Octavian Nothing

I know this is one of your favorite books, Rhett, so I’m sorry to say this. I genuinely disliked this book. I found myself reading and rereading sentences over and over again trying to re-engage myself in the plot or understand better. I didn’t connect to any of the characters, I struggled with the language, and I was miserable throughout most of the reading. Now, that’s not to say that I didn’t gain something worthwhile out of the text. It raised some incredibly complex (and often very dark) issues and great discussion points and alternative views towards an often one-sided period in American history.

This being said, the issue of slavery during the revolution is explored in other young adult novels (for example, Laurie Halse Anderson’s Chains) in a way that’s more appropriate, applicable, and useful for middle grades. Octavian Nothing was difficult to get through for me, and as such I know it would be a trial by fire for many if not all middle grades readers. From a purely reading-level standpoint, I would place this book with the Book Thief… It’s just too difficult for virtually all middle grades readers. I can’t imagine a setting where I’d be able to use the novel in a classroom.

The exploration of the experimentation on Octavian and his mother could be a comparison piece with Nazi experimentation on Jews during the 1940s, but I still can’t see using the book as more than in part, with heavy scaffolding from a teacher. Much of the novel is in epistolary format, which was interesting but also seemed to prevent me from connecting with Octavian. I never felt like I understood or identified with him, as a character.

Though there would be ways I could integrate Octavian Nothing into my classroom if necessary, I would not choose it. I believe I could find more age-appropriate and manageable texts to meet all of the standards that Octavian would meet.