This week's book is titled The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: The Pox Party. This book was written by M.T. Anderson, who has authored tons of books for teens and younger children. We have two other books by Anderson on our free reading shelf: Feed and Thirsty.
Because I'd read two other titles by Anderson, I was expecting this book to be similar to the others. The previous titles I'd read were other-worldly and quite fictional. This one, though, is based in actual history.
The historical time period that this story takes place in is the time right before the American Revolution. Octavian Nothing is a slave. He lives in the North, and is owned by a group of experimental scientists who are using Octavian to prove that people with African heritage are inferior to those with European heritage.
As the book starts, Octavian does not understand that he is a slave and that he is an experimental subject. Through several encounters and some painful awakenings, he learns that he is owned and that his very life is in the hands of his captors.
This book is interesting and compelling. It is definitely a challenging read, but one that I recommend to any of you who have interest in slavery and/or the Revolutionary War. It is also a series book for those of you who'd rather have a continuing plot. I'll try to get the next book in the series for anyone who's interested.
