Customer Reviews

My Name Is Not Angelica

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

O'Dell,Scott.(1989).My Name Is Not Angelica"
New York:Scholastic, Inc.

This book is about a girl named Raisha. Raisha and her family and friends live in Africa, until one day the white people came and brought them to America to work as slaves. Raisha, her family and her friends were sold at an auction.Luckly her and Konje were sold to the same master and were sent to Van Prok.
When they got to there plantation they saw the huts they were going to live in and saw the work they were going to do. Then Konje planed a plot of running away tomaho bay, he told Raisha that when there was enough food she could come. So Konje left Van Prok.
Then the other owners slaves ran away, and the run away slaves started stealing food and goods from different plantations. So Governer Gardelin had to make up these rulers that were a lot harsher than the old ones.
Raisha would steal some goods for Konje and hide them by a bush and then Konje would pick them up. Raisha is so upset about all the deaths and everything that is going down that she plans to plot to run away her self.
Raisha runs away and on her way these 2 white boys stop her and ask her if shes a slave and what plantation she belongs to. Raisha doesn't answer. Instead she runs as fasts as she can, until she reaches Cinnamon bay were she catches a lot of fish a drys them out for the slaves to eat, she also gets fruit from some fruit trees.
After Raisha collects enough food for the slaves she heads towards Konjes camp of run away slaves. When she gets there she is greeted by Konje with a hug. Raisha gives Konje the food she colected for the slaves.Then Raisha finds out she's pregnant with Konjes Baby. Then Raisha and Konje get married.
Then the Governor brought a lot of soliders to kill the run aways. Konje told everyone not to surrender. The soldiers came and killed a priest, and all the slaves thought that killing themselves would be better than having them selves killed by white people. So the slaves jump off the cliff. Konje takes Raishas hand and she pulls away telling him she doesn't want to kill the baby, Konje told Raisha that they would all be together in heaven, but Raisha still refused. So Konje jump by himself.
Later Raisha and her baby became free.
I think you should read this book because it has everything. Its sad and happy and basicly has every mood. This book is very good, there was never really a dull part in it.
The genre of this book is slavery. I would give tis book a 9 out of 10.

The book My Name Is Not Angelica by Scott O'Dell is an intriguing guide through the slavery of African Americans. It is a brilliant story with descriptive characteristics of each specific individual and setting. Raisha, the protagonist of the book, was sold to the Van Prok family of Hawks Nest and throughout the story she gains her individuality. Mistress Jenna Van Prok renamed Raisha "Angelica" to try to make her forget her heritage. Raisha, sold in a trio with two of her friends from home, blossoms into an emotionally strong woman in tough times as this publication progresses. Her entire "career" as a slave she had dreamed to be free. It made it tougher for her when she dealt with the surprises of her new lifestyle and community. Can she escape this mind buckling experience? The inquiring minds of all that read this are to whom this will prevail.

I recommend My Name is Not Angelica because it is a somewhat brief anecdote that shows how Raisha deals with the slave revolt of 1733. It was admirable how Raisha gained her independence "waltzing" from location to location. After the unbearably treacherous happening of being removed from her home and in Africa at an age where she nearly understood the horror and details of the slave revolt. Although the heat of Africa was similar to that of St. John, the location of Hawks Nest, it seemed hotter to her to a scorching degree while suffering and slaving away. Even though her existent work was tending to Mistress Jenna. There were many sections of the story when Raisha found her self bedazzled by the new nature of her life. The strongest obstacle beyond her nature was when she constantly found herself looking upon a collection of white faces (especially in the market in the West Indies where she was sold). She also had to deal with the trauma of watching her friends suffer, and in one case die by the strokes of a whip. This 130 paged telling may seem like it is a children's book by it's length, but it has the potential of an award winning novel. It has been a winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award in the past. But presently I'm sure it will tolerate many more awards to an utmost extent.

