I love Tracy Chevalier and Shakespeare so I thought this would be a good match. Plus it has gotten good reviews from bloggers I follow. However, I just couldn't get into it so decided not to finish it.

This book was thoroughly enjoyable, yet thought provoking. It is slower paced, detailed, and concentrates on the psychology of the characters more than the action of the story. The characters' thought processes are front and center. I enjoyed her writing style and have added Girl With a Pearl Earring to my tbr.

I don't know if this story is better enjoyed if you have read Othello and can pick up on the nuances, or better enjoyed being oblivious to the events for tension building. I think I liked knowing the storyline because it was interesting to see how the author applied it to an elementary school environment, and I don't want to forget to mention that the entire book takes place during one school day. It is a unique representation of the Shakespearean play.

Racism and bullying are the two main themes in this story and I think the author gives some solidly authentic and thought provoking insight into both of these issues. There was one aspect to bullying, she presented in the story, that I had never thought about before.

Othello and I have had a rocky history. In high school I was astounded by how he could be so easily deceived, as an adult, I empathized with him. Chevalier brings an entirely new take on this tale steeped in racism and betrayal! I couldn't put it down.

Tracy Chevalier’s New Boy is a bravely re-imagined work of Hogarth Shakespearean fiction. Reset in the 1970s on an elementary school playground, Othello’s racial tensions and treachery are re-imagined here in a unique new format.

When Osei arrives at his fourth school in as many cities, he is squarely familiar with not only the sensation of being the "new boy" but of being the only black boy as well. A product of an educated, diplomatic Guyanese family, he is bright and sharply intelligent. He knows what to expect in this all-white atmosphere that he has once again been implanted into, but, to his surprise, becomes friends with the Golden Girl of the sixth-grade class on his very first day. Yet, when jealousies and tempers flare, the prejudice toward the school’s lone black student propelling hateful words and malicious deeds forward, the students’ lives are forever changed in this one day at school.

Admittedly, this is a highly imaginative setting for these characters, yet I can’t really imagine this novel as an adult read. With that being said, I am grading it as (high-brow) YA, in the similar vein of vocabulary and maturity as Ransom Riggs’ Peculiar Children series. William Shakespeare’s Othello has long been one of my absolute favorites of his works—what can I say? I’m more partial to his tragedies. Tracy Chevalier’s adaptation of it is a work of short literary form—under 200 pages—that read quickly but not necessarily immersively. For the majority of the read, I felt that I was sitting on the surface of it all, the contrived situations and melodramatic plot fitting for YA, I suppose, but wasn’t immersive for me as an adult reader until the last fifth or so of the novel. There, the plot picked up speed and the threads of action began to pull together.

As a YA read, Tracy Chevalier’s New Boy functions as a relatable, lesson-teaching book with easily identifiable characters—the new kid, the mean kid, the popular boy, the skanky girl, the sidekick, and the “weird” girl. All of the typical players you’d need for a playground drama exist here, and that makes this a great read for middle schoolers and early high schoolers. Also, the subject matter, and the way that Chevalier tackles it here, is also expertly handled for that age group, where it will read as not only relatable but shocking simultaneously.

However.

I definitely had some issues with this read, which is part of the reason why I just can’t label it as adult fiction and why I could not give it a higher rating:

1) The drama turned to melodrama pretty quickly, because of the unlikeliness of this plot line. Of course, we can argue that Shakespeare often gravitated toward the melodramatic—his plays were for theater, after all—but New Boy was often delivered as a string of events that all culminated into the ending, rather than a plausible story line that I could get behind.

2) One of Osei’s (the reimagined Othello’s) main characteristics at the start of the novel was that he was experienced in not only being new, but in being the only black student as well. His older sister is a “rebellious” teenager who holds her fist in the air, a Afro proudly atop her head and ends all of her correspondences with the phrase Black is Beautiful. From the perspective of an African American, I would argue that Osei’s reactions to what happened on that day at school are highly unlikely and poorly imagined. In short, they read as if they were written by someone who has no experience themselves with such feelings, which left me feeling that there were several practical elements of New Boy that were poorly handled, certainly too poorly handled to pass or function as an adult read.

