Product Description

After seeing his father hauled off to debtor’s prison, Tom Tin sets out to take revenge on Mr. Goodfellow, the man responsible for his family’s misfortunes. But the fog-filled London streets are teeming with sinister characters. Tom encounters a blind man who scavenges the riverbed for treasure—and wants what Tom digs up; Worms, a body snatcher who reveals a shocking surprise; and a nasty gang of young pickpockets who mistake Tom for someone ominously known as the Smasher. And ultimately, Tom comes up against the cruel hand of the law.

Accused of murder, Tom is given a seven-year sentence. He is to be transported to Van Diemen’s Land with other juvenile convicts. But Tom can’t abide life on the Hulk, the old ship where the boys are temporarily held. He decides to escape. But if he’s to succeed, his luck needs to turn. . . .

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #750345 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-12
• Released on: 2005-04-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8 -To say that this lively novel is Dickensian is to understate its debt to that author. The story abounds in terrifying villains, grime, misery, and cruelty. Yet it also serves up a fair share of optimism. The narrator, Tom Tin, has fallen on hard times through no fault of his own. When his father, an unemployed ship's captain, is taken to debtor's prison, Tom discovers the dark underbelly of 19th-century London. He has the incredible luck of finding a valuable diamond, only to lose it in a grave robbery. Then he is arrested for theft, convicted of murder, and incarcerated on a dismal prison ship for boys. There he is mistaken for a boy called Smasher, who was part of a dastardly gang of pickpockets. Unfortunately for Tom, one of Smasher's victims is also on the ship and vows revenge. A wretched and weak youngster named Midgely convinces Tom that they can escape to a better life, and they hatch a plan. The plot twists in this story rely on a series of coincidences that no reader will take seriously, but this is where the fun lies. One is never sure what lurks around the next corner. This book is as action packed and as thoroughly researched as the author's seafaring trilogy, but it will be accessible to a wider audience because of its easier reading level. Give it to reluctant readers who are looking for an exciting adventure.-Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 7-10. When his father lands in debtors' prison, Tom, 14, tries to survive on the rough streets of early-nineteenth-century London. The setting is Dickensian, though more gruesome, and the story is packed with action and wild coincidence: Tom finds, and loses, a diamond; joins a street gang; and helps a grave robber steal a corpse. He is sentenced to seven years on a prison ship for boys, escapes, is recaptured, and is transported to Australia. Tom is no saint; in fact, he's ashamed of his meanness and cunning. Readers may not understand the message about social class or the parallels to the classics referred to in the story. What they will find unforgettable is the gritty historical fact, especially the horror of the young convicts' daily struggle and the wretched suffering of 500 children packed and punished on the ship.^B Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Iain Lawrence is the author of numerous acclaimed novels, including The Lightkeeper’s Daughter, Lord of the Nutcracker Men, Ghost Boy, and the High Seas Trilogy: The Wreckers, The Smugglers, and The Buccaneers. The author lives on Gabriola Island, BC.

Customer Reviews

GREAT by jordan
Tom Tin's family is in debt. His father, a sailor has been taken away to a debtors prison. If that's not bad enough Tom got framed as a theif. His sentence is six I forget how many years on a slave ship. All that's on Tom's mind is escape.

This book can be read by a child. I don't see why people think it's for young adults. I didn't have any trouble with it.

Forgot to mention that every character throughout the book has been interesting. A great twist at the end with the character "The Smasher". This was a very enjoyable read.

Actually, call it a 4 and three-quarters starred review
It is hard for me to agree with the editorial reviews' comments that the events in this book are too coincidental and unbelievable... I was immediately and completely wrapped up in the adventure and desperation of this boy's story. This is an amazing read! Lawrence is able to strike a wonderfully tense balance so that when the story is morbid it's also charming, and when it's terrifying it's also exciting. I read a lot of young adult books (I work in a library) and this was -- by far -- the best one I have read all summer. I think the ages recommended for this book should be more like 12 - 16 just because the story is so edgy and the content pretty mature, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone from 10 to 110 for swashbuckling fun.

Boring and depressing
As an adult who loves books for kids and young adults, I found this one slow and boring to begin with. It soon became depressing and silly. The characters are shallow and unlikable. Tom Tim almost became likeable in the end, but too little too late. The violence against his little friend is unjustified and gruesome. I would not recommend this book to my children, or any adult friends.