pqtstudio

Anderson veers between genres and subjects with such freedom, that you have to be impressed. Here he takes on the American Revolution from the perspective of a young black slave. For the first part of Octavian's life he doesn't really understand he is a slave. His lack of freedom is well disguised because he is the subject of an ongoing scientific experiment. This makes his plight, when it become clear, especially moving and tragic. I like the representation of the American Revolution here because it captures so many elements that often get lost in the modern version of God-inspired patriots fighting the glorious cause. This book emphasizes the influence of the Enlightenment on American thinking. The scientists here are earnest but ultimately creepy. The book also honestly portrays how confused most Americans were about what was going on and how unsure they were of which side to take in the growing struggle. I also liked how the book follows slaves in a different era from when we usually see them. And I promise, if you read this you won't forget the pox party scenes. I listened to this as an audiobook. Some of the reading fell a little flat, but in passages, Anderson's poetic use of the era's language really soared. One section dragged a little: Octavian's participation in the war is told entirely through another soldier's letters home. The device grew tired after a while. Octavian wasn't really coherent through most of this period, so I understand why Anderson made the choice he did, but it just got stale. Maybe if you were reading and not listening to the book, it wouldn't seem so slow in this section. Overall, I would give this 4.5 stars if I could. The slow section and the cliffhanger ending are the only elements I didn't care for. It would be very long for YA, but this should really have been published as one book. At least Anderson was honest and admitted it was Vol. 1 in the title. I'll definitely pick up the second half.

2023-02-11 04:04