The Year of the Hangman

by Gary L. Blackwood

In 1776, the rebellion of the American colonies against British rule was crushed.  Now, in 1777-the year of the hangman-George Washington is awaiting execution, Benjamin Franklin's banned rebel newspaper, Liberty Tree, has gone underground, and young ne'er-do-well Creighton Brown, a fifteen-year-old Brit, has just arrived in the colonies.  Having been shipped off against his will, with nothing but a distance for English authorities, Creighton befriends Franklin, and lands a job with his print shop.  But the English general expects the spoiled yet loyal Creighton to spy on Franklin.  As battles unfold and falsehoods are exposed, Creighton must decide where his loyalties lie...a choice that could determine the fate of a nation.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Alternate History, Historical, School, Middle Grade

261 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 16, 2002

About the author

He grew up in rural Cochranton, Western Pennsylvania, where he attended school in a one room schoolhouse. He graduated with a B.A. in English from Grove City College in Pennsylvania. While a college student, Blackwood published his first short story, Cliffs of Gold, in Twelve/ Fifteen magazine.

He has sold dozens of stories to children's magazines, and has published thirty-five novels and nonfiction books for adults, young adults and middle readers.

Blackwood is also a widely produced playwright.

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Year of the Hangman by Gary Blackwood is a book that I can highly recommend, especially to readers who are interested in historical fiction. First of all, let me clarify that it is not really historical fiction. It falls into the category of an alternate history or uchronia. I love the idea of exploring the possibilties of what might have been for Americans if they had not won the Revolutionary War.

In the story, Creighton, our main character, is far from perfect. In fact, he worries his mom with so much in their home in England, that she ships him off into the night to the rugged, less-than-civilized colonies. His father was a major for the British forces, but he perished in the war. So as a single mother raising a rebellious teen, Mrs. Brown's sees no other way to deal with Creighton than to send him to live with the other rebels in the Americas.

Once Creighton arrives there, he meets his less than congenial uncle in South Carolina. From there he is sent to the wild city of New Orleans where he has the opportunity to meet the larger than life Ben Franklin who takes him in and gives him a place to live and a job working in his print shop. Franklin becomes his mentor and teaches Creighton that his angst is only going to be his downfall.

All of the characters in the story are realistic and likable (except of course the nasty uncle) and drive the story to its suspenseful end--all the while making us hope that Creighton will finally get himself together, knock the chip off his shoulder, and learn to be a respectful, hard-working member of society. He is severely tested along the way, and he learns whom to trust in life--as well as those who should not be trusted. Mostly, he learns to trust himself in ways he never could before. The Year of the Hangman is another "coming of age" story with the unique twist of being a uchronia.

I really love this book, and I hope those who read it will love it as much as I did!

[Will_kemeny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The YA historical fiction genre is not what i have ever ventured into reading. But, as you can see by my 5 out of 5 star rating i thought this was a wonderful book. This is book is dry at first but once you start reading it you cannot put it down. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone even if they do not normally read historical fiction literature.

It takes place in 1777, but instead of america earning its independence from britian the brits squash the attepted revoulution. This book begins within the twisted mind of the main character Creigton. Creigton is a young school boy who is allways getting into mischief. He is cocky, lazy, and most horrifically he thinks of death as just a game. After Chreigton is ruled to bad to handle his mother shipped him off to Carolina to be with his uncle to learn discipline. Because of American pirates Creigton ends up in Florida staying with one of our founding fathers Benjamin Franklin. When Creigton learns about all the injustices that the British are pushing on the Americans he is forced to choose between where his loyalties truly lay.

Near the end of the book after he lives through some battles he realizes that death is not a game. It is not just a thing to be taken lightly and he understands how truly horrific war is. He learns a big lesson about how sad death is and how even if you are told to do one thing you should do what you know is right.

I really like how Blackwood puts a twist on history and taught me things I didn't know about the war. This is a very powerful book so it is definitely worth reading!

[Allison Tebo]

DNF

[Beau_mccoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went out of my comfort zone on this book and I wasn't really that thrilled by this book. I really didn’t like it because of the slow pace. Its set during the revolutionary war but instead of the colonials beating the British the British beat them. So the British think that the colonials should bow down to them but instead the colonials are still trying to come back. Now everyone who signed the declaration of independence like George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson are being hunted down by the British for treason. Now theirs this boy named Creighton, he is a very wealthy boy who doesn’t care much at all for what any one has to say and won’t attend his studies so his mother sends him away to the colonies to meet his uncle because Creighton's mother thinks this will be better for him than staying in Britain. So Creighton is a complete and total Brit but whenever he and his uncle are sailing down south their boat gets raided and now he has to decide whether to stay true to his colors or to help the colonials with their plan of defeating the British.

