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unusuallyy's review
hard to read through (not because of the content, but because of the writing style). i was also depressed at the time so idk how that affected it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Minor: Sexual assault and Rape
vibingjaren's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
A beautifully written book. I was assigned to read it for my English class, and I was amazed to how much I ended up liking it. The beginning was a little slow, but after it got really good. I especially love the writing of Boo Radley and Scout.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, Child abuse, Classism, Racism, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal death, Racial slurs, Cursing, Death, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Stalking
thefool124's review
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Warning very minor spoilers. But I'll highlight the major spoilers.
To be honest, I only picked up this book as an aspiring law student looking to put something on my university application; also, my friend told me that it was one of the most boring books he has ever read. But I learnt a very important lesson: decide things for yourself. Because 'To Kill a Mockingbird' was a damn good novel.
The PoV character Scout, in particular, was a masterclass in writing a clearly clever child but a child nonetheless. A lot of authors fall down the trap of making the "clever child" act and act like an adult but Scout, despite having a remarkably inquisitive nature and booksmarts, still had blind spots when it came to societal knowledge and, especially at the start of the novel, was prone to immaturity and anger.
The novel also has one of my favourite depictions of parenting. Atticus (more on the man later) never forced ideas upon his children and instead, he acted as a role model and allowed certain habits to form organically in his Jem and Scout. For example, Atticus always reads in the evenings and so the children, impressionable, develop a voracious reading habit. And Atticus never had a fixed ideal of what his children were meant to be. When Jem makes a snowman, Atticus marvels at his talent, saying he could become an artist. But, admittedly, it was a strange parenting dynamic in that the kids called Atticus "Sir" and there was a certain distance between them at the start. But when matters escalated, Atticus never abandoned his children emotionally and always comforted them, allowing the stoic walls to fall. And really, that is what mattered.
There is great underlying message of moral resilience. In this class-steeped, traditional town of Maycomb, those who stand up for equality and what is right, like Atticus, are spat upon and those only maintain this grand racial delusion are only rewarded. For example, the result of the court case. So, it is seems a hopeless world, one not worth fighting against. But Atticus fights anyway. Though Atticus doesn't change much in the novel, he is a great example of a "lawful good" character in the vein of Ned Stark done well. He acknowledges and is surrounded by the evils of society and yet he decides to be fair and good.
To be honest, I only picked up this book as an aspiring law student looking to put something on my university application; also, my friend told me that it was one of the most boring books he has ever read. But I learnt a very important lesson: decide things for yourself. Because 'To Kill a Mockingbird' was a damn good novel.
The PoV character Scout, in particular, was a masterclass in writing a clearly clever child but a child nonetheless. A lot of authors fall down the trap of making the "clever child" act and act like an adult but Scout, despite having a remarkably inquisitive nature and booksmarts, still had blind spots when it came to societal knowledge and, especially at the start of the novel, was prone to immaturity and anger.
The novel also has one of my favourite depictions of parenting. Atticus (more on the man later) never forced ideas upon his children and instead, he acted as a role model and allowed certain habits to form organically in his Jem and Scout. For example, Atticus always reads in the evenings and so the children, impressionable, develop a voracious reading habit. And Atticus never had a fixed ideal of what his children were meant to be. When Jem makes a snowman, Atticus marvels at his talent, saying he could become an artist. But, admittedly, it was a strange parenting dynamic in that the kids called Atticus "Sir" and there was a certain distance between them at the start. But when matters escalated, Atticus never abandoned his children emotionally and always comforted them, allowing the stoic walls to fall. And really, that is what mattered.
There is great underlying message of moral resilience. In this class-steeped, traditional town of Maycomb, those who stand up for equality and what is right, like Atticus, are spat upon and those only maintain this grand racial delusion are only rewarded. For example,
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Rape
camhfn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Rape
charlotte_kuckuck's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
i read this book twice. Once for school and before that because i was bored. Just like 13 reasons why my hatred for this book only grew reading it for the second time. While I appreciate the values portrait the finished product is boring and the values drown in the wasteland that is this book. I liked the ending but to get there you'll have to suffer through boring descriptions and an outdated language. While i think there is a ton of symbolism and ways to interpret this book i don't think that everyone and their mother should read it in school, especially since it's the default option of racism being discussed in a lot of cases. The n*word is literally used a few times and i think there are better books to teach a 12th grade or any grade about the judicial system or the systemic racism in America and all around the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Rape, Death, Racism, and Murder
kilonshele's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Rape and Alcoholism
saturnsreads's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual assault and Death
madisonkane321's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Suicide, Murder, and Rape
isabelle_mary's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was one of my all time favorites that I read in highschool and had to reread it now as an adult. This is definitely one of my favorite classics and recommend highly. The anger you feel about how Tom Robinson is treated is real and are thankful to Atticus for defending him. Scout POV is brilliant as she is a child trying to understand the way of life. Overall an amazing classic!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Physical abuse, Racism, Bullying, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault
shelbywhite's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, and Slavery