*Those who have not read The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts should read it before this book (and this review) to avoid spoilers.* Our tragic hero, Oliver, finally makes it to American shores as a slave—shackled to other felons and sold to a gruesome man in order to farm tobacco with another young slave named Bara. The two boys form a bond and decide to escape from slavery into the one place that could make things worse: the swamp. I rarely give 5 star ratings because I usually find things wrong with books that grate me enough to lower the rating. I could find no faults in this book. Touching on a not well known subject today, as history is often put on the back burner in many primary schools to serve the better purpose of teaching math and writing, Avi gives his readers a glimpse of the life of transported criminals sold into slavery by the British government. Mind you, these criminals could be convicted of crimes as heinous as assault or as trivial as breaking a window mistakenly. I have decided that I can’t decide whether or not I like reading Avi’s writing. I have only ever read a few other authors that can take very simplistic events, such as hoeing rows or fishing, and give his readers the sunburns and blisters right along with his characters. On the one hand, he has the unique ability to make his readers feel exactly what his characters are feeling. On the other hand, he has the unique ability to make his readers feel exactly what his characters are feeling. Unfortunately, the books in this most recent series starring Oliver Cromwell Pitts mostly exude anxiety and fear. Ultimately, the two books in this series are ideal for upper elementary schoolers studying Colonial America and the slave trade—including the not oft taught slave trade, that of convicted felons (a very loose term for mostly poor people that those in power found annoying) transported from Europe to America. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, for which I give my own opinion and review.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Algonquin Young Readers. Thanks! All opinions are my own. Rating: 4/5 Publication Date: January 29, 2019 Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction Recommended Age: 12+ (themes of racism in a historical context, some violence, and hope) Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers Pages: 304 Amazon Link Synopsis: Convicted of thievery and transported from England to America, Oliver Cromwell Pitts, shackled to his fellow prisoners, endures inedible food, filthy conditions, and deadly storms on his voyage across the Atlantic. But the hazardous shipboard journey is nothing compared to the peril that waits for him on the colonial shores. In Annapolis, Oliver’s indentured servitude is purchased by the foul, miserly Fitzhugh, who may have murdered another servant. On Fitzhugh’s isolated tobacco farm, Oliver’s only companion is an enslaved boy named Bara. Oliver and Bara become fast friends with one powerful goal: to escape Fitzhugh. Oliver hopes he can find his sister, Charity, brought somewhere in the colonies on a different ship. Bara dreams of reaching a community of free black people in the cypress swamp who may help him gain his liberty. But first the boys must flee Fitzhugh’s plantation and outrun their brutal pursuer and the dangers that lurk in the swamp. Review: So I haven't read the other book about Oliver Cromwell Pitts, and I think that while the other book could have helped, but the book read excellently as a stand alone. The events were explained and the book doesn't depend on previous knowledge to know what all is going on. The book is well written and the plot moves along as a good pace. The book isn't too fast or slow and it takes care to make sure sensitive topics are explained well in my opinion.  However, the book ended very abruptly and didn't fit into the rest of the book. I think the book could have better wrote out and an ending better teased out. Verdict: A well written book for middle graders learning colonial time periods.