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A review by ketreads
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
5 out of 5 stars!
Such a surprisingly heartfelt and enjoyable read.
This is my first time reading this classic after it was recommended to me by a friend. I honestly haven't ever heard much about To Kill, other than it being required reading for some people in school. I wasn't sure what to expect but this was not it! Scout and Jem are such great characters to follow and at the core of the story is Scout and the death of her naivety.
This book takes place in 1930s in Maycomb, Alabama, a sleepy isolated town where everyone knows everyone. One day, their father is called upon to defend a black man accused of rape and the book follows the towns reactions and this effect on the children in the midst of their childhood.
I think this book is often mis-categorised as a 'go-to' for books about racism. This is NOT a book for that. This book is first and foremost a coming of age tale. The heroine of Scout doesn't solve racism. She's a child thrown into the complexities of centuries of colonisation, bigotry, and unquestioned racism. Scout spends the book questioning these common-place institutions from the lense of innocence, and by the end of the story, comes to understand her place in the world and those around her a little better from these experiences.
I could see this book being THE childhood book some readers may cling to. The way Lee manages to write children and their interaction with one another connects to core memories I have of me and my siblings. Scout and Jem's relationship both together and with their father are nuanced and fascinating to read. I would 100% recommend this if you haven't read it before.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading book 2.
Such a surprisingly heartfelt and enjoyable read.
This is my first time reading this classic after it was recommended to me by a friend. I honestly haven't ever heard much about To Kill, other than it being required reading for some people in school. I wasn't sure what to expect but this was not it! Scout and Jem are such great characters to follow and at the core of the story is Scout and the death of her naivety.
This book takes place in 1930s in Maycomb, Alabama, a sleepy isolated town where everyone knows everyone. One day, their father is called upon to defend a black man accused of rape and the book follows the towns reactions and this effect on the children in the midst of their childhood.
I think this book is often mis-categorised as a 'go-to' for books about racism. This is NOT a book for that. This book is first and foremost a coming of age tale. The heroine of Scout doesn't solve racism. She's a child thrown into the complexities of centuries of colonisation, bigotry, and unquestioned racism. Scout spends the book questioning these common-place institutions from the lense of innocence, and by the end of the story, comes to understand her place in the world and those around her a little better from these experiences.
I could see this book being THE childhood book some readers may cling to. The way Lee manages to write children and their interaction with one another connects to core memories I have of me and my siblings. Scout and Jem's relationship both together and with their father are nuanced and fascinating to read. I would 100% recommend this if you haven't read it before.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading book 2.