A negative characteristic of My Name Is Not Angelica is it was not as well organized as it could have been. An example is not having a directory of page numbers as most books do contain which made it difficult to find a concluding point when needed. It also could have added an adventurous twist to the beginning as well as midway and the end. That way in would have a forceful push to complete reading it. Most short story style "novels" are considered childish and don't dare to dream, but this author made a strenuous effort and greatly succeeded in executing it perfectly. This tale is a nail biter, not a head scratcher. This wonderful story has necessity for a sequel.

This book is the best book in the world. It is about a girl named Raisha and her 2 friends Dondo and Konje. They get taken from their home in Africa and get taken to St. Thomas. They get sold as slaves to Jost van Prok and his wife. Then they go to St. John where the van Proks change their names to Abraham, Apollo, and Angelica. I just have to say that Scott O'Dell is the greatest writer in the world. One of the reasons why I like this book is that it talks about the history of the St. John Slave Revolt. This is Raisha's story.

I had never heard of the St. John's slave revolt in 1733. The book tells the story of Raisha, the daughter of a lesser Barato chief, beginning in Africa. The first chapter tells of the events leading to their being sold into slavery, and pictures her life of freedom. The horrors of the voyage and the terror of being sold are brought to life. Cruelty was apparently common, and the life of the slaves was held in small regard. Raisha was betrothed to a chief in her former life in Africa, and they are sold to the same plantation. He escapes before too long, and heads the slave revolt from Mary Point. After new and harsh slave laws are passed, Raisha escapes also. A preacher marries her and Konje in the camp as they prepare for the revolt. At last, a French ship of war from the nearby island of Martinique arrives. The French soldiers come to the slave camp to end the revolt, but things turn out differently than they expect. Konje realizes the futility of resistance, and as the soldiers watch, the entire camp jump from the cliff to their deaths below rather than return to slavery. Raisha alone, knowing she is a carrying a child, refuses to commit suicide. She is taken to Martinique where she and her child are freed after a year.

The book is not a pleasurable read, due to the horror described throughout. There is love too, but the whole story is a tragedy. It would be a good book to introduce the St. John's revolt, and to learn more about the time and customs.

This book is okay. I didn't get into the book right away, but otherwise it was good. Some main characters are, Raisha, Konje, Dondo, Mistress Jenna, and Master van Prok. The setting of the book is mostly placed on the isand of St. John, but at the beginning it is placed in Africa, the home of Raisha, Konje, and Dondo. The three friends are caught with many other Africans and brought onto a boat that takes them to St. John where they are all sold to plantation owners. Raisha is sold to the van Prok's along with her friends. Soon things get really bad. Slaves are running away, and Captain Dumont is called upon the people of St. John to make new laws so less slaves will run away. When Mistress Jenna tells Raisha, or Angelica, as Jenna calls her, to pack her bags Angelica decides to run away to Mary Point. When she finally gets to the camp she brings many small fish so the run-away slaves have something to eat. When Captain Dumont decides to turn to fighting the slaves jump off the cliff to their death, but Raisha can't, for she is carrying Konje's child. I think a major problem is that Raisha is stuck on the island and she believes there is no escape, even if she runs away. The resolution to the problem is simply that she runs away when Mistress Jenna tells her to pack.

My Name Is Not Angelica is about an African girl who is taken to an island to be a slave. Her family is gone from her forever. She is sold at an auction with Konje and Dondo, people from her home in Africa. Then, slaves begin running away. What is this young woman's fate? Find out by reading My Name Is Not Angelica.

Raisha was asleep when she heard noises. Suddenly, she was woken up and told to stay quiet. She is put on a ship and sent to an island on the other side of the world. On the way, many people died and Raisha was scared. While on the boat, she discovers that she is going to an auction to be sold as a slave. "No matter what happens," she thinks to herself, "keep smiling."

