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New Boy (paperback), by Tracy Chevalier
New Boy (paperback), by Tracy Chevalier
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Arriving at his fifth school in as many years, diplomat’s son Osei Kokote knows he needs an ally if he is to survive his first day – so he’s lucky to hit it off with Dee, the most popular girl in school. But one student can’t stand to witness this budding relationship: Ian decides to destroy the friendship between the black boy and the golden girl. By the end of the day, the school and its key players – teachers and pupils alike – will never be the same again.
The tragedy of Othello is transposed to a 1970s suburban Washington schoolyard, where kids fall in and out of love with each other before lunchtime, and practice a casual racism picked up from their parents and teachers. Peeking over the shoulders of four 11 year olds – Osei, Dee, Ian, and his reluctant ‘girlfriend’ Mimi – Tracy Chevalier's powerful drama of friends torn apart by jealousy, bullying and betrayal will leave you reeling.
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NEW BOY is set in an elementary school playground in Washington DC in 1974 and the whole story takes place in a single day. At the time, the political landscape was looking pretty bleak, as a result of the Watergate scandal, the impeachment process against Richard Nixon was nearing its conclusion, and due to this there was a climate of racial tension throughout the United States.
I feel that the novel may have been more convincing had it been set in a high school. Othello explores topics surrounding sexuality and conflict, here the characters of Othello, Desdemona and Iago are just eleven years old. This is too young, in my opinion, to be believable and realistic. Even 13-14 year olds would be more appropriate in these circumstances. Also, having read the original, Chevalier has pushed the racial element to the forefront in NEW BOY, race does not play such a large part in the Shakespearean Othello.
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