To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
376 Pages
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Robbed of Innocence!

(Atticus speaks to Scout and Jem as they begin to use the bb-guns given as gifts) “I’d rather you shoot at tin cans in the back yard, but I know you’ll go after birds. Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ‘em, but remember, it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

To Kill a Mockingbird represents all that is innocent before hatred enters. The mockingbird is a bird that mimics the calls and sounds of other birds, only leaving us with beautiful music to hear. Harper Lee uses the mockingbird to represent innocence, and how it is killed as we grow up. Killed through cruelty and unfairness.

Scout Finch is a young girl living in Maycomb, Alabama with her father (Atticus), brother (Jem), and housekeeper (Cal). Scout is a humorous, beyond-her-years, adventure-loving girl who is smart and curious. She questions everything, and wonders why people are the way they are, and strives for answers.

In this book, things start off slow, but then become very interesting. “Boo” Radley has been hidden away in his house for years and years. Not because he’s forced to, but maybe because he wants to, because of all the evil in the world. So that then becomes the goal of the summer for Scout, Jem, and their friend Dill. They want to make “Boo” Radley to come out of his home, by working on schemes and plans to do so, they hope he’ll come out eventually. Meanwhile, Atticus is working on a law case defending a black man named Tom Robinson. In spite of that, things don’t go about too well with the people of Maycomb County. These two conflicts tie together in the end and is what makes this book a masterpiece. Will an unexpected twist of fate open a door of answers, or stay shut, and leave many questions? You will have to read to find out.

This book is believable because the people are real, the conflicts are real, and everything is completely original and one of a kind. I do not have any negative opinions, except for the fact that the vocabulary was a bit challenging. I think that everyone would like this book if they like a deep, heartfelt story that shows you different ways of thinking, emotions, and human behaviors.

To Kill a Mockingbird has won countless awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Pulitzer Prize. And of course, it is a bestseller. In fact, it is a bestseller that I would highly recommend.

“There’s a lot of ugly things in the world, son. I wish I could keep ‘em all away from you,” said Atticus.

The plot of this book is memorable, and the message of it is unforgettable. It is simply amazing how a person can write such a story that captivates you, and you just can’t put it down. Nevertheless, Harper Lee did this, and she did it with greatness.