Unstoppable Octobia May

Gr 3–6—Octobia May has an untamed imagination. When she moves in with her Auntie Shuma, Octobia spends her days doing chores with her pretend servant friends, talking to the graves of the Before Girls at the nearby cemetery, and trying to unveil one of Auntie's boarders, Mr. Davenport, as the vampire he is. With the help of her friends, Jonah and Bessie, Octobia uncovers the dastardly deeds of Mr. Davenport, although the deeds have more to do with bank robbery and murder than with drinking blood. This story paints a realistic portrait of life for an African American girl in the 1950s, but the characterization and plot are marred by unclear writing. While the plot meanders, little information is offered about Octobia's (or any other character's) backstory, leaving readers ungrounded throughout the tale. Awkward quote attributions and murky action may have been meant to add to the mysterious nature of the plot, but fall short as one passage may take several examinations to comprehend. The way the adults, especially police officer O'Malley, in this story inexplicably flounder about with a cold-blooded murderer on the loose is unbelievable. Short chapters begin with a thick, black border, and a selected bibliography of relevant history ends the novel. While Octobia and other well-rounded characters were enjoyable and the overall plot was exciting, a less complicated writing style would have better highlighted the good this story offered.—Brittany Staszak, Glencoe Public Library, IL