It did have very good explaining, except that it had a little too much. It just went on and on that's where the book got boring. I like it when books keep going and have a lot of suspense, this did have some very suspense full moments, but overall not too much. I think some people that really like historical fiction will like this book because it does put a spin on history, but I think you really have to like a lot of talking, and explain to like this book. Now the ending of the book it's really a shocker, and that’s what really ends the book with a bang which I liked. I’m not going to reveal the end because I’m going to leave that to you to decide whether or not you want to read this

[Coleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the book “The Year of the Hangman” and i really liked this book. It has adventure, drama, thrill, and suspense. This book would be recommended if you like any books that seek adventure, drama, thrill, and suspense. In the book there was a kid who was a thief until he met his uncle. The setting was in the civil war and his uncle was a British soldier. The kids name was Creighton Brown and he was told that his father was killed in the war. When he met his uncle they took over a fort and then set sail to another fort.

[Skylar Mann · Rating 1 out of 5]

I HATED THIS BOOK! And that was probably the worst book I have ever read. It was a summer reading book and nothing was interesting about it except the last twenty pages. (And only because I was so close to finishing the waste of literature!) And maybe I'm being extreamly harsh but, if you were expecting upcomming eigth graders to read this and be interesting through the entire thing, I don't know what to tell you.

[Kayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book was absolutely terrible, even if you are someone to enjoy historical fiction you will end up throwing this book in the trash can.

[KB2788 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking place in an alternate history where the British won the Revolutionary War, this book is still filled with plenty of accurate historical information and descriptions of key players such as Benjamin Franklin. The language used in this book was a bit more sophisticated than I expected for a YA book, but it works really well, especially for this time period. I really enjoyed reading this book and only wished it was longer to tie up some loose ends. Such a smart idea for a novel.

[Kenzie Judd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response:
I would give this book four stars, because I really like reading about history.The vocabulary is harder but the content is easy to follow. I did not like how there were cliffhangers, the book would tell what happened way later in the book. The author did well writing the book and made sure to do there research on history.

Plot:
Creighton lives in London, England with his mom. His father died during the War. In the beginning of the book Creighton is walking back home one night from playing poker with the soldiers from the war. When Creighton is about to unlock the front door of his house, he gets kidnapped by these two men and gets dragged onto a boat. Creighton is on the boat for two days before someone comes to tell him why he is there. It is Creighton's uncle that tells him why he is there and what they need him for. Creighton is there to spy on the government. Creighton does not agree at first but his uncle talks him into it. When Creighton gets on land his uncle tells him he needs to act as if he is looking for work and to blend in. Creighton ends up getting a job at the typewriter factory, working for Mr. Franklin. While working there he meets a servant named Sofie. Sofie and Creighton get along right away and talk about how kind Mr. Franklin is. One night when Creighton is sleeping he wakes up to the smell of smoke, he looks out the window and sees that the factory is on fire. Creighton wakes everyone up then goes outside to stop the fire. Creighton notices the people starting the fire and chases them down. Creighton jumped on one guys back and started beating him, until the guy knees Creighton and takes off running. Creighton goes inside the building trying to save the typewriters and Mr. Franklin. Creighton comes out with a couple scratches and bruising, but Franklin's injuries are much more worse. Franklin dies a couple days later from the injuries. Later on Creighton are starting to become suspicious of Creighton and start investigating him. Creighton’s uncle comes by to say he need to leave and go wherever. Creighton meets two guys escaping on the way to the pier and they escape together. They get caught on there way and end up in jail and have to share a room with another inmate. Creighton figures out it is his father in the cell with them and learns how the American Army took him as hostage. Creighton figures a way out of the cell and they all escape but Creighton's father is too weak so one of he carries him. They all make it to the pier by sundown and take a ship back to England. Creighton's father died on the way there. Creighton did not end up going home to his mother and stayed with the runaways he met.

Characters:
There are three main characters in this book Creighton, Sofie, and Dr. Franklin. Creighton is 15 years old, has brown hair and brown eyes. He is tall for his age and hates going to school. He loves reading and getting into trouble. He likes playing poker with the older men at a bar. He is an only child and lives with his mom in England. His father died fighting in the war. Sofie is from Paris, France but moved to Virginia to be a servant. She is 15 years old and a servant to a very wealthy man. She has black hair and brown eyes. She is about average height and likes cooking when she has free time. Sofie loves her job because everyone is so kind to her. She is stubborn and cares for many things. Dr.Franklin is the very wealthy man that Sofie works for. He lives in Virginia He creates newspapers and has his own business. He is an older man with white hair and blue eyes. He is very kind to everyone, but can also have a horrible temper. He does not like to wear clothes when people are not around.

Setting:
This story takes place during the Civil War in London, England. It takes place in Virginia also. I think the author wanted it to take place in the Middle of the war, so readers could get a feel on how things were back then.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this to guys and girls in high school because it is a harder read. There is no harsh language but the book gives some specific details on certain events, like being hanged. I think people would enjoy this book because it has suspicion, adventure, and surprises

[Jackson Abells · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Year of the Hangman is a novel that presents an alternate history in which the Americans lost the revolution. The book includes various well-known historical figures in new scenarios as well as some completely fabricated characters. The main protagonist goes through a great character arc and has his loyalties tested. He changes from an aimless wastrel to someone who has something to contribute.
For example: “In view of what had happened in these past few months, the British no longer seemed to him as such a superior civilized people. In fact, they had come to resemble, in his mind, all the tyrannical schoolmasters and bullying students he had ever known.”
What was originally a terrifying kidnapping ends up being the greatest thing to happen to him. I do wish that the novel included more figurative language. Overall though, Gary Blackwood did a phenomenal job with creating this suspenseful novel, The Year of the Hangman.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't a bad book, but it could have been better.