Chevalier’s New Boy tried to take us there—to that place at the crossroads of “coming of age” and “discovering oneself.” At times, it worked and rang true, and at other times it failed and crumbled flatly to the floor. While I applaud her attempt at re-imagining this classic work, at giving a voice to that little black boy in the 70s in his bewildering surroundings faced with confusing decisions, it didn’t always work for me, and I’ve seen Hogarth Shakespeare done better. So, Chevalier pulled away from this one with a solid 3 stars. ***

i really enjoy the Hogart Shakespeare series. This one wasn't quite as good as the others. I liked the idea of setting it in a sixth grade class but I don't think it really worked, I didn't find the characters voices believable as children. I am still glad I read it.

Loving this Hogarth Shakespeare series. Despite the age of the story and its many renditions, TC's take on Othello is refreshing. Schoolyard and classroom interactions during a time of inequality are nicely woven into this timeless classic.

New Boy is a provactive book. The story spans one entire day that seems to stretch endlessly. It covers the dynamics of students in the early 1970s and playground politics, which become complicated when a new student arrives. The characters are sharp and defined, manipulation and emotions are clear. The ending is startling. A great read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

It is not easy being the new kid in school, but to be the only black student is even harder. When Osai, son of a diplomat, enters 6th grade at his new school, his life changes forever. Befriended by Meg is the best thing that has ever happened to him. He is happy, but school bully, Ian, hates being pushed out of the limelight, and devises a plan that changes everyone's lives forever. This is an insightful, powerful book that should be read by parents, teachers, and students. I won't ever forget it.

5/5 Stars

Scrappymags 3-word review: Hogarth done proud!

Genre: Contemporary fiction/Hogarth Shakespeare.

Shortest summary ever: in case you didn't know, This is Hogarth Shakespeare, a retelling of Othello by modern authors and I'm officially a fan. It's been a while since I've read Othello, but as I recall there's a slew of incidents of Iago being a troublemaker and master manipulator with Othello being the somewhat innocent gullible, unaware of Iago's trickery and hijinks. The setting is now a 6th grade class with a new Ghanaian classmate, Osei (who is black), who has set everything a-titter. Well, the white folks are doing that to themselves, and thus enters the issue of race compounded by the 1970's black-empowerment movement setting. Popular Dee befriends Osei which ignites a fire in classmate Ian (Iago) who sets out to destroy Osei merely for his own amusement. Thus what usually happens in Shakespearean plays.

What’s good under the hood: I'm an English teacher and this makes me want to teach Othello (along with this book) sooooooo bad. This setting is one of my favorite parts and also, based on other reviews, one that's hotly contested which means - PERFECT for teaching as the kids will likely have their viewpoints on that as well. Othello has much to do about who is (or really isn't) sleeping with whom and I wasn't sure how that would translate to 6th grade, but it worked virtually spot-on.

Think back to the stupidity of that age (probably more middle school for me) and how everything is this big production of who is "going out" with whom. Hearing words like "slut" and pretending you're all bad and cool and know what it is (I totally didn't). The politics of teachers, recess, the principal, where you sit, the cafeteria (oy!) Yup that's the stage for this re-telling and it works. It soooooo works. It's like we tell the kids, the language is the toughest part but the STORY, the themes - love, hate, jealousy, revenge, etc., are and forever will be universal. I wish the ratings on this were much higher, but any time there is a re-telling many will have issues. I thought it was BRILLIANTLY done. Adjustments HAVE to be made for the setting, which is kind of the point. Why would I want to hear the same story of Othello in a similar adult-ish environment with little change? I love that Chevalier took a risk through change.

What’s bad or made me mad: I made a few notations that some thoughts of these eleven year-olds, particularly the sadistic (sociopathic) Ian were more advanced than they would typically be of the age group, but since it's rare to actually encounter someone with this pathology, I could be wrong (and that's freakin' scary).

Recommend to:

Teachers of Shakespeare (like me) who struggle inspiring kids with the boring ol' bard.
Those who enjoy creative writing exercises like these.
Do Not Recommend to: Shakespearean purists who like it AS they like it (pun intended).

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and oodles of teaching inspiration!!

This whole story takes place in a suburban Washington schoolyard during O's first day at his new school. The characters all come from the two sixth grade classes that attend the school. It is amazing what can happen all in one day. These kids can start to "go together" in the morning and break up by lunch.

What takes place in that schoolyard is shocking, more than likely realistic and can leave you with your head shaking. I read this book and found myself talking to these characters. It was unbelievable some of the things that were going on. The experiment with telling a story in a circle secretly to the person next to you and how it gets turned around at the end of the circle is a HUGE part of this book. I was amazed that these characters were falling for some of the crap, but then they were just sixth graders.

