Tuesday 1 June 2010

The Year of the Hangman by Gary Blackwood Book Review

Genre: Historical Fiction/Alternative History
Age: 11+
Pages: 257
Gender: Male (Some Females)
Publication Year: 2002

Plot: 4/5
Description: 4/5
Characters: 5/5
Developed: 4/5
Fast Paced: 4/5
Cover: 1/3
Memorable: +1

Total: 23/28
Percent: 82%
Grade: B-

   I read this book in sections. I guess around 2 weeks ago, I started it and read the first 50 pages then stopped for a day or two then slowly read the next hundred pages. Then stopped for about two days because I reread a book, then started up again around 10 o'clock yesterday night, then finished the book around 11 o'clock. The book was good, but it lost me a little bit in the middle.

   The plot was pretty good, but it was kind of odd hearing a lot of America's founding fathers were dead. This story is an alternative ending to the American Revolution. It is from the point of view of a 15 year old boy named Creighton Brown (isn't his first name great!). His mom hires someone to kidnap him and send him to America because she can't handle him. So once he gets to England he has to live with his uncle, but not for long because he has to go somewhere. So they both get on a ship, where the ship is attacked by Yankees, Creighton pretends to be his uncles indentured servent. So the Yankees set Creighton "free". Then they send him to live with Benjamin Franklin. His uncle asks Creighton to spy on Mr. Franklin. But after awhile Creighton's loyalties to England fade and he comes to question if he is doing the right thing.

    I thought the description was good, I really have nothing to say about it. The author described the characters and setting well. But I think he could of described other things better, like he could of described Benjamin Franklin's funeral better. But I still gave description a 4/5.

    I thought the characters were really good, exspecially Creighton. He was full of depth. I loved seeing him change to a not so mature kid who messes around all the time. To a person who doesn't just plays games and glorifies war, a person who knows what is right and wrong. Other then that I liked Sophie, because she wasn't perfect like some characters. I two things wrong with characters. First I think they should have developed Benjamin Franklin more. I was also very confused about Benedict Arnold. I though he was supposed to be really on the Britich side. But I still gave it a 5/5 because I think Creighton is a very good character.

   The book was well developed, I guess. There were just some parts they could of lingered on more. I can't really say much about it.

   This book was mostly fast paced there were just some parts I couldn't get into. Like as I said in the introduction, it took me a really long time to get through the middle part of the book I just kept picking it up and setting it down again. But I read the beginning and ending at a rapid speed.

   If I had not already new what this book was about ahead of time and I went to the bookstore and saw this book on the bookshelf, I would not pick it up. I think it is quite ugly acutally. The only reason I gave it a 1/3 is because I think the cover fits the theme of the book.

  This book was semi-memorable, I will remember it because of the alternative ending to the war that every American child over learns in school, but not really for anything else.

  This book was ok, not my favorite, but not horrible. I suggest it to anyone who likes alternative history.
  

No comments:

Post a Comment