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A review by lesliesorensen
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
fast-paced
2.75
I feel like this is... a great book for white people who haven't really confronted race, racism, and white privilege before. And people who need to hear compelling stories about how racism affects individual people -- especially individuals who are extremely palatable & upstanding -- in order to understand and care about it. If you know what I mean.
It's a good message, but the writing / delivery felt forced & heavy-handed... Like, as you read, you sort of picture it playing out like a movie...and this is not a particularly good movie -- but it thinks it's gonna get that Oscar.
It's also questionable for a white woman to write from the perspective of any Black person.
It did keep my attention though, and I enjoyed the change of character perspective throughout. I also appreciated how well-researched it was.
Bottom line: it was fine.
It's a good message, but the writing / delivery felt forced & heavy-handed... Like, as you read, you sort of picture it playing out like a movie...and this is not a particularly good movie -- but it thinks it's gonna get that Oscar.
It's also questionable for a white woman to write from the perspective of any Black person.
It did keep my attention though, and I enjoyed the change of character perspective throughout. I also appreciated how well-researched it was.
Bottom line: it was fine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Medical content, Violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Classism, Violence, and Suicide
Minor: Pregnancy