I haven't read too much alternate history, but the Revolutionary War is my favorite time period, so I was excited to read this. However, while it presented a believable alternate history, it left me feeling a little unsure by the end--I think, partly, because it has two endings, and I loved the one while the other felt like a waste.

So, the main character is a teenager named Creighton. I loved the character arc he went through, and the ending is a great conclusion to everything he's been through. While he seemed like a odd choice for a story about Americans losing the war with Britain, he was actually the perfect choice. With him, both sides are shone, rather than just one ragging on the other.

Side note, it's odd the cover of this book makes no reference to Creighton. The back blurb talks about George Washington being captured and the revolutionary leaders in hiding, so I was expecting a book told from one (or several) of them. Like I said, I did enjoy Creighton's story, but I still kind of want to read the story I first thought this was going to be.

Now, for the other ending of this book--the American cause. This book sounded like it was supposed to be about the aftermath of losing the war, but when reading it, it seemed very much like the war was still going, just without an official recognition of it. Which, I know there are some who would have kept fighting, even with having lost the war, but... It just seems odd to say the war is over.

Then, with how things were left at the end... It made a lot of the events in the book feel pointless. I get it's hard to have a happy ending with the premise that the Americans lost the war, but that bit near the end kind of felt rushed, and after the fact. Creighton had about finished his character arc, and so it felt like the author wanted to end the book, rather than deal with the aftermath of things. Vague, but I'm trying to avoid spoilers--and if you've read the book, I would assume you know which bit I'm talking about.

Overall, it wasn't the book I expected, but I did enjoy Creighton and his character arc. It was cool to see some of the possibilities of what could have happened if the war had ended differently, but I was ultimately left disappointed with that aspect of things. I'm really torn how I feel about this book, but I don't think I'll be keeping a copy of it.

[Clark0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. I rated it with a five out of five star rating and fully stand behind it. This book didn’t look or sound very interesting when I started it to get into the details and read a little more and a little more, the book just jumped out and grabbed me! I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys action and a little bit of mystery.

The characters in this book are quite hard to explain. First there is Creighton. He is a young man at the age of about 17. He and his mom live in England and are quite wealthy people and are considered upper class. Next there is Benjamin Franklin. He runs a printing press that produces the weekly newspaper for the small Spanish village of New Orleans. He also prints an illegal document called the Liberty Tree at night. Franklin tragically passes away after he gets caught under a structural beam that fell on him when he was inside the printing house. Then there is Peter. Peter is a mountain of a man and isn't much older than Creighton. Peter was part of the party that brought Creighton, his uncle, and another man called Lieutenant Hale. Peter takes part in many of the same activities that Creighton takes part in. Then you have Creighton's uncle. His uncle is the kind of man that is strictly business and not a thing more. He is killed in a duel with one of Creighton's friends from New Orleans.

This story takes place in the British Colonies. In the Colonies, Creighton visits Charles Town where his uncle was stationed. He also lives in New Orleans in the Spanish Territories at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Creighton was a so called "Gentleman" when he lived in England. His Father had supposedly "died" in battle in the Colonies. His Mother was getting worried about him because all that he did was sit in a Tavern and play cards while drinking large quantities of ale. As a result of all his drinking, his mother shipped him away to the Colonies where her brother, Creighton's uncle, was stationed. When Creighton arrived in Charles Town, he was informed by his uncle that they would be moving to Florida. To summarize some of this, Creighton's ship was overtaken by Privateers, or Pirates, and was then moved to the Spanish settlement of New Orleans along the Mississippi River. There he met Benjamin Franklin and was introduced to the art of printing. After his uncle had escaped New Orleans and left Creighton behind, he started to turn into an American. Creighton even took part in some missions to hurt the British and even took part in a mission that killed his uncle. One of the missions was to recover the American General Washington. When they went searching they discovered that Washington had been hanged, but Creighton found an even more important person, his Father!

[Edgar Arias · Rating 4 out of 5]

****Spoiler Alert****

What if the Americans lost the Revolutionary and the British won what if George Washington was captured and hanged what if did really happen.It's like a historical type of story but still has its fiction in it.It to me is like a four out of five which is still pretty amazing.

