Reviews with content warning for Racism - The Help

Aibileen, Skeeter, and Minny remind me of all of the lines that I want to cross that I am either afraid to or cannot given my own conscience. Their surreptitious journey to express their very real struggles is so inspiring, frustrating, and heartbreaking. You will all grow to hate Hilly Holbrook just as much as I did. You hate her initially, but trust me. Each of the three women narrators seems to embody a different witness at this time, and this book (in the sense of the reader’s novel and the book that the characters are writing) is their testimony. They are testifying to the fact that

There is so much you don't know about a person. I wonder if I could've made her days a little bit easier, if I’d tried. If I’d treated her a little nicer. Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought.

Taking care of someone means recognizing who someone is completely—where they come from, how they grew up, and how they relate to themselves and others because of that. We can’t place our own desires before the people we take care of or project our own needs, desires, or expectations upon them because that would reject their personhood to assume that our needs and expectations are worth more. The lines are not there, we draw them every day.

Content Warnings

noah_is_reading's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

tiffyb's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

The Help was an EXCELLENT book. Usually I bring my rating down a bit after reading reviews or thinking about the book for a while, but I really only wish it didn’t have to end. Rarely am I sad that a book is over, but I wish this was a series because the author created a beautiful set of well-rounded characters (aside from Hilly, who I feel was a bit disjointed and not cohesive.).

I am absolutely floored by all the top reviews on goodreads being negative, claiming that this book is feel-good, white savior trash - you really couldn’t be reading the same book I just read and think it’s about white people saving black people.

There’s not much else to say. I remember watching the movie a few years ago and I think that’s how The Help ended up on my to-read list. I plan to rewatch the movie soon!

Content Warnings

More...