This was a very heart wrenching book that definitely left me feeling some genuine strong emotions. Because of the nature of the story, I hate to really call it entertaining. However, it was a good read and I was glad I got the chance to do so.

Thanks to Crown Publishing and Net Galley for approving and allowing me to read and review this book. And, the whole story took place in just one day. SMH.

New Boy is Tracy Chevalier's contribution to the Hogarth Shakespeare retelling. The story is a retelling of Othello set in the 1960s/1970s suburbs of Washington, DC. My biggest issues with the book were its pacing and the shift in tone. The premise is really interesting--a playground version of the play with six graders as the characters as young O is a new boy in an all white school. However, the story both drags (it all takes place in one school day) and then shifts and moves too rapidly toward the end. O's character is well developed in the beginning, but by the end of the text he is almost one-dimensional. Likewise, the tone feels uneven. I expected the story to be dark--it is a tragedy after all, and most of the text maintains that sinister feel, but the ending is almost too much/unbelievable given that the characters are sixth graders.

I’m no Shakespeare scholar but I do live with one. I am a big fan of Tracy Chevalier so when I heard she was joining the Hogarth Shakespeare project with her updated take on Othello I was all in to read her take on this classic tragedy. I did read a few cliff notes on the original play, depressing stuff these tragedies. This updated version takes place over the space of one day with a group of eleven and twelve-year old’s in the last month of school before they are promoted to Jr High. It’s the Seventies and Osei (Othello) is the only black child in an all-white school, parachuted in by his diplomat parents.

Chevalier succeeds in her clever tributes to the Bard’s Othello. Dee (Desdemona) is beautiful and eager to learn more about this new boy in her class. They become fast friends before first recess. Osei, self conscious about not finding his pencil case before school, trades his sister’s strawberry covered case with Dee’s Snoopy case. Ian (Iago) is a bully and a con artist. He is also jealous of the natural friendship already forming between Dee and Osei. With the help of his girlfriend of three days Mimi (Emilia) and his whiny minion Rod (Rodriguez) he sets events into play which will put the new boy in his place.

Over the course of the day we hear from all the main players. It was telling that most of the racist remarks come from the adults (Mr. Brabant) and not the children. The kids are curious but respectful of O. Friendships form over games of kickball. Adolescent hearts find the girls “going” with a boy in the morning and breaking up over perceived slights in the afternoon. Through it all, Ian conspires to humble and humiliate Osei.

The ending is not quite as bloody as it was in Othello but there is fallout aplenty. It’s not a perfect retelling but Chevalier does an admirable job of covering the basics of jealousy and betrayal, misinformation, and malicious meddling. Come to think of it, the playground is a perfect analogy for a tragedy of Othello proportions.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

I think we keep returning to tragedies with the vague hope that this time things will work out differently. I’ve always felt that about Shakespeare’s tragedies because, after the first reading or viewing, I could see all of the places where things could have gone differently. If only someone had gotten Hamlet into grief counseling…If only someone had told Richard III to shove it the first time he tried to talk that someone into something…If only Othello had listened to Desdemona…I suppose this is why I’ve been paying such close attention to the Hogarth Shakespeare series.

New Boy, by Tracy Chevalier, is a retelling of Othello—one of my favorite plays—but transplanted to a playground in Washington, D.C., sometime in the late 1970s. The story plays out over one day, the day that Osei is the new boy at the unnamed elementary school. I’ll admit that the setting had me fooled at first. It seemed like such a radical departure from the original setting and age of the characters. But even though the characters in this version of the story are sixth-graders, I could see the same path towards tragedy start to take shape as the kids meet for recess, lunch, and after school.

Like the original Othello, New Boy is very much about race and jealousy. Osei here is the son of a Ghanan diplomat who has just been transferred from New York. It’s the fourth school the boy has attended in just a few short years. He knows how to be the new kid, but it’s harder in America where he has been the only black student. The white adults and children react to him either with angry racism, ostracism, or a bewildered kind of liberal tolerance that makes me cringe because it’s really just a different form of racism.

Osei might have been able to weather all this if it hadn’t been for Dee and Ian. Dee is the only classmate who makes an effort to get to know Osei. They fascinate each other by lunch time but, unbeknownst to them, Ian has already started plotting his potential rival’s downfall. Even more than the original Iago, Ian finds it easy to tap into the racism of his classmates. Without that racism—and without Osei’s experience of racism every where he goes—this story might have turned out differently this time.