The setting takes place in the 1800"s during the revolutionary war in New Orleans yay i know.Lets begin with the revolutionary war the war has started, patriots have just lost the war and the British won.Then there an English boy named Creighton he lives in England with a wealthy mother thinking the rules don't apply to him.Then one day just after losing a bet with cards arrives home and gets mugged by strange people.Not knowing where he is finds himself on a boat heading to the colonies saying to the captain"There must be a mistake i can't be here Creighton announced to the captain you Creighton brown well yes Creighton said then your him" the captain said.Arriving to America finds out that his uncle was told from Creighton's mother that she was the one who sent him here.Shocked from what he is told he now has to travel to New Orleans with his uncle then suddenly privateers attack there ship taken under arrest Creighton is not taken pretending to be a loyal servant is let free.Meeting Dr.Franklin changes Creighton months past then Creighton turns his red coat over to the blue coat side.Meeting his father again Creighton is now sure to side with them because his father to is a patriot.Always George Washington is dead hanged for losing the war.Overall its like a person vs person because the patriots are just mainly fighting the red coats.

I was surprised when Creighton turned his coat to blue because he lived in England and favored them more and always thought of the Americans as a bunch of idiots going to war.I liked the way the author showed the emotion when like Creighton found his Father who thought to be dead was alive like he was so glad and mad which interested me more.

I wished that it had some more of that romance between Creighton and Sophia because there always a part where its kinda romantic then nothing happens.An interesting that i learn in this story was that the patriots lost like a different dimension or alternate universe if we did lose the war.

I give this book a 4 out 5 stars because its still a amazing book but it still missed some things i wanted to know but overall Awesome!If want to know what happens if we did lose the war here it is read the amazing book.If want to know what would of happen if we lost the Revolutionary war then just come and read this story.

[Saira Shah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This historical fiction story takes place in 1777 during the American War for Independence from Great Britain. The main character is a seventeen year old boy named Creighton who lives in Great Britain and doesn't like the Americans for not listening to what the King orders. When Creighton gets kidnapped he is put on a ship and sent to the American colonies. Will he change his opinions to an American point of view or will he be a British man forever? He will also find out who sent him to the Americas. He will find out what happened to his British Father who was sent to the Americas by the military. I read this book for a socail studies project, but I do not recomend it. It is too repetitive and has no moral or overall meaning. It took me so long to read because it was so unorganized and I personally don't like historical fiction books.

[Jake Geremia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was required to read this book for school, and all I have to say is that I am disappointed. The description on the back was very misleading, saying something along the lines of "What if the Americans lost the Revolutionary War?" Personally, I am a fan of alternate history and very interested in it. Instead of getting an exciting novel of war and history, I got a book about a snobby English kid who drinks, steals, fights, and lies. The book contains no depth whatsoever and eventually made me dread reading. The kid, Creighton Brown, is forced to move to the colonies where he works as a servant for Benjamin Franklin. In one chapter he hates America, he hates Ben Franklin, and in the next, he loves it and everything it stands for. The book has odd and disproportional pacing with confusing character development.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't get this story idea. The "what if?" historical setting confused me all the way through. Plus, the synopsis on the back was misleading- it said that our protagonist would make a decision that could 'change the fate of a nation'. Really? Where was that decision?
However, something that Gary Blackwood does extremely well is character development. The characterization of Franklin was spot on; I loved the spunky personality of Sophie, and the sweet disposition of Peter. Also, I was able (by the great writing) to go from hating Creighton to loving him at the end. Yay! Over all, odd idea, okay plot, great characters, and fantastic writing.

[Ben Corsaw]

I read the book Year of the Hangman by Gary Blackwood. The book is about a boy named Creighton Brown. Creighton Brown was a boy who stole stuff from his mom too drink and gamble. Then he gets captured and taken to his uncle where he meets lots of new people and does lots of new things and he is trying too figure out what happened to his dad because he has been missing and his mom and uncle keep trying too tell him that he is dead.so if you enjoy reading books about war and people getting shot then this is the book for you and if you have not read it then you should read it.

[KappaBooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

While the premise drew me in, the main character spit me back out. He's written terribly, really the entire book is written badly, but the main character specifically. While I am interested in other fiction that considers what had happened if x historical event didn't happen, this book was a bad start.

[Shay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing I loved it so much. There was so much character development...so much growth in the main character. It felt like historical fiction rather than alternate history, it was so well written.
Also, it had just about the best ending I've ever read in my life. Really fabulous.

[Karly Richlinski · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so bad. I burned it.

[Wyatt Glasss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Year of the Hangman THEME

