Kevin’s Reviews > The Power of One > Status Update

If I were in this book, the first thing I would do is slap the main character and tell him to pursue and say what he believes in. However, as of right now, he cannot speak due to his injuries. He often speaks out, but he does not do it often enough. Someone needs to help him find his voice, like when he defended his friend Doc, he never directly spoke out.

This novel, as realistic fiction, compares to "the night circus" a fantasy-ish realistic fiction book. While "The Power of One" is told from the perspective of the main character, the Night circus is 3rd person omniscient, giving an outsider's point of view to the book. This book is very straight up, it tells one what is happening, while "The Night Circus" Is more surreal, less reality and more an illusion.

Stentorian (adj): very loud or powerful sound
"I stood gibbering, unable to understand the language of the stentorian twelve- year-old judge, or the reason for the hilarity when sentence was passed." (4)
Desultory (adj): Lacking in consistency
"Peekay's Schedule was desurltory..."

No, the characters DO NOT have any power over the plot in the book. Peekay (the Main character) is often harassed and bullied by "the Judge", a classmate who is a Nazi sympathizer and hates all that is British. He devises ways of torture against Peekay to break him. In addition, he taunts him saying that Hitler would "march the British to the sea".

The theme of this book is in the title, "the power of one". This author is trying to get across the point that no matter who you are, your one contribution can make a difference no matter what. Peekay was born during apartheid, a movement that supresses African Americans. However, even when abandoned and humiliated, he still realizes that he can change something major.