Curzon experiences mixed emotions for Isabel, even ones that he has never felt before. Since the book is in a journal entry format, many readers who are going through the similar changes can get a day by day account of growing up which creates a very strong relationship between the reader and Curzon. Forge is a great “coming of age novel” like The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin. Anderson’s target audience is young adults for a reason. Many readers will be able to make a strong connection to the feelings and the new challenges evoked by young Curzon’s first hand view into becoming a man. Curzon is faced with many changes in the Forge including maturing into a young adult.

By making Forge’s novel structure journal entries from Curzon’s angle, Anderson was adept in making the reader connect, investigate, and comprehend his character and the American Revolution further. Laurie Halse Anderson had a team of researchers gather an immense amount of information on the American Revolution and the time period to make her Historical Fiction novel as realistic as possible.

Forge is told from the perspective of Curzon in a journal-like fashion, each entry has a date. Curzon and Isabel are runaway slaves who have a high risk of getting captured with their past catching up to them every step of the way. Young Curzon and Isabel are forced to endure the hardships of maturing during the demanding time of the American Revolution. The escapades of the young African American slaves, Isabel and Curzon, continue in this sequel to Chains. Forge is Laurie Halse Anderson’s second installment to the Chains series following up her previous novel, Chains.

Ashes by Laurie Halse Anderson