The Pox Party

A parent would reach for this book when their teenager begins to question the darker layers of history, the ethics of scientific progress, or the inherent contradictions within a society that claims to value liberty while practicing oppression. It is a profound choice for an older teen who feels like an outsider or is grappling with how institutions can reduce individuals to mere data points. Set in an alternative 18th century Boston, the story follows Octavian, a young Black boy raised by a circle of rationalist philosophers who treat his education as a grand experiment. As he grows, he realizes that the Enlightenment ideals he is taught clash violently with his status as a captive. This is a complex, intellectually rigorous novel that explores themes of racial identity, the horrors of medical experimentation, and the fight for personhood. It is best suited for mature readers due to its dense prose and visceral depictions of the smallpox epidemic and the brutality of slavery.