Pamela Keyes

Devastated by the death of her Shakespearean-actor father, Esti Legard moves to a tropical island for her senior year in high school, where she finds herself torn between a mysterious, masked mentor and a seductive island boy, as she tries to escape the overpowering shadow of her famous father.

I often get frustrated at love triangles in YA books; two hot guys pining after a girl who doesn’t believe she’s pretty or worthy. This triangle has one hot guy, a guy swathed in black and masks, show more and a girl who can act and has some confidence in her abilities. This felt like a modern version of Phantom of the Opera without the singing, set in the Caribbean. I truly understood the attraction to both guys, knew which one I wanted Esti to chose, but understood the dilemma. I even teared up a bit at the end over her choice. That hasn’t happened in a long time for me. show less

The Jumbee, Pamela Keyes
I began this book with an eye to rating it for pre-teens and teens but quickly realized that it was not going to be suitable for anyone other than a sophisticated teenager, no younger than the age of 13. I felt that way, in particular, because although there is no explicit sex at all, the romantic innuendos and concepts are too advanced for someone younger.
In addition, I found the cover a bit off-putting. It seemed to be trying to fit into the current craze for horror show more and the supernatural, of zombies and ghosts, blood and gore, but really it was much more than that. Some young adults and/or parents might be put off from buying it because of the cover, yet the book is much more than a horror story. It felt more like a teen ghost story with many mysterious events which will strike fear and excitement in the reader while giving them a bit extra as it introduces them to many of Shakespeare’s plays. I thought it was a notch above many of the current popular tales. Also, the use of the island dialect was sometimes disarming but it, and the use of olde English for the play’s roles, was an excellent device to move the story along and give it more depth.
From the earliest pages of the prologue, I was drawn into the story. The moment Esti arrives on the Island of Cariba for her last year of High School, following the death of her super famous actor father, from whose shadow she wants to escape, she is faced with a series of mishaps and omens, beginning with the loss of her luggage. This is closely followed by the questionable accidental death of a fellow student actor, almost as soon as she enters the theater to practice her lines for tryouts in Romeo and Juliet. Some island people believe he was murdered by a Jumbee, a cross between a ghost and a zombie.
The book, which takes place on an island in the Caribbean, is a well written, romantic mystery, complete with the excitement of haunted islands that seem alive with sound and supernatural beings. I loved the idea of naming the chapters as acts and scenes in a play. It drew me into the book and made me feel as if I was watching a live performance as the characters rehearsed their roles.
It is a story which covers the coming of age of a young girl who is searching for her own identity, It features the problems teens face from other jealous teens, the stirring of romantic interests, the difficulties of growing up and so much more. It effortlessly enlightens the reader about the injustice of slavery, island superstitions and crosses racial lines, without drawing notice to them, so comfortably that it leaves one wondering why “we all can’t just get along”. Race is simply not an issue although it is very much a part of the book.
Although there are moments in the tale which leave you angry with the main character for her selfishness and naivete, she grows and matures as the book progresses into a more sensible teenager and it leaves you with a moral or ethical message about the importance of knowing right from wrong, feeling compassion and working together toward a common goal. show less

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy:
www.allthingsurbanfantasy.blogspot.com

As soon as I read about an “alluring phantom voice” named Alan, I knew I wanted to read THE JUMBEE. This modern retelling of The Phantom of the Opera beautifully blends an exotic island setting, the romance and poetry of Shakespeare, and hints of Scooby Doo-esque mystery and mayhem. Despite minor structural issues on the outset, I was quickly engaged by the drama of this ghost story. I can’t help feel, show more however, that I would have enjoyed THE JUMBEE all the more if it had broken free of the Phantom and found it’s own resolution for it’s characters.

In a somewhat failed effort to build suspense right from the beginning, Keyes throws you headfirst into the narrative, mentioning numerous people and places without any explanation. The effect was disorienting enough that it took several more chapters before I got my bearings again. I am glad I pushed past those initial problems, though, as once the characters and back story were established, I found little to distract me from enjoying Keye’s characters.

