But after all that Amari has gone through, readers will likely find the conclusion a huge relief. Edwards Award honoring her significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens. The author also pulls her punches with a highly implausible happy ending. Draper is a New York Times bestselling author and recipient of the Margaret A. These lurid elements may appeal to reluctant readers who would normally shy away from historical fiction, but they unfortunately push the story to the brink of melodrama. Written by Elizabeth Oscar Amari Amari is the main character in the novel. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. Every bad thing that befell an African slave either happens to or is witnessed by Amari (e.g., Africans eaten by sharks, children used as live alligator bait, an infant shot dead out of spite). Draper Copper Sun Character List These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Draper Trade Paperback LIST PRICE 12. Draper has obviously done her homework, but the narrative wears its research heavily. Befriended by the wise cook, a white indentured girl named Polly and the beleaguered mistress of the household, Amari eventually and improbably finds a way to escape. The story doesn't really take off until Amari reaches her new 'home,' a rice plantation run by a Snidely Whiplash clone, who presents her to his evil-to-the-core son as a birthday gift. The horrors of the kidnapping-Amari's parents and little brother are murdered before her eyes-and the Atlantic crossing unwind in exhaustive detail, but the material seems familiar. ) historical novel takes on an epic sweep as it chronicles the story of 15-year-old Amari, kidnapped from her African village in 1738 and sold into sexual slavery in South Carolina.

Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper