Reviews

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

ashleyling's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

flowchelle's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

4.5

I read this book because it was a favorite of a loved one who has passed. I can see why she enjoyed this book so much! Her other favorite was ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ and I couldn’t help but notice so many similarities between the way the stories are told. The character development is slow but rewarding! Francis is a fairly normal, albeit sad fated, girl who goes through life and it’s lessons! I didn’t always understand where the author was going with her amount of detail and it felt overdone at times but the setting was vivid and in the end I felt like it was a necessary thing to include for the overall feel of the story! I was so satisfied with the ending and loved the journey of the main character into adulthood! I truly hope that the tree continues to grow in Brooklyn! 

bethchasteen's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

mummy_librarian's review against another edition

4.0

A true classic everyone should read

awells's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

spavento's review against another edition

5.0

An unwavering masterpiece. Essential reading. The pinnacle of realist fiction. The ultimate coming of age story. I wept so many times throughout this book. Couldn’t help it. Not even at the end of a chapter: some startlingly keen insight tucked in the middle of the story would stop me in my tracks. Filled with joy and grief in equal measure like all childhoods and they both made me cry. Not a single bad chapter, not a sentence out of place

namrata_jain's review against another edition

5.0

So nostalgic. Strong characters and character development. Come to think of it, much much ahead of it's time. A warm childhood story...

nicolegiordano's review against another edition

5.0

Re-reading this one for the 100th time. I was 11 eleven the first time I read it and it is still as wonderful now that I'm 28. A coming of age book set in Brooklyn in the early 1900s. So sweet.

kasey555's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

butterflymorbid's review against another edition

Couldn't get into it.