LitPick Review
In the first book in the series, The Pox Party, we leave Octavian Nothing and his tutor, Dr. Trefusis, fleeing from captivity to Boston, which is now occupied by the British. Octavian, now an orphan, acquires a job as a violinist to pay for their housing in Boston. When the rebels attack Boston and take it back, Octavian is no longer safe and travels to Virginia with Dr. Trefusis to enlist in the King's royal army. The former governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, has been overthrown by the colonists and is freeing any Negro who joins his army, so he can attempt to take back Virginia. Octavian fights in a number of small battles against the colonists and is swept up in the Revolutionary War. Even worse, his living quarters are unsanitary and are ridden with fever and small pox. Will Octavian ever be able to find his place in this strange country?
Opinion:
I love this book because it is overflowing with adventure and takes place during the Revolutionary War. I personally love historical fiction and The Kingdom of the Waves is an exceptional example of the genre. I find it to be much better than its predecessor, The Pox Party, because it has more exciting action. What makes it even better is that the story is told mainly from a Negro soldier's point of view. Most novels about the Revolutionary War are from the colonists' point of view or a British soldier's, but The Kingdom of the Waves provides a totally different perspective. Octavian is a slave in a way, even though he is given an education that most slaves at that time wouldn't be given. When he is freed, Octavian still uses advanced vocabulary and thinks more elaborately than his regiment members. This fact amuses me because he is not at all like the African slave that you might imagine in that time period. The book is beautifully written and makes you feel that you are living with Octavian. I would recommend this book to kids 11 and up only because of the advanced vocabulary.
