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    The Death-Defying Pepper Roux
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    The Death-Defying Pepper Roux
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    The Death-Defying Pepper Roux
    Audiobook6 hours

    The Death-Defying Pepper Roux

    Written by Geraldine McCaughrean

    Narrated by Anton Lesser

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Pepper's fourteenth birthday is a momentous one.

    It's the day he's supposed to die.

    Everyone seems resigned to it-even Pepper, although he would much prefer to live. But can you sidestep Fate? Jump sideways into a different life? Naïve and trusting, Pepper sets a course through dangerous waters, inviting disaster and mayhem at every turn, one eye on the sky for fear of angels, one on the magnificent possibilities of being alive.
    New York Times bestselling and Printz Award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean has created a gripping tale filled with dark humor and daring escapades, where the key to a boy's life lies in facing his own death.

    Join him on the run-if you can keep up.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 27, 2010
    ISBN9780307712103
    Author

    Geraldine McCaughrean

    Geraldine McCaughrean is an acclaimed novelist and writer of evocative retellings of legends, myths and historical material. She has written more than 160 books, published in 61 countries and and her work has been translated into over 45 languages. Probably best known for her official sequel, Peter Pan in Scarlet, she is also a three-time recipient of the Whitbread/Costa Children's Book Award and a Carnegie Medal winner. "McCaughrean is one of the greatest living children's authors." - The Bookseller

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    Reviews for The Death-Defying Pepper Roux

