Loyalty

Loyalty is so well written, and I couldn't put it down once I started it. I was transformed to 1774 and became engrossed in the life of Noah Cope and all the challenges he faced. I loved it. This book is well worth reading and will give you food for thought.

Historically accurate and emotionally touching book on the troubles of a teenage boy.

You can never miss with Avi

My boys (ages 12 and 7) and I spent two months listening to this story (on various car trips - it's a 10 hour book). I think it is one of the best Revolutionary War era books we've ever "read."Loyalty really digs into the complexities of war - how there's right and wrong on both sides of war. The main character is Noah (age 13-15 throughout the course of the book). His father was a loyalist pastor who was tarred and feathered by the Sons of Liberty. His family is driven out of their town and flees to Boston.In Boston, Noah is angry and vows to remain loyal to his father's beliefs. But as the story progresses, he begins to question his beliefs. He acts as a spy for the British, and yet finds himself being shot at by a British press gang, alongside his formerly enslaved, now free black employer, who longs to remain free even though he has no proof of his freedom.Eventually, he realizes that his sister and her "rebel" husband are in danger as the British Army heads to Concord. He jumps sides to warn her, only to arrive too late and find his patriot brother-in-law dead at the hands of the British.In my opinion, the best part of the book is that there is no clear "good guys" and "bad guys." Even at the end of the book, Noah is still questioning to which side he should be loyal. And his boss heads to Canada where he can be truly free, rather than enslaved.The book covers several pre-Revolutionary war events from early 1774 (the aftermath of the Boston Tea Party and the closing of the Boston Harbor, the Coercive Acts, etc) to March of 1776 when the contintental Army took back Boston from the British. Included are Paul Revere's Ride, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Battle of Bunker & Breeds Hill, & the Siege of Boston.As far as of the audiobook, I really did NOT like the narrator of this book. He was honestly overly dramatic and expressive to the point of being nauseating, but I got used to it as the book went along.{Content review for parents of younger kids / children: It's not an "easy" book and definitely not for younger readers due to some of the graphic war descriptions of violence, beating, tar and feathering. I feel like it's fairly in line with the content level of Johnny Tremain. Also as a content warning, there were at least two instances of the word "damned," which seemed to be an acceptable utterance during this era of history. It was not in any way pervasive.}

In this issue driven book, Avi's characters wrestle with these questions: Who is a traitor? Who is a patriot? What is loyalty? What is freedom? The answer really depends on who is telling the story, and that is the crux of Avi's Loyalty. Noah's father had unflinching pride in the British crown, and considered he and his family as loyal British citizens. Thirteen year old Noah never felt the need to question anything his father believed, until he met Jolla, his slightly older manager at the Green Dragon Tavern. Even though Noah accepted his father's political beliefs as the truth, when Jolla questioned why he held those beliefs, Noah couldn't answer, and he realized that he didn't know. He had never had to think for himself. As a Black freedman, Jolla has a vested interest in freedom, which he relaizes only white men willl enjoy. Noah's mother admonishes him to think for himself. What?? Had she questioned her husband all along? Obviously, since women also do not enjoy true freedom. In the two years depicted in the plot, both Tories and the Radicals make disastrous decisions based on misinformation; both sides torture those that don't agree with them; and both sides suffer. So who deserves one's loyalty? This title is a strong choice for inclusion in middle school and high school history coursework. It provides two points of view, Loyalist and Black, which are rarely seen in the presentation of the American Revolutionary War in school curriculum, and it provides ample outlets for discussion. I highly recommend.

Books that are both exciting and thought-provoking are my very favorite kind to use with students. Avi’s works rank right up there – I’ve loved using the Crispin books and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle.Loyalty takes a position rarely seen in American lit: the main character is a Tory living on American soil in the years leading up to the Revolution. It starts off with a bang, and while the action is a bit intermittent at times, Noah’s mind never stops whirling.That’s truly one of the best parts of the book. Loyalty is both the title and theme, and with that Avi has created a coming-of age story that’s quite unique. The historical setting and several characters are all true, but the author plays devil’s advocate a bit by making Noah side with the British – until he doesn’t. Noah’s exploration of what true liberty and loyalty mean and what the actions and consequences are of his choices make for a fascinating book that will prompt students to think deeply and critically. These are crucial skills for any adult in the making, and the questions raised are still applicable today.Loyalty will make an excellent addition to any ELA or history classroom. Add this one to your TBR piles now – you don’t want to miss it.I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

My 7th grader was assigned this for summer reading. In a nutshell, the author strives to make the reader to feel sympathies towards the British rather than the Americans in this revolutionary war - era setting by painting the picture that the Americans are the “bad guys”. Not only is it obviously imposing a current day political ideology upon our youth in the name of being “open minded”, but the story itself is downright boring and I feel sorry for the kids who have to read this as I had to painstakingly force myself to read it.