To Kill a Mockingbird

Reader reviewed by Flash


The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is both a delightful and suspense-filled piece of literature. Set in the rural city of Maycomb County during the middle of the Twentieth Century, the story consists of both adventure and thrill. Told through the eyes of Scout Finch, a young girl growing up at the time the story takes place, also the main character, this story has equally classical and real-to-life qualities. Atticus Finch, Scouts father, an attorney-at-law, conducts a court case of Tom Robinson, an African-American man who supposedly attacked a girl named Mayella Ewell. Many of the townsmen vehemently appose Atticus choice to protect a black man, and threaten to harm him, as well as his family, throughout the story. Though at the end of the story, Atticus does not win the case, and Tom Robinson dies by getting shot while escaping, this story shows the power of friendship and love of children, family, and neighbors, as well as the consequences of hate, violence, and corruption.

Reader reviewed by Alice - A.S.B.A.

General Overview: This book took me
a week to read. A week. Books hardly ever take me that long to finish.
I did, however, very much enjoy it.

Characters:
Although I enjoyed Scout's narrative, I thought she seemed too mature
and insightful for her age -- she's supposed to be eight, yet she
sounds like she's at least sixteen. I did think that she was extremely
perceptive and wise, and I really enjoyed that for a change, instead of
girls who are somewhat ditzy and clueless. It was also interesting to
read from the POV of such a young character, at an age where not much
of the world is yet seen or understood. My favorite character by far,
however, was Atticus. I loved his shrewdness and his intelligence, and
I liked how he was so very capable of standing up for himself and for
his family. He seemed, to me, to have the personality and mannerisms
that most men should aspire to also possess.

Plot: Okay, this book is a classic,
and I can understand why. The book addresses serious issues such as
racial discrimination, though also moral values such as family and
trust. Though this book has its light moments, it is, for the most
part, a somber book, and I don't think it is to be taken lightly. Half
of this book revolves around introducing the children, Jem and Scout,
and their obsession with a reclusive man named Boo Radley. The second
is about a case their father, a lawyer, has taken on about a man named
Tom Robinson. The majority of this book is not centered around Tom
Robinson's case -- it's centered around how the children grow and how
they act, and their family and the environment they grew up in.

Writing:
It might be a little hard to understand, as are all classics. But once
you do, you jump right in. Lee's writing is absorbing and clear, and I
very much enjoyed her style of writing.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

Reader reviewed by mzblonde

I read this a while ago for English class. I have to say that It was one of the better picks by the teachers. Typical coming of age story. Although it frustrated me that you didn't really know what's going on for such a long time. Good page turner if you're not FORCED to read it.

Reader reviewed by linda

I've heard a lot about this book so I read it and it was very good. The beginning was a little slow and mainly about the games Atticus' kids played and about the Radleys. Later on the suspense heightens when Atticus (a lawyer) gets assigned to a case where a black man attacked a white woman. He does his best to defend him though he knows what the all-white jury will decide. Atticus' fears come true when the man is sent to jail though all the evidence proved that it was the white girl's father who attacked her. The town divides over the court case and Atticus' daughter and son learn an important lesson about racism and how humans act.

Reprint here with Author's permission

Reader reviewed by iki

This is ok considering it is a requiered reading book. I think when you have to read it, it won't be too painful...lol. It is an ok book but not my kind of book/story.

Reader reviewed by Kit-Kat

I picked this book up with relatively low expectations. I mean, it was a school assignment, and the focus of most school assignments seemed to be to bore us to the point of behaving in class. So, it was better than I expected it to be.

The writing is from the standpoint of a child and the way things are expressed and described is simply cute.It is a little bit like a Tom Sawyer from a female child's point of view. Chapter 18 (the court scene) was my favorite chapter. The message in the whole book was made clear in that one chapter.

This book is a classic and deserves being read.

Reader reviewed by megannx3

This book deals with racism, and accused rape. It is captivating. I think it may have won a pulitzer prize in 1961. This book stays up to date. This book made me cry. I liked the courtroom scenes. I also like the way it connected me  to the time period. Great Book. Great Read expecially for a student reading discussion. 

--Megan!

Reader reviewed by Shelby

To Kill a Mockingbird is a good book, but it's not really for me. It's about this tough, smart tomboyish girl named Scout. Her father Atticus is a lawyer, towards the end of the book he represents a black man named Tom Robbinson who is  innocent. He was accused of asaulting a white girl, but the truth was that the women came on to him. Scout also has a brother named Jem. What's good about this book is it's about kids growing up. What I didn't like about this book is that sometimes it's kind of boreing. It ends up being a sad story in the end because Tom Robinson is founded gulity by the jury pretty much because the jury is racist.

Reader reviewed by moonymaster

I know this book is a classic and all but I just never really got into it. Especially in the first half of the book I had to force myself to continue reading. In the second half of the book it did get a lot better with the controversy over Tom Robinson. It was interesting and sad to watch as a man was unfairly convicted of something that he was wrongly accused of doing because of the color of his skin. Although the book was very thought provoking, when I look back on it I just can't say it was a great book. Nothing really popped out at me. Even in the sad parts I just wasn't as sad as I could be. In the happy parts I wasn't as happy as I could be. It just all felt kind of bland.

Reader reviewed by cintia

we were assigned this book in our english class. the begining was really slow and i couldnt relate to it but as the story moved on it got better. it has the universal theme dont judge a book by its cover and it is portrayed sevral ways. one of the ways it shows u this messege is when they convict tom robinson because he was black although all evidence showed he was innocent. another way they show this is with boo radley because everyone judged him by mistakes he had made when he was immature. overall it was an ok book..