Couldn't get into it. The way the first few chapters were written disgruntled me. Very jagged, stuttered writing. ( )

I am not sure I've read a book for young adults that deals with the topic of Prohibition. This was a most interesting read and found it difficult to put down. The author takes the true story of the Black Duck rum-running boat and weaves in a few extra characters and events and turns it the story into a tense and page-turning adventure. Very good. ( )

Audiobook review: Narrated by David Ackroyd. A suspenseful mystery about a period of history that a lot of kids probably don't learn about anymore (Prohibition.) David Ackroyd's narration as the elder Ruben telling his story captures the excitement and concern of a younger Ruben witnessing the effects of liquor smuggling in his small town. Well-paced, suspenseful, and narrator David gives the story a compelling urgency. ( )

In December of 1929 the Black Duck's crew, known for smuggling illegal cases of liquor during the Prohibition era, were shot at by the Coast Guard. Three crew members were killed and one was injured. To this day, no one knows if the Coast Guard gave fair warning before opening fire, and who tipped them off about the Black Duck's approach. Janet Taylor Lisle takes these facts and weaves them into a mysterious tale of intrigue, gangsters and suspense leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions about that fateful 1929 evening. ( )

This book would have gotten a higher rating if I had liked the David parts better. The perspective in those sections annoyed me. I realize why Lisle did it, to make the story of Reuben less confusing, but I didn't like it at all. ( )