In the alternate history novel, The Year of the Hangman, the main character Creighton Brown shows that your conscience is always reliable throughout the entire novel. The author shows that conscience is reliablein the book by having it as a recurring word throughout the book, while Creighton is wondering where his loyalties lie. The Year of the Hangman explains the importance of conscience in three ways, first, when creighton is battling with his loyalties in New Orleans, second, when Creighton's dad saves many American’s from being slaughtered by Indians, and third, when Creighton decides to go with General Arnold, and follow his conscience in making the right decision.
When Crighton arrives in New Orleans, he is still a loyal Brit, but over time, with some reason, Creighton’s conscience convinces that the British are dirty people, who kill and start wars just for power. Creighton lives in New Orleans with a rebel named Ben Franklin, and a french girl named Sophie. He spends a good amount of time with them considering they work in a print shop together, but while his is working for Franklin he has gone to visit his British uncle, who is in prison, and has agreed to be a spy for his uncle, and get him a pistol to help him escape. But as long as Creighton is spying for his uncle, his conscience is going crazy, and in the back of his mind it is telling him that this is not right. While at a pub with some American men, he learns that his dad did not die fighting in the revolutionary war, but instead he was hanged by the British for aiding the enemy, and warning them of a surprise attack the British had planned on them. In hearing this, his light hate for the British grew a little more, and he was starting to believe his conscience in thinking the British are the enemy. Later, after he helped his uncle escape the clutches of the prison, his uncle, Colonel Gower, struck him on the cranium with a pistol, leaving him behind the escape party. This left Creighton in a rage, now on the verge of truly believing his people were ravage scoundrels, who were completely wrong, his conscience egged him on, telling him the British were not truly right, but for now, Creighton wasn’t truly convinced yet. But, after burning two Brits dressed as Indians burned down Ben’s print shop and killed Franklin in the process, Creighton finally believed his conscience that it was right, and that he was no longer proud to be British.
While in the Pub in New Orleans, Creighton and the rebels there didn’t stray there conversation away from politics, and the war they could have won. Somewhere along in the conversation, a man names Burr, talked, without knowing how Creighton’s dad really passed away. He said that while Harry Brown, Creighton’s father really died was that while he was fighting in the war, the British gave the native indians weapons and won over their loyalty, they then told them to go and attach the revolutionary army when they didn’t expect it. Hearing this, Harry’s voice inside him told him that it wasn’t right, that he needed to do something about it, and once again, conscience came through. Harry ran to the American’s and warned them of the attack that was coming their way. Harry saved many American’s lives that day. And Creighton’s own conscience went off, as if to tell him, listen to me, I am always right. And from then on, Creighton payed a little more attention to his conscience.
When Franklin died, Creighton decided to join the cause of the American’s once and for all. And after going on a secret mission to aid the revolution, he met his father, in a British prison, who turned out not to be dead, and that reason alone was enough to tell Creighton to listen to his conscience.
In these three ways it showed that throughout the book Creighton learned the importance of his conscience, and that no matter what, it never lies.

[Ethan Wang · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many different themes in the page-flipping book on The Hangman but one of the main themes was the difference loyalty brings. There are many different places where it shows how loyalty can affect the way a person acts but one of the first times it was important was during the time where Creighton trusted his uncle to become a spy for England to get information from the Americans. Creighton, under dire circumstances, agrees and spies on the Americans for quite some time. This evidence shows that Creighton is loyal to his mother country, England, and thinks that his loyalty will always be with her unlike his father which he learns about later. This was important because it shows that Creighton can be loyal to what he thinks is the right side and stays with them. He would not betray his country, under most circumstances, and would even stoop down to the level of a slave to help his uncle and Hale get out of prison from the Americans. He knows the importance of loyalty and would respect it at all costs which changes at how we see him as a human. However this changed during the time when his provider for shelter and food, Benjamin Franklin’s printing press was put on fire by Indians who worked for an with the British army. This is my second piece of evidence where Creighton gets changed by loyalty. As the place burns to the floor Benjamin Franklin and Sophia were trying to save the printing machines and the types. Creighton joins in risking his life and well-being for Benjamin Franklin, an American yankee who Creighton used to think was disgusting, barbaric, and frightening and now thought that he was a smart, wise man. He unfortunately could not save Benjamin Franklin and got a bad injury himself. This once again shows how loyalty can change a person. Creighton was loyal to Benjamin Franklin and risked his life trying to save Benjamin’s which was not what Creighton would have done a couples of days ago. He was loyal enough to go into a burning house to save someone not at all important to him. The third piece of evidence that suggests that one of the main themes for Hangman is the last few paragraphs. This is the time where Creighton lies to his uncle about American plans and helps Arnold and Peter deceive the British.He learned that his father had been a spy for the Americans and it was for because how dirty the British were. How inhumane they were. At this moment Creighton’s loyalty has completely changed. He was now not only lying to England, his birth country, the one he would never be unloyal to, and was now helping the the Patriots defeat them. What Creighton would have never dreamed of a month back was happening. He had sided with the people he never knew were this humble and loyal and his loyalty now lied with the Americans. He had turned braver, more courageous, and more mature by siding with the Americans. He saw war and knew what it was and didn’t live a gentleman's’ life anymore. By siding with the American he had turned from a boy to a man. All these parts show how loyalty can change a person. It can change a person acts, feels, and thinks. And that is what happened to Creighton Brown. An loyal American that used to be England.

