A review by itsmeyseniab
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I'm going to preface this review by stating that I never had to read this for school, therefore I had no prior knowledge of what this is about, and looking back I'm glad I didn't. I think that, had I been assigned to read this while I was younger I would not have enjoyed it very much nor would I have seen the deeper meaning.

Jean Louise, more commonly referred to as Scout, is a five-year old girl who serves as the narrator of the story: she was very entertaining to read from and I believe that the narrator being a child deepened the impact of the novel as a whole. One of my favorite parts of this novel was seeing Scout grow up in terms of age as well as the circumstances around her causing her and her brother Jem to mature faster than their peers. Each part of the novel explores a different conflict at a different point in Scout's childhood, and the "stakes" seem to increase with each conflict as well (i.e. the fear of Boo Radley, Scout and Jem being bullied over their father Atticus' profession, the trial and it's verdict). Each conflict explores different themes as well; some themes discussed include prejudice, racism, social class, poverty, morality and the judicial system.

I really enjoyed the topics discussed in this novel, and appreciate the impact that it has had across generations HOWEVER at times I felt a little....bored. The pacing just felt a bit off for me, but I did appreciate how easy it was to understand in terms of the writing style. I wouldn't recommend this if you are just diving into classics, but I do think everyone should read it at some point in their lives at least once! Lots of good lessons can be learned, and lessons that are still 100% relevant today.

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