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bookworm87's review
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
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? No
4.0
llama_lord's review
5.0
I'll admit that sometimes I have a heart of stone, and I rarely emotionally connect with books. But this book hit me right in the feels. I became so immersed in this book and with the characters that it was like being on an emotional rollercoaster. The plot flowed seamlessly and the characters really seemed to come to life. This is a great book that is both heartbreaking and inspiring and overall very thought provoking. It is definitely one of the best books in the Dear America series. Highly recommended!
_nursejayy's review
informative
inspiring
4.5
Very informative and interesting read. I absolutely love Clotee’s story and so excited to find that this book was based off of real people and events.
So happy Hince and Rose made it to freedom.
So happy Hince and Rose made it to freedom.
jeneca's review
5.0
A truly fabulous book. Something about it is just so..entrancing. The characters are well developed, and the world in which the novel is set is built well, and the POV is perfect.
Not to forget that the book itself is just awesome and incredibly interesting.
You should read it.
Not to forget that the book itself is just awesome and incredibly interesting.
You should read it.
emilyusuallyreading's review
4.0
What I Liked
Clotee is a strong and believable character. Her transformation over the course of the pages is stunning. At the beginning of the story, she hears the tale of David and Goliath or Daniel in the lion's den - and she wonders if she could ever be brave enough to face a giant or a lion. And she is brave.
A Picture of Freedom is a great format to help students relate to what life would be like as a slave. Working through holidays, marrying by command instead of by love, and being forced to live without even the slightest form of education. Clotee lives with no freedom and she cannot even conjure up an image of what that might look like in her mind. Her mother was sold away from her when she was a small child. She is not even allowed to learn to swim.
The suspense and tension is crafted throughout this novel better than in many of the Dear America diaries. From page one there is the realization that if anyone ever realizes that Clotee can read and write, she will be beaten and sent away to the Deep South. This was an easy read as well as thought-provoking.
I also loved Clotee's realizations of the people around her. Miz Lilly is such a fascinating character.
What I Didn't Like
At times the premise seemed a little stretched. While I loved the idea that Clotee learned to read by fanning William during his school sessions, the idea that she managed to steal enough ink to keep a daily diary for over a year didn't quite ring true.
Clotee is a strong and believable character. Her transformation over the course of the pages is stunning. At the beginning of the story, she hears the tale of David and Goliath or Daniel in the lion's den - and she wonders if she could ever be brave enough to face a giant or a lion. And she is brave.
A Picture of Freedom is a great format to help students relate to what life would be like as a slave. Working through holidays, marrying by command instead of by love, and being forced to live without even the slightest form of education. Clotee lives with no freedom and she cannot even conjure up an image of what that might look like in her mind. Her mother was sold away from her when she was a small child. She is not even allowed to learn to swim.
The suspense and tension is crafted throughout this novel better than in many of the Dear America diaries. From page one there is the realization that if anyone ever realizes that Clotee can read and write, she will be beaten and sent away to the Deep South. This was an easy read as well as thought-provoking.
I also loved Clotee's realizations of the people around her. Miz Lilly is such a fascinating character.
What I Didn't Like
At times the premise seemed a little stretched. While I loved the idea that Clotee learned to read by fanning William during his school sessions, the idea that she managed to steal enough ink to keep a daily diary for over a year didn't quite ring true.
giraffeeatingpancake's review
5.0
I read the picture of Freedom when I was 9. My sister bought it and told me that the story is interesting and so I read it. At first i thought it would be boring because it was kinda thick for me but then I got attached to the character. The story was really interesting and fun to read. *coughs* i read it 4 times *coughs* *coughs* A picture of Freedom is the reason why I started liking books and it was also the first young adult book I read.
adventuresinfictionland's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I remember the first time I read this over 20 years ago when I was a kid. It was the most informative and eye opening read/lesson on slavery that I had been exposed to.
This is a hard read, but also an important read.
This is a hard read, but also an important read.
huncamuncamouse's review
5.0
I remember staying up to read this because I couldn't put it down. I put a blanket up against my bedroom door to block out the light. I had a similar experience of not wanting to stop reading because it is a suspenseful story. This feels like a real diary, so I was unsurprised that Patricia McKissack spoke of how she felt like she was channeling Clotee while she was writing.
This book details the horrors of slavery in ways that are age appropriate, so I really do recommend that children read it. I think this has aged really well. While there are a couple of white allies, it's clear that Clotee is her own savior.
If there is one criticism, it's that Clotee's story is a pretty happy one (comparatively) with a lot of unlikely good fortune that I can assume most other enslaved people did not experience. She's literate, she has the aforementioned white allies, and she never really faces abuse that we know other characters experience. But the good thing is that this isn't trauma porn.
Dead parent count: 1 (before the book begins). Bonus: It's not actually a bonus, but other enslaved characters die when they try to escape or the master just feels like taking a punishment too far.
This book details the horrors of slavery in ways that are age appropriate, so I really do recommend that children read it. I think this has aged really well. While there are a couple of white allies, it's clear that Clotee is her own savior.
If there is one criticism, it's that Clotee's story is a pretty happy one (comparatively) with a lot of unlikely good fortune that I can assume most other enslaved people did not experience. She's literate, she has the aforementioned white allies, and she never really faces abuse that we know other characters experience. But the good thing is that this isn't trauma porn.
Dead parent count: 1 (before the book begins). Bonus: It's not actually a bonus, but other enslaved characters die when they try to escape or the master just feels like taking a punishment too far.
samantha_2023's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
4.5