The story of Octavian Nothing is told through many different mediums- 1st person by Octavian, through letters, and articles. It is set in Colonial America at the beginning of the American Revolution. Octavian and his mother are wards of a college, although at the beginning they don't really understand what this means. They are part of an experiment being performed on the intelligence and ability of slaves. As funding changes at the university, and as the British soldiers are moving in, life changes for Octavian and his mother. The nature of their experiment changes and they become more slave like than before. Through experimentation, Octavian's mother dies and he runs away. At this point he becomes a full on slave. He is hunted and retrieved as a slave, and once caught, shackled.
This story is a unique and disturbing take on slavery. When we think about slavery, we don't think about experimentation, we think about physical labor. The story is also told in a unique way through 1st person accounts, letters, articles, and biblical and educational references. The content of this book is definitely more appropriate for upper grade teens.
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