A historical novel of prodigious scope, power and insight, set against the backdrop of the Revolutionary War. Readers are seduced by a gothic introduction to the child Octavian, whose bizarre situation is both lavish and eerie. Octavian is domiciled with a gentleman scholar at the “College of Lucidity.” A sentient being, he is a living experiment, from his classical education to the notated measurement of his bodily intake and output; as such, the study will degenerate from earnest scholarly investigation to calculated sociopolitical propaganda. Upon learning that he’s a slave, Octavian resolves to prove his excellence. But events force the destitute College to depend on a new benefactor who demands research that proves the inferiority of the black race. Like many Africans, Octavian runs away, joining the Revolutionary army, which fights for “liberty,” while ironically never assuring slaves freedom. Written in a richly faithful 18th-century style, the revelations of Octavian’s increasingly degraded circumstances slowly, horrifyingly unfold to the reader as they do to Octavian. The cover’s gruesomely masked Octavian epitomizes a nation choking on its own hypocrisy. This is the Revolutionary War seen at its intersection with slavery through a disturbingly original lens. (Historical fiction. YA-adult)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-7636-2402-0
Page Count: 358
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2006
A young woman’s captivating, sometimes heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful story about coming into her own.
A Black girl’s journey from a stifled life to self-discovery through dance.
Seventeen-year-old Ada grew up in Chicago with a Nigerian immigrant father who raised her in line with his strict, traditional Christian values. Her mother struggled with addiction and was mostly absent, both physically and emotionally. Ada was indoctrinated to be submissive to her elders and learned to suppress vital parts of herself, from her opinions to her love of dance. Brought up to keep so much of her life a secret, Ada has even kept quiet about a tragic sexual assault at the hands of her older male cousin. She is finally given the physical freedom she had been denied her whole life when she graduates high school and heads to college in Washington, D.C. There, she starts to unpack what she has been taught by her dysfunctional family and begins to bloom and unlock those guarded parts of herself. In the end, Ada reclaims her body and her life through dance, exploring her own beliefs and values and finding her voice. Iloh uses verse beautifully to show readers the world through Ada’s eyes, incorporating flashbacks and time jumps to piece the whole picture together. With complex relationship dynamics and heavy-hitting issues like rape, overbearing and neglectful parents, and addiction, this book will leave readers deeply affected.
A young woman’s captivating, sometimes heartbreaking, yet ultimately hopeful story about coming into her own. (Verse novel. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-525-55620-6
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A thoroughly enjoyable romp that’s also rich in self-discovery and romance.
Recent high school graduate Gemma Sun goes on a treasure hunt in Taiwan.
Gemma, who’s from “Podunksville, Massachusetts,” is looking ahead with excited trepidation to attending Amherst College. But covering the tuition weighs on her mind since she and her single mom have limited finances. So she’s shocked to hear that her grandfather in Taipei, whom she had believed to be long dead, was in fact estranged from her mom and died only weeks earlier. His attorney shows up with their inheritance: a box filled with old newspaper clippings. Gemma quickly realizes that the articles contain clues hinting at a big treasure for her to find in Taiwan. Her mother agrees to let her go—if she can pay her own way. The tightly written plot moves quickly as Gemma swallows her pride, asking Harvard-bound ex-boyfriend and nemesis Xander Pan to allow her to participate in the all-expenses-paid Taiwanese American Roots Pursuit program he founded (and which she previously scorned). There Gemma explores Taiwanese culture—and her own independence. As she solves puzzles and her hunt for her grandfather’s treasure escalates, she also must collaborate with Xander to get to the solution, bringing them closer together in the process. Chao artfully weaves in themes of Asian American identity, generational trauma, and compassion as each clue that Gemma uncovers leads to another compelling revelation.
A thoroughly enjoyable romp that’s also rich in self-discovery and romance. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Dec. 31, 2024
ISBN: 9780593692714
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2024
PERSPECTIVES
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