Review: The End of The World and Beyond
Title: The End of the World and Beyond
Series: Sequel to The Unexpected Life of Oliver Cromwell Pitts
Author: Avi
Release Date: January 29, 2019
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Find it here: Goodreads – Amazon – B&N – Book Depository
Synopsis from Goodreads: 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.
My Review: I really enjoyed this action packed trip to 18th century America. The story draw the reader into the life of an indentured servant during the early days of America and is hauntingly accurate in parts of its portrayal. Although this book is a sequel, it can certainly be read as a standalone. This book is sure to spark an interest in history in many readers!
About the Author: Avi is the author of many books for young readers including Catch You Later, Traitor, the Newbery Medal novel Crispin: The Cross of Lead, and the Newbery Honor books The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Nothing But the Truth. He lives in Colorado. Visit www.avi-writer.com.
*I received this book from Algonquin Young Readers in exchange for an honest review*