A special thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and Knopf Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set in 1970s Washington, D.C., and spanning a school day, New Boy explores jealousy, love, friendship, and racism.

Osei Kokote, a diplomat's son, is staring at his fourth school in six years. The attention given to his colour is surpassed only by the attention that his relationship with the most popular girl at the all-white school garners. This is where the trouble really begins. Not everyone is as intrigued and impressed with O as Dee is, and one boy in particular makes it his mission to destroy the relationship. By the end of the day, the school and its students will be left reeling, and will never be the same.

I've been enamoured with Chevalier's work since Girl With a Pearl Earring and have been waiting for her to deliver something just as captivating and she does just this with New Boy. Chevalier doesn't shy away from the huge undertaking/responsibility of retelling Shakespeare's Othello—her compact version delivers a sucker punch and I encourage you to pick it up.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
“New Boy” by Tracy Chevalier, is a modern retelling of the play “Othello”. Chevalier’s story is in a novel form, not a play script, which made it easier to read. The story takes place in 1970s Washington, on the grounds of an elementary school. The new boy is young Osei, a sixth grader from Ghana, who is the first and only black person that any of his playmates have ever seen. This causes curiosity in all, and hatred in some, but Osei takes it in stride. However, as this cast of characters featured newly minted teenagers, the story does not end here. Young Ian is unhappy that his position as “head of the school” (even though he has bullied and beaten his way to the position, and maintains it only through fear) looks like it could be taken over by the new student, and when Osei begins dating Dee, the most popular girl in school, Ian makes it his mission to destroy Osei and take back his position.
Chevalier is definitely in touch with the young adolescent characters in her story- the raging hormones, the bullying, and the one minute on, next minute off’ passionate relationships that run rampant through the early teens. All of her characters were relatable and honest, sometimes scarily so. And of course, this novel is about so much more than the relationships between teenagers. Osei goes from new boy, who overcomes stereotypes and tolerates daily ignorance and racism, to the trouble maker who has suddenly become victim to the beliefs that everyone has about him. Ian is a very dislikable character, especially for someone so young, and he definitely has the role of “antagonist” down.
I am not overly familiar with “Othello” (it was one of Shakespeare’s works I did not read in school), but I did do a bit of research on the play before writing this review. It seems that Chevalier has definitely provided a more concise, updated version of the traditional play with “New Boy”. Chevalier writes creatively and her story is easy to read however I was extremely disappointed with the ending. The novel ended at a point where it could’ve just begun- a whole new plot line had developed after this, and I was left with far too many unanswered questions. I imagine this was Chevalier’s intention (“form your own opinions based on your biases” and all that) but even a few answers to the gaps left in the plot would have resolved the story in a much more satisfying manner.
Overall, this novel is a great adaptation of the play (from what I know of it) and the juvenile characters bring Shakespeare’s work into the twenty-first century. It is easy to read, entertaining and creative, but the ending left much to be desired. I would’ve liked to have seen Chevalier extend this novel (it wasn’t that long, it could’ve stood a hundred pages more!) and tie up the loose ends, so I was not left guessing as to how the novel wrapped up. However, it was a great novel and would be appropriate for all ages, as each age bracket would be quick to form their own very different opinions. Chevalier is definitely talented and it shines through in this delightful adaptation.