[Nikolas Laredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Year of the Hangman started off in Bristol, England 1777. The main character Creighton Brown around 15 years old was a brat, spoiled, selfish, rude, and arrogant. One night, Creighton was kidnapped and thrown onto a ship named the Amity to the colonies. Creighton soon learned that his mother was responible for sending him to the colonies as she was concerned of his behavior, and she wanted Creighton's uncle Colonol Gower to look over him in the colonies. When Creighton arrived he met up with his stern, stoic, rude uncle and quickly sailed down to the colonies in South Florida. On the way there, Creighton's ship were attacked by Yankee pirates and took his uncle and L.t. Hale captive. Creighton pretended to be an indentured servant to his uncle and went along with the Yankee's to New Orleans. Creighton met a big friendly Yankee named Peter who took him to Ben Franklin's house to stay. Creighton then met Ben Franklin's servant named Sophie who was a French girl around the same age of Creighton and Peter. Creighton began working as a spy for the British to try and prove to his uncle that he wasn't useless. He found out that Ben Franklin was printing articles for a secret American organization called the Liberty Tree. He then decoded one of the messages that he intercepted from Ben Franklin's private Printer in his office. He also stole General Arnold's pistol and delivered it along with the decoded message of the Liberty Tree to his uncle and helped him and L.t. Hale escape. His uncle struck Creighton on the head with the pistol knocking him out. Creighton then woke up the next morning in his bed in Ben Franklin's house and Ben Franklin knew of Creighton's doing of helping the British soldiers escape but kept it a secret to Creighton's relief. A few nights later British soldiers dressed as Indians and burnt down Ben Franklin's life, causing him to loose his life as he was severely burned trying to save his types. Days later Creighton found out that his uncle was responsible for his father's death as he was killed in action but hung by convicted of treason telling the Americans of the British plan of giving the wild Indians guns and sending them to slaughter innocent towns of Americans. Creighton, Arnold, and Peter then went to a British fort to gain intel of where General George Washington was being held. Arnold pretended to have turned to the British side but soon challenged Gower to a duel. During the duel Gower had lost his life to Arnold. After the duel, right before Gower died, Gower whispered something to Creighton. Creighton, Peter, and Arnold then sailed to a nearby British prison named St. Marks and went to cell number four off of his uncles last words. In the cell though was not George Washington, in fact George Washington was already hung himself after being captured by the British. But in the cell was a man named Harry Brown, Creighton's father. Creighton, his father, Peter and Arnold, escaped the fort and headed back to new Orleans but dropped off Arnold to fight the British and to pick up Peruvian bark to help with his fathers fever. Arnold ended up losing one of his legs during the battle, but Creighton and his father lived back in New Orleans along with his new American friends.

[Trevor Fong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the book was a great historical novel or uchronia and was well writing. I thought it was very interesting how he put in both factual characters and scenes and nonfictional characters. The author intertwined the these two together very well and I thought it was a very well constructed book. It was both exciting to see how the British win the revolutionary war which in reality the patriots defeat the British and win there independence. In the book there was a very interesting climax that was very surprising. In the book it all started when Creighton a teenager who is raised up in a wealthier area in England is suited as a gentleman. But as his gambling problems increased and soon by his mothers words became uncontrollable. He was captured by two British navel officers which Creighton would later know that it was all planned out and his mothers boyfriends set the boat trip to the colonies to straighten him up with Creighton's uncle who is in the British army. Due to Creighton's misbehavior was mostly the loss of his dad who he believed died in Carolina. As he meet his uncle they had to leave the Carolina's and head to west florida. The boat was later captured by patriots and Creighton lied about being Colonel Gower's uncle and said he was an indentured servant to Colonel Gower. As both Lieutenant Hale and Colonel Gower were put in jail for ransom. As Creighton began working for
Ben Franklin on the Printing Shop because Ben Franklin knew how well educated Creighton was. Creighton was also making friends with both Sophie and Peter. But secretly Creighton was still helping out both Colonel Gower and Lieutenant Hale escape. And in doing so Creighton managed to get a pistol for them both to escape. As they escaped Colonel Gower smacked Creighton with a musket and was knocked out. As he was recovering, Creighton smelled burning wood and later found out that Colonel Gower and Lieutenant Hale had made it to a British base and sent information on Ben Franklins whereabouts. Unfortunately, Ben Franklin past away trying to get types which cannot be replaced. After, Sophie and Creighton made a deal to keep the printing shop alive. But after he was to go on a mission to help out the patriots. As the mission progressed Colonel Gower questioned Creighton if he was still loyal to his country by lying about General Arnold(who was a general and part of the mission.) Then one day he shocked to hear that General Arnold and Colonel Gower were going at a duel in the city. While the duel was takin place General Arnold's gun didn't work even though surpassingly Creighton reloaded it correctly. So, General Arnold took out a loaded gun from his pocket and shot Colonel Gower. And his last words were "St. Marks. Number four." which to Creighton's astonishment was his dad who he thought passes away. But sadly in the book General Washington who in reality played a major role in helping gain americas independence was hanged. This book was very interesting and I recommend the book to anyone who likes action and adventure.