Esti Legard is a fascinating young woman, struggling simultaneously with grief and a crisis of confidence. Throughout much of the book I was holding my breath while Esti hesitated at the crossroads of her future. Esti’s passion for theater is masterfully portrayed, a genius both fulfilling and all-consuming. A step above the normal story of an adolescent seeking self-confidence, Esti has to evaluate the destructive forces that come hand in hand with the measure of her gift.

Circling around Esti throughout this exploration were Alan and Rafe, the mysterious voice and a childhood friend grown into the local Lothario. While Alan made a fair allegory for a particular life path, I found his introduction much more satisfying than his reality (Alan, unfortunately, is what gave me the strongest Scooby Doo vibe, “Those meddling kids!”). Despite these criticisms, however, Alan was still more believable than Rafe. Keyes gave Rafe a detailed back story, but in the present tense of the book he never emerged as a believable character for me (or a believable suitor for Esti).

As a reader I did not have strong leanings towards either of the men in Esti’s life, but was much more interested in the potential of her future. I put down my copy of THE JUMBEE already imagining Esti off to adventures and experiences that had little to do with ending’s attempt to corral her into a resolution. As a character, she certainly stands out from the book in which I found her.

Sexual Content: Brief sensuality and discussion of sex. show less

Reviewed by John Jacobson aka "R.J. Jacobs" for TeensReadToo.com

There is always a market for a good retelling in young adult fiction. Whether it's a classic in a contemporary situation (JANE or BEASTLY), or something put into a fantastical new world entirely (ENTWINED and the ONCE UPON A TIME IS TIMELESS series), teenagers are prone to have an interest in it. I am one of those teenagers, so THE JUMBEE was already an anticipated read for me. Throw in a beautiful cover and make it a retelling show more of one of the most well-known musical (and book) plots in modern culture, and color me ready to devour it.

The daughter of a famous, now-dead Shakespearian actor, Esti Legard is ready to take the stage of her new school by storm. Set on Cariba, this new school is supposed to be the place to get scouted for a career on the stage. Esti has all of her father's skill, but her confidence has always been skewed from being in his shadow. Her first day, she goes out onto the stage and acts in the part of Juliet, preparing for the school audition. A student comes up to her and tells her she has no chance of getting the part. That she sucks.

The next day, that student is dead. After a period of mourning, things at the school go back to normal. But not before Esti begins hearing the rumors around Cariba. The superstitions about jumbees - phantoms - and their bad luck magic. How a jumbee could have killed the student that insulted her. Esti scoffs at the superstitious nature, but soon finds herself confronted by a husky, sensual voice in the darkness of the stage. It gives her the confidence to perform better than she has in a long time. Who is this jumbee, and why is he living on the stage of a school in small Cariba?

THE JUMBEE is a take on a classic that manages to be interesting in providing an idea of what the source material is without being overbearing with it. Esti is a character who many people will enjoy reading about. She's uncertain of herself and has to deal with a broken mother and a father who is only there in the form of an unrelenting spirit, a silent judge of her talent in her own mind. Actors, professional or otherwise, will naturally see this in Esti's character. Keyes writes the acting life wonderfully, complete with the drama and politics of theater. She doesn't make any of it impossible for someone outside the theater perspective to understand, either.

Romantically, Keyes takes this story into a good place, as well. The odd type of love triangle exhibited in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is key to the success of the story, and she handles it very well within this one. The jumbee in this case is quite elusive and tortured. His need for darkness and seclusion attracts the reader yet makes them want to keep a distance from him, much as Esti does. Her budding romance with a childhood friend who is known as a player around the island isn't as alluring as it could have been, though. The tension and emotion exhibited between Esti and her two interests keeps you on your toes, and it's a pretty sensible adaptation of it.

Description also works in Keyes' favor with this work. The reader is easily transported to Cariba and can see the foliage and the native ways in their minds eye. At times dialogue is relied on, and some passages are weaker than others in the setting department because of it. The other main issue with the novel is that, while interesting, it doesn't provide a truly enrapturing and original take on the experience. Written well and interesting it is, but some readers just won't get past a certain spice that isn't there. Most, however, will find the read very enjoyable, especially as an entrance to the classic musical and book.

Keyes does a lot right in this adaptation, and I am very interested in seeing what she decides to write next. show less