The Year of the Hangman by Gary Blackwood

Synopsis: "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."

My parents bought me this book years ago because it sounded really interesting and I love reading historical fiction.  It has been sitting on my shelf ever since then.  This was the first book I decided to read to kick off my New Years Resolution. 

This book was an o.k. read. I felt like it was geared more towards male readers, probably because they could relate to the young male lead character.  This book was a fast read and pretty easy to follow and picture in my head.  It would have been interesting if this story had actually taken place as some of the more well-known characters like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin lead different lives and how it changed the war.

I do agree with part of this review off of Goodreads by a commentator by the name of Cindy, "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."

If you like historical fiction and like to think "what if...." then I would suggest you read this book for yourself and see what you think.