[Emily Whittington · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many themes in the book, Year of the Hangman. One theme that sticks out is the importance of bravery. Throughout Creighton’s experience, Creighton is constantly going through change. He has to use bravery to save his life. He goes from drinking, gambling, and mischief to violence, wounds, and war. It was Creighton’s bravery that had saved his life as he traveled through the colonies.
One example of when Creighton Brown showed the importance of bravery was after he had met his uncle, and they were heading to Florida. A ship took over their ship and was about to capture all of them. That was until Creighton spoke up. He stood up to a Colonel who was much bigger than he was. He pretended he was an indentured servant. By saying this, the crew members believed him and they managed to live. This shows the importance of bravery because Creighton had just been captured and sent to the colonies, yet he was able to make something up to protect himself and the rest of the ship. Yet, he is only fifteen. His bravery saved him from being captured.
Another example of the importance of bravery is during the fire at the print shop. George Washington ran into the print shop during the fire to rescue all of his prints. Benjamin Franklin was willing to die to rescue the prints. Creighton ran into the fire to get him out. Creighton was trying to get him out of the burning building, but part of the wall and roof collapsed on Franklin. Even then, Creighton didn’t give up. He pushed through the fire even though his lungs were filled with smoke and his skin was burning. Creighton managed to get him to the entrance where other people could come and help. This shows the importance of bravery because Creighton put Benjamin Franklin’s life before his own. He didn’t run out of the fire with fear, he ran into the fire with bravery to save Benjamin Franklin.
One more example of when Creighton valued the importance of bravery was when Colonel Gower and Arnold were in a duel. Arnolds gun was not working and the duel had already begun. The text states, “Stand aside now or I’ll put a ball through your empty head!’ ‘I won’t!’ Creighton flung his arms wide, inviting Gower to shoot him.” This shows the importance of bravery because Creighton jumped in front of Arnold so that he wouldn’t get shot, even though it meant that Creighton himself might get shot. He risked his life so that Arnold wouldn’t die.
Overall, this book really demonstrates the importance of bravery. Creighton Brown saved lives because of his bravery. Creighton saved Arnold’s life while he was dueling, pulled Benjamin Franklin out of the fire, and stood up to a colonel. All of these examples show how important bravery is. Creighton’s bravery starts small, and grows through the entire book.

[Ava Morea · Rating 2 out of 5]

The historical novel, The Year of the Hangman, by Gary Blackwood, conveys the theme that people are not always who you expect them to be or who you think they are.
Firstly, Creighton experienced this idea when he first met many Yankees. One day, Creighton decided to join Peter to meet his friends at the Cafe. Creighton had very low expectations on the characters of typical patriots. For example, the British, Creighton included, had very low expectations of Americans, “In England, the image of the typical Yankey was much like the French image of the Kaintuck- an unlettered, uncivilized lout who, though really not much account as a fighter, was far better at fighting than thinking,” (155). However after actually meeting many of Peter's friends, Creighton’s opinion had changed drastically. “Though most of the Patriots hye met that evening wouldn’t have fit very well at a society soiree in England, they were far from being backwood buffoons,” (155). This proves that Creighton had judged the Yankees by what he had heard, but when he actually met them, he learned that they had similar personalities to people he actually chose to hang out with.
Next, when Creighton learned the truth about his father, he learned his true character wasn’t what he always expected him to be. When Creighton was meeting Patriots at the Cafe, one of the men explained to them that a British man had warned them about an upcoming Indian attack. He said the Englishman's name was Harry Brown, who happened to be Creighton's father. Harry Brown had always seemed very loyal to England so it was a surprise that he had betrayed them. CReighton learned that his father had chosen to save people and to save their lives, even if it meant being known as a traitor to England, which was much different from the loyal Englishman he had always viewed his father as.
Lastly, Creighton learned the true personality of his uncle, and discovered he was much lss of a good person. Creighton had made a deal with his uncle, if he brought his uncle a pistol, he would get to leave New Orleans with him. Although, when Creighton delivered Colonel Gower the pistol he had stolen, his uncle didn't hold up his end of the deal. For instance, his uncle had said to him, “‘ He will remain here. Those are my orders,” (145). This shows that Colonel Gower was nothing like the gentleman CReighton had believed he was. Gentleman's are supposed to keep their word, and his Uncle lied to him and left him in New Orleans, something a gentleman would never do.
Overall, the historical fiction novel, The Year of the Hangman, shows a countless number of ways that suggest the theme that people can be much different from your original assumptions.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this book at a Goodwill and I was instantly hooked by the title. I am very much aware of how dangerous it was to be a patriot spy during the time of the American Revolution, particularly during The Year of the Hangman (the year 1777). It didn't get its name simply because the sevens look like gallows. There were many hangings by the hands of the British, meant to dispel feelings of rebellion among the colonists.

Knowing a little about the history of this era and this war helped make this book come to life for me. I didn't care that the main character started out as a whiny, deadbeat brat with no backbone. But Creighton Brown became a character who quickly learned about the way things were outside of the narrow view of the world he had while living in England. Once he was thrust into the real world, in the realm of the patriots and their cause, he had to re-evaluate his own loyalties and feelings about the war and the causes at hand.

I like that the theme in the book started out touching on honor. But then a new theme was introduced in the final pages that I wish had been touched on more. It is a deep and impactful theme that could have really changed the tone of the book, but it was suddenly thrown at readers and then the book ended. It's like watching The Lion King, and then the end scene is Simba telling his mom that he's learned that killing is bad and wanted all the lions from then on to become vegetarians in order to protect the lives of the other animals in the kingdom. It's just like that! A new theme, seemingly out of nowhere because it wasn't integrated into any other part of the book, is introduced and then the story ends.

