Ti | Book Chatter

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Friday Finds is hosted by Should Be Reading

Here’s the blurb from the publisher:

In Caitlin’s world, everything is black or white. Things are good or bad. Anything in between is confusing. That’s the stuff Caitlin’s older brother, Devon, has always explained. But now Devon’s dead and Dad is no help at all. Caitlin wants to get over it, but as an eleven-year-old girl with Asperger’s, she doesn’t know how. When she reads the definition of closure, she realizes that is what she needs. In her search for it, Caitlin discovers that not everything is black and white—the world is full of colors—messy and beautiful.

This book is geared towards young adults but when I saw it on Shelf Awareness I had to add it to my pile and when the publisher sent me a copy, well, I had to push it to the top.

It’s comes out April 15th but I’ll probably snuggle up with it this weekend. I have to add that it’s such a ‘cute’ book too. Very small and compact. I know publishers are beginning to see that readers are often just as excited about a cover than they are the actual book but small details like quality binding, nice, thick paper, they all make for a better reading experience.

Just wanted to say that.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
By John Boyne
Random House Children’s Books
October 2007
240pp

The Short of It:

A short, powerful book that leaves you speechless.

The Rest of It:

If you’ve ever come across a copy of this book, then you know from the book’s jacket, that nothing is shared about the story. No blurb. No comment, other than you need to experience this for yourself.

Since I agree with this statement, I am not going to give you any of the story here, which makes for a very strange book review, but what I will say is that what started off as innocent enough, ended with such a punch to my gut that it actually left me speechless. I spent several moments sitting in the same position, letting the ending sink in. I could not move.

This is a children’s book and could easily be read by a child between the ages of 10-12 but the themes are very mature and although there is nothing graphic within its pages, the reader can read between the lines and get the gist of it.

Although this is a very unconventional review, this is an important book and should be read by as many people as possible.

Source: This copy was checked out from the library.

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