Raisha's life is soon turned upside down. Her mistress decides to call her Angelica, because she looks like an angel when she smiles, but Raisha hates the name. Konje runs away and promises to come back for her. Raisha wants Konje to come back, but worries about the danger. Then, Dondo is killed for helping set free a child that they considered to be a criminal. Raisha's master decided to send her and her mistress away, but Raisha doesn't want to go. When her mistress tells her to go get her belongings so they can leave, Raisha gets her stuff and runs away. She ends up finding Konje's camp. They get married, and Raisha becomes the mother of Konje's child. They're happy until... they're found.

I liked this book, because it was full of suspense. I liked how it had actual feeling. I could feel the threat of the new laws as I read them; the sincerity of the other runaway slaves. I would recommend this book to others. It has a slow introduction, but it's worth it.

My Name Is Not Angelica, the Book on our History

My Name Is Not Angelica, by Scott O'Dell, introduces us to the realistic life of a slave from Africa. This book is exiting and interesting because it shows how harsh the life of a slave was in America and the things that they had to go through. Raisha is a girl living happily in an African village, about to be married to the handsome son of their diseased chief. Everything is going well until the village is invited to a feast in another village kingdom. There she is betrayed and kidnapped at night along with other people from her kingdom and sold as a slave. She is forced to board an over crowded slave ship and travel uncomfortably to the Americas leaving her friends and family without knowing what their fate will be. From then on her life completely changes and she learns all the rules that a slave must fallow. Though everything around her is cruel it all makes her stronger for the next dangers she must face. I recomend this book because the life that Raisha, the young African maiden, goes through is exiting to read about and teaches you a lot about slavery. Raisha has to make many decisions that sometimes put her life at risk, but that might help her and the rest of the slaves she knows. You learn and gain much interesting information on the subject of slavery in the Americas in a fun way. I never new that the torture that slaves had to go through when they were caught after running away were so extreme. I had never read a book that told about what happened to slaves if they were caught after running away. I also learned that slaves had hideouts or camps that they organized when they ran away and they used drums to communicate with the other camps around them. This book taught me more things about slavery that I had never heard about. This is why I think that this book is fun, exiting, and a good pastime. Some people might disagree with me and say that this book sounds like other books about slaves that they have read. Even though these point might be true I still think that this book is enjoyable and in some ways unique. My Name Is Not Angelica is good for many ages and even grown-ups can learn more about slavery from this book.

A fondly remembered book from my childhood. I highly recommend this and most other Scott O'Dell works.

Scott O'Dell writes history not found in textbooks. Here isslavery on the island of St. John, rather than the more familiartopics found in YA or children's books - such as the Canadian/American Underground Railroad or the Emancipation. O'Dell's emphasis on the fear and cruelty of the masters is coupled with revolt of slaves and the power of their talking drums. A subplot love story helps this tragic book appeal to both female and male young adults, black and white.

This book is okay. I didn't get into the book right away, but otherwise it was good. Some main characters are, Raisha, Konje, Dondo, Mistress Jenna, and Master van Prok. The setting of the book is mostly placed on the isand of St. John, but at the beginning it is placed in Africa, the home of Raisha, Konje, and Dondo. The three friends are caught with many other Africans and brought onto a boat that takes them to St. John where they are all sold to plantation owners. Raisha is sold to the van Prok's along with her friends. Soon things get really bad. Slaves are running away, and Captain Dumont is called upon the people of St. John to make new laws so less slaves will run away. When Mistress Jenna tells Raisha, or Angelica, as Jenna calls her, to pack her bags Angelica decides to run away to Mary Point. When she finally gets to the camp she brings many small fish so the run-away slaves have something to eat. When Captain Dumont decides to turn to fighting the slaves jump off the cliff to their death, but Raisha can't, for she is carrying Konje's child. I think a major problem is that Raisha is stuck on the island and she believes there is no escape, even if she runs away. The resolution to the problem is simply that she runs away when Mistress Jenna tells her to pack.