But other than that, there are a few twists that are really interesting, one in particular I was really satisfied about. The book ends in a way that I wish the story continued, as I love alternate history. But at the same time, the abrupt ending is supposed to be jarring enough to the reader to force them to think about the character's journey and the implications of the new loyalties and findings. The story isn't exactly thrilling all the way through, but it is certainly interesting. The history really comes to life in this book, which is why I am appalled that this book has such low ratings on Goodreads.

Also, the best character in this book (Peter) turns out to be a real person who really was a giant of a dude, at 6.5 feet tall!

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose a book a I would not normally read becase I wanted to try something different and after finishing, I realized exactly why I don’t read books like that. The book was slow paced and got very boring at some points.

The book started off interesting, the main character Creighton Brown was abducted within the first chapter of the book. He was a 15 year old boy that lived in Britain who was very rebellious and adnventurous. He gets taken for a boat and sails to the colonies but on the way learns some pretty dark secrets. The people he thought he knew had completely turned their backs on him and he was feeling hopeless. On the way he begins to actually make friends with some of the them and grow quite fond of them. When the boat then gets raided he is battled with a tough decision to either help the Colonies and stick to his own side and fight with the British.

Once he reaches the Colonies, he makes friends wi5 Ben Franklin, who gives him a place to stay, a job and other things such as that. I don’t want to spoil too much but him and Ben become great friends and Creighton looks up to him as a mentor and a friend.

The book sets place during the Revolutionary War but instead of the Colonies beating the British, the Briting beat the Colonies. I did like this twist in the story because I have always found books like this interesting. However Gary L. Blackwood did not turn a insanely interesting topic into an interesting book. To me it seemed like he missed the bulls eye with this book.

In the final thoughts, honestly this book was only 3 stars but I do believe some kids should read the book. Creighton Brown began as a boy who rebelled against his mother, went out late to gamble and drink almost every night and was still very young. By going to the Colonies and working under Ben Franklin, he has matured and grown into a young adult and faces real challenges that change him as a person. Every teenager in a way can apply that to themselves and that’s why I believ it’s still a good read.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book and thought it would be some sort of Man in the High Castle type story where it's alternate history but set in the Revolutionary War, another time in history that i'm really interested it. Once I started to read the book, I just felt that I was missing out on something truly great but I couldn't find it in this book. Now i'm not saying that this book is bad, it's far from being bad, but it's also not great either. It had a great concept but the book doesn't show that and the fact that it's a kids/young teen book in my opinion restricts it from being something truly great. I am 14 years old and have read a lot of more adult books than kid/young teen books and maybe that could've persuaded me to not like this book as much but I wasn't feeling it that much. I expected to encounter hardships of patroits and the founding fathers and how losing the war mad their lives and journey for independence even harder but I didn't sense that. The Americans in the book felt like nothing of the sort had happened. Some good things to the book was that during the end of chapters, it kept me thinking what was going to happen next but then when you see the result you don't help but just saying 'meh' all the time. Some parts I found rather dull and I couldn't help myself from drifting off and not remembering what just happened two pages ago and having to go back and reread those pages just to know what the hell was going on. So i'd probably recommend this to the average reader or history fanatic but other than that, I found the book to be stale and forgettable and missed its chances to uncover what if scenarios and show true defeat and anger in the eyes of characters rather than making it seem like the defeat is a backdrop for the book and not the main focus. So if you want to read a historic-fiction book set in the revolutionary war, i'd recommend the book that Avi wrote that I can't remember the name of.

[Fedor Alexandrov · Rating 5 out of 5]

One theme of the book, The Year of the Hangman by Gary Blackwood, is perseverance. The main character, Creighton Brown, thought of himself as a gentleman. He was lazy and did not like school. His mother could not handle him and Creighton was abducted and sent to America to be with his uncle, General Gower. In the book Creighton was portrayed as a clumsy and lazy person. But in America, while moving to Florida, he got captured by the Patriots and sent to live with Benjamin Franklin. He learned about how clumsy he was and persevered to be more hard- working.
After Creighton Brown found out that he was betrayed by his own uncle, General Gower, he started to accept the patriots. He persevered to save Franklin after he got stuck in the burning printing shop. Creighton needed help but still, he saved a life and was brave.
Later in the book, Creighton agrees to help General Arnold (Patriot) to rescue the supposed General Washington from prison in the British territory. Creighton perseveres to trick the guards to let him and General Arnold to see Washington. Then the guards realise that the have let in two Patriots. Soon General Arnold and Creighton were locked up too. But instead of there being the supposed General Washington, there was Creighton’s father (who Creighton believed was hung.) and the real Washington was the one to be hung.
After a short time and with the help of Peter (friend and patriot), they manage to break out and save Creighton’s father. The book ends with Creighton and his father leaving the New Orleans.
The theme of the book overall was perseverance, from being lazy and clumsy, Creighton Brown transformed into a hard-working man.