Curse of the Blue Tattoo

Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being the Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady by L.A. Meyer, 2004 Harcourt

     After being dropped in Boston, Massachusetts, at the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls Mary "Jacky" Faber is climbing the walls to get back to her adventurous life at sea. But Jacky was found out and there's no place for a girl aboard His Majesty's Dolphin or any sailing ship. The crew drops their favorite ship's boy at the young ladies' academy with directions to try to become a lady.
     Miss Miranda Pimm is the girls' headmistress and despairs of Jacky's wild ways and unacceptable jewelry. When she meets the girls Jacky finds the majority exclude her; all except Amy Trevelyne. The popular girls are led by Clarissa Worthington Howe, who becomes Jacky's nemesis.
     During a walk through the school's graveyard Amy and Jacky discover and unmarked grave, and Jacky suspects the rather strange Reverend Mather had something to do with it. Jacky soon skips class to enjoy Boston and is arrested for dancing in the streets. She meets a prostitute while in jail and is saved by the local populace's disparaging opinion of Miranda Pimm.
     Jacky Faber is returned to the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls and expelled. There she creates several true friendships and begins the unravel the mystery surrounding Reverend Mather. Jacky's promiscuous behavior get her into several scrapes, but her quick thinking and general good luck keep her from getting to far into harm's way. Though rarely apologetic, Jacky maintains that her heart is in the right place, even as she bucks convention. Younger readers will enjoy the adventure, but some of Jacky's exploits are more suitable for readers in middle school or older.