I started reading this book when a friend who is a high school English teacher said everyone at her school is talking about it; so, even though I haven't liked any of Anderson's other books that I've tried, I decided to give it a shot. All I can say is I'm really glad I did. I didn't know anything about the book before I started it, so I wasn't even sure what genre it was. One of the things that captivated me from the start is that I wasn't sure what was going on - it seemed like it was going to be fantasy, though I was pretty sure my friend had said it was historical. I'm not sure how to convey how unusual the writing is: the language is very intricate, and though it's told in what I hope is an accurate portrayal of the language of the time (Revolutionary War New England), the language isn't at all stilted and doesn't get in the way of the story. The plot unfolds so gently that it came as sort of a shock when I realized that Octavian and his mother are slaves. The book won the National Book Award in Young People's Literature, and it's easy to see why. It's very beautifully written. I have only finished half of the book, but I couldn't wait to post this review, and I'll certainly read the second volume: The Kingdom on the Waves. Review by Stacy
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