Boston, 1775 - raised by a society of rational philosophers, who call each other by a number, Octavian and his mother - a princess in exile from a faraway land - are the only people in their household assigned names. The boy is dressed in silks and white wigs and given the finest classical education; but as his regal mother, Cassiopeia, entertains the scholars with her beauty and wit, young Octavian begins to question the purpose behind his guardians' fanatical studies. Only after he dares to open a forbidden door does he learn the hideous nature of their experiments - and his own chilling role in them.

About the Author

M. T. Anderson worked as a DJ, a music reviewer, and at a children's book publisher before becoming a full-time writer. He is the author of several critically acclaimed young adult novels including Burger Wuss, Thirsty and Feed, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. He teaches creative writing at university level and lives in Massachusetts, USA.

Reviews

Gr 7 Up-Many readers think that classics have little relevance to our modern lives. But with the right author and the right turn on a classic tale, these stories can remain as relevant today as they were when they were first written. Julius Lester's Cupid (Harcourt, 2007) is a retelling of the ancient myth of the love story of Cupid and Psyche (originally written by Lucius Apuleius). Cupid, the Greek God of Love, and Psyche, a mortal princess, have a tempestuous love affair (and conflicts with Venus, Cupid's mother). Throughout their affair, Cupid and Psyche learn about themselves and the meaning of true love. With Jupiter's help, Psyche attains immortality. Lester's fresh and sassy prose brings new life and luster to the story, and actor Stephen McKinley Henderson's expert, enthralling narration always holds listeners' attention. On the other hand, M. T. Anderson's The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing (Candlewick, 2006), winner of the 2006 National Book Award, falls flat because its uniqueness renders it unintelligible. In this imitation of Voltaire's Candide, written in 18th-century language, young Octavian Nothing, an African child, is raised by tutors with numbers instead of names and subjected to experiments performed on him by Boston philosophers who seek to determine the intellectual ability of Africans. While the idea and the scope of Anderson's novel are fresh, the plot and the prose are so confusing that it becomes difficult to follow the story. The narration by actor Peter Francis James is first-rate, but only advanced high school students and aficionados of the Enlightenment will be able to wade through the novel. On the other hand, Lester's lively retelling of the Cupid classic enhances the original tale and makes it accessible to students.-Larry Cooperman, Seminole High School, Sanford, FL Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

Anderson's "stunningly well researched" National Book Award winner takes place in pre-Revolutionary Boston and focuses on an African princess's 16-year-old son, the unwitting subject of a scientific experiment. Ages 14-up. (Jan.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.