Editorial Content for The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters: The Jolly Regina

Jaundice and Kale Bland lead a dull and perfectly uneventful life, which is just the way they like it. However, their blissful days of sock darning, wall watching, cleaning and reading Dr. Snootes illustrated children's dictionary are soon over when the Bland sisters are kidnapped by an all-female pirate crew. Thrust into a world of chanteys, booty-hunting and keelhauling, Kale and Jaundice are going to have to break out of their "Bland" shell if they want to survive. Adventure and humor abound in Kara LaReau's latest novel.

"I thought the plot was interesting, inventive and well-executed. I also found the book to be quite humorous."

I liked THE JOLLY REGINA. The concept is quite different from what one usually finds, and while the idea of a female pirate isn't new, an entire crew of them is rather uncommon. I thought the plot was interesting, inventive and well-executed. I also found the book to be quite humorous. There are many jokes about a certain Captain's booty and funny ship names like "The Booty Myth" and my personal favorite "The Testostero.” I noticed that LaReau utilized a more elevated level of vocabulary, which I appreciated. Another thing I liked was the chapter headers. At the beginning of each chapter there's a word (which will be used at some point in the chapter) and its definition, with a drawing above. I thought it was a fun and unique thing to include.

I wasn't too keen on the artwork when I first saw it, but once I started reading, I found that I liked Jen Hill's illustrations. They fit beautifully with the story and I really think the publishers got the right person for the job. Each of the characters (good and bad) added something to the story, especially Jaundice and Kale. I really felt for them and thought their reasons for being so dull and, (pardon the pun) bland, were completely understandable.

I felt Kara LaReau handled the sensitive topic of child abandonment and neglect in a way that was very age appropriate, without lessening the severity of the subject matter or letting the serious issue overpower the novel.  

The only thing I really didn't like in the book was a scene involving Kale getting sick after eating some questionable stew. This superfluous scene wasn't funny and added nothing to the story.

THE JOLLY REGINA is one of those books that I feel would appeal to both boys and girls, and all age groups. Case in point, I'm 18 and I enjoyed it, my 42-year-old mother is reading it and liking it so far and two of my siblings aged 15 and 9 are planning on reading it.

All in all, the first installment of The Unintentional Adventures of The Bland Sisters, THE JOLLY REGINA, was a fun and different read that I'd recommend to fans of pirates, adventures and tongue-in-cheek humor.