A review by kelhutch68
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

 Truly a classic novel that is relatable to all age groups.   I liked it when it was a high school must read and I loved it as a chosen adult reread.  
 
Centered on the racism, morals, and class system of the American South during the Great Depression, Harper Lee wove a beautiful tale with an underlying theme of courage.  In their own way, I felt that most of the characters exhibited courage at some point during the story.  I loved Atticus’s description in a conversation with Jem: 
 
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you are licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” 
 
Both Atticus and Scout spoke to me as characters.  Scout as a no-nonsense, inquisitive tomboy who was determined to make up her own mind regardless of what was expected for girls because she reminds me of me at that age.  Atticus was the parent I always wanted and the one that I strive to be—leading by example, giving his children room to grow but being there to support, and answering questions honestly regardless of subject matter.  
 
There were so many moments in this book that I really liked—Boo Radley’s gifts to Scout and Jem, Ms. Maudie’s cakes and conversation, Jem and Scout walking Atticus home from work in the evenings, Jem teaching Dill to swim. I thought the relationships within the family and the community were well defined through the character interactions. 
 
This story is one of my favorite book endings where it all comes down to a question of what is more important….the morally right or the procedural/societal norm? 
 
In the words of Scout, “Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?”