Thanks to the recommendation of my local friendly librarian (an author’s best friend), I stocked up on terrific young adult novels to read for the next few weeks. I
settled in with The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol 1: The Pox Party figuring to spend the weekend reading it. Instead, I read it through without even getting up from my chair. Only later did I find out it won The National Book Award. Well-deserved.
This book plays with genres and points of view in remarkable ways. Set in Revolutionary War Boston, author M. T. Anderson uses the genres popular in the day to tell this tale. His control of those and of point of view is seamless. You don’t realize how well you’ve been treated as a reader until you’re done with the story and reflect on it.
The book also raises wonderful questions–questions absolutely still alive today–regarding freedom, liberty, selling the rights of a marginalized group for political gain, rationality, education, and the dignity of human beings. Everyone should read it. I’m surprised it’s classified as a “young adult” book; it felt as adult as anything I’ve read. There’s much for me to learn from it as a citizen, as someone concerned with justice, and as an author.
I think I’ll read it again before I have to return it. And get Volume II on my wish list as well!
I will recommend to my book group…
Hi, Cindy,
if your group reads it, let me know what they think. I just found it so amazing a book!