    3.5/5

    78 ratings17 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Pepper has grown up being told he'd be dead by the time he was 14. On his fourteenth birthday, he leaves home and takes his father's place as captain of a doomed ship. Surviving that, he takes on a series of alternate identities, trying to help others and find a place for himself.
    • 3/5
      Pepper has been told his entire life that he will die by the time he's fourteen. He wakes up as a 14 year old and is still alive. He finds himself cheating death again and again, and he realizes that he enjoys being alive. He goes through job after job, switches names and lives, and gets into one adventure after another, all to stay alive, and all the while he changes the lives of others.
    • 4/5
      Pepper has grown up being told he'd be dead by the time he was 14. On his fourteenth birthday, he leaves home and takes his father's place as captain of a doomed ship. Surviving that, he takes on a series of alternate identities, trying to help others and find a place for himself.
    • 3/5
      McCaughrean has done it again. I find her writing challanging, it wavers (masterfully) from fantastic to realistic and I feel I'm dragging behind. I appreciate that this isn't a normal orphan tale where there are kindly people around every corner. There isn't, just people who see what they want to see. I'm sure I'll look at this in a month and think, three stars? Surely I meant to give this more?
    • 4/5
      Listened to the audiobook and loved it! The narrator reminded me of a narrator for a Tim Burton film. An exciting story of all the mischief Pepper Roux gets into after running away from his family. His mother and grandmother believe he will die by the time he turns 13, so on his 13th birthday he decides to run away to sea tricking people into thinking he is his captain father. He falls into a number of identities and makes friends along the way, all while gaining multiple lives worth of experience. Pepper is a quirky kid who touches the heart of everyone he meets.
    • 2/5
      The tale of Pepper Roux who tries to escape the prophecy of his life and ends up on the adventure of a lifetime. The books kind of drags on after a while and the ending is less that believable.
    • 3/5
      Pepper is told since he was born that he will die at age 14. As he turns 14 and his family waits for his death, he leaves the house trying to outrun the angels and his fate. Since people see what they want to see, he becomes a ships captain, deli-slicer, journalist, and other odd jobs. He has a knack for leaving one lie and moving on to another right before he is discovered. Along the way he is helped by a pirate fairy godfather, Achille. Pepper is kind and honorable, even when he has to lie and break the rules. A fun, rollicking read.
    • 3/5
      What would you do if you were told you would die on your fourteenth birthday? If you're Pepper Roux, you would try to escape death by taking on someone else's life, and in so doing, learn how to live, rather than how to die. Pepper's entire life has been spent preparing for his death, as foretold by his Aunt Mireille, but it looks like he might find a way to sidestep fate. He will simply slip into another life. Where ever he goes, Pepper tries his hardest to spread happiness and joy. But it seems the Saints and Angels find him with each new identity - from ships captain, to newspaper reporter, to the French Foreign Legion - and the shadow of death seems to be right behind him. Or is it something, or someone, else that is following our innocent and naive Pepper?This is a very unusually odd and quirky read, but the reader will find themselves drawn into the story if, for no other reason then to discover - will Pepper Roux live beyond the age of 14?As wonderfully captivating as the book is, the audio version is even more so. The characters and action come alive through Anton Lesser's brilliant vocals. Lesser does an amazing job of capturing every character in voice - Pepper's eager innocence and the Duchess's slow, contemplative drawl all way down to the American thugs! Absolutely outstanding!
    • 3/5
      Charming, quirky tale of a boy named Pepper. Told that he will die on his 14th birthday by his horrid aunt, Pepper leaves town and goes on a French adventure. He becomes a ship's captain, a journalist, a caretaker of horses and many other things.McCaughrean's tale is fun but sometimes becomes too self-absorped in its own oddities. I really wish she had written a story focused on Duchesse, the cross-dressing steward from the ship. Definitely one of the most fascinating and unique characters I've come across in children's fiction.
    • 4/5
      Running a book group for teens means that I read a fair amount of teen fiction: some good, some bad, some indifferent. While I probably wouldn’t have selected ‘The Death Defying Pepper Roux’ to read without this prompt, I was anticipating an entertaining read since the cover design made the tale appear to be a varied adventure story. Furthermore, I had previously read and enjoyed ‘A Pack of Lies’, an earlier and very interesting work of McCaughrean’s which I felt successfully merged fiction with reality. The author has won several awards for her teen fiction and this book has been nominated for the Carnegie Prize. Could it be a winner?Pepper RouxOn the day Pepper turns 14, he knows that he must die. In fact, he is living on stolen time as he was meant to have died before reaching this tender age. Aunt Mireille is sure of this; Saint Constance told her so in a dream on the night he was born. While Pepper’s doting mother sobs into her cereal, Pepper rereads his father’s farewell note, embarrassed by his inability to meet their expectations. Why hasn’t he died yet? In a spontaneous act he steps sideways into another life. Can he possibly cheat death? What will happen if he does?Although the set up is a little odd, there