Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen

In Iceberg, a 12-year-old stowaway experiences history’s worst maritime disaster.

Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Scholastic, 2023, 339 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 10-14

Walking into History

Hazel Rothbury’s family hit a wall when her fisherman father was lost at sea. With four younger children to care for and no source of income, her mother scrapes together enough money for Hazel’s passage to New York, where her aunt can supply room, board, and a job. It’s a four-day walk to Southampton, but Hazel deems the walk worthwhile when she sets eyes on her conveyance to America: the brand-new White Star liner Titanic. Nothing will stop her from going aboard, even news that the money she has are not enough for a third-class ticket. Rather than stay behind, she’ll stow away. And she will employ her curiosity and talent to write about the experience, and perhaps even sell her story to the American papers.

Hazel is fortunate in two young people she meets right away: Charlie the porter, who overcomes his initial reluctance to help her. The other is Sylvia Thorngood, daughter of a high-society family who gloms on to a potential travel mate. Miss Gruber, Sylvia’s governess, is another story, as are the Mollisons, a shady couple whose nefarious designs Hazel happens to over hear. As the voyage gets underway she hears of other disturbing details, such as the slow-burning coal fire in the bunkers and the vulnerable hull of the ship. Could it be that the Titanic is not as unsinkable as everyone says?

The Challenges of Narrative Tension When We Already Know the Ending

Since we all know the fate of the ship, narrative tension has to come from drama among the passengers. Here the story displays some obvious weaknesses. Even given her family responsibilities, Hazel seems mature far beyond her 12 years, and she keeps “overhearing” important bits of information we already know. Her dread increases over three quarters of the book before the fatal event, and that’s another improbable development. She manages to be on the bridge with Sylvia when the ship hits the iceberg—the least likely place for two preteen girls. Characterization is generally weak as well, though I appreciate that some characters are not at first what they seem, and that virtue is not an exclusive quality of the poor, nor vice of the rich. Iceberg has not objectionable elements and will hold the interest of most readers, but will likely be quickly forgotten. Interesting side note: the author dedication cites a distant cousin who stowed away on the Titanic and managed to get into one of the lifeboats.

Overall Rating: 3.75

• Worldview/moral value: 3.75
• Artistic/literary value: 3.75

Read more about our ratings here.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Review: Two historical novels by Jennifer Nielsen we’ve enjoyed are A Night Divided (starred review) and Resistance.
• Reviews: For aficionados of the world’s most notorious maritime disaster, see our reviews of Luck of the Titanic (YA fiction), Rescuing Titanic, Titanic Sinks! and Titanic: Voices from the Disaster.
• Reflection: Is Historical Fiction Dead?

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