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Mar 19, 2017TEENREVIEWCREW rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Published in 1960, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is often the first book on the list of "Books We Wish We Didn't Have To Read In High School". Why, though? Upon further examination, To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most influential books of our time. The story of a trial case for a black man (accused of a crime he didn't commit) seen through the eyes of a young girl in the 1930's has a nostalgic air to it, as seen in Lee's skilled writing technique. The plot is still heartwrenching and takes a grab at your emotions, and features plenty of funny, heartwarming, and tragic moments. The book is also a great conversation starter for conversations about race relations - if your child is 13 or over. Is the society seen in To Kill a Mockingbird really as different as the supposedly 'post-racial' society we live in now? - @reallylikesmusicals of the Teen Review Board at the Hamilton Public Library This book is usually something that most teenagers dread reading, even I thought I would have to force myself through this book. However, after I finished, this novel proved to me why it was such a well-known classic. Firstly, the characters are so interesting and realistically written, everything about them seems so natural. Lee also shows us what each character had to go through, and how they grew from those moments. Though I don't favour books written with Southern dialect within them, Lee made it so that the Southern dialect helped build the characters and helped you vividly imagine what they are like. Secondly, the way the plot develops, and the way it's built up makes the reader constantly want to continuously read more and more chapters. No scene in the book seems rushed or unnecessary, and nothing drags on and on. Even if a scene does seem useless, at the end, the reader realizes it was worth a lot more than they thought. Lastly, the ending of the book is very satisfying. As previously mentioned, all the problems and challenges that the characters had to face came to a realistic conclusion, and all the mysteries that were hinted at throughout the book were delicately revealed. All in all, I would rate this book a 9/10. - @Sonorous of the Teen Review Board at the Hamilton Public Library In a time when racism was still extremely prevalent in the Americas, the same era as Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech, Harper Lee came out with a book that beat all the odds and shocked many Caucasians with the topic of the book. A book fighting against racism and prejudice. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the most empowering books I've ever read. You read from the perspective of an innocent child who hasn't been introduced to the racist world around her, until she finally is. The way Harper Lee portrays her makes you feel like you're taking the journey through Maycomb with her and her brother Jem, as their lawyer father fights against prejudice antagonists who have unlawfully spoken lies against an innocent man of colour. Although the choice of words are hard to read, it really makes you see how that time was, and you really see things from the point of view of someone who lived in that time and experienced it. Harper Lee portrayed the wrongful convictions of the Scottsboro Boys. She shows readers how African Americans in America were truly treated in small towns. I can honestly say it is one of my most favourite reads of all time. - @NemoReads of the Teen Review Board at the Hamilton Public Library