is sufficient realism in the opening pages to make it possible to overlook certain oddities, like death-predicting saints. Certainly, Pepper’s misery and embarrassment are convincing and help to create an immediately sympathetic character. Equally, there are enough odd elements – Pepper’s name (which is explained convincingly), his parents’ ready acceptance of his fate – to make the subsequent adventures seem, not plausible, but not completely impossible. I was intrigued by the premise and entertained by the idea of stepping into another life.Pepper SalamiOf course, taking on another life is never as simple as one might like, and a child stepping into an adult’s shoes might well be disadvantaged by their innocence. Like a child playing dress up, Pepper wanders through several lives, bringing his own delightful naivety to them all. I found the first two thirds of the book mildly diverting as Pepper ricochets from one existence to another, leaving behind a trail of chaos which inevitably swells behind him… His innocent approach is at once touching and believable, and McCaughrean skilfully glides over the less believable aspects of his existence. I feel that the story is well paced in this section and would definitely hold a young teenager’s interest.Even though it is an adventure story it doesn’t feel like a ‘boy’s book’; there is a lot of focus on Pepper’s feelings and the story never degenerates into simply ‘a chase scene’ or ‘a fight’. I imagine it would appeal well to girls and boys. Although he is rather innocent and vulnerable, he is not silly or passive. He fights what he considers to be his fate throughout the story and I think young readers would accept that his perspective is a little skewed while admiring him as a kind-hearted and intelligent character. Gradually, it becomes clear that his upbringing has been rather miserable and so I found myself pleased that he was experiencing some fun – even if some of it was rather dangerous!Throughout the story Pepper is preoccupied with escaping death and interprets the world around him according to his upbringing. Even young readers will be in a privileged position and are likely to understand what is actually happening to Pepper, but there is sufficient ambiguity to allow other possibilities to entertain readers. The narrative is dramatic, full of surprises and shift swifts. Gradually, Pepper’s escapades tighten around him. Can he escape? If so, how? At this point the story becomes a bit more fantastical, but the interactions between the various characters were sufficiently entertaining to keep me interested. At points the story is genuinely exciting.For me, the problem arose with a third of the book remaining. There is what felt to me like a lengthy exposition where ‘gaps’ in the narrative are filled in. I found that I became a little impatient with this section because, really, the gaps were Pepper’s and not mine. It was perhaps useful to have some details confirmed, but I felt the drama really seeped out of the story at this point. Fortunately, there was more ‘action’ between this section and the end but I found that it made me lose interest in the story, which was a shame. However, the boys in my book group actually liked this section, even though they agreed that little was new to them, so this may be less likely to bother teen readers.The ending is tender, gently comedic and ties up all the lose ends, which I liked. It was perhaps a little impractical, but the fantastical nature of the story means that I wouldn’t be concerned about copycat teens! I thought it was a very suitable conclusion to the tale and was relieved that there would be no sequel simply because it meant that I could enjoy the book for what it was – an entertaining and highly fantastical story about a young boy’s adventures.Pepper…oni?In an inventive tale, Pepper steps in and out of a range of lives and McCaughrean develops a clear but never irksome moral message. I found Pepper’s character sympathetic and his development as a character interesting. Despite gaining maturity and understanding, as is typical of a teen novel like this one, he also has to learn how to be a 14 year old boy. He is a good role model and I liked the fact that his strengths were not ‘superhero’ ones (he’s no Alex Rider, battling on through broken limbs) but ‘human’ traits. He has a conscience and he’s not afraid to use it. Although I found the exposition a little dull it didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment. There are some interesting themes in the story but the story takes priority and the book is better for it. It isn’t too fantastical but requires a certain suspension of belief. I’m not sure it’s a prize winner (I think it’s a little ‘simple’ for that) but my book group and I would recommend it to younger teens (11-15) as an entertaining read.
    • 4/5
      Fab writing, reminded me of Candide. good pick for able readers 10+. Worthy of discussion by any readers.
    • 4/5
      When he was born, Pepper's aunt predicted he wouldn't live past 14. On the morning of his fourteenth birthday, he walks out of the house, and just keeps on walking, then running away from it all. Assuming one identity after another, he tries on the various roles of adulthood, getting more deeply in trouble with every turn, and more convinced the angels are after him. But he still hasn't died -- does he have a guardian angel after all? Or maybe he has finally outrun his fate....There is nothing saccharine in this nevertheless very sweet tale of a sheltered boy finding his way in the big, wide world. Pepper is a scrappy survivor in a confusing world where things are never quite as they seem, to him at least. It is a world populated with other survivors: the poor, the outcast, the lower class, and the misfits. A fast-paced, quirky read with an unconventional story line.
    • 4/5
