League of American Traitors

June 15, 2017
When 17-year-old Jasper loses his parents within months of each other, he finds himself lost in a conspiracy that forces him to choose whether to run, kill, or die. As the only living descendant of Benedict Arnold, Jasper becomes a target of the Libertines, a group composed of descendants of America's original revolutionaries. After an attempt on his life, Jasper is shipped off to a run-down school in Vermont run by the titular league, the descendants of famous American traitors. There he must learn the dueling code because, as he learns, as soon as he turns 18, he will begin receiving challenges from Libertines. And the only options are to duel and win or duel and die. Jasper's inheritance also includes his father's research, which he hopes will provide another way out. But further attacks and a budding romance are constant distractions. Witty banter, a clever premise, and the constant threat of danger keep the pages turning despite the story's lack of momentum. Characters grapple with the issues of honor and responsibility. Others are forced to deal with the deaths of friends and family and the guilt of taking a life. Unfortunately, while the story unpacks some little-known moments in American history, the pacing will make this only slightly more interesting than reading a textbook. And like most U.S. history textbooks', the cast is a largely white one. Slow to develop its promising premise. (Fiction. 12-16)

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August 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-Shortly after his father's death, 17 year-old Jasper is contacted by a mysterious lawyer who reveals that Jasper is the last scion of Benedict Arnold-a heritage which mandatorily drafts him into an underground society called The League of American Traitors. The League is opposed by another Mafia-like group, The True Sons, whose members are all heirs of national heroes. True Sons are honor bound by a "Code" to challenge a League member to a pistol duel when he or she turns 18. Jasper seeks to escape his impending duel by continuing his late father's historical research-work that may absolve the Arnolds of treachery and, instead, implicate The True Sons. The ensuing contest between the League and the True Sons is more adventure than mystery. Unfortunately, the chase scenes and fire fights aren't thrilling enough to distract from the plot holes. How does a bloody shoot out in Philadelphia's Independence Park fail to provoke a police response? The immature humor will fall flat for most readers but might possibly appeal to some middle schoolers. Meanwhile, a couple of f-bombs and gun wounds are more appropriate for older readers. The premise seems to promise insights into history, but these are not realized. Arnold's second wife is only described as a "historically hot" Loyalist, and the book's message is that historical research is, for the most part, a mind-numbing trudge through boring documents. A vapid romance and overworked metaphors don't help. VERDICT Skip it.-Blake Holman, Whitefish Bay Public Library, WI

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