New Boy is a short novel. It doesn’t need more than five acts set over a single day to do its work. I wasn’t sure about the setting at first, but in Chevalier’s hands the playground and the children make the original story even more tragic than the original. Reading this book is like watching a disaster unfold and not be able to do anything to stop it before you yourself get blown up in the catastrophe. This retelling affected me more than any of the others I’ve yet read.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration. It will be released 11 May 2017.

I don't know who I would recommend this to. The age of the characters and the first part of the story would lead me to give it to teens, but it turned very dark. I also didn't find the motivations and actions of the characters believable given their ages. I understand that this was based on Othello, but I don't get the sixth grade as the characters. Older characters, such as high school, may have worked better for me.

A skillful reworking of Shakespeare's Othello with accurate character, plot, and tonal elements. The thing that bothered me throughout was the age of the dramatic players; I feel like they should be just a couple years older. Having 11 year-olds in sexually and socially volatile circumstances was disturbing, and not in an artistically plausible way. A fatal flaw for me.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is the next in the series of retelling Shakespeare stories - this time Othello. However, the author deftly set the story in the 1970s in Washington DC and made the characters 11-year-olds. Osei is the son of a diplomat, originally from Ghana, is the new boy at school where he is the only Black student.

While the adults in this story are the ones that seem to have the biggest issues with the race card, the biggest part of this story to me was just how accurately the author portrayed childhood and what most of us go through in school - the social ranking, the lunchroom, the playground, first loves. Left to their own devices, these issues are what Osei faced more than the race card as he dealt with the other students.

A quick book with themes that are timeless - from Shakespeare to current age.

Thanks to NetGalley and to Crown Publishing for a preview copy of this book.

This is an excellent novel for maybe age 10 plus. I had read <i>The Girl with the Pearl Earring</i, but had not tried any of the Hogarth Shakespeare series. This is a retelling of <i>Othello</i>, set in the 70s in a private elementary school in Washington. Osei, the son of a diplomat, is the new boy at school, an experience that he is a veteran at. The roles portrayed by others- the nice girl, the shy girl, the bully, the racist, etc... are so beautifully done- this could easily be transformed into today's schools at all levels.

It is a story of love, of racism, a coming of age story, revenge, jealousy, and more. The choices presented felt real to me, as a teacher- although a bit over dramatic - these are issues that students deal with every day. Not only students... these are universal.

Loved it and would highly recommend it!.

New Boy by Tracy Chevalier ... it's a classic tragedy that is set in a middle school and it's all happening within one day. The time is 1974, the place is Washington DC, it's a small suburban school, the leading characters are all in sixth grade (last year in this school), it's still a month to go before summer brake and there is a new boy, it's his first day.

It is a new version of Othello, so there is a black boy (new boy), there is a blond girl (everybody's sweetheart), there is a jealous boy (school bully) and an friendly boy (everybody's favorite). These kids, they are just eleven or twelve years old, have boyfriends and girlfriends, they talk about going all the way, they kiss behind the school and they are so mean. True, these relationships often do not last more than a day, but it seams to be the most important thing in their world. The new boy is caught in a middle of this express dating when the school's sweetheart befriends him and the bully does not like it. A plan is formed and the unwitting actors have been handed their parts. The plan does not have an endgame, it will play out as it goes as long as the bully is happy with the destruction he's creating. And the alliances are formed and broken, wrong words are said at the right moment, doubt seeds are sown when the soil is rich. Kids can be so cruel!

It was an interesting version of the classic. The time and the place where the story was set was perfect. Sometimes it was queer to read about preteen kids who talk and think like early mid lifers, but that's the story and there is no way to change it.

Wow!

I've had reservations about Othello in the past. How could such a brave, wise, worldly man be so completely gullible? Emilia seems like a decent human being. How could she have possibly married Iago and why would she ever help him?

In Tracy Chevalier's retelling, it all makes sense. Immature, insecure twelve year olds? Early 70's? Yes, this fits and is gripping, powerful. The ending was a jolt. OK, Osei doesn't physically kill sweet little Dee, but there's no happy, playground ending here. It is Othello, after all.

I have to add that this is the third of the Hogarth Shakespeare retellings that I've read and all of them have been incredibly well done, the right authors paired with tales appropriate to their talents. I look forward to many more.