A review by katietapestry
The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them by Erin Gruwell

2.0

The 'diaries' from the students in this book became a little repetitive; I didn't get a sense of each author having a sense of voice so I don't know if there was some heavy-handed editing going on. I found the story a little too good to be true and it was difficult to get a sense of what the class was like and how they made the transition from a group of reluctant, struggling street-smart (and not-so-smart) kids to a class of young adults eager to engage with the world around them and improve their lives. I found it difficult to finish because of this and lost interest. Might use extracts of it in a classroom context (after being recommended the book by a student) but I'll watch the movie and see if it's any more 'authentic'.