New Boy cover art

New Boy

Othello Retold (Hogarth Shakespeare)

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New Boy

By: Tracy Chevalier
Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
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About this listen

O felt her presence behind him like a fire at his back.

Arriving at his fourth school in six years, diplomat's son Osei Kokote knows he needs an ally if he is to survive his first day - so he's lucky to hit it off with Dee, the most popular girl in school. But one student can't stand to witness this budding relationship: Ian decides to destroy the friendship between the Black boy and the golden girl. By the end of the day, the school and its key players - teachers and pupils alike - will never be the same again.

The tragedy of Othello is transposed to a 1970s suburban Washington schoolyard, where kids fall in and out of love with each other before lunchtime and practise a casual racism picked up from their parents and teachers. Watching over the shoulders of four 11-year-olds - Osei, Dee, Ian and his reluctant "girlfriend", Mimi - Tracy Chevalier's powerful drama of friends torn apart by jealousy, bullying, and betrayal will leave you reeling.

©2017 Tracy Chevalier (P)2017 Random House Audiobooks Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction

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All stars
Most relevant  
Beautifully illustrated, a very simple story beautifully told. When I was a child in school , I never saw people by the colour , they just my friends.

Captivating to the end.

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Together with remarkable creatures this is probably my favourite book of the 7 by Chevalier I hBe listened to. Fast paced and well performed it is very suspenseful and the references to Othello are there but cleverly disguised. Shame it was so short.

Very enjoyable

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Superb interpretation of the story of Othello, imaginative recreation of characters and plot and shocking finale.

Excellent reinvention of the story of Othello

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Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I thought the setting was inspired. Beyond mere superlatives and watery qualifiers. The organised chaos of the school playground. Take me home mama. The hierarchies of boys - the fast changing relationships of girls. Climbing frames and kickball. Jump ropes and double dutch. Who can twirl; who can jump. Who's in - who's out. Kid world to the fore. Adult world as background. Kudos to Tracy Chevalier and kudos to Prentice Onayemi for keeping it real. I laughed and cried the whole time I listened owing to the book's setting. I'm going to do it. I'll shove in a superlative. Genius.

Any additional comments?

Every book published in the Hogarth Shakespeare series has been memorable and for all the right reasons. Character,challenges, setting, pace, resolution, a ha moments, fun, 'good words' and above all - soul satisfying. I could go on. For me New Boy surpassed the others for its setting and young characters. Someone picked a inspirational narrator.

For the editors of the series it is my profound hope that Julius Caesar - which has one of the greatest boardroom scenes in all literature (Act IV scene I) - will also be adapted.

Hogarth Shakespeare: The hits just keep on comin'

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The characterisation, general tone and setting all worked for me but I needed more to happen. The plot could have been developed further with more domestic details for the main characters, especially ’O’.
I can’t write what I want to say about the concluding scenes as this would spoil the book for others but for me it didn’t ring true. What I’d learnt about the characters involved did not make the ending feasible.
As for TC’s depiction of adolescence;she does a good job and I am reminded of what a complicated yet simple, happy, yet sad and lonely yet social time of life it is.

I wanted more to happen

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A thoroughly believable chilling story. It takes place in an American primary school but it could apply to any minority child in the mix that is most schools. Well crafted & read.

Manipulation in a primary school.

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