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A review by maryehavens
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
3.0
This book was difficult to read.
Gilly is not a likeable character - she's racist, she's actively trying to hurt and manipulate people for her own advantage. And she's only 11 years old. I almost gave up reading this because I was so turned off by her racism but I kept reading it because I wanted to know how she got into this position. Turns out her mother was an extremely selfish person (think the mom character in White Oleander) and dumped Gilly into the foster program. Thank God for Maime Trotter. I wish I could be like Trotter but I'm more like the author who wrote this story after her own best intentions resulted in a failed foster parent trial. Having Paterson give that detail at the end was so eye opening for me and instantly turned this troubled book into a winner.
Reading this so soon after reading Yummy further reinforced how children from unloved and crappy situations start off in life with such disparity (even though this was a fictional account). It's easy to feel helpless after reading books like these and my helplessness easily turns into a feeling of being overwhelmed. *sigh*
I'm not sure how children would perceive this book (it is written for juveniles) but this adult found it difficult but an important read.
Gilly is not a likeable character - she's racist, she's actively trying to hurt and manipulate people for her own advantage. And she's only 11 years old. I almost gave up reading this because I was so turned off by her racism but I kept reading it because I wanted to know how she got into this position. Turns out her mother was an extremely selfish person (think the mom character in White Oleander) and dumped Gilly into the foster program. Thank God for Maime Trotter. I wish I could be like Trotter but I'm more like the author who wrote this story after her own best intentions resulted in a failed foster parent trial. Having Paterson give that detail at the end was so eye opening for me and instantly turned this troubled book into a winner.
Reading this so soon after reading Yummy further reinforced how children from unloved and crappy situations start off in life with such disparity (even though this was a fictional account). It's easy to feel helpless after reading books like these and my helplessness easily turns into a feeling of being overwhelmed. *sigh*
I'm not sure how children would perceive this book (it is written for juveniles) but this adult found it difficult but an important read.