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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
I read this before but had no recollection! I am not a big reader of middle grade.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The characters live and breathe. I would happily have read quite a bit more about Toswiah/Evie and her family—I really wanted to unpack the effect of their forced silence on their perspective toward law enforcement a little more—but what we did get rang true, emotionally. Another excellent novel from Jacqueline Woodson.
I liked the writing and I liked the themes and the resolution, but I was left with the feeling that there was more beneath the surface of the story that could have been mined.
Another beautifully written novel from Jacqueline Woodson. Preview at the (book) supplier: http://wp.me/p1D93k-pI
WOW. This is AMAZING book; it was a National Book Award finalist, and it's no problem seeing why. Evie Thomas used to be named Toswiah Green; she used to have a life in Denver, CO, and her father used to be a police officer. That all changed when her father chose to testify against his fellow officers in a murder investigation. Now Evie has to adjust to leaving her whole life behind. It's poetically written, and totally avoids melodrama. Fantastic.
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Toswiah Green’s beloved world is ended when her family must go into witness protection following her father’s testimony against two police colleagues. Alternating between the past in Denver and the present in an unnamed city, Hush is an exploration of the pain, questioning and resilience of a family seeking to find their identities again after crisis. This is a fast read, but a powerful one. I was struck by the relevance of the main plot point (the father's testimony) - this book was published in 2002, but it is unfortunately still very pertinent today, and would be a good companion to [book:All American Boys|25657130].
Just when I thought Woodson was limited to character vignettes, this story offers a lot more plot. A black police officer witnesses two white officers kill an unarmed black boy who had his hands raised in surrender (yes, it's eerily familiar to the current events in Ferguson, Mo.). The black officer chooses to testify against his fellow officers, and his family has to go into witness protection.