      The Death Defying Pepper Roux by Geraldine McCaughreanThe night Pepper Roux is born his Aunt Mireille announces he will die by age 14. Distraught his parents raise him waiting for him to die. On his fourteenth birthday, Pepper leaves the house. Finding his drunken father passed out in the back of a bar he takes his father's jacket and cap and boards his father's boat as it's new captain. From here on, Pepper's life keeps changing. He learns his father was part of an insurance scam to sink the boat. He works in a department store, as a journalist and re-invents himself as needed. The biggest re-invention is yet to come. Pepper learns what true family is in this quirky coming of age story.
    • 4/5
      Pepper has been brought up believing that he will die by the time he is 14 but when his 14th birthday arrives and he is still alive he sets out to try and run away from death. He takes his father's place as captain of a doomed ship. Surviving that, he takes on a series of alternate identities and has many riotous adventures as a telegram delivery boy, a reporter, a soldier in the French Foreign Legion and many more. Funny and packed with action this book would appeal to children 10 and up
    • 5/5
      Like all of us, Paul Roux is born to die, however, unlike most people, Paul Roux knows when he will die - on his fourteenth birthday. Upon his birth, Paul's Aunt Mireille receives a message from Saint Constance. Pepper will die at fourteen. So, while other children are attending school, making friends, and preparing for adulthood, the young Paul is attending Mass, making daily penance and preparing for Last Rites. His resigned mother, Madame Roux, so often refers to him as "mon pauvre" my poor thing, that local children mistake his name for "poivre," or Pepper. All of this is accepted, of course. Saint Constance decreed it to be so. Aunt Mireille reminds them so. It must be so.But on his fourteenth birthday, Pepper suddenly realizes that he doesn't feel like going to his eternal rest. The saints will be looking for him. But suppose they can't find Pepper Roux?After all, "People see what they expect to see. Don't they?"Captain Roux? Yes, I am Captain Roux.Here is a placard. Yes, I am a protestor.Do you work here? Yes, I am the meat slicer.You've worked for a newspaper? Yes, I am Pepper Papier.You are a delivery boy? Yes, I am Konstantin Kruppe.Good day, dear. I am home.And so, the doomed Pepper steps from one life into another, and another, and another. And though Saint Constance is seeking to harvest him, Pepper's quick-thinking and earnestness keep him one step ahead of his judgement day.The Death-Defying Pepper Roux is an exciting tale of adventure; some of the lives into which Pepper deposits himself are less than savory ones! But Pepper is never dispirited, never bitter; and his various predicaments are often humorously improbable - he is by turns a grizzled sea captain, a grocer's boy, a reporter, a fugitive on the run, a hard-drinking husband, a soldier in the French Foreign Legion - all before his 15th birthday!The Death-Defying Pepper Roux is also, improbably, a deep philosophical novel about faith, family, honesty, destiny and friendship. Pepper's unlikely friend Duchesse, is a funny and colorful addition to the story - a strong and seaworthy steward, taken to dispensing valuable advice and wearing women's clothing.A rousing and rollicking read that should be popular with kids and teens. A book that begs to be read twice. Move over Despereaux, here comes another French hero who will win reader's hearts!
    • 5/5
      Pepper Roux is supposed to die on his 14th birthday...at least, that is what his twisted, uber-religious Aunty has been telling him since birth. When his birthday comes and goes, Pepper succumbs to the idea that he is supposed to be dead, and his family is disappointed that he is not, so he sets off to run from death. He ends up traveling all over France, trying to figure out what to do about his curse and if he can get out of it. Along the way he meets all kinds of bizarre and interesting characters, some who want to help, some who don't, but all end up under Pepper's spell in one way or another. This is an incredibly imaginative story, with Pepper not only on the run from real dangers, but his imagined ones brought on by years of mental abuse at the hands of his family. The characters are especially rich, like Duchesse, the ships steward and Exe and Why, the telegram dispatchers in Aigues Mortes. The story was great, if somewhat darker than I expected, with really beautiful writing it was just a pleasure to read.
    • 4/5
      Imagine your aunt had prophesied that you would die at the age of fourteen, and worse still that everyone believed her. That's what happened to Pepper Roux, which led to him having a very strange childhood - growing up with his religious nut of an Aunt, his absentee drunken sailor of a Dad, and a mother, who knowing he'd be dead soon, didn't bother much with him. So, when Pepper reaches fourteen, he resolves that if he is to die it will not be a wasted death, so he runs away to sea. This is the first adventure of many amongst the low-lifes of Marseilles and the Camargue for the youngster on the run. For death seems to follow him around, and each time he believes it should have been him. A helpful lad, he tries to do good turns along the way, but they often backfire on him, and the gendarmes are on his trail.McCaughrean has conjured up a wonderful setting with a cast of sailors, horse-theieves, and gangsters who all try to take advantage of young Pepper, who nevertheless is growing up fast and living life to the full - each day still believing that it could be his last. He learns along the way about truth, lies and their consequences which, although written for young adults, makes this book a really satisfying adult read. Pepper's adventures make for a quick and witty page-turning read, but you will think about the story for ages afterwards.(Book supplied by the Amazon Vine programme).