island and Kidnapped! Here Cat must rescue Victor and survive the villains from these stories – or face death in the real world.

Cat’s got some allies, in the form of classic characters Chingachgook, Long John Silver and Alan Breck but thankfully she’s also the sort of girl who ultimately relies on her own smarts, reactions and quick-thinking to save her skin. Which is just as well. Despite a fairly slow first half, the chases, scrapes and escapes build into real thrills – there are lethal warriors who just won’t die, a night-time trek across a mountain peak, being tied to the top of a ship’s mast, a pirate crew and treacherous characters, to give you just a flavour of what’s on offer here. Cat’s headstrong nature and deep-running emotions make her an appealing character to adventure with, although she is slightly dwarfed by the famous rogues and heroes – all huge fun and exploding off the pages here. It’s a great way to show that the classics are not as dry and boring as some young readers may think.

Rippling with an undercurrent of the themes of death, grief and making the most of life, this is pure adventure for readers who love being drawn into descriptive, fascinating, real worlds.

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png 0 0 Angie Hill http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png Angie Hill2012-01-01 00:00:332022-01-24 12:08:35Far Rockaway

Search for a specific review

Author Search

Search







Generic filters




Filter by Member Types


Book Author

Download BfK Issue Bfk 272 May 2025
Skip to an Issue:

About Us

Launched in 1980, we’ve reviewed hundreds of new children’s books each year and published articles on every aspect of writing for children.

Read More

Follow Us

Latest News

Choice and reading relevant to their interests = reading for pleasure

June 11, 2025

Ross Montgomery wins the 2025 FCBG Children’s Book Award

June 7, 2025

Michael Rosen and Emily Gravett IBBY UK nominations for Hans Christian Andersen Awards 2026

June 4, 2025

Contact Us

Books for Keeps,
30 Winton Avenue,
London,
N11 2AT

Telephone: 0780 789 3369

ISSN: 0143-909X (this is our International Standard Serial Number).

© Copyright 2025 - Books For Keeps | Proudly Built by Lemongrass Media - Web Design Buckinghamshire
Hollow Earth The